Alex Pearce's SharePoint Blog

Featured on MVP Award Program Blog

2009-01-06T09:43:00Z

At the very end of last year the MVP program created a new blog to feature their MVPs and the work they are doing around the globe.

http://blogs.msdn.com/mvpawardprogram/

Today they have featured the work my school has been doing in Sierra Leone.

Make sure you take a look

http://blogs.msdn.com/mvpawardprogram/archive/2009/01/06/sharepoint-mvp-brings-the-gift-of-computing.aspx

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Content Editor WebPart: Popfly/Mashup

2009-01-03T18:13:47Z

Microsoft Popfly is a great way to create a mashup - taking a source of information and publishing it in a great graphical view.

http://www.popfly.ms

As an example here I have taken my favourite football team(soccer for you Americans ;-), Aston Villa, searched Live Images and published all the images it finds into a page turner. There are some many different blocks you can use now in Popfly - you should really give it a go if you haven't already.

So here are the blocks for the Aston Villa Page Turner

When we've saved that, we can run and see how it looks as a mashup

So how do we get this onto our SharePoint page. Well its easy as the others really. As per YouTube and SlideShare, Popfly gives you the embed code to add to any kind of website.

Click on Share at the top and you can see other sites you can publish it to like your Space and Bebo. Click on Embed and you can copy the code

Here is the code for the Aston Villa Page Turner

<iframe style='width:500px; height:375px;'

src='http://www.popfly.com/users/Alex-Pearce/Aston%20Villa%20Page%20Turner.small'

frameborder='no' allowtransparency='true'></iframe>

.csharpcode, .csharpcode pre { font-size: small; color: black; font-family: consolas, "Courier New", courier, monospace; background-color: #ffffff; /*white-space: pre;*/ } .csharpcode pre { margin: 0em; } .csharpcode .rem { color: #008000; } .csharpcode .kwrd { color: #0000ff; } .csharpcode .str { color: #006080; } .csharpcode .op { color: #0000c0; } .csharpcode .preproc { color: #cc6633; } .csharpcode .asp { background-color: #ffff00; } .csharpcode .html { color: #800000; } .csharpcode .attr { color: #ff0000; } .csharpcode .alt { background-color: #f4f4f4; width: 100%; margin: 0em; } .csharpcode .lnum { color: #606060; }

So we copy the code and place it in the Content Editor Web Part in the Source section

And we then have our Popfly mashup in our SharePoint site

Technorati Tags: Content Editor Web Part,MOSS,Popfly

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Im at BETT 2009: Jan 14 - 17

2008-12-31T20:15:20Z

One of my many highlights of 2008 was to present on the Microsoft stand at BETT. I enjoyed the 4 days their presenting 8 times in total and making a lot of friends at the same time. It was a great way to start the year.

I'm hoping 2009 will be just as good as 2008 if not better and this year I am on Ask The Export also know as the Tech Desk on the Microsoft stand. It will be great to meet up with Eileen Brown and her team at Microsoft on the desk. I know we will have a good time.

So I hope your coming to the event. If you not then you need to get yourself down to London, if only for a few hours it will be worth it.

Many companies are releasing products and I have had a few emails already regarding products for the Education SharePoint world.

This year during the week I hope to bring to you about the SharePoint releases and they do and how they can be used in your organisation.

Get in touch if you want to meet if not please come say hello on the Microsoft stand

Happy New Year and I hope 2009 bring you much joy and happiness

Technorati Tags: BETT

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Back from Sierra Leone and the rest of my travels.

2008-11-30T21:38:00Z

Well actually I've been back a few weeks but its been so busy since I got back. All positive though. We have had a lot of press coverage in Birmingham about Sierra Leone which is helping to raise more money.

The trip was amazing - Sierra Leone is such a beautiful country with such bad poverty. We went the local market one day and locals were buying bread for 20 or 50 Leones (the local currency), where a can of Coke would cost us 1000 Leones and £1 ($1.5) is 5000Leones. Scary thoughts.

They are so excited about us bring computers over. Can't believe we will help set up the first computer lab in a school in the country.

We did visit the only place they teach computers in the country. The computers were so old and I found the teaching book. "Microsoft Office for Windows 95" How times have changed...

We took 1000s of photos and if you want to see them add me as a friend on facebook and have a look, they are amazing. We've been donated a Gallery at the Mailbox (posh area of Birmingham, UK) where we can display the images and people can buy them and the money goes to the charity - which is why they aren't on flickr.

As I mentioned we have had a lot of press coverage and have a look at articles here.

http://www.thisissuttoncoldfield.co.uk/greatbarr/Dream-help-Sierra-Leone-school/article-472420-detail/article.html
http://www.thisissuttoncoldfield.co.uk/news/campaign-help-change-lives/article-489353-detail/article.html

Here are two of my favourite images

The lad in the black and white photo work for the hotel where we stayed. Their job is to fill the water tub so water can be used in the baths of the 5 room hotel. The kid on the right nearest the camera can't go to school, well all of them can't but he use to go to school and can't any more because his dad can only afford for one of his sons to go. Now his younger brother is old enough he goes to school instead. School costs around $7 a term.

The 2nd is my favourite of all. Just sums up my whole trip.

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Project in Sierra Leone - including SharePoint

2008-10-24T18:47:00Z

Next week I'm off to Sierra Leone in Africa to visit a school. The school is called Waterloo School which is about 2 hour drive from the capital, Freetown. http://www.waterloo-schools.org/

The school I work for are going to create a partnership between the schools and we are looking at how we can send our old computers to the school. So this trip is a wrecky to find out what we need to do get computers there.

We have been donated an internet satellite dish for the school allowing the computers to be networked and be on the internet highway. Sierra Leone has the population of around 5 million and 11000 of those are internet users. When we have installed the internet we will be enabling another 1800 pupils in the country.

One of our goals is to get kids communicating between the school in Sierra Leone and Birmingham and we are hoping that SharePoint and the Microsoft Learning Gateway will help us to do that. At the moment we are running SharePoint 2007, Exchange 2007 and OCS2007 within the school which can also be accessed from home by the pupils. These are services are want we to provide to the pupils of Waterloo school.

We are hoping to get pupils talking over instant messenger, emailing each other, blogging, video conferencing and collaborating with each other on work.

We are also hoping to help the school in Sierra Leone giving it the same benefits as all British schools with a learning environment and give the kids a better opportunity.

While we are there we are going to help build the first school based science lab in the country as well as meet Ministers from the country about our goals.

Sierra Leone is the worlds poorest country and is still broken from its civil war that ended in 2003. Life expectancy is 40years old, and 27% of children die before their 5th birthday. This alone makes it a very challenging to visit the school and it worries me to think what will I see there.

Another thing about this visit that comes to mind is about my hotel room. I don't know what its going to be like but I've been told it has satellite TV, but I'm guessing I'm getting water through a tap, toilet, bed and its costing $10 US a night. I think this is just amazing to think what $10 dollars does in such a poor country.

We are taking football/soccer shirts over for the kids, I have loads of shirts to take, more than my bag can take. A Saturday football team have donated a whole strip for us to take. I saw this video of David Beckham visiting Sierra Leone and I hope the shirts bring just as much joy. David Beckham visits Sierra Leone

I hope our trip is successful and we can start the ball rolling and get the computers to this country. I don't think its that simple with licensing and rules with broken monitors and disposing of equipment in a environmentally friendly way.

I want to finish this post with a video all our pupils saw at school in assemblies during the week. My boss who is also going created it and its very challenging. During the week I saw 2600 pupils not blink an eye as they watched this video in the school hall. I hope it get your thinking as well.

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Content Editor Web Part: Slideshare.net

2008-10-16T23:21:00Z

I got introduced to slideshare.net this week which is a great way of sharing your presentation with the world.

You can upload your presentation and make the available only to yourself through your login or through the public domain. When you've uploaded your presentation you can view your slides in the same size as a YouTube video but you have the option of making it full screen. You don't get any kind of animation, all you get are still frames of the slide. This could be a great way to keep a back up of your slides online and also sharing them with the general public.

Getting your slideshare presentation in SharePoint is the same process getting a YouTube video.

The same as YouTube on the right of the page on Slideshare you will see embed with code next to it. Copy this code

   1: <div style="width:425px;text-align:left" id="__ss_213894"><a style="font:14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;display:block;margin:12px 0 3px 0;text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/srinatha/technical-overview-of-microsoft-office-sharepoint-server-2007?type=powerpoint" title="Technical Overview of Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007">Technical Overview of Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007</a><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=technical-overview-of-microsoft-office-sharepoint-server-2007-119883874577421-2&stripped_title=technical-overview-of-microsoft-office-sharepoint-server-2007" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=technical-overview-of-microsoft-office-sharepoint-server-2007-119883874577421-2&stripped_title=technical-overview-of-microsoft-office-sharepoint-server-2007" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;">View SlideShare <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/srinatha/technical-overview-of-microsoft-office-sharepoint-server-2007?type=powerpoint" title="View Technical Overview of Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server 2007 on SlideShare">presentation</a> or <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/upload?type=powerpoint">Upload</a> your own. (tags: <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/sharepoint">sharepoint</a> <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://slideshare.net/tag/ovrview">ovrview</a>)</div></div>

We are going to paste this code into the Source Editor with in the Content Editor Web Part.

Open your SharePoint site and add a Content Editor Web Part to your page

When you’ve loaded the web part properties click on Source Editor.

Paste the code into this box.

Now click on OK and Ok again and you will see your slides on your SharePoint site.

Technorati Tags: MOSS,Content Editor Web Part,CEWP,Slideshare,slideshare.net

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Handheld Learning Awards and SUGUK

2008-10-16T22:32:17Z

This last week I've done a bit of travelling to London. I love London with its underground, fast pace, culture and buzz and I feel like I'm at home there when I get off the train from Birmingham.

On Monday night I was invited down to the Handheld Learning Awards where many education organisations won awards for their use of handheld devices in the classroom and at home. I would like to congratulate all those schools and universities who won and hope that other schools can get involved in these technology.

Staying on the subject of handheld/mobile learning I'm excited about a few projects I've heard of closer to home including my Mums school who have just brought 180 Asus EEEs for her Year 5 (9/10 year olds) to be used at school and at home. I'm looking forward to seeing these in action when I get to visit. At my own school my boss ordered 20 Playstation Portalables PSPs for use in lessons. The kids aren't playing games on the device but we have brought the PSP camera (GoCam) that fits top and you can take both stills and videos. The staff love taking these into lessons as it really gets the kids involved in e-learning making vidcasts and then uploading them to the Learning Gateway (SharePoint).

Thursday I was back in London for the SharePoint User Group UK meeting. I try and attend as many of these as I can as it really does boost my knowledge of the product but also gives me some great ideas for applications for education. There were well over 100 people there. Thanks to Riaz and Chris for their presentations and thanks to Nick and Steve who organise and run these events. The next one is in Birmingham - at last one in my home city - but I can't make it :-(

I would highly recommend you attend your local group. Find your local user group for this link.http://sharepointsearch.com/pages/spusergroups.aspx

Handheld Learning Conference Handheld Learning 2008 - Home
Asus EEE http://eeepc.asus.com/global/
PSP + GoCam http://uk.playstation.com/psp/hardware/accessories/detail/item63425/Go!Cam/
SharePoint User Group http://www.suguk.org

Technorati Tags: MOSS,SUGUK,Handheld Learning,PSP,EEE,GoCam

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Twynham School: Try our Webparts

2008-10-14T09:55:58Z

As you may have seen I've done a fair bit of blogging about the SharePoint work going on at Twynham school in Dorset, England.

I'm really pleased to see the school name a lot in articles on the Internet showing how a school system should be setup and discussing their work with their webparts.

Well you can now view their webparts online on their school website.

Try their Web Parts here http://gateway.twynhamschool.com/supportinglearning/onlinereporting/default.aspx

Technorati Tags: MOSS,Twynham

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Microsoft Surface: In the UK at last

2008-10-14T09:42:19Z

I was at the Microsoft Headquarters in the UK at the beginning of the month and they had just taken delivery of a demo Microsoft Surface.

Microsoft Surface is a new interactive screen that is the same height as a coffee table and allows the users to move objects around on the screen. You can also add objects to the screen and should it be programmed to it can recognise objects places on top like mobile phones, ID cards or casino chips.

I've heard that the first one in the UK is going to a school so very interested to see how it is used.

Here is a rubbish photo I took while I was there. This example program is a pool of water and if you touch it slightly you get a little ripple of water. Push your finger on it and you get a bigger ripple as the touch screen technology and detected the amount of pressure. I did think at this time what would happen to the water if I punch the screen but I decided not to in case I hurt my hand.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft Surface

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I'm attending TechEd - IT Pro EMEA

2008-10-07T10:27:00Z

I'm off to Barcelona for this years TechEd IT Pro in Barcelona starting on the 3rd November.

I'm not getting there until the Tuesday due to another trip but more details on that later.

I'm really excited as this will be my first proper Microsoft conference that I have been to, my first conference aboard and my first as a MVP.

Let me know if your attending. It would be great to meet up.

Technorati Tags: TechEd

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Content Editor WebPart: Flash

2008-10-06T16:28:00Z

In part 2 of Using the Content Editor WebPart I want to talk about how you can integrate a Flash file into your site.

We've all seen flash before and we all know that you can create some great animations. If you look around the internet many websites use flash for animations.

Some companies such as the BBC and SkySport have streamed videos through flash and YouTube using flash videos to stream their videos.

Many sites that have banner advertising, also user adverts that are now in SWF/flash format.

So lets add a flash file (.swf) to run on the front page of our SharePoint Site.

We first need to upload the swf file into a document library.

Create yourself a document library. You might want to tell the document library to be hidden from the Quick Launch bar down the left hand side so visitors/members of your site can't easily find the library.

Go to Site Action - Create and under Libraries click on Document Library.

Give your Document Library a name. I'm going to call mine SWF. Under Navigation, click No which will hide the library from the left hand side navigation.

I'm now going to upload my SWF file into the library and anything else that might be required for the flash file to run.

At this point we need to find out the URL of the SWF file as we need it later.

Right click on your flash file. You will see your standard Internet Explorer properties and we need to copy the URL. Click on Copy Shortcut and it will add the URL to your clipboard. Paste this into Notepad or Word for reference later on.

We now need to add the Content Editor Web Part to our site.

Go back to the top of your Site and click on Site Actions, Edit Page and then Add a Web Part.

Find the Content Editor Web Part and add it to your site.

Click Edit on the webpart and then into Modify Shared Web Part.

Click on Source Editor and paste the following code

If we have a quick look at the code here you will see three main areas.

Src = the URL of the flash file
Width = the width of your flash file
Height = the height of your flash file

We now need to add the code to the content editor web part.

Before we click save and finish we need to tell the code where to pull the SWF file from.

We copied it earlier, so we'll now paste the URL of the SWF file in the code after src =.

Click Save and you'll have your flash running in the page.

Technorati Tags: flash,content editor web part,MOSS

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Content Editor WebPart: YouTube

2008-09-08T20:29:00Z

In my first post of the series I want to looking at getting YouTube videos embedded into a site.

Many schools look at YouTube and see a website that is full of violence and inappropriate videos but when you search for some of these key words nothing comes up.

We look at YouTube and see a vast number of videos that can help students in their understanding of the subject.

So how do we get these into out SharePoint site?

There are many different ways to download videos from YouTube, convert them and then upload them to play in your site but there is a very simply way of adding them.

Go and find your video on YouTube.

If the user has allowed it you will see an embedded section down the right hand side. You will then see some code down just below it. Copy this text.

So now you should have something like this ready to paste into your SharePoint site

Open your SharePoint site and add a Content Editor Web Part to your page

When you’ve loaded the web part properties click on Source Editor.

Paste the code into this box.

Now click on OK and Ok again and you will see your video on your SharePoint site.

You now have your video in your sharepoint site

Technorati Tags: youtube,content editor web part,MOSS

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Back Blogging

2008-09-08T19:22:00Z

It's been a while since I last properly blogged so it's time to get back on track.

In the last few months I've changed jobs, been to the USA and now planning my next trip away which includes visiting a school in Serria Leone and TechEd in Barcelona.

While I was in the New York last month I managed to pop into the New York SharePoint Group event which I really enjoyed - thanks to those who made me feel so welcome.

I do a lot of posting at EduGeek.net and looking at doing some ‘how to' through Microsoft Live Meeting. If you have any suggestions please leave a comment in this post.
http://www.edugeek.net/forums/general-edugeek-news-announcements/23217-live-meeting-opportunities.html

So I've decided I'm going to do a little series of blogs on the content editor webpart. I'm hoping this can help enrich your environment in your schools and show you how you can get some external teaching resources into your school.

Area I will cover include:

YouTube
Adding a Silverlight Application
Adding a Flash Application
Mashup

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

EduGeek gets 8000 Users

2008-08-19T04:00:00Z

As part of my community work online I do a lot of posting on edugeek - www.edugeek.net

Edugeek is full of technical staff from the education field but there are many other who don't work in the education who post.

There are many discussion boards in the site including Windows, Open Source, Learning Gateways and VLEs, Security and Mac.

Also on the site there are wiki pages, chat areas, edugeek software (free) and blogging.

I would like to congratulate edugeek on receiving its 8000th user today.

If your stuck about something - give edugeek and try and test some of the best IT minds from around the globe.

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Twynham School: Technet Example Solution Architecture

2008-07-28T07:48:00Z

I've covered Twynham school a few times in my blog and I think there are doing a great job down in the south of England. I've been warned several times by the management team there that I am not allowed to nick their developers ;-) keep your eyes open Dave.

Twynham have been contacted by Microsoft to do some case study work and here is the first of hopefully many.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262582(TechNet.10).aspx

Its great to see some coverage of a school on the Microsoft website.

Technorati Tags: Twynham,MOSS

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SharePoint Learning Kit Add-On Pack: Released

2008-07-02T08:20:00Z

Only a few hours after I blog on the press release it now released on codeplex.

Its an extra download on www.codeplex.com/slk

You can download directly from www.codeplex.com/.../ProjectReleases.aspx

I'll get it installed over the next few days and do some screan shots for you all.

Technorati Tags: Education,MOSS,SLK,

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Awarded MVP...!!!

2008-07-01T21:09:00Z

Couldn't believe the email I got today! "Congratulations - You have received the Microsoft MVP Award!" Get in!

Thanks to all those who have helped me in the last year to get this and thanks for nominating me as well!

Alex

Technorati Tags: MVP,MOSS

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Press Release on SharePoint Learning Kit Add-On Pack

2008-07-01T16:16:00Z

Microsoft have released a press statement on the new update on the SharePoint Learning Kit. No sign of when it will be availability for us to download but a bit more information on what it will do.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2008/jul08/07-01slkaddonpack.mspx?rss_fdn=Top%20Stories

Technorati Tags: Education,MOSS,SLK,

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Microsoft Learning Gateway Product Image

2008-06-26T16:03:00Z

I've talk a lot about the Microsoft Learning Gateway and have just implemented it into the largest school in Europe (this school is massive).

I use this image below in my presentation and it shows from the end-user to the back-end of the Microsoft Learning Gateway.

Any stakeholder from the educational organistation can access the information with the site users any device, whether its a laptop or tablet to a mobile phone.

The bottom step is the operating system. All the product have got to be installed on a Microsoft OS.

The next step is in two sections, front-end and back-end. The left is the front end and has products such as SharePoint, Exchange, Office Communications Server, Live Meeting and at the bottom you have ISA which is the security for internet access.

The back-end includes Active Directory, SQL and other features required.

The arrows coming down from the top are other products that are not Microsoft products. If your a SharePoint developer you will know you can add webparts into the the web application and these arrow are the same. Many schools have other none Microsoft products installed such as a timetabling system that can be bolted onto the system using the .net framwork or just a pageview.

Technorati Profile

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SharePoint Learning Kit 2: 30th june

2008-06-02T20:41:00Z

I was recently at a Microsoft event in Reading, UK in which 23 companies presented their SharePoint/Microsoft Learning Gateway solutions.

Microsoft also announced that the new version on SharePoint Learning Kit will be released on the 30th June.

I don't know too much more than that but it looks very promising!!!

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

Improved Image Web Part

2008-05-28T10:46:00Z

I've never really liked the image web part that came out of the box with SharePoint! Looking at it from a users point of view it was too many tasks to upload a single image.

Add a picture library to your site
Upload your image to the image library via Microsoft Office Picture Manager
Find the URL of the image
Add the image web part to your site
add the URL of the image to your web part

This new image web part does all this for you.

Add the image web part to you site
Use browse to add the images
Click save

So much more user friendly.

It adds the URL of the image for you, saving the user having to find, copy and add this information.

You can download this web part from codeplex

http://www.codeplex.com/ImageUpload/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=13397

A document file is attached to the download - I didn't user it - so here is how to install it

Install the WSP file and add the solution to your site.

When you add the web part to your site it tells you that you need to set the default location to upload images.

Create a image library at the top of you site. All users who need to be able to add images to anywhere on your site application need to have write permission to this library. You can hide the library where ever you want - even in another web application.

the script for this is

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\BIN>STSADM -o SetImageUploadLocation -webapp http://127.0.0.1/ -library http://127.0.0.1/PublishingImages

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Free Microsoft Software for Students

2008-05-19T13:23:52Z

Microsoft are giving away software to students for free. This is great! I'm so please that they have decided to set up a scheme that allows this.

Microsoft Dream Spark gives students access to Microsoft Windows Server, Visual Studio, Expressions Studio and XNA to help them become either IT Pros or Developers.

Your local authority or university have to join the scheme but after that you can apply to get it.

I think this is a great step to giving students free software. Next step - feel licensing to all schools!

https://downloads.channel8.msdn.com/

Sorry its a little off subject but education is my passion!

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

SharePoint at Twynham School

2008-05-14T15:50:48Z

A few months ago I posted a PDF of what a school in Christchurch, UK had done with SharePoint which included making their own webparts.

I met up with the guys from Twynham and it was a great meeting which also include the representatives from Shirelands.

I had a email from Dave at Twynham the other day to say he has made some videos of the use of SharePoint in the school and has published them on the internet.

These are great thing to look at if your looking at implementing SharePoint are you school.

http://www.twynhamschool.com/supportinglearning/

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Silverlight 2 Application to enable/disable your proxy server in IE

2008-05-06T18:18:00Z

I've been playing around a lot with Silverlight 2 recently, I'm find it a lot easier to code than version 1.

In many of the schools I have been to, they have had a proxy server for all their internet traffic. I created a bat script that wrote to the registry and asked the user to either type 1 to turn the proxy on or 0 for off. It worked great but wasn't easy on the eye and one network I went to it stopped the users from using command lines.

@echo off

Echo.
echo.
Echo                     Please type the following
echo.
echo ----------------------------------------------------------------
echo ----------------------------------------------------------------
Echo ---      Proxy server must be enabled to work in school      ---
echo --- Type '1' if you wish to enable internet access in school ---
echo ----------------------------------------------------------------
Echo ---       Proxy server must be disabled to work at home      ---
Echo ---     Type '0' If you wish to disable the proxy server     ---
echo ----------------------------------------------------------------
echo ----------------------------------------------------------------
Echo.
Echo.
Set /p inet=   Type 'Number 1' or 'Number 0' here:

reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings" /t REG_DWORD /v ProxyEnable /d %inet% /f
pause

So I thought it was time to create something that was more graphical. It would also solve the issue of a user typing 2 on the above script and causing errors in the registry.

So this is what we are going to create

Download the Microsoft Expression Blend 2.5 March Preview (available at time of writing this post).

Create a WPF Application and call it ProxyEnableDisable

Add 2 buttons and name one Proxy On and the other Proxy Off

Now we want to let our users know what this silverlight application can do so we'll provide them with some instructions

We've done everything we need to now in Expression Blend so we need to move the project over to Visual Studio. Make sure you save your project.

Over on the write hand side you will see Solution 'ProxyEnableDisable'. Right click here and click on Edit in Visual Studio.

This should have now opened up Visual Studio. You will see the same layout above, down the right hand side. Double click on Windows1.xaml. This is the silverlight coding. If your using Visual Studio 2008 you will see the xaml code and a graphical view of our project.

We need to start adding come code to the buttons. We'll give it a x:name and then add a click handler for both of the buttons.

Find the line of code for the button with the content that is equal to Proxy On and add x:name="On". Also type click and click on <NewEventHandler>. This will allow us to add come C# handling code to this button.

Your line of code should now read

Do the same for the Proxy Off button but instead of giving the x:name the value of On - call it off

This is the last bit of XAML coding for this project. The window1.xaml should now read

Expand the Windows1.xaml and click on windows1.xaml.cs

We're now going to add some C# coding that will write to our registry to either add turn the proxy on or off depending on which button the user clicks on.

We need to add a reference to our C# code. At the top add Using Microsoft.Win32;

The below code will turn the proxy server on. The 4th line down is where you are telling the registry to either have the proxy server enable or disabled. The value of 1 will turn the proxy on where 0 will disable it. Add the line of code to both of your button event handlers remembering to change that 1 to 0 for proxy off.

RegistryKey RegKeyWrite = Registry.CurrentUser;
           RegKeyWrite = RegKeyWrite.CreateSubKey("Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings");
           RegKeyWrite.SetValue("ProxyEnableScript", "TRUE");
           RegKeyWrite.SetValue("ProxyEnable", 1);
           RegKeyWrite.Close();

           RegistryKey RegKeyRead = Registry.CurrentUser;
           RegKeyRead = RegKeyRead.OpenSubKey("Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings");
           Object regSuccessful = RegKeyRead.GetValue("ProxyEnableScript");
           Object regAttemptNumber = RegKeyRead.GetValue("ProxyEnable");
           RegKeyRead.Close();

if ((string)regSuccessful == "TRUE")
Console.WriteLine("Succeeded on attempt # {0}", regAttemptNumber);

If you press F5 now you will be able to turn your proxy server on and off with a simple application

Now its all yours to be customised.

Don't forget to install Silverlight 2 on your clients before rolling it out.

Click here to download the bat file

Click here to download the application

Click here to download the source code

Technorati Tags: silverlight 2,proxy

Posted on SharePoint Blogs

SharePoint Educational Vendor Day: 21st May

2008-05-05T16:57:00Z

Microsoft Education UK are running a vendor days on the 21st May in Reading. It should be a really good day as they have arranged for 23 different companies to come and talk about their SharePoint solutions including companies such as RM, ITWorx, LP+ and Nisai Academy.

Some of these including fully hosting products, in house products, library systems and VLEs (Virtual Learning Environments). Here is a full list of all the vendors that I have taken from the Microsoft UK Schools Blog.

1. Nisai Virtual Academy

2. MicroLibrarian Systems – Eclipse

3. RM – Kaleidos Learning Platform

4. Hunterstone/ER4L – eLibrarian and Content Server

5. Scholaris Learning Gateway

6. Etech – StudyWiz

7. Parabola Marking Records

8. Business Insights Group – Student Billing

9. ITWorx – Catalyst Provisioning (MLG)

10. LP+ Learning Gateway

11. Arc – Vitaelity ePortfolio

12. NetMedia Education – MyClasses

13. eLearningForce – SharePoint LMS

14. Fronter VLE

15. WinVision – Digital Portfolio

16. Core Education – Talmos Primary

17. Cambridge University Press – Global Grid for Learning

18. Morse - Wisdom

19. eCopy

20. Digi-Link – Revelation

21. K2 – K2 Workflow

22. Houghton Mifflin – Learning Village

23. Visual Software – SIF Agent Wizard and Zone Integration Server

If you want to attend click here and book for free.

See you there

Posted on SharePoint Blogs