You've reached the internet home of Chris Sells, who has a long history as a contributing member of the Windows developer community. He enjoys long walks on the beach and various computer technologies.
Friday, Jan 16, 2009, 8:10 AM in Oslo
SE Radio: Oslo with Don and Doug
Episode 123 of Software Engineering Radio is all about Oslo:
"In this episode we discuss Microsoft's OSLO platform with Doug Purdy and Don Box. We briefly discuss what OSLO is in general and then look at the various components of OSLO. We also look at how OSLO fits in with the general Microsoft strategy and how it compares to other DSL/Model-driven approaches. We then look at language modularization and composition and discuss the similarities with XML and Smalltalk. Finally, we discuss possible integrations of OSLO with other MD* approaches and technologies."
Enjoy.
Thursday, Jan 15, 2009, 4:36 PM in Conference
DSL DevCon Pre-registration
There's been such a flood of DSL DevCon talk proposals that I've had a hard time keeping up (although feel free to let those nice folks in Eclipse, XML, Java and Unix land if you know who they are!).
Also, there's been a huge amount of interest in attending the conference itself and some folks even worry that the conference will sell out before they can register (the first five DevCons have all sold out and those cost money!), so they've been asking me to put 'em on a list. I'm still working out the logistics with the nice Lang.NET folks, but if you'd like to pre-register for the DSL DevCon, drop me a line and I'll put you on the list. It will be my job to make sure that anyone that pre-registers gets to go.
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2009, 2:37 PM in Oslo
MGraph: Taste Great, Less Filling
Lars Corneliussen has a fun post entitled Microsoft "Oslo" MGraph - the next XML? He concludes by comparing JSON, XML and MGraph to represent the same data:
- JSON: 661 characters
- XML: 1065 characters
- MGraph: 590 characters
Enjoy.
Monday, Jan 12, 2009, 8:34 PM in Oslo
I'm speaking at VSone in Munich, Feb 11-12
I'm giving two talks on model-driven development at VSone in Germany in Feb this year: the keynote and a dive into Oslo. If you're in the neighborhood or are looking for a party spot, drop on by!
I'm even going for an extra few days to see the sights -- hopefully it won't be too cold. I'm from the Midwest and all, but when it's cold there, we stay home. I want to go out! Any suggestions for what I should oughta see?
Friday, Jan 9, 2009, 9:01 AM in Oslo
Oslo Tool: SQL schema -> MSchema
Kristofer Andersson is designing and implementing an airline reservation in the open air. In the process, he ported his models to M, but not by writing them by hand, but by writing a tool to convert existing SQL schema to M. Enjoy.
Thursday, Jan 8, 2009, 9:31 AM in Oslo
Dealing with the Visual Studio 2010 expiration in the WCF and WF 4.0, “Oslo”, & “Dublin” PDC08 Virtual Machine
If you’ve been using the WCF and WF 4.0, “Oslo”, & “Dublin” PDC08 Virtual Machine provided on the PDC08 Goods Disk, you’ve probably noticed that Visual Studio 2010 within the VPC expired at the end of December and you are presented the following message “The evaluation period for Visual Studio Trial Edition has ended”. Below are details on how you can export your data and get the image working again.
The work around involves creating a new differencing disk and new virtual machine configuration file and then disabling the clock synchronization between the host and guest OS. In the end you will have a fresh virtual machine that believes it is 10/10/2008 and the clock will only increment when the machine is running.
NOTE: This workaround assumes you have not altered the “PDC08-CSD.vhd” file that was marked Read Only on the PDC08 Goods Disk. If this file has been altered, the work around may not work.
1. Export the data you want to keep from the VPC image. This can be done using the “Shared Folders” feature of VPC 2007 to copy the data to your host and then copied into the new image at the end of this process. See the “Share a folder between a virtual machine and the host operating system” topic in VPC 2007 Help for more details.
2. Shut down the Virtual Machine and discard your changes. At the end you will end up with a fresh, new image but you need to discard any saved changes so that you can alter the VMC file later in this process.
3. Create a new differencing disk.
a. On the “Goods Disk” search for the PDC08-CSD-WorkDisk.vhd file and rename it to anything you want.
b. Launch VPC 2007, click File, select Virtual Disk Wizard and click Next.
c. Select “Create a new virtual disk” and click Next.
d. Select “A virtual hard disk” and click Next.
e. Store the new disk in the same folder where you found the PDC08-CSD-WorkDisk.vhd file and give it the same name. Click Next to continue.
f. Select “Differencing” and click Next.
g. Locate the “PDC08-CSD.vhd” file in the same folder where you found the other vhd file, select it and click Open and Next.
h. Click Finish and then Close
4. Create a new Virtual Machine.
a. Launch VPC 2007, click New and click Next.
b. Select “Create a virtual machine” and click Next.
c. Click browse and navigate to the same folder where you created the new PDC08-CSD-WorkDisk.vhd file in step 3 above.
d. Create a new vmc file with any name you like and click Save, then click Next.
e. Select Windows Server 2008 in the Operating System dropdown and click Next.
f. Select “Adjusting the RAM”, click Next, set the amount of RAM you want to allocate (we allocated 1536 in the original virtual machine) and click Next.
g. Select “An existing virtual hard disk” and click Next.
h. Click browse and select the new the new PDC08-CSD-WorkDisk.vhd file in step 3 above and click Open.
i. Check the Enable undo disks box and click Next.
j. Click Finish.
YOU MUST DO STEP 5 BEFORE LAUNCHING THE IMAGE OR YOU WILL HAVE TO DO STEPS 3 & 4 AGAIN.
5. Disable the host OS synchronization of the VPC. This is a change to the PDC08-CSD.VMC file that disables the clock synchronization between the VPC and the host OS. This means that time in the VPC moves forward only when the VPC is being used. As a result, you will have over 2 months of runtime (not wall time) for a fresh VPC.
a. Find the PDC08-CSD.VMC file in the same folder where you found the PDC08-CSD-WorkDisk.vhd in step 2.
b. Open the file in Notepad and made the change highlighted in RED below:
<integration>
<microsoft>
<mouse>
<allow type="boolean">true</allow>
</mouse>
<components>
<host_time_sync>
<enabled type="boolean">false</enabled>
</host_time_sync>
</components>
Bunch of other stuff that I am skipping over to save space...
</microsoft>
</integration>
c. Save and close the VMC file.
6. Launch the Virtual Machine in VPC and repeat step 1 to create the Shared Folder for copying your data back into your new image.
Your virtual machine will now show a date of 10/10/2008 and will only increment when the virtual machine is running.
One important note: Don’t attempt to join the VPC to a domain since the domain will set the time within the VPC and thus cause Visual Studio to expire.
Many thanks to Jeff Beehler for this information which he posted on his blog, Brian Keller and his detailed description of the various activation messages associated with the CTP as well as to Virtual PC Guy who provided the original information on how to disable the VPC clock synchronization.
If you’ve converted this VPC image to HyperV following Grant’s instructions, be sure to read Cameron’s update to learn of a similar workaround for HyperV.
Wednesday, Jan 7, 2009, 4:53 PM in Conference
Call For Speakers: DSL DevCon
Are you interested in presenting a 45-minute talk on some Domain Specific Language (DSL) related topic? It doesn't matter which platform or OS you're targeting. It also doesn't matter whether you're an author, a vendor, a professional speaker or a developer in the trenches (in fact, I tend to be biased toward the latter). We're after interesting and unique applications of DSL technology and if you're doing good work in that area, then I need you to send me a session topic and 2-4 sentence abstract along with a little bit about yourself.
I'll be taking submissions 'til February 9th, 2009, but don't delay. Passion and a burning story to tell count twice as much as anything else.
And don't be shy about spreading this announcement around! I've got good coverage in the .NET and Windows communities, but don't know very many folks in the Java or Unix or hardcore modeling worlds, so if you're in that world, let those guys know! Thanks.
The DSL DevCon itself will be in Redmond, WA on the Microsoft campus April 16-17, 2009, right after the Lang.NET conference. Lang.NET will be focused on general-purpose languages, whereas the DSL DevCon will focus on domain-specific languages. The idea is that if you want to attend one or the other or both, that's totally fine. We'll have 2.5 days of Lang.NET on April 14-16 and then 1.5 days of DSL DevCon content.
Oh, and the cost for both conferences is the same: $0.
We're only accepting 150 attendees to either conference. Every one of the five previous DevCons have sold out, so when we open registration, you'll want to be quick about getting your name on the list.
Submit your DSL-related talk idea!
Tuesday, Jan 6, 2009, 11:58 AM in Oslo
The First "Oslo" Training Course!
Pluralsight has a two-day course of "Oslo" available on 3/30 in Kirkland:
Since the release of .NET 3.0, Microsoft has been actively engaged in an internal initiative to unify their services and modeling technologies. The result is a new modeling platform -- codename "Oslo". To summarize, "Oslo" makes it possible to move from a world where models describe the application to a world where models are the application. The technology to deliver this new set of capabilities will be delivered through future versions of BizTalk Server, System Center, Visual Studio, .NET Services and the .NET Framework. Come get a "first look" at this ambitious effort and see what's available today!
Enjoy.
Monday, Jan 5, 2009, 8:20 AM in Oslo
What is all the fuss about how you can write DSLs in Lisp?
I found an interesting post on domain-specific languages and Lisp from June of 2007. It has this to say about designing a DSL:
"There are three approaches to designing programming language syntax. The first is to develop a good understanding of programming language grammars and parsers and then carefully construct a grammar that can be parsed by an LALR(1), or LL(k) parser. The second approach is to `wing it' and make up some ad-hoc syntax involving curly braces, semicolons, and other random punctuation. The third approach is to `punt' and use the parser at hand."
I like these categories. I find most folks do #2 with no tooling support or #3 using XML. MGrammar in Oslo is about making #1 easier than #2 and providing the tooling support, e.g. language-specific Intellisense services.
The real topic of the thread, however, is how to do a DSL in Lisp. The questioner would like to implement the following syntax:
trade 100 shares(x) when (time < 20:00) and timingisright()
I find this syntax to be reasonable for an event and it wouldn't be hard to imagine a system with a bunch of rules expressed this way and I could imagine a developer and a business person working together on such a system to ensure things were expressed properly. I don't think I could imagine the business person keeping up as well with syntax expressed as the answerer suggests, however:
(when (and (< time 20:00)
(timing-is-right))
(trade (make-shares 100 x)))
IMO, that's not a DSL -- that's just a set of function calls in an existing language.
Sunday, Jan 4, 2009, 4:47 PM in The Spout
Eat Less and Exercise: Before and After
A few years ago, I looked like the "before" picture to the right. I didn't look like that all the time, thank goodness -- this was some couples' party and I was doing the "ballerina dance" challenge -- but as you can tell, I was a tad overweight. Specifically, I weighed in excess of 100 pounds more than the top end of my idea weight range, which put me over 300 pounds.
I had been a skinny kid with a fast metabolism growing up. At 6'5" it takes a lot of food to get to full grown, even when I had only a medium build (I can't even claim to be "big boned"). In college, living in a fraternity served by a cook that believed fully in the benefits of meat and potatoes and having been born in the Midwest with a gravy ladle in my mouth, I got my "freshman 15" in the first semester and kept on going until I was the jolly fellow you see to your right (complete with the belly that shook like a bowl full of jelly).
I tried dieting. A few years ago, I was able to lose 50 pounds on The Geek Diet (it was a freely downloadable PDF file at the time), but gained it all back in a year. The problem was that that diet is fundamentally based on deprivation: you count calories and don't eat more than a certain amount based on your activity level. This made me hungry and crabby all the time. Then, one Christmas back in Fargo under the influence of my deep-fried meat, brownie, cinnamon roll and fudge pushing grandmother, I snapped. It was like a psychological rubber band, pulling me right back into my old habits. Also, I didn't exercise, so I'd plateau'd and my metabolism wasn't equipped to deal with even a few extra calories.
Over the last twelve months, I tried something different and as of a coupla week ago, I look like the guy on the left. I called it "eat right and exercise." It sounds revolutionary, I know, but I've lost 60 pounds over the last year and I've kept it off (even after the visit to my grandfather over the holidays!) The idea isn't to diet at all, but to change your habits. I can't say that I'm expert enough to recommend any of this to you, but here's what I did:
Stop Eating When You're Full. This was the hardest one to learn. In college, I learned up to drink and, most importantly, when to notice when it's time to stop drinking. However, it took me 'til I was 38 to learn how to tell when I was full. This involves eating slowly and being very ready to leave food on your plate (which I always try to do now).
There's Always More Later. This is the other key to stopping eating. As much as I might like something and want to finish it, I had to realize that there would always be more of whatever it was later. I learned to feel good about leaving food uneaten, no matter how good it was.
Eat Better Food. If you have to choose between eating 1000 calories of Doritos or of broccoli, I think we all know the right choice to make. The key is, making it. I've had to learn to like salad, fruits and vegetables, which I'm still working on. I'm always trying new things to learn to eat things that are better for me.
Don't Buy Grazing Food. If I'm doing something I don't like or am bored or reading or watching TV or any number of other things, I can easily eat chocolate or chips or any other manner of things that are bad for me, even if I'm not hungry. I have a hard time saying "no" to an unhealthy snack when I'm watching a movie, for example, so I don't buy them. Instead. I buy apples and applesauce and melons and other things that are good for me so that if I have to snack, there are only good things available.
Eat Lots of Meals. This one is counter-intuitive, but I find I do better if I eat a small amount every few hours than larger meals three times a day. In general, if I'm hungry, I eat and if I'm full, I stop. It's really just that easy.
Don't Deprive Yourself. If you want a piece of chocolate or a chip or whatever it is that you crave, then have it. Life is short and there is a variety of wonderful things to enjoy. Don't gorge yourself -- everything in motivation -- but don't make yourself crazy, either. I find it makes me feel good to eat a piece or two of my grandmother's famous fudge and it feels equally good to stop eating it.
Exercise Regularly. This is one of my major failings with The Geek Diet. I was depriving myself of calories, but I wasn't boosting my metabolism, so my body was just adapting to fewer and fewer calories. These days, I try to swim 2 miles/week and that seems to keep me at my fighting weight.
Mix It Up. I find I'm happiest eating a bunch of small portions than one or two large portions at a meal. I like variety, so I like a little bit of a few things. Also, to make sure that my body doesn't get used to my level of exercise (it's getting easier and easier to swim for distance), I try a variety of exercises. For example, I just did a 90 minute hot yoga class the other day (I thought I was gonna die) and I regularly do sprints in the pool, going as fast as I can. The latter's useful because it always sucks, no matter how fit I get, so it's almost more than I can handle.
Commit. The key to making anything happen is to decide it's going to happen and then route around obstacles until it does. The days I swim without resting or swim a mile when I normally go half are the days I decide to do so. The key to weight loss or any other accomplishment is first to commit.
Don't Beat Yourself Up. Didn't do as much exercise as you wanted this week? Had a few too many Twinkies? So what. You're human. Let it go. Don't give up. Do better today.
The whole point of all this is that it's not about a temporary diet, but about changing my habits permanently. I still have 40 pounds I'd like to lose, but I don't obsess about it. In fact, I haven't weighed myself in months. And even if I never do lose those pounds, I'm down from a 44 waist on my pants to a 38. If I do nothing but stay there, I'll be happy as hell with myself.
I love that most of these tips are just like Scott's newsflash -- gives me some validation. Do you have tips to contribute? Tell me about them.
Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008, 4:47 PM in Oslo
Martin Fowler: DslExceptionalism
I love what Martin has to say on the topic of designing DSLs:
"DSLs are seen as a small and simple subset of general purpose programming thinking. As a result people think that what's true for general purpose languages is also true for DSLs (with the implication that DSLs are too small to be worth thinking much about).
"I'm increasingly of the opposite conclusion. The rules for DSLs are different to the rules for general purpose languages - and this applies on multiple dimensions."
When you're ready, Oslo lets you build DSLs to be as simple or as complex as you like.
Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008, 4:41 PM in Oslo
Spirited Discusson of Oslo on stackoverflow.com
Joel Spolsky and friends have started a developer question/answer board and they've started to get some Oslo traffic. Jump on in; the water's fine.
Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008, 4:39 PM in Oslo
Jon Flanders Builds XLANG in MGrammar
It's cool to see an MGrammar for a real-world language (XLANG). Enjoy!
Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008, 4:37 PM in Oslo
Creating a Logo / Turtle Graphics Textual DSL using Oslo MGrammar
Jason Hogg has posted a very cool Oslo DSL and an interpretter for doing Logo Turtle Graphics. He had this to say about MGrammar:
I did the bulk of the work specifying the grammar for this simple version of Logo on the flight back from LA to Seattle - which should give you a sense of how intuitive Mg is - and how productive the Intellipad authoring experience is.
Thanks, Jason. We try!
Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008, 4:31 PM in Oslo
Shawn Wildermuth on Oslo
Shawn's been doing a bunch of Oslo work on his web site:
- Using Classifications in MGrammar's Intellipad in which Shawn talks about how to add syntax highlighting in Intellipad for instances of your custom MGrammars
- MSchema: An Example - Part 1 in which Shawn takes us through the design decisions he made in rebuilding his training company's database using M
- MSchema: An Example - Part 2
- MSchema: An Example - Part 3
Enjoy.