Code, etc.

Credit to JaredPar MSFT for this. The best pattern to use with dealing with the file system is  "Do the operation you want, then deal with the consequence of failure in the form of exceptions"

i.e.  Don’t do this: if (File.Exists(path)) { ... } because the file could be deleted between the "Exists" check and the use of the file.

Instead, do this:

static string ReadTextOrEmpty(string path) { try { return File.ReadAllText(path); } catch (DirectoryNotFoundException) { return String.Empty; } catch (FileNotFoundException) { return String.Empty; } }

Source article blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/jaredpar/2009/12/10/the-file-system-is-unpredictable/

This is a way to check that port 1433 (or any other port) is open between your location and the database.  This won’t always work, because it requires the server that SQL Server is on to respond to telnet.

Open a command prompt

Type in telnet <IP or DNS> <port>

Example: telnet 10.8.244.58 1433

Failure looks like this: Connecting To 10.8.244.58...Could not open connection to the host, on port 1433:  Connect failed

Success is a blank screen (the session connected).  To exit CTRL+”]” then type “quit” and press enter.

Numbers with commas in SQL Server 2012+

SELECT top 1 FORMAT(pkEmployee, N'N', C.culture) FROM [dbo].tableName

Numbers with commas in SQL Server 2008 R2 (versions <2012)

This will not prevent TRUNCATE (even though it is like DELETE) and a few other things - but it works well enough for most things:

I ran across a link to Fred Luskin's "9-steps" article (http://learningtoforgive.com/9-steps/) about forgiveness.

Here are the four I like most (simplified with emphasis)

2. Forgiveness is for you and not for anyone else.

3. Forgiveness does not [require] reconciliation with the person that hurt you. Forgiveness does not require you to be okay with their action. Forgiveness is for you; for your peace.

6. Give up expecting things from other people that they do not choose to give you. 

7. Don't mentally replay your hurt.

The practice of forgiveness has been shown to reduce anger, hurt depression and stress and leads to greater feelings of hope, peace, compassion and self confidence. Practicing forgiveness leads to healthy relationships ...

Similar to his #8: If you don't forgive someone, you have given that person power over you that only they can release. Choosing to forgive cuts their power cord.

#region Get_Config_Settings

  GetConfigSettings("PathLog", ref PathLog, "PathOutput", ref PathOutput);   // Override default values if command arguments are passed   foreach (string arg in args)   {        . . .   }   // Guess if the settings file is missing   PathOutput = (PathOutput.Length == 0) ? "NewEmployees.csv" : PathOutput;   PathLog = (PathLog.Length == 0) ? "NewEmployees_AppLog.txt" : PathLog;

Firefox

Good overview “Power BI - basic concepts” https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/powerbi-service-basic-concepts/

Power BI data source list  (9/29/16)  https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/powerbi-service-get-data/

Use  RegEdit.exe   

Go to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP

Open up “v4″ (not v4.0) and look up your version by using the Release (DWORD) value

394271 & 394254 == .NET 4.6.1 394802 & 394806 == .NET 4.6.2

See this page for a full list of .NET Framework Versions and Dependencies (to avoid Tumblr redirect issues, use this directly: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb822049(v=vs.110).aspx

Just before dropping off my child earlier this week, I heard a series of two tones and asked, “Was that the bell?” “Yes”

Me: “When I went to school, the bell was an actual bell.” “What did that sound like?”

I didn’t know how to make a bell sound with my mouth.