M
Midnight Java Junkie
Dear Folks:
Multi-posting here because I am not sure of how I should make things more
narrow, but please forgive me for doing so since I can basically spell .net
and know so little about VB or any other language that I am, well, clueless.
Since I work for a school, I basically have all the things you could
possibly get from Microsoft in terms of development. More specifically, it
seems that they have sent me just about every single development tool that
involves .NET including some that are geared for things like the Office
System.
Here are my goals for getting into .NET in some way or another. First of
all, I know that one of the neat features of the .NET suite of development
tools is that you could build a web-based front-end application that chats
with a back end SQL server, even one that you have built and designed from
the ground up. Also, I know the basic premise about XML and Soap and their
abilities to connect dissimilar systems accross an array of platforms.
Thats all well and dandy, but its over there for the moment.
Right now what I am looking to accomplish is as follows:
First, modify some of the things within Office 2003 (specifically in word,
excel, powerpoint, etc.) to the effect that when a user hit the "print"
button, a little extra window would come up saying something to the effect
of "Hey, I see you want to print this 50 page document but are using this
printer over there which is a quarter mile away based upon your machine
location which is XX (decriptive names apply to all workstations). SO are
you SURE you want to print to that printer since there is a printer right
over your right shoulder which would do it better. Maybe even a little map
will pop up and show them that they are here, there brains are there and the
closest printer is here.
Second, I love some of the searching features of Active Directory, but I
want to do things where it comes out more in the form of an Intranet page so
that, again printers, can be clicked to according to the X, you are here
schema described above.
Lastly, I want to become proficient at scripting since I love the ability to
be able to shut down a bunch of machines at a given time, save on
electricity, burnt our monitors, etc., which works fine, but I do not have
the programming knowledge to be able to tell the script 'hey, if somebody is
shown as logged in, give them a five minute snooze button then force their
machine to shut down because they probably walked away from it without so
much as locking it down' Dont laugh, I have seen machines left on for
months on end and its just a nuisance.
Okay, so my question here is where do I start. I love the idea of .Net and
people are telling me its going to be the way things will be written for
windows platforms in the next releases. Second, I have no clue how to
program. I mean it, VB for dummies would be one step higher for me. Ask me
to set up an NSA recommended secured network and ask me to lock down
desktops, customize the crap out of things and make things work sweet and
you have me. But there are features inside of word and publsiher that I
would like to build, like something where a person clicks one button instead
of three and their "site" gets published right to the corner of their web,
or maybe something simper. Basically, I am trying to customize things as
much as possible based upon what I have seen users do time and time again so
that they need not call me for the fiftieth time when somebody at the far
end of school screetches about so an so printing out a hundred page essay on
the decline of the Roman empire.
Your learned and combined wisdoms and sharing advise in this regard is most
appreciated.
Midnight JJ
Multi-posting here because I am not sure of how I should make things more
narrow, but please forgive me for doing so since I can basically spell .net
and know so little about VB or any other language that I am, well, clueless.
Since I work for a school, I basically have all the things you could
possibly get from Microsoft in terms of development. More specifically, it
seems that they have sent me just about every single development tool that
involves .NET including some that are geared for things like the Office
System.
Here are my goals for getting into .NET in some way or another. First of
all, I know that one of the neat features of the .NET suite of development
tools is that you could build a web-based front-end application that chats
with a back end SQL server, even one that you have built and designed from
the ground up. Also, I know the basic premise about XML and Soap and their
abilities to connect dissimilar systems accross an array of platforms.
Thats all well and dandy, but its over there for the moment.
Right now what I am looking to accomplish is as follows:
First, modify some of the things within Office 2003 (specifically in word,
excel, powerpoint, etc.) to the effect that when a user hit the "print"
button, a little extra window would come up saying something to the effect
of "Hey, I see you want to print this 50 page document but are using this
printer over there which is a quarter mile away based upon your machine
location which is XX (decriptive names apply to all workstations). SO are
you SURE you want to print to that printer since there is a printer right
over your right shoulder which would do it better. Maybe even a little map
will pop up and show them that they are here, there brains are there and the
closest printer is here.
Second, I love some of the searching features of Active Directory, but I
want to do things where it comes out more in the form of an Intranet page so
that, again printers, can be clicked to according to the X, you are here
schema described above.
Lastly, I want to become proficient at scripting since I love the ability to
be able to shut down a bunch of machines at a given time, save on
electricity, burnt our monitors, etc., which works fine, but I do not have
the programming knowledge to be able to tell the script 'hey, if somebody is
shown as logged in, give them a five minute snooze button then force their
machine to shut down because they probably walked away from it without so
much as locking it down' Dont laugh, I have seen machines left on for
months on end and its just a nuisance.
Okay, so my question here is where do I start. I love the idea of .Net and
people are telling me its going to be the way things will be written for
windows platforms in the next releases. Second, I have no clue how to
program. I mean it, VB for dummies would be one step higher for me. Ask me
to set up an NSA recommended secured network and ask me to lock down
desktops, customize the crap out of things and make things work sweet and
you have me. But there are features inside of word and publsiher that I
would like to build, like something where a person clicks one button instead
of three and their "site" gets published right to the corner of their web,
or maybe something simper. Basically, I am trying to customize things as
much as possible based upon what I have seen users do time and time again so
that they need not call me for the fiftieth time when somebody at the far
end of school screetches about so an so printing out a hundred page essay on
the decline of the Roman empire.
Your learned and combined wisdoms and sharing advise in this regard is most
appreciated.
Midnight JJ