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File backup to network drive using PowerShell

When it comes to backing up files, sometimes the simplest option is best. If you’re looking for a quick, straightforward, yet flexible solution for backing up files and folders, a PowerShell script can be a great choice. By creating your own backup script, you can stop relying on third-party programs to do the job for…

How to rename a SQL Server machine

InSQL

Have you ever installed an instance of SQL Server onto a new workstation or server and subsequently realised that you forgot to rename the machine first? In these cases, you’ll likely have installed both SQL Server and SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio). After launching SSMS you happen to notice that the ‘Server name’ field is…

Back for seconds: Practical Cake build automation tasks

InScripting

Cake (C# Make) provides a wonderfully straightforward and extensible means of automating your software builds. In my previous article, I provided some background on what Cake is and how to get started with it. I walked through how to set up Cake on your system and how to create and run your first build script….

Software build automation sweetness: Getting started with Cake

InScripting

Fancy some Cake? While cakes in all their forms are usually a delicious treat, the Cake I’m referring to is a build automation system written in C#. Nonetheless, if you haven’t used Cake before I’m sure you’ll find it just as sweet an experience! Let’s dive right in with a definition of Cake, taken from…

How to generate a cryptographically secure random string in .NET with C#

InProgramming Security

Security is an implicit requirement in practically every software application. As a software developer, it is very important to be aware of the security implications of any code that you write, ensuring that you are protecting users and their data. Many applications need to make use of secure random strings for various purposes. One of…

Query to list all indexes in a SQL Server database

InSQL

Whenever I’m analysing the performance of a SQL Server database, I often find myself needing to retrieve a list of all indexes for review. Missing or unsuitable indexes are a leading cause of SQL Server slowdowns, so it can be very useful to view the existing indexes to get an idea of how heavily indexed…

SQL Server Replication: How to completely remove replication

InSQL Server Merge Replication

SQL Server Replication provides a comprehensive set of features for synchronising data between SQL Server databases and can be configured to suit many different scenarios. As a business scales and its software requirements change, it’s not uncommon for the data architecture to also change. When this happens there may be a need to move data…

Working with SecureString in .NET applications

InProgramming Security

The SecureString class is a .NET type that provides an increased level of security for sensitive in-memory data. Having said that, the security benefits of SecureString have been widely debated. The general consensus is that SecureString can help to increase application security if used properly, however, the inherent advantages are somewhat limited in scope. Despite…

Overcoming dependency injection hurdles with TinyIoC: A lightweight Inversion of Control container

InProgramming

Sometimes when embarking on a software project you may find yourself wishing that you had a lightweight way of achieving Inversion of Control (IoC) via dependency injection. On the other hand, you might not be very familiar with the principle of IoC, but have heard it can be very beneficial and are looking for a…

Chrome Developer Tools: Speed up changes to your web app front-end with Workspaces

InWeb

Most front-end web developers are aware of the developer tools that are built into modern web browsers such as Google Chrome. Many of these developers also use some of the available features to help debug their applications. However, in my experience, not many developers have put in the effort required to learn the full extent…