Eli the Computer Guy

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

New features in Google Suggest and Chrome allow searches to get the information they seek while saving a few (minor) steps in the process.

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Google’s speed freaks tweak suggestions, Chrome

After years of taking a big loss on each console sold, Sony may finally have stanched the bleeding by using less expensive components.

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Report: PS3 design finally nearing break-even

While developing a new release of the CodePlex.Diagnostics exception and logging framework I encountered a scenario where it became very difficult to write an effective unit test. In the latest release of the framework developers will interact with the framework using C# extension methods on the System.Exception , System.String , and System.Diagnostics.Process classes. Writing unit tests for the publication of exceptions and the writing of log entries, the extension methods on the  System.Exception and System.String classes, presented no problems although the extension method for the System.Diagnostics.Process class expects the process to have exited and this was the scenario that was causing the difficulty. Initially I thought that I had three options to enable the extension method on the System.Diagnostics.Process class to be unit tested and they were: Using .net reflection alter the internal state of the System.Diagnostics.Process class such that the HasExited , StartTime , ExitTime , and ExitCode properties all return appropriate values, giving the illusion that the vstesthost.exe process has exited while in reality the process is still executing unit tests. Within the unit test create an additional process that the vstesthost.exe process can observe using Exited event of the  System.Diagnostics.Process class and then call the C# extension method using the additional process. Use an appropriate mocking framework to create a mock object, based upon the System.Diagnostics.Process class, that will be used to call the C# extension method after isolating calls to the  HasExited , StartTime , ExitTime , and ExitCode properties such that they will return appropriate values. After exploring the internals of the System.Diagnostics.Process class with Lutz Roeder's .NET Reflector , and writing some exploratory code altering the internal state of the class using reflection, it became apparent that this approach would not work. Within the System.Diagnostics.Process  class there is an internal method called EnsureState, and while I was able to successfully alter the state of the instance such that the HasExited , ExitTime , and ExitCode properties all return appropriate values, an exception is thrown by the EnsureState method when the StartTime  property is called. With Visual Studio 2008 support for source debugging I was able to step into the EnsureState method, if you're not familiar with this feature then see my previous blog post on Visual Studio 2008 SP1 .NET Framework Source Debugging . So after determining that option 1 wasn't really an option I then had to consider option 2 although unit testing frameworks and the tools that execute the tests created with those frameworks are generally not intended for dealing with processes and other system level programming concepts.

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Adventures with Typemock Isolator and Mock Objects

Last week I was discussing HTML5 offline web app features with some coworkers and I realized it was time to play around with a bit of code. You can always support your points in a geek discussion by pop'n open a big ol can o whup'code right? Until someone brings out the newclear option! Thank you, I'm here all week Okay – my goal was to get a some first hand experience with the code and then run it in several different browsers. I chose the browsers listed below because they are available on a variety of client device types and operating systems. Note: I was running the Windows PC versions of the browsers below. I'll eventually get to testing on smart phones and update the results in this post. Feel free to make a case to to run the code in some other browser – I'll add the info to the results too. I'm by no means and expert here. I've done a little reading and a little coding and I'm hoping you readers will share your experiences and advice. I'll update the post with the good stuff.

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HTML5 offline web apps – code experiments with several browsers

Last night, Redmond sent out an e-mail to participants of the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta Program telling them about a Windows 7 Photo Contest that some of those with tinfoil hats might not like. Essentially, Microsoft wants these testers to send in a photo of themselves in their beta testing environment, near a well-known landmark, or somehow displaying their passion and enthusiasm for technology. The file must be a JPEG and must include their first and last name, as well as their Microsoft Connect handle. In return, Microsoft will choose five random winners who will get some Windows 7 swag.

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Microsoft asks Windows 7 testers for their photo