Topic:  Demystifying WPF

Today’s applications need to do more than simply work. They need to draw in the user, and provide a differentiated experience. This means moving beyond battleship gray forms, boxy UIs, and providing a positive user experience. Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) provides powerful capabilities to develop a compelling user interface, the kind that makes an application stand out. In this session, we’ll examine the core concepts of WPF such as layout panels, data binding, styles and control templates, and we’ll use them to develop an application UI from the ground up. 

Speaker:  Russ Fustino

Bio:  Russ Fustino wisely shelved dreams of rock and roll stardom in order to share his vast knowledge with developers nationwide. Given that he can’t sing or play an instrument, we’re all very grateful. Russ has more than 25 years of software development. He’s the creator of the Russ’ Tool Shed developer seminar series and has donned his trademark suspenders, hardhat and tool belt in presentations for over 60,000 developers at 1,500 events. Russ also has expertise in developing Visual Basic and Web-based solutions using Microsoft tools. Before joining Microsoft ten years ago, Russ worked as a VB instructor, headed up a development department, and created several client/server applications and system software products. His specialties include development with VB.NET, XML Web services, ASP.NET, XNA, Silverlight, Development Tools and debugging. But make no mistake – Russ is not all brains. His big heart led him to establish Take a Swing at Cancer, Inc., a non-profit organization that holds softball and golf-based fundraisers to battle cancer. You have to know the code to get in the shed. KNOW THE CODE!

Date and Time:  Wednesday, October 1st  6:30 - 8:30 pm

Location:  Seville Quarter - Heritage Hall

Hello Pensacola SQL UG Members,

We hope you made it through the rain and winds this weekend, and didn’t
encounter any of those nasty tornadoes up close!

Rodney and I want to thank all of you who were able to come out last
Thursday. We really enjoyed the new venue (thank you Bill and TEK
Systems!), and having Joe Healy (my total inspiration!) come all the way
to Pensacola and giving a spectacular presentation on Visual Studio 2008
SP1! I hope everyone got a lot out of it!

As I mentioned at the meeting, we have Russ Fustino (creator of Russ’ Tool
Shed) presenting at the Wednesday, October 1st meeting. We are very
excited ourselves to see this one, as we have heard a lot about Russ and
had some fun partying with Russ at the Tweener after event!

We have several others emailing us now wanting to speak at our users group
meeting here, so we are excited about that…and of course, makes my job
much easier! wink, wink!!!

I would like to know from everyone your thoughts on November and December.
I have spoken with some other user group leaders and they don’t do
anything in these months due to the holidays, but if you are up for it, so
are Rodney and I! So just let us know…we usually try to aim for the
last Wednesday of the month, but that may not be practical for Nov/Dec, so
just let us know your thoughts…we will work around whatever will work
best for the majority of our members.

Reminder that the next SQL Saturday is October 25th, put on by Andy Warren
and crew. Be sure to attend if you can, Rodney will be doing a
presentation (or two), and Shawn and I will be attending as well. Maybe
we can load up a van full and head out that Friday! Let us know! If you
are interested in signing up, go to http://www.sqlsaturday.com/.

This week, from SQL ServerCentral.com, the 5 candidates for Exceptional
DBA of the Year have been listed, along with some of the judges comments
(Rodney was one of the 4 judges). You can read all about them and put
your vote in at www.exceptionaldba.com.

(Sorry, I know I am being lengthy this time…lots to talk about!)…

A reminder that we are now an Offical Chapter of PASS, go to our Sponsors
page on our website to sign up and receive a discount if you plan to
attend PASS this year. Rodney, Shawn and I will all be going. Would love
to see you there, and see a big presence from the Pensacola SQL Users
Group!

Thank you again, and please do send me any feedback that you may have.
Also if you yourself would be interested in presenting at one of our user
group functions.

Cheers,
Karla Kay