Nick Harrison

Nick Harrison is a Software Architect and .NET advocate in Columbia, SC. Nick has over 18 years experience in software developing, starting with Unix system programming and then progressing to the DotNet platform. You can read his blog as www.geekswithblogs.net/nharrison

03 June 2013
03 June 2013

T4 – The Insource Code Monkey

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T4 usually stays behind the scenes in Visual Studio, but if you find that you have a good reason to write similar code over and over again, or use a lot of copy and paste, then it could be that you have a specific use for T4. There are times when it can be useful for generating code templates but it is versatile to provide a solution for a number of programming headaches.… Read more
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11 July 2012
11 July 2012

jQuery Fast Food Cook Book

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Anyone in IT should be aware of jQuery. This free, open-source JavaScript library has become amost essential to anyone creating a web-based application. Nick Harrison explains, in as sucession of small examples, why it helps his productivity so much, and takes the grudgery out of creating dynamic web pages.… Read more
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01 February 2011
01 February 2011

Database Refactoring

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Although the methodology of refactoring code has been adopted enthusiastically, the same has not really been the case with databases. Nick argues that the reason could lie in the extent of the task of unpicking complex databases systems sufficiently to make them more efficient and effective; and this will only be ameliorated with better tools and planning to support the techniques. … Read more
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25 November 2010
25 November 2010

Some NHibernate Best-Practices

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NHibernate can help to build a project more quickly if the database it connects to is sound. Otherwise, there are bound to be problems, but they are not problems of NHibernate's making. Nick Harrison gives some advice, and suggests some 'best-practices' for using it, fresh from the reality of developing an application based on NHibernate. … Read more
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05 October 2010
05 October 2010

Under the ORM Hood: Revealing the SQL

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Your application code may look neat and clean, and you are using a sound Object-relational Mapper, but when you put the pedal to the metal, you're not getting the performance. The time has come to lift the hood and see what SQL is being generated by the ORM, and what part of your code is causing the bottlenecks. The effect can be spectacular.… Read more
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12 August 2010
12 August 2010

jQuery Goodness in a DotNet World

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jQuery is one of the most popular JavaScript frameworks. It shields the programmer from the idiosyncrasies in the way that each browser implements the language: it makes life easier by doing all the routine chores and takes the pain out of AJAX. It also introduces a 'Wow' factor to browser-based applications.… Read more
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25 February 2010
25 February 2010

Reflector Pro Cometh

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Reflector 6 is here. Nick Harrison is a long-time Reflector enthusiast, and has been responsible for writing an add-in. As he'd helped test the new version, Nick asked to review it for Simple-Talk. The team were anxious to know what he thought. They needn't have worried.… Read more
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02 October 2009
02 October 2009

.NET Reflector meets the CodeDom

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.NET Reflector was the first .NET tool to allow assemblies to be disassembled back into the high level language that produced them. Moreover, it has a plug-in architecture that allows you to disassemble to any language for which you have a plug-in, or are prepared to write one. Nick Harrison takes it one further step, and creates a plug-in that produces the CodeDom code needed to create the contents of the assembly. Nick explains, gently.… Read more
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13 August 2009
13 August 2009

A Defense of Reflection in .NET

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The trouble with making general rules about programming practices is that one can miss out on many benefits of of a framework by following them too literally in every context. Everyone knows that one should watch for performance problems and security issues with reflection. It doesn't mean you shouldn't it, it just means you must test carefully, monitor performance, and assess risks. Nick Harrison illustrates the theme with a practical example.… Read more
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09 July 2009
09 July 2009

Code Deodorants for Code Smells

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Code Smells have become an established way of talking about indications that things may be wrong with your code. Nick Harrison extends the idea with the concept of 'code deodorants' and shows how the code smell of 'inappropriate intimacy' can be cured by means of the code deodorant called 'separation by interface'.… Read more
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