Expression 3 launch videos, Web Application Toolkits, IIS SEO Toolkit

As part of my job in DPE, I’m covering relationships with user groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina: I attend the meetings and (from time to time) speak about new and cool things  in Microsoft development tools and technologies for developers and students. But also, I’m here to provide the links and resources that should help them to be efficient during learning about the dev tools, development of new and maintaining old applications. So, get to the point, you ask? Here are some resources / nuggets / cool things that we have available for some time now, and this is a reminder for you not to forget them.

See the light!

Microsoft announced Expression 3 last July. As part of the launch, we also created launch site where we streamed launch event. This launch site is later populated with recorded videos from the event. It can be found here: http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/seethelight/.

“But that is not all! If you purchase now you’ll get… for free” – exactly. On the launch website there is a lot of other resources – download links and other videos /  demos, tours and videos that showcase the usage of Expression Studio tools – Blend, Web, SuperPreview, SketchFlow, Design, Encoder.

Do you like packaged, production ready code samples?

Web Application Toolkits are sample applications that provide developers with sample code, templates and guidance how to extend existing application with specific functionality. They are in ready-to-run state, which means you simply unpack them, and they can work immediately. Toolkits are also followed with set of screencasts that show toolkit functionality and how to use them in your existing or new web applications.

Web Application Toolkits are hosted on MSDN Code Gallery - http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/Project/ProjectDirectory.aspx?TagName=WebAppToolkits, and at the moment we have following WATs:

• WAT for REST Services

• WAT for Mobile Web Applications

• WAT for Template Driven Email

• WAT for Making your Website Social

• WAT for Bing Search

• WAT for IE8

• WAT for FAQs

Screencasts are posted on Channel9, and one of them is introductory screencast http://channel9.msdn.com/posts/LostInTangent/Web-Application-Toolkit-introduction/ which contains the links to screencasts for each of WATs

SEO, Anyone?

All web developers are concerned about Search Engine Optimization (SEO). And now, we have the solution. Meet IIS SEO Toolkit! SEO Toolkit provides you with a set of tools that web developers can use to make websites more search engine friendly, resolve common SEO problems and as a result – move your website up in the search results.

You can install SEO Toolkit through Web Platform Installer, and use it from within IIS7 manager. More details about its usage you can find on more relevant blogs – Scott Hanselman blog and ScottGu blog .

Summary

I hope you’ll find something of this useful. If you agree with me – share the knowledge with others :)

Hear you soon! Dragan

You can find me on my blogs (content is mirrored between them): http://weblogs.asp.net/draganpanjkov, www.dragan-panjkov.com, on twitter: @panjkov and facebook: @Dragan Panjkov