Free CodeRush Plugin: VS Add New Items Simplified!

Check out this new CodeRush plugin that saves you time by letting you create items from Visual Studio’s "Add New Dialog" without using the dialog!

Watch the CodeRush DXNewItem plugin dialog to learn how to install and use this plugin:

Download DX_NewItem Here

Feedback

Be sure to leave Rory feedback below for another great CodeRush plugin! Thanks Rory!

Tags: - Virtualization, Application Packaging, CodeRush, plugin

Video: CodeRush Plugin Makes XPO Fields Easier

Check out this CodeRush plugin screencast about XPO_EasyFields. XPO_EasyFields is a new CodeRush Plugin created by Michael Proctor.

XPO_EasyFields plugin allows for use of XPO Simplified Criteria Syntax which creates and updates the PersistentBase.FieldsClass of your object for easy field reference.

Download XPO_EasyFields for free

Then check out Michael's blog to learn more:

• XPO_EasyFields, makes your life easy with XPO 
• XPO from the beginning, Part 1, Basic Information

Please do me a favor and leave Michael your feedback below on this useful XPO CodeRush plugin.

Thanks Michael!

Tags: - Virtualization, Application Packaging, CodeRush, Features, plugin, screencast, Video, XPO

Free CodeRush Plugin: Move Source Code With Arrow Keys

Check out this CodeRush plugin video about DX_MoveCode. The plugin is super simple because you can move lines of code using your arrow keys! It’s so intuitive that you’ll wonder why Visual Studio doesn’t have a feature like this built-in.

Download DX_MoveCode

Get the free plugin (and source code) from the Google ‘DXCore Community plugins’ website here:

http://code.google.com/p/dxcorecommunityplugins/wiki/DX_MoveCode

Thanks Rory!

Check out the DX_MoveCode plugin video with the plugin creator, Rory Becker!

Then drop me a line below to thank Rory for this sweet little plugin.

Tags: - Virtualization, Application Packaging, CodeRush, plugin, Video

Free Plugin: Tweet Your Code From Visual Studio

Check out this great CodeRush plugin which allows you to share snippets of your code with the world.  Travis Illig is the mastermind who created this CodeRush plugin.

Watch the “Share Code On Twitter (Travis Illig)” video below and learn how the plugin works:

Installation

Follow these 3 easy steps:

1. Download the free plugin here: CR-CodeTweet CodeRush Plugin
2. Watch the “Share Code On Twitter (Travis Illig)” video and follow the few steps to setup the plugin.
• The plugin uses the http://codepaste.net/ website by uploading your selected code snippet from Visual Studio to CodePaste.net. Then it provides you a dialog to to enter a short twitter message with the shortened CodePaste.net url. Brilliant!
3. Install and start sharing your code with the world.

This is one of my favorite plugins and I’ve already used it a few times to help answer DevExpress ASP.NET questions on twitter.

Check out Travis's free CR-CodeTweet plugin and drop me a line below with ideas on creative ways to use it.

PS. – Post your CodePaste.net profile link too please.

Tags: - Virtualization, Application Packaging, CodeRush, plugin, Twitter, Video

Mark Miller Humbled Again!

Mark Miller challenged all developers to a coding contest last year at PDC 2009. Many tried, including some top notch talent like Scott Hanselman and Steve Smith. However, only 2 developers were successful in beating Mark and his XBOX guitar.

Check out this great quote from one of the winners, Eiríkur Nilsson:

I first tried out CodeRush Xpress and immediately knew I had to get the full package, it really does change how one writes code. The code generators are incredible, the way they allow you to write multiple lines of code with just a couple of keystrokes is ingenious, it's quite hard to explain as it really needs to be witnessed. That applies as well to how CodeRush presents things in-line in your code editor, the way refactorings are presented is so visual and intuitive. It makes a huge difference not having to switch focus from the code editor in order to do something like renaming or moving arguments. Finally, the Code Navigation features really speed up moving around your code.

All in all, CodeRush speeds up development in countless ways. So, after beating Mark on his Rock Band programming, I had to ask for a full CodeRush license in reward, and I've been really happy using it.

-Eiríkur Nilsson

Mark was humbled by Eirikur at PDC 2009 and again by his quote above (in a good way - thanks Eirikur). Mark especially liked this line that shows one of CodeRush’s core strengths:

…the way refactorings are presented is so visual and intuitive. It makes a huge difference not having to switch focus from the code editor in order to do something like renaming or moving arguments.

-Eiríkur Nilsson

Thanks Eiríkur Nilsson. I can only imagine how fast you are now WITH CodeRush!

Tags: - Virtualization, Application Packaging, CodeRush, Comment

CodeRush Test Runner With NUnit And TestDriven.Net

Check out this review of the CodeRush Test Runner from Will Green:

I've been using CodeRush Xpress since a little after it was first announced, and every new release has gotten better and better at filling the gaping hole that is refactoring and coding assistance within Visual Studio. I now consider CodeRush XPress a vital tool in my .Net toolbox. With the 9.3.2 release just before Christmas, I (unknowingly) installed CodeRush & Refactor! Pro. I only meant to upgrade CodeRush Xpress.

 

My first impression of the [CodeRush] Test Runner was actually the icons next to NUnit TestMethods. I thought "well, that's neat!". The icons were present enough to assert their existence, but subtle enough so as to not get in the way. I had been using a combination of TestDriven.net and Visual NUnit before. This was workable (kudus to both of those teams), but I felt like I wanted more.

 

When I realized what these icons were, I went looking for the Test Runner panel. I had read about the new Test Runner, and given that the team I work on is starting to adopt unit testing (test first in my case), I was eager to give it a go. All I can say is, WOW. The integration with Visual Studio is great. The panel has the same functionality as the stand-alone NUnit test-runner, but the fact that the icons in the panel are also replicated next to the methods in the source editor, coupled with the "Go to test method" command, make it super simple to navigate around my test suite.

I also find the code navigation functions in CodeRush invaluable. The product suite I work on is huge, so we have broken it down into a number of solutions, and referencing common libraries, rather than include the project in the solution. This often makes it difficult, with vanilla Visual Studio, to navigate around the code. CodeRush's features make this a 2 step process, instead of a multiple step one involving opening multiple instances of Visual Studio.

 

Code Rush & Refactor! Pro, with the Test Runner, make working with .Net solutions in Visual Studio a much more enjoyable prospect for me.

 

-Will Green (aka hotgazpacho)

Very nice Will!

Try the CodeRush Test Runner by downloading the latest version of CodeRush and start testing.

Tags: - Virtualization, Application Packaging, Case Study, CodeRush, TestRunner

Video: CodeRush Guitar Code Challenge at PDC 2009

Do you remember the challenge Mark Miller laid down for this year’s PDC conference?

Yes, that insane challenge where he would use an XBOX guitar and no keyboard!

Check out this video of Mark Miller at PDC 2009 as he took on all kinds of challengers:

I was expecting many more winners since Mark had crippled himself without a keyboard. However, in the end there were only 2 winners who both won within a few seconds of Mark’s time! (Congrats to Ariel & Eirikur). However, you can’t underestimate the power and speed of CodeRush!

Click the image above and watch the full PDC guitar code challenge video.

Tags: - Virtualization, Application Packaging, CodeRush, DXCore, PDC 2009, Refactor, Video

Free CodeRush Plugin: Method Preview

Check out the CR_MethodPreview plugin screencast below with Rory Becker. Rory’s cooked up another great little plugin that shows you the code of a method in a tool tip. Even if the method is in a separate file or module.

Click the image below and watch the CR_MethodPreview plugin screencast:

Then download this plugin or any other other great community plugins for free and enjoy!

Be sure to leave Rory some kind words below in the comments for his generous efforts. Thanks Rory!

Tags: CodeRush, screencast, Video

CodeRush In The Cloud

Check out this CodeRush in the Cloud screencast with Rory Becker. The video shows you how to use Microsoft’s free Live Mesh service to synchronize your CodeRush settings across multiple machines.

The video covers:

• Which CodeRush settings to synchronize
• How to setup Microsoft Live Mesh for CodeRush
• Other useful CodeRush in the cloud scenarios for development teams:
• Team settings, templates for common practices, shortcut keys
• Live Mesh web security concerns
• How developers like to relax aka gaming!

Click the image above and watch the ‘CodeRush In The Cloud’ video. Then drop me a line below with your feedback please.

Rory and I both love the convenience of cloud storage services. How do you use these cloud services like Microsoft Live Mesh or DropBox?

Tags: CodeRush, How-To, screencast

Video: CodeRush Metric Shader Plugin

Check out the CodeRush Metric Shader plugin video with Rory Becker. Rory’s created for you another useful plugin that helps you visualize code metrics!

Check out the video to see what I mean:

Then, be sure to leave us a comment below with your thoughts, questions or just praise for Rory.

Tags: CodeRush, DXCore, plugin, screencast, Video