Dr. Dobb's .Net Cast

Composite UI App Block (CAB) Internals
As one of the architects of Microsoft's Smart Client technologies in the Patterns & Practices group, Microsoft Software Development Lead and Agile guru Peter Provost of the Patterns & Practices group digs into the internals and history of the Composite UI App (CAB) block including intriguing comments on what led to its initial development.
The Future of Smart Clients
Smart Client guru Brian Noyes talks about how Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) awaits an improved version of Visual Studio to allow developers to be fully productive with the technology. Also a discussion that includes a list of resources available from Brian on SmartClients including an upcoming book on ClickOnce, and some exciting Smart Client news from Microsoft.
Building Smart Clients with the CAB
Microsoft Product Manager Eugenio Pace of the Patterns & Practices team gives an overview on the recently released Composite UI App Block (CAB) for Smart Client applications including when it's appropriate to create a Smart Client and how it differs from a traditional "fat" client application. (MP3, 17:36 mins.)

Converting to C++/CLI
Dave Doknjas of Tangible Software Solutions discusses some gotchas in converting VB.NET to J#, before addressing how C# and VB.NET code can be converted to C++/CLI, including the possibility of a C/C++ to C# converter while highlighting the issues in migrating from a lower-to-higher level language. (MP3, 13:04 mins.)

The Tour de Converter
Hosts Mark Baker and Nik Hemdal take a whirlwind tour of the issues with converting between VB.NET and C# with Dave Doknjas of Tangible Software Solutions touching on C# to VB.NET challenges like case-sensitivity in symbols and special considerations with ASP.NET page translation. (MP3, 14:40 mins.)

Challenges in .NET Functional Equivalence
Hosts Mark Baker and Nik Hemdal chat with Dave Doknjas of Tangible Software Solutions about how automatic translation software can achieve the goal of functional equivalence and how syntactic peculiarities of VB.NET and C# can complicate this goal. (MP3, 15:05 mins.)

Translating .NET to .NET
A talk with Dave Doknjas of Tangible Software Solutions, developer of Instant C#, Instant C++ and Instant VB. Dave discusses converting .NET applications from VB.NET to C#, or C# to VB.NET with an overview of the challenges of translating .NET languages.

.NET Convergence or Divergence?
Hosts Mark Baker and Nik Hemdal consider the evolution of .NET and potential for future divergence of VB.NET and C#. They also review some of the potential bumps in the road predicted by experts interviewed on the DotNetCast. (MP3, 17:15 mins.)

VB6 to .NET: A Look Back at the Road Ahead
Hybrid Interop or Total Rewrite? Refactoring or "Prefactoring"? Hosts Mark Baker and Nik Hemdal review the series of shows on migrating Visual Basic 6.0 applications to .NET. (MP3, 16:12 mins.)

XML and ADO.NET Best Practices
.NET Software Legend and ADO.NET guru Jackie Goldstein discusses the history of ADO.NET, his recommended best practices when using it, and his upcoming book on ADO.NET. (MP3, 15:31 mins.)

Database Transactions and the System.Transaction Namespace
Microsoft's database technologies are undergoing significant changes. Development guru Jackie Goldstein looks at these changes and discusses new ways of thinking about transactions with the System.Transaction namespace. (MP3, 15:10 mins.)

Migrating Data Access to .NET
.NET guru Jackie Goldstein discusses new features in .NET 2.0 and best practices for moving VB6 data access to .NET including in-depth information on ADO.NET 2.0 and how it differs from previous data access technologies. (MP3, 16:27 mins.)

Starting with Hybrid Apps
.NET guru Jackie Goldstein talks about developing small applications or sub-systems in .NET to gradually migrate to .NET. (MP3, 17:06 mins.)

.NET Migration: In-House or Outsource?
If your development team is getting up to speed on the .NET Framework, .NET guru Jackie Goldstein suggests that you may be able to outsource migration for handling a lot of "grunt work". Jackie also provides tips on migrating in layers. (MP3, 16:11 mins.)

Core Principles of .NET Migration
.NET Software Legend and VB6 Master Jackie Goldstein of Renaissance Computer Systems talks about his core principles in approaching migration from VB6 to .NET. (MP3, 17:42 mins.)

Assessing the VB6 Assessment Tool
Federico Zoufaly promotes automated migration to .NET instead rewriting to retain significant investments in legacy apps. Federico also discusses the advanced ArtinSoft VB Companion tool. (MP3, 15:32 mins.)

Migration in the Large
Federico Zoufaly of ArtinSoft discusses the unique challenges in migrating large VB6 applications to .NET including a real life example of a 5 million line VB6 application that was successfully ported by a client. (MP3, 16:23 mins.)

Ready-Set-Go! Your VB6 Migration
Federico Zoufaly of Artinsoft discusses its Ready-Set-Go! methodology for migrating VB6 applications to .NET and how its extensive experience with migration was a key reason Microsoft selected Artinsoft to develop the VB6 Upgrade Wizard and provide key guidance in the VB6 Migration Guide. Learn how to approach migration as a systematic and thoughtful manner to ensure success. (MP3, 17:23 mins.)

The Wizard of the VB6 Upgrade Wizard
Federico Zoufaly of Artinsoft, the developers of the Microsoft VB6 Upgrade Wizard, describes the benefits of iterative upgrading -- refactoring your VB6 code each time to refine the result from the wizard. He also digs into the internals and improvements of the VS 2005 Upgrade Wizard. (MP3, 16:45 mins.)

COM Interop
Juval Lowy explores how COM Interop can allow legacy VB6 applications to co-exist in a .NET world, the differences between .NET generics & C++ templates, and why reading his latest book on .NET 2.0 will help you become an advanced .NET developer. (MP3, 18:42 mins.)

Comparing RAD & Enterprise Development in .NET
.NET Software Legend Juval Lowy explains how RAD and Enterprise developers bring very different perspectives to how they approach .NET technology and how this deeply affects their expectations of it. (MP3, 16:51 mins.)

Moving to .NET from VB6 and C++
Juval Lowy discusses the different perspectives that VB6 and C++ developers bring to .NET including the challenges each group faces with the technology. (MP3 audio, 16:32 mins.)