Conversion functions are inherently unsafe as they might surprise you with implicit conversions over which you have no control. This is why such functions have been avoided for years. Learn how the new C++0x explicit conversion functions put an end to years of conversion functions blues.

This article delves into the motivation, benefits, and challenges of writing applications using polyglot programming—leveraging the multi-language nature of the CLR to create simpler solutions to vexing problems.

Have you ever had your application produce an error due to an edge case scenario or a combination of inputs you were not expecting? Well I have and a new project from Microsoft Research might have the answer. A prototype called Pex (Program Exploration) automatically generates test case inputs to cover all the different possible combinations, with the aim of 100% code coverage from the minimum possible set of automated tests.

Most organizations have yet to fully realize the SOA vision through current technologies. Remedy this problem by mixing a web-based architecture with RDF and the SKOS metadata languages.

This article will walk you through two samples of how to get started with SCA. First we'll write a small SCA application that uses the services provided by an SCA composite to do something useful. Having covered that, we'll show you how to take some code and package it as a composite so it can be used in SCA applications.