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Microsoft does a good job of collecting and publishing the SharePoint Technical Articles code and detailed explanation on how to develop, extend and modify SharePoint API. Here is a brief list of the technical articles that Micorosoft published recently about SharePoint API and development and you should use it in your development process.

• Approaches to Creating Master Pages and Page Layouts in SharePoint Server 2007
• Best Practices: Writing SQL Syntax Queries for Relevant Results in Enterprise Search
• Capitalizing On the Social Network Capabilities of SharePoint Server 2007 User Profiles
• Configuring and Deploying Anonymous Publishing Sites for SharePoint Server 2007
• Creating a Custom Feature in SharePoint Server 2007
• Creating a Custom User Site Provisioning Solution with SharePoint Server 2007 (Part 1 of 2)
• Creating a Custom User Site Provisioning Solution with SharePoint Server 2007 (Part 2 of 2)
• Creating a Database Connection by Using the Business Data Catalog Definition Editor
• Creating a Web Service Connection by Using the Business Data Catalog Definition Editor
• Creating an Enterprise Search Crawl Log Viewer for SharePoint Server 2007
• Customizing and Branding Web Content Management-Enabled SharePoint Sites (Part 1 of 3)
• Customizing and Branding Web Content Management-Enabled SharePoint Sites (Part 2 of 3)
• Customizing and Branding Web Content Management-Enabled SharePoint Sites (Part 3 of 3)
• Data-Type Handling with Excel Services User-Defined Functions
• Delivering Modular SharePoint Workflow Functionality (Part 1 of 2)
• Delivering Modular SharePoint Workflow Functionality (Part 2 of 2)
• Deploying and Optimizing a SharePoint Web Part That Calls Excel Web Services
• Deploying Information Management Policy Using Feature Activation in SharePoint Server 2007
• Developer Introduction to Workflows for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and SharePoint Server 2007
• Developing Sequential Workflows for SharePoint Server 2007 Using Visual Studio 2008
• Developing SharePoint 2007 Sequential and State Machine Workflows with Visual Studio 2008
• Developing User-Defined Functions for Excel 2007 and Excel Services
• Developing Workflow Solutions with SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows Workflow Foundation
• Editing Business Data Using Business Data Catalog Actions and InfoPath Forms Services
• Evaluating and Customizing Search Relevance in SharePoint Server 2007
• Excel Services Technical Overview
• Extending the Excel Services Programmability Framework
• Finding Developer Help for SharePoint Products and Technologies
• Forms Authentication in SharePoint Products and Technologies (Part 1): Introduction
• Forms Authentication in SharePoint Products and Technologies (Part 2): Membership and Role Provider Samples
• Forms Authentication in SharePoint Products and Technologies (Part 3): Forms Authentication vs. Windows Authentication
• Helper Classes for the SharePoint Server 2007 Search Query Web Service Built Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
• How to Create a SharePoint Server 2007 Custom Master Page and Page Layouts for a Web Content Management Site
• How to Create a Silverlight Web Part in ASP.NET for Use in SharePoint Server 2007
• How to Optimize a SharePoint Server 2007 Web Content Management Site for Performance
• How to Optimize SharePoint Server 2007 Web Content Management Sites for Search Engines
• Identity and Access Strategies for SharePoint Products and Technologies (Part 1): Membership and Provider Architecture
• Identity and Access Strategies for SharePoint Products and Technologies (Part 2): Membership and Role Provider Assignment
• Implementing a Brand in a SharePoint Server 2007 Publishing Site
• Integrating External Document Repositories with SharePoint Server 2007
• Integrating Siebel CRM with Office SharePoint Server 2007
• Integrating SharePoint Server 2007 with Community Server Membership Databases
• Introduction to SharePoint Products and Technologies for the Professional .NET Developer
• Item-Level Auditing with SharePoint Server 2007
• Performing Incremental Crawling with the Business Data Catalog in SharePoint Server 2007
• Prescriptive Guidance for SharePoint Server 2007 Web Content Management Sites
• Searching Sites Protected by Forms Authentication with Enterprise Search in SharePoint Server 2007
• SharePoint Server 2007 for MCMS 2002 Developers
• Solution and Authored Artifact Development Models for SharePoint Products and Technologies
• Team-Based Development in SharePoint Server 2007
• Ten Tips for Using SharePoint Server 2007 with Excel Services
• Understanding Field Controls and Web Parts in SharePoint Server 2007 Publishing Sites
• Understanding the Report Center and Dashboards in SharePoint Server 2007
• Upgrading an MCMS 2002 Application to SharePoint Server 2007 (Part 1 of 2)
• Upgrading an MCMS 2002 Application to SharePoint Server 2007 (Part 2 of 2)
• Upgrading SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Customizations to SharePoint Server 2007 (Part 1 of 2)
• Upgrading SharePoint Portal Server 2003 Customizations to SharePoint Server 2007 (Part 2 of 2)
• Using Enterprise Search Property Filters in SharePoint Server 2007
• Using Excel Web Services in a SharePoint Web Part
• Using Team Foundation Server to Develop Custom SharePoint Products and Technologies Applications

URL to access each of these articles is published on main Micorosoft MSDN SharePoint site. I purposly did not link each indvidual article due to changing nature of the MSND site and link updates that Microsoft does time to time.

I use Google.com search engine as everybody else but recently I started to see a message on the top right corner that says: Customized based on recent search activity.

I tried to look around and finally gave up. Google does not provide what is means and I am not logged into the google.com account. This message still shows up. How can it customize for me if it does not even know who I am. What if I am using public PC, how is it going to be customized for me based on my recent search activity?

It is alwasy easy to learn when you can see for yoursefl. Here is one of those valuable resources that everybody wants to find: http://www.asp.net/learn/videos/ (link)

They have great deal of Video Tutorials and it is important to watch them and then suppliment with books or MSDN Magazines.

I persinally prefer Video Tutorials when studying for the first time and then print outs with Step by Step guides if there is a need to configure or develop something.

Many people tried to categorize all aspects of Visual Studio Team System. Many attempts fail due to overwhelming amount of features and capabilities that VSTS has. Fortunately, there is a map out there that provides such a view.

I worked with VSTS for a while now and I believe this is complete tree like presentation of the all the useful VSTS tools and features.

I am hoping that this map will be updated with time and we’ll get a full benefit of this resource Site Link: http://www.cshost.members.winisp.net/blog/vstsresources.html

Do we Migrate or Re-Write? This is one of the main questions that anyone who tried to re-engineer legacy VB 6.0 application.

Microsoft done supporting VB 6.0 as of 3/1/2008 and now millions of lines of code hanging out here and the only solution is to re-engineer.

As always, Microsoft provided lots of useful information on their website. Here is a list of site that I found useful:

VB Run
- one of the better resources for VB 6.0 professionals.

In addition, Microsoft released Patterns and Practices on VB 6.0 Migration with excellent samples and step-by-step guides. It is also worth looking at.

Also, this blog post is good source of information. We used some of the links for VB 6.0 Migration from them: http://blogs.msdn.com/annali/archive/2006/02/07/526296.aspx

I am sure you heard many time the name of this person if you tried to read on or learn about Team Foundation Server. In fact, Brian Harry is a father of TFS and sometime is called Microsoft Big Brains: Brian Harry

Brian introduced us to TFS via his blog and video tutorials that he posts regularly on Channel 9 website. One of his personal contribution is a set of tools bundled together that helps us manager Work Item templates, work with project structure and other useful tools that any developer who works with TFS find invaluable.