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Check out Matt Hinze’s great article on this topic: http://mhinze.com/aggregated-specifications/

Notice how each individual specification object determines its applicability with the “ShouldApply” method? In the old days, I remember writing very long methods for building up queries. These long methods would perform multiple branches and check various conditions to determine which query clauses should apply. This approach was very error prone, difficult to test, difficult to maintain, difficult to extend, etc.

With aggregated specifications, you can focus on the specifics of one query clause at a time. You can extend the querying options by created new classes rather than modifying existing code, making your code much more SOLID (especially SRP and OCP).

This is just one example of a practical way you can break out of the nightmare of multiple branches and long conditional statements.

For more ways to handle the code smell of “Conditional Complexity,” along with other code smells, I highly recommend “Refactoring to Patterns” by Joshua Kerievsky.

Expression Blend 3 includes SketchFlow, which is a very powerful prototyping tool that we can integrate into our development process. I still like Balsamiq for situations where we are working with clients on something rough and informal. However, for prototypes that need to look like real systems, SketchFlow is awesome.

That’s just what I’m feeling at the moment. Don’t think I’m up for hard truth just at this time, either on the speaking or hearing part.

Thanks….. Alistair

I think it would be helpful if you augmented this with information with an explaination of how to find out what version you currently have installed.

For example, I am trying to run some sample code which tells me I need SQL v655 and that my installed version is SQL v612. I installed the SQL CE 3.5 SP1 and still got the same message.

I found this post helpful: http://conceptdev.blogspot.com/2009/04/mdf-cannot-be-opened-because-it-is.html

In the end, I found that the original MDF file was from SQL Server 2008 and I’m running 2005. I found a script to recreate the MDF file on my 2005 server but it was all very confusing because the error messages were written by idiots. It always amazes me to think that when reporting errors developers give the literal explanation of the error at times when they’ve got the exact cause in hand. Tell me BOTH!

Thanks, Scott

Keep in mind that it is integrated into Expression Blend and does not stand alone like Balsamiq:

Balsamiq is very lightweight, provides pre-drawn widgets to work with and is strictly a visual mockup that can’t evolve into a working prototype. It does however allow a full screen mode and dynamic linking across mockup files, but that’s about it.

Sketchflow goes a lot farther as it allows for rapid wireframing of views in any workflow, plus it also provides a library of drawing controls and sample data creation capability and it allows a player to sequentially walk thru mockedup UI screens in a browser - all pretty powerful stuff. You can even interact with the controls in the forms, and solicit and capture feedback from the user!

I suspect it will evolve rapidly as this kind of design prototype support has always been sorely needed and now needed even more with the advancement of the presentation quality of WCF and Silverlight. As we continue to build out the offerings for our Agile Enterprise JumpStart, we will be including some mentoring on leading practices for prototyping view UI’s at the story level, and most likely be able to bring both Balsamiq and Sketchflow to bear based on which tool is the best for the design task at hand.