VS 2008 locking up after Office 2010 install

I installed MS Office 2010 about 3 weeks ago and everything went smooth. For the most part, I have been developing in VS 2010, but lately, when I was doing code review, I have to a .NET 3.5 project in VS 2008 - and it locks up on me almost every time.

I thought it was some extension I installed or something screwed up on my project. So I uninstall all extensions, but it was still locking up. I open the project on a different computer, it was running fine, same source and references and all that. I went to search on the internet and found out that there are some issues between VS 2008 and Office 2010 installation. One my particular issue, all I need to do is to rerun "Microsoft Visual Studio Web Authoring Component".

The setup.exe file is located at : C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\microsoft shared\OFFICE12\Office Setup Controller\.

So just shut down all VS 2008 instance and any Office programs and then run the Setup.exe and it should be good to go - at least that did it for me.

Credit to Martin Hinshelwood! -- read more and comment ...

StringLength validator into MaxLength attribute via Html Helpers

Let's say you use Data Annotation validations and attributes in your object classes, such as this:

[StringLength(50, ErrorMessage = "Title may not be longer than 50 characters")]
public string Title { get; set; }

[DisplayName("First Name")]
[Required(ErrorMessage = "First Name is required")]
[StringLength(100, ErrorMessage = "First Name may not be longer than 100 characters")]
public string First { get; set; }

[DisplayName("Last Name")]
[Required(ErrorMessage = "Last Name is required")]
[StringLength(100, ErrorMessage = "Last Name may not be longer than 100 characters")]
public string Last { get; set; }

Then you setup your view:

<table>
<tr>
    <td class="fieldLabel"><%:Html.SmartLabelFor(m => m.Title)%></td>
    <td class="fieldValue"><%:Html.EditorFor(m => m.Title)%>
    <%:Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.Title)%></td>
</tr>
<tr>
    <td class="fieldLabel"><%:Html.SmartLabelFor(m => m.Last)%></td>
    <td class="fieldValue"><%:Html.EditorFor(m => m.Last)%>
    <%:Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.Last)%></td>
</tr>
<tr>
    <td class="fieldLabel"><%:Html.SmartLabelFor(m => m.First)%></td>
    <td class="fieldValue"><%:Html.EditorFor(m => m.First)%>
    <%:Html.ValidationMessageFor(m => m.First)%></td>
</tr>
</table>

Everything works great, the validators are validating, the display name shows up correctly, etc. Then you realize that it would have been much more awesome if the textbox is also limiting the entry to the StringLength specs using the maxlength attribute of the input element. It should not be that bad, right? Pretty easy? Just make or modify an Html helper and display another attribute based on a validation value - right? Nope ... turns out it is quite a challenge.

The issue is that the ModelMetadata does not carry all the attributes. So in our case, the validator attribute for StringLength is nowhere to be found. Well, not really, it's in there, but we have to do a little bit more digging.

The ModelMetadata has all the validators, so we can get them. Once we get all the validators, it's only a matter of getting the one we want, which is the one associated with StringLength, then it's all a matter of appending the right Html attribute the the element. Here is the completed code (named string.ascx, located in /Views/Shared/EditorTemplates/):

<%@ Control Language="C#" Inherits="System.Web.Mvc.ViewUserControl<dynamic>" %>
<%
    System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary<string, object> attributes = new Dictionary<string, object>() { { "class", "text-box single-line" } };
    IEnumerable<ModelValidator> validators = ModelValidatorProviders.Providers.GetValidators(ViewData.ModelMetadata, ViewContext);
    ModelClientValidationRule stringLengthRule = validators.SelectMany(v => v.GetClientValidationRules()).FirstOrDefault(m => m.ValidationType == "stringLength");
    if (stringLengthRule != null && stringLengthRule.ValidationParameters.ContainsKey("maximumLength")) {
        attributes.Add("maxlength", stringLengthRule.ValidationParameters["maximumLength"]);
    }
    Response.Write(Html.TextBox("", ViewData.TemplateInfo.FormattedModelValue, attributes));
%>

Additional readings:

• Html.SmartLabelFor
• Html Helper for Model Binding in MVC2
• ASP.NET MVC2 Editor Template for DateTime with jQuery datepicker

-- read more and comment ...

Restaurant Review: Basi Italia

Helen and I went to an Italian restaurant for her birthday called "Basi Italia". In short: it was probably the best Italian food experience we've had. Highly recommended. We are looking for opportunities to return there.

It is located in Short North area, on Hihgland St. Click here for map & other reviews.

The place is small. I don't think there is enough room for 25 people inside. But, they have a pretty nice outdoor setup - so there is more room outside. It is a more intimate setting and small.

Must get: the zucchini appetizer. We picked it because it was unique on the menu and how we did not regret. It was awesome. It is julienned zucchini with pecans tossed with light vinegar based oil with sliced cheese. Extra yummy.

For entrée,  I got the special for that day, which is ravioli two ways with 2 different sauces. Best ravioli I have ever had. I even forgot the name ... but it was a special thing, so not on the menu.

Helen got the seafood pasta and it was excellent. Good (not huge) portion with plenty of scallops, shrimps, and clams.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our experience there and certainly will return! -- read more and comment ...