Whether you're using the Platform Tests to qualify for the Microsoft Certified Partner Program or just to prove that your Windows application makes the grade, following the preparation steps in this article can help.
Building reports is often easier than getting them into users' hands and making sure they're used correctly, but now you can use the SQL Server Reporting Services Web service to automate deployment and control execution of reports.
With the release of SQL Server Reporting Services, Microsoft finally makes a commitment to developer-centric reporting. They've integrated the design-time environment integration with Visual Studio and enabled report delivery through Web browsers, PDFs, Excel, and XML. Learn how to make this tool work for you.
When it comes to installations, automation beats manual intervention hands-down every time. Learn how to build custom installer classes to automate setup tasks that Visual Studio setup projects don't handle automatically.
Don't content yourself with the attributes that are built in to .NET. Write custom attributes to add your own meta-data to properties, methods, classes, and other program elements, giving you fine-grain control.
Use .NET's ability to embed XML files, icons, graphics—anything you want—directly into your assemblies.
Use the class library described in this article to add automatic upgrading to your .NET application.
Use HTML Application (HTA) files to provide an impressive and functional CD launcher for your applications.
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