WebORB 3.3. for .NET is released

It feels like it has been forever since we did a release of the .NET edition of the product. In reality it took us just two months to add a bunch of features, documentation, fix bugs and make the product better than ever. Here's what's awaiting for you when you download and install the best Flex and .NET integration technology ever (aka WebORB):

1. WebORB Data Management for Flex (WDMF) is available in the Standard Edition (yes, the one that is FREE). You can connect to your MySQL or SQL Server database, import schema and generate all the AS3 and C#/VB.NET code to do a full blown CRUD against your database. The system will give you sample MXML files so you can see how easy it is to use the API to retrieve, create update or delete data. The generated code on the server side is automatically compiled and pre-deployed. The price you have to pay is $0 (zero) dollars. Is there a catch? you betcha! The Standard Edition supports up to 5 tables, if you need to import more, consider upgrading. Sorry, we have to make money so we can continue delivering these fantastic features.
   


2. WDMF now supports Database Views. You asked for it and now you can enjoy WDMF even more! When you connect to your database, the WDMF designer will show not only the tables, but all the Views as well. You can import a View simply by dragging it into the data model. In the generated code a View is represented by an ActiveRecord class, so all the same APIs are applicable. You can see all the Views for a database right after the tables:
   
   


3. WDMF no longer requires full closure of the related tables. Dependency on the related tables can be turned off in the model designer. The end result - you do not need to import every dependant table - focus just on the tables you need in your Flex application.
   
   
   
4. Management console now includes a section for the WebORB Messaging Server. You can easily monitor all deployed messaging applications, see real-time client connections, inspect Remote SharedObjects, upload and play media streams.
   
   Messaging Applications Overview Screen:
   
   
   View/Remove client connections:
   
   
   Inspect/Monitor remote shared objects:
   
   
   View/Stream/Delete/Upload video files:
   
   
   
5. Flex integration documentation is available in the user guide includes with the product. You can also see it here on the website.
   


6. Service browser has been redesigned to provide a per-assembly view of the deployed services:
   
   
   
7. Service browser provides a way to diagnose assembly loading errors. Those assemblies that cannot be loaded show up with a special icon. There is also a tooltip reporting the loading errors:
   
   
   
8. WebORB configuration file (weborb.config) is 'hot-deployable'. Any change made to the file is automatically picked up by WebORB. Previously a change to weborb.config required a restart of ASP.NET.
   
   
9. WebORB configuration file includes a setting controlling response buffer (see the 'performance' section of the config file).

We hope you'll enjoy using the product. Download and try it out now.

Technorati tags: WebORB, Flex, Flex and .NET

A tribute to Larry Snyder 1940-2007

This is the toughest post I have ever written. It is very hard to pull myself together and crystallize your thoughts as feeling void seems to be rather draining...

Larry Snyder, the hidden force behind the Midnight Coders success, wide product adoption, growing popularity and rise in sales, passed away on August 18, 2007. I knew Larry from two jobs back and ran into him early last year. We talked about Midnight Coders, my vision for the product and the opportunities the company has. Larry came on board and shared much of the vision and passion for the company. He had a unique ability to see the upside and brighten the day even when things were taking the down turns. Larry will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He was a very kind, honest and dependable friend with the utmost passion for life and success of TMC. I am very grateful for the opportunity to know and work with Larry.

My Flex and .NET sessions at 360Flex next week

We're going to Seattle next week to participate in the 360Flex conference. I am very excited about the event - it sounds like it going to be a blast. We will be conducting two sessions, one is for Flex and .NET integration and the other is specifically for WebORB.
The Flex and .NET session will review integration via web services as well as remoting. I plan to review data retrieval from a database, Flex to .NET security, exception handling and a few other aspects of day-to-day client/server integration tasks.
The WebORB session is going to give you an idea of what the product is and more importantly where we are heading with it. I plan to describe our vision for the next generation of the product and will review the roadmap.
Finally, there is also going to be a BoF hands-on session for WebORB and Flex/AIR/.NET. The session is designed to give you a hands-on experience for getting started with Flex/AIR and .NET. I plan to do a thorough walkthrough of getting Flex remoting configured, writing a basic .NET service and integrating it with the Flex and AIR clients. If you plan to attend the session, make sure to bring a laptop. You will need to have the following software installed:

• Flex Builder 3 if you plan to build an AIR app, Flex Builder 2 otherwise
  
• Visual Studio 2005
• Microsoft .NET Framework 2 or later
• IIS 5 or later is a plus if you're interested in Flex Remoting, otherwise you still will be okay with a webserver-less mode of WebORB

See you in Seattle!