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My i - .NET
August 19, 2008
Editor: Craig Pelkie
Issue 29
From the Editor
Craig Pelkie What if you don't have the source code you need to add a method to a class in the .NET Framework? Extend methods could be the technique for you. Also in this issue of My i - .NET, I introduce you to Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, which can help you store multiple operating systems on your Windows PC. Please let us know if you have a question or an article idea. -Craig Pelkie

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My i-.NET Features
code.ExtendYourself
by Craig Pelkie

When you use a class in .NET programming, you generally think about using its properties, methods, and events. Almost always, the methods of a class provide the functionality you need. Sometimes, you find yourself working with a class that doesn't have exactly the right method. If you have the source code for the class, you can usually add a new method (C#) or subroutine or function (VB).

What if you don't have the source code, though? For example, what if you discover that you would like to add a method to a class in the .NET Framework? The usual solution is to create a child class that inherits from the base class, adding the new method to the child class. Although this is an acceptable solution, there is a new technique introduced with Visual Basic 2008 and C# 3.0 that may be simpler to use. That technique is called extension methods. As you'll see in the examples I've provided, it is relatively easy to understand and use extension methods.


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Going Virtual with Microsoft Virtual PC 2007
by Craig Pelkie

When you hear about virtualization, most of the time the reference is to server virtualization. Practically all server operating systems, including IBM i, support some type of virtualization, providing the capability of running multiple versions of the same or different operating systems on the same physical hardware.

Desktop virtualization has been available for several years. One of the most popular products is VMWare. Another product is Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, which is available as a no-charge download from Microsoft.

The idea with Virtual PC is that you can install multiple operating systems on your Windows PC. When you produce a Virtual PC configuration, two files are created on your PC.


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Integration Case Study (Sponsored Content)
Agribusiness Beefs Up Data Warehouse and Reporting Capabilities

The J.R. Simplot Company likes to describe itself as "bringing earth's resources to life." The private agribusiness, based in Boise, Idaho, operates farms and ranches, potato and vegetable processing plants, agricultural fertilizer production, and services for growers and farmers. With annual revenues of $3.4 billion, Simplot is one of the largest and fastest-growing private enterprises in the country.

As its business has expanded, Simplot has updated its technology infrastructure to keep up. In the run-up to the year 2000, the company had a series of separate non-integrated systems in its various divisions, hindering its ability to aggregate data into a single, comprehensive financial view of the entire enterprise, as well as to share data from division to division. The company conducted a review of five leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and chose J.D. Edwards and the System i, with DB2 as the database.


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From My i - .NET
Microsoft
  • .NET and Your i--Better Together--Discover how others have done it at the Midrange Alliance.


  • The My i - .NET newsletter debuted April 18, 2006, and is published the third Tuesday of every month. It offers articles and tips on how to effectively integrate Microsoft .NET technologies with System i applications. It also focuses on how to incorporate other Microsoft products into the System i environment. You can reach the editor, Craig Pelkie, at craig@web400.com.

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