This post is long overdue but I thought I would share my experiences with attending my first code camp: Orlando Code Camp 2010.
Code Camp is something that always interested me, I thought it would be cool to experience some of the bleeding-edge technology and also receive some “free” training in the process.
If you are not aware of what a Code Camp is, it is an event where developers volunteer their time to present on several different topics – typically related to Microsoft products and technology and is sponsored by local technology companies.
Here is a breakdown of each session I attended:
Session 1
What to Know About WF 4.0
Presented by: Bayer White
I have just introduced myself to Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) since I have been teaching myself Windows SharePoint Services – so I thought I would get some exposure to what’s new in WF 4.0.
Take Away: WF 4.0 is significantly different from it’s predecessors, but there are some features that make it more productive: activities. A lot of the information was a bit over my head for being a novice at WF; however, once I get a good understanding of WF 3.0, I will migrate my skills to WF 4.0.
Links:
www.humanworkflow.net
www.flowfocus.com
Session 2
Building a Data Warehouse Using Sql Server 2008
Presented by Wes Dumey
The topic of Building a Data Warehouse is not new to me. I have taken graduate-level classes on the subject and actually built a Data Warehouse for a hospital as a team project – back in the days of Sql Server 2000. However, since taking this class, I have not had much exposure to the topic and the tools from Microsoft have changed significantly.
In the week previous to Orlando Code Camp I had attended several webinars by Pragmatic Works on Business Intelligence, so a lot of the information was review.
Take Away: Wes shared some ‘best practices’ that his firm adopted, such as storing the extracts after each step of the ETL process to verify the data.
Links:
Durable Impact Consulting
www.dayofdata.com
Session 3
Developing OLAP Solutions with SASS 2008
Presented by: Adam Jorgensen
One of the webinar sessions I missed with Pragmatic Works, was this very same presentation with Adam. So it was a treat to see Adam present this in person and demo the BI tools in Sql Server 2008.
Take Away: Since I have not used Sql Server 2008 BI Tools or even Sql Server 2005 BI Tools for that matter, I think there was an assumption that the audience had prior exposure. Adam frequently referred to the differences between 2005 and 2008 and also shared his pet peeve of naming dimensions with underscores.
Links:
Pragmatic Works
Session 4
Getting Started with WPF
Presented by: Shervin Shakibi
I haven’t had much exposure to WPF, so I thought I would check out this session for beginners. The presenter Shervin Shakibi is very comical and made the session pretty enjoyable.
Take Away:
From what I understand about WPF, is that it add additional functionality to creating Windows Forms and is primarily driven by XAML. It is possible to create web apps using WPF, but Shervin suggested to use Silverlight for that purpose.
Links:
www.computerways.com
Session 5
Silverlight Viewer for Reporting Services
Presented by: Jeremy Groves
This had to be the most unproductive session that I attended. It seemed as if the presenter was there against his will – the session only lasted about 10 minutes.
Take Away:
Silverlight Viewer for Reporting Services is actually a product by Perpetuumsoft and this session was nothing more than a marketing presentation to buy their product.
Links:
www.perpetuumsoft.com
Session 5.5
Stream It! Live + HD + Silverlight
Presented by Kevin Rohling
Since I had some time to kill, I went to this session since it was the location for Session 6.
Take Away:
Kevin Rohling made note of a video (that I had never heard of before) that is available in the public domain: Big Buck Bunny.
Links:
www.perpetuumsoft.com
Session 6
Dissecting a Real-World Silverlight 4 Application
David Silverlight
I really wanted to see Silverlight development in action and I was provided this opportunity in David Silverlight’s session.
Note: I have to admit I once thought that Silverlight was named after him.
Take Away:
David presented a User Group Website Starter Kit software package that was developed using Silverlight, and is available to download via CodePlex.
Links:
Silverlight User Group Website Starter Kit
www.perpetuumsoft.com
Overall, I was exposed to a lot of new technology at Orlando Code Camp. I look forward to attending Tampa Code Camp later this year.
More Blogs about Orlando Code Camp:
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