It’s frustrated me a few times how difficult it is to drop a column in SQL Server when that column has a default value set on it.  You’ll get an error message like this: Msg 5074, Level 16, State 1,… Continue reading ‘How to drop a column with a default value constraint in SQL Server’ →

A calculated property is something that is calculated based on the results of some other properties. For example: Subtotal = Unit Cost * Quantity The finalize button should be enabled if the order status is Open The unit cost is… Continue reading ‘A declarative way of handling property changed notifications’ →

This post is a response to Ugly Case Statements, where Sunny tackles the problem of running separate code for each element of an enumeration. I’d like to suggest another alternative to handle this. First, I’m not convinced yet that the… Continue reading ‘Attaching custom attributes to an enumeration’ →

RubyMine is a great integrated development environment (IDE) for Ruby on Rails development.  Here’s ten reasons you should consider using it: Built-in debugger.  Using a debugger instead of print statements will increase your productivity dramatically. Built-in support for ERB, HAML,… Continue reading ’10 reasons you should use RubyMine for Ruby on Rails Development’ →

I started doing my Rails development on a Windows machine.  It was painful; the Rails community just doesn’t care much about Windows, so simple things like running a MySQL database were frustrating to get working.  Many other little things wouldn’t… Continue reading ‘Use Mac or Linux, not Windows, for Ruby on Rails development’ →