What Pac-Man can tell us about Object-Oriented Programming

We've been doing object-oriented design and programming for getting on for 20 years now, more if you come from the Smalltalk world. You'd think we all know how it works, how we identify the possible objects in our model of the real-world, how we work out the interactions between them, the inheritance patterns, the polymorphism, and so on, so forth.

Sometimes though all this knowledge and experience can lead us astray.

Let's take an example from Pac-Man.

Make Over Your VCL Projects with New Office 2010 Skins

Andrew Love, Senior Application Developer with Qqest Asset Management Services, recently told us: "With the use of DevExpress' VCL library we have found new life in our Delphi-based products that has allowed us to not just stay competitive in the marketplace but actually have the leading user interface in our market.".

The VCL team have again delivered a reliable new build of the VCL controls. More than 50 reported bugs have been resolved, and numerous minor feature enhancements have been worked into the build, to better enhance your applications.

But the big news is that your VCL projects can now adopt the Office 2010 look-and-feel with the introduction of a new library of skins.

Check it out, and tell us what you think.

VCL Subscription Build 52 Released - Now with Office 2010 Skins

Sneak Peek: New DevExpress.Com Support Center

The DevExpress Support Center, like our excellent team of Support Engineers, is often unintentionally overlooked. That is, of course, until you need help.

Our web designers have redesigned the Support Center and streamlined it into a much more clean and simple interface.

It’s just a taster, but let us know what your first impressions are.

Sneak Peek: New DevExpress.Com Support Center

Introducing a New CodeRush Community Evangelist

The hands-on, get involved, sock-your-questions-to-me Rory Becker has joined Mark Miller and the IDE Tools Team as their CodeRush Community Evangelist.

If there is one person within DevExpress who needs no introduction, it is Rory Becker. But here he is giving you one anyway!

Everyone, this is Rory. Say hello, Rory.

What can Rory do to help you?

Getting Started with DevExpress ASP.NET MVC Extensions

Scott Guthrie recently announced that Preview 1 of ASP.NET MVC 3 was available.

For those of you experimenting with ASP.NET MVC, Mehul has a recorded a video and provided information in a knowledgebase article that will help you to get started with these extentions.

Check it out and tell us what you think.

Getting Started with ASP.NET MVC Extensions

Are You as 'Lazy' as You Think?

Gary’s thinking about laziness - ‘lazy programming’ that is.

But in Microsoft’s new functional programming language, F#, is the notion of lazy programming what us object-oriented programmers think it is?

Let’s find out.

XPO – F# Lists and Seqs Oh My!

CODEBLOCK! Overcoming a Code Rush

Someone suggested that you try this great Visual Studio plug-in from DevExpress called CodeRush. You’ve found the website, downloaded the tool and installed the thing. But now what?

Our ever-present CodeRush guru, Rory Becker, is on hand to help you make those first, tentative steps towards coding greatness in this short video on the DevExpress Channel.

This, Padawans, is CodeRush 101.

CodeRush 101 – The Video You Should Watch First

What Just Happened to Visual Studio?

Visual Studio looks different. Some toolbars have popped up and you’re not quite sure what they’re for.

Rory explains in this post that there is no need to panic. CodeRush is designed to enhance your Visual Studio experience and the DXCore Visualize Toolbar is one of those enhancements that you will come to love.

Take a moment to learn about how this can help you, and if you’re a seasoned CodeRush professional, why not take a refresher course?

The DXCore Visualize Toolbar

Why Should I Attend Community Events?

Community events. Here at DevExpress we can’t get enough of them. We meet great people, we connect with customers that are doing exciting things with our products, but most of all we get to have conversations with people who have incredibly interesting opinions and ideas.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is your community. This great wealth of talent and education is right on your doorstep, if you choose to get involved.

Check out these videos with some of the topics from this year’s CodeStock event in Knoxville, TN. These ideas kick-started some great conversations for the attendees, and made for a rich and vibrant event.

CodeStock 2010: Mike Neel says CodeStock is his Red Rock CodeStock 2010: The Women in Technology Debate CodeStock 2010: Dane Morgridge on the Community Megaphone Podcast