The SerialPort class introduced in .NET 2.0 is definitely better than writing unmanaged Win32 API calls to access the serial port, but this is much better.

Without going into too much detail, a recent project of mine required that my application interface with an obscure device via RS232 and the serial port.

To do what I needed the device to do required me to manipulate the signal (high/low) on the RTS pin; the .NET framework's SerialPort class didn't really give me a mechanism for doing so.  Wanting to leave writing Win32 API p/invoke calls a last resort, the first result in a Google search for "better .NET serial port" led me to this article on CodeProject which described CommStudio's CommStudio Express which includes a much better serial port (SerialConnection) class which quickly enabled me to get past my little setback an on with the application. Best of all it's free!

I hope this referral link helps you.

Although titled "Interview Questions," this article provides a good list of ASP .NET concepts in an ordered, question and answer format.  Working through it would be a good way to bone up - or refresh - your understanding of ASP .NET.

The answers are brief and concise;   and several contain links to additional information.

According to Microsoft, "PowerCommands is a set of useful extensions for the Visual Studio 2008 adding additional functionality to various areas of the IDE. The source code is included and requires the VS SDK for VS 2008 to allow modification of functionality or as a reference to create additional custom PowerCommand extensions. "

If you've previously worked with Delphi and GExperts, you know how helpful some extensions to your IDE can be.

This free download, from Microsoft, adds some really useful functionality to the VS2008 IDE.  Check it out.

Sacramento Visual Studio.Net Usergroup

The Sacramento Visual Studio Users group is no charge resource for Visual Studio developers in the greater Sacramento area.

http://www.sacvsug.org/ No longer active. Go to SacNetUG.org instead.