Recent Discussions
Security and Compliance Considerations When Using Copilot in Enterprise Environments
We see these new AI tools, like Copilot, helping us do work faster, write better emails, and summarize long documents. It’s like having a super-smart assistant right next to you. But for people who look after company rules, like the security and compliance teams, a new tool also means new questions. We need to be sure that while Copilot helps us be fast, it does not accidentally share our company’s secrets or break any important laws about data. This is what we call security and compliance—it’s about keeping our digital house safe and following the rules. In this blog, I want to talk about the important things we must think about when we bring a powerful tool like Copilot into our enterprise environment. It’s not just about turning it on; it’s about making sure we set it up in a smart and safe way. https://dellenny.com/security-and-compliance-considerations-when-using-copilot-in-enterprise-environments/Turbocharge Your Coding Top GitHub Copilot Shortcuts and Productivity Tips for VS Code
GitHub Copilot isn’t just a fancy autocomplete; it’s a true AI pair programmer that can fundamentally change how you write code. But like any powerful tool, mastering it requires knowing the hidden tricks and, most importantly, the keyboard shortcuts that keep your hands on the keys and your focus in the flow. If you’re using VS Code, you’ve got the ideal setup. Let’s dive deep into the must-know shortcuts and best practices to transform you from a Copilot novice into a speedy! https://dellenny.com/turbocharge-your-coding-top-github-copilot-shortcuts-and-productivity-tips-for-vs-code/Your Guide to Debugging and Reviewing Copilot-Generated Code
The rise of AI coding assistants like GitHub Copilot has been a game-changer. It’s like having a hyper-efficient, incredibly well-read junior developer peering over your shoulder, offering code snippets and completing functions almost as fast as you can think. This boost in productivity is phenomenal—until a tricky bug crawls into a piece of AI-generated code, or a security vulnerability lurks undetected. The truth is, while Copilot is an amazing accelerator, it is not a replacement for a developer’s critical thinking and review process. AI-generated code, for all its brilliance, is still code written by an engine trained on massive datasets, including the good, the bad, and the slightly outdated. You, the human developer, are the crucial “Human-in-the-Loop”—the final guardian of code quality, security, and logic. This blog post is your essential guide to navigating this new landscape. We’ll lay out the best practices for debugging and reviewing code generated by your AI partner, ensuring you leverage its speed without compromising on quality or security. https://dellenny.com/your-guide-to-debugging-and-reviewing-copilot-generated-code/
The .NET News daily newsletter for C# developers
Hi everyone! I'd like to invite you to my C# and Azure newsletter that I launched a little over a year ago: https://dotnetnews.co/ Its a labor of love project I use to help my fellow C# devs keep up on all the latest developer articles. We finally hit over 2,000 subscribers! Most importantly, If anyone has any ideas on how to make it better, I'd love to hear from you.Prompt Engineering for Developers Getting the Best Out of Copilot
Artificial intelligence has revolutionized the way we code. GitHub Copilot, powered by OpenAI’s models, has become a game-changer for developers, offering real-time code suggestions, generating boilerplate code, and even helping solve complex problems. But like any tool, its effectiveness depends on how you use it. Enter prompt engineering—the art of crafting instructions that get the most accurate and useful results from AI. In this blog, we’ll explore how developers can master prompt engineering to get the best out of Copilot, maximize productivity, and improve code quality. https://dellenny.com/prompt-engineering-for-developers-getting-the-best-out-of-copilot/Practical Use Cases Writing, Refactoring, and Testing Code with GitHub Copilot
In today’s fast-paced software development environment, efficiency and code quality are paramount. Developers are constantly seeking tools that can accelerate coding tasks without compromising quality. One tool that has rapidly gained popularity among programmers is GitHub Copilot. Powered by AI, Copilot can assist in writing code, refactoring existing code, and testing, making it an invaluable addition to any developer’s toolkit. In this blog, we’ll explore practical use cases for leveraging GitHub Copilot to streamline your coding workflow. https://dellenny.com/practical-use-cases-writing-refactoring-and-testing-code-with-github-copilot/Understanding the GitHub Copilot Exam Blueprint Skills Measured & Topics Covered
The world of software development is rapidly evolving, especially with the rise of AI-assisted coding tools. One key certification that’s gained attention is the one for GitHub Copilot, the AI-pair programmer developed by GitHub (in conjunction with Microsoft). This blog dives deep into the exam blueprint — what domains it covers, what skills are measured, and how you can prepare effectively. https://dellenny.com/understanding-the-github-copilot-exam-blueprint-skills-measured-topics-covered/Free & Official Learning Resources for the GitHub Copilot Certification Exam
The GitHub Copilot Certification Exam is an exciting new way to prove your skills in using one of the most innovative AI tools for software development. Designed for developers, DevOps engineers, administrators, and technical leaders, this certification tests your ability to use GitHub Copilot effectively and responsibly in real-world scenarios. The best part? You don’t have to pay for premium courses or third-party study materials. GitHub and Microsoft provide free, official learning resources that cover everything you need to know. This guide breaks down those resources, how to use them, and how to structure your preparation to maximize your success. https://dellenny.com/free-official-learning-resources-for-the-github-copilot-certification-exam/Debugging and Testing Your Copilot Studio Bots Efficiently
When you build conversational agents using Copilot Studio, deploying them is only half the job. To deliver reliable and useful bots, you must invest time in testing and debugging—and do so efficiently. This guide walks you through structured strategies for testing and debugging Copilot Studio bots, highlights built-in tools and practices, and offers expert tips to help you identify and resolve issues quickly. https://dellenny.com/debugging-and-testing-your-copilot-studio-bots-efficiently/
.NET runtime issues - application not starting up
Hello, We have a .NET based application built using the .NET framework 8.0. The application runtimeconfig.json file shows this: MyApp.runtimeconfig.json "tfm": "net8.0", "frameworks": [ { "name": "Microsoft.NETCore.App", "version": "8.0.0" }, { "name": "Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App", "version": "8.0.0" } ], Please note that we have Published the application and verified that only .NET version 8.0.16 components, DLLs etc are required. Anything higher than this does not show up. From the cmd prompt, the following runtimes are shown to be installed on the system: >dotnet --list-runtimes Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 8.0.21 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App] Microsoft.NETCore.App 8.0.20 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App] Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 8.0.20 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App] However, when we try to start a Windows service which is installed as part of the application, it does not start up, and the Windows Event Viewer shows the following error: "Description: A .NET application failed. Application: MyAppControllerService.exe Path: C:\MyApp\MyAppControllerService.exe Message: You must install or update .NET to run this application. App: C:\MyApp\MyAppControllerService.exe Architecture: x64 Framework: 'Microsoft.NETCore.App', version '8.0.21' (x64) .NET location: C:\Program Files\dotnet\ The following frameworks were found: 8.0.20 at [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.App] Learn more: https://aka.ms/dotnet/app-launch-failed To install missing framework, download: https://aka.ms/dotnet-core-applaunch?framework=Microsoft.NETCore.App&framework_version=8.0.21&arch=x64&rid=win-x64&os=win10" So, the issue is, even with Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 8.0.20 being installed on the system, it still asks for the .NET 8.0 Runtime (v8.0.21) to be installed. Please let me know why this is so? Since, as per this: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/install/windows .NET Desktop Runtime includes the .NET runtime as well, and Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 8.0.20 is installed. Thanks in advance, JY
How to respond to upgrade-assistant cli prompts?
Bear with me please, I have not touched this stuff in a few years. Trying to upgrade Xamarin project to .Net Maui using CLI (latest version of VS 2022 cannot find the Upgrade assistant extension). I have downloaded the upgrade-assistant, but am not familiar with how to reply\how to make a selection of what is displayed after I enter "upgrade-assistant upgrade project-name" (it does not execute and instead displays information...see attached image). Is what is being display telling me that I need to ctrl-c out of this and re-enter the command using what they are showing? Please give me an example of using the Side-by-side upgrade. Is is also telling me that I need to do something with NuGet also on the command line? Thanks.How to Register and Prepare for the GitHub Copilot Exam Step-by-Step Guide
If you’re planning to validate your AI-assisted coding skills, the GitHub Copilot Certification Exam is a great way to prove your expertise. This guide walks you through everything — from registration to preparation — so you can approach exam day with confidence. https://dellenny.com/how-to-register-and-prepare-for-the-github-copilot-exam-step-by-step-guide/Writing Cleaner Code with GitHub Copilot Suggestions
In today’s fast-moving software development world, maintaining readable, maintainable, and reliable code is more crucial than ever. Tools like GitHub Copilot offer developers a new way to assist in that journey—by suggesting code, refactorings, tests, and improvements in real time. In this blog, we’ll explore how to use Copilot (and its suggestions) not just for speed—but for cleaner code. https://dellenny.com/writing-cleaner-code-with-github-copilot-suggestions/What Is the GitHub Copilot Certification and Why It Matters for Developers
In the ever-evolving world of software development, AI-powered tools are taking centre stage. Among them, GitHub Copilot has become a significant player. But what exactly is the GitHub Copilot Certification, and why should developers care? Let’s dive in. https://dellenny.com/what-is-the-github-copilot-certification-and-why-it-matters-for-developers/Orchard Harvest Community Conference
Hello everyone! I would like to invite you to our Orchard Harvest Conference, which is the annual gathering of the Orchard Core community. For those who may be new to Orchard Core, Microsoft Orchard is an open-source content management system (CMS) and web application framework that allows developers to build websites, blogs, and web applications. It provides a modular and extensible architecture that allows developers to create custom features, themes, and modules to suit their specific needs. The Orchard Harvest conference will be in https://www.hotelbotanique.com/meetings/magnolia/ in Prague on the 11th and 12th of November. It's going to be a great opportunity to share knowledge, talk about development plans and ideas, and foremost, meet the rest of the worldwide community. In addition to the presentations and networking opportunities, Orchard Harvest provides a unique platform for developers, designers, and users to connect, learn, and contribute to the ongoing development of Orchard Core. You can get your ticket and find more details here: https://orchardcore.net/harvest We can't wait to see you at Orchard Harvest!
PowerShell hosting in C#
Don't know if this is the correct place to post my question... I want to use the PowerShell 7 cmdlet Get-ClusterResource in C# under Windows 11, like this: using System.Collections.ObjectModel; using System.Management.Automation; namespace PSHosting; class Program { static void Main() { using (var powerShell = PowerShell.Create()) { powerShell.AddScript("Get-ClusterResource -Cluster 'WSFC1'"); Collection<PSObject> result = powerShell.Invoke(); } } I have the RSAT FailoverCluster Windows package installed. When calling Get-ClusterResource in a PowerShell session, PowerShell uses the implicit remoting technique to create and load a proxy module for the original FailoverCluster module, and then execute the command on the remote computer. At some point during my attemps to get a working Get-ClusterResource in my C# code, I included the following in the above code (before the using statement): A Set-ExecutionPolicy command that lets PowerShell execute arbitrary scripts (most probably required because module loading (see below) and/or implicit remoting would run .ps1 and/or .psm scripts contained in the FailoverCluster module folder) An Import-Module command that loads the FailoverCluster module into the current session Interestingly, the above code still works in my environment after stripping the commands 1. and 2. above from the code, deleting the proxy module C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Temp\remoteIpMoProxy_FailoverClusters_2.0.0.0_localhost_<ID>, and rebooting the computer. My ultimate goal is to publish code like the above together with all required modules and other stuff so it can run successfully on a computer with stock Windows 11 installed only (single exception: .NET runtime matching my C# version is installed, so I don't need to distribute that too). From what I think I know at the moment, this means that I need to: Include the FailoverCluster module folder in my publication, and Add the commands 1. and 2. above in my code (hopefully, referencing the FailoverCluster module works with a relative path) Am I correct here, or do I miss something out?WPF application becomes unresponsive after plugging/ unplugging USB device supporting pen events
I've run across an issue on Windows 10 and 11 where WPF apps seem to become unresponsive when unplugging or plugging in a USB device that registers as an input device that can receive touch/stylus events. This can be seen by creating a basic WPF app in Visual Studio, running it, and then adding/removing one of these devices. I used Spy++ to see which messages the app was receiving. I saw a number of messages I was expecting to see - WM_DEVICECHANGE, WM_POINTERDEVICECHANGE, as well as 0x02C8 or 0x02C9 (WM_TABLET_ADDED or WM_TABLET_DELETED, respectively). However, after this, thousands (or sometimes tens of thousands) of messages were sent to a window belonging to the app that is at (0,0) with dimensions 0x0. Its caption is "OLEChannelWnd". The messages are mostly the same: They're all posted to the window The message ID is 0x0400 (WM_USER + 0) The wParam is always the same (0x0000BABE) The lParam varies each time I restart the WPF app, but they seem to settle on a small number of values - for example, the last time I tried this, I saw 0x05D08BB0 4-6 times, then 0x0D1B8E98 a dozen or more times, then 0x0D1B7B90 several times, and so on. During these messages, the app would become unresponsive for as long as these messages were posted. This could take upwards of 5- 10 minutes before recovering, and sometimes would result in a crash from the app running out of memory. After doing research online, I found some posts that talked about a possible issue in the PenThreadWorker thread - that it could be running into some kind of deadlock when initializing certain objects. I also found several posts that mentioned disabling the stylus & touch events by setting "Switch.System.Windows.Input.Stylus.DisableStylusAndTouchSupport". I can add this to the app.config for my app as follows: <runtime> <AppContextSwitchOverrides value="Switch.System.Windows.Input.Stylus.DisableStylusAndTouchSupport=true" /> </runtime> or, equivalently, I can do the following during application startup: AppContext.SetSwitch("Switch.System.Windows.Input.Stylus.DisableStylusAndTouchSupport", true); This does fix the issue - I don't see these WM_USER messages being sent to the app, and as such the app becomes immediately responsive once the device is plugged/unplugged. However, one of the WPF apps that I'm working with (i.e. not the simple test app) needs to process tablet events, so this setting can't be used there. Furthermore, it can only be set either in app.config or during application startup - any calls to it after that are ignored. I've tried this with .NET 4.5.1, .NET 4.6 (which is required to use the code-based method) as well as .NET 4.8.1, but in all cases I see this same result. As mentioned, I know this isn't an issue unique to my app since I'm able to reproduce this issue by creating a basic WPF app and following the same steps. Additionally, I observed the same issue with other test applications I've found online while trying to troubleshoot this issue. Interestingly, I have observed this within Microsoft's own Visual Studios 2017 (which is what I'm using for development) and have found a few other threads online from other people running into the same problem with their apps. I have also tried updating to later Visual Studios versions for development of my app, but this doesn't solve the issue either. Finally, I followed this post from Microsoft regarding https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/desktop/wpf/advanced/disable-the-realtimestylus-for-wpf-applications and still was unable to fix the issue.Getting Started with Microsoft Playwright Testing Features and How to Use It
In today’s fast-paced development environment, delivering high-quality web applications is crucial. Automated testing plays a key role in ensuring stability, performance, and user experience across browsers and devices. Microsoft Playwright Testing is one of the most powerful tools available for end-to-end (E2E) testing, offering speed, reliability, and cross-browser support. In this post, we’ll explore what Playwright Testing is, its key features, how to use it, and how it integrates with Azure for cloud-scale testing. https://dellenny.com/getting-started-with-microsoft-playwright-testing-features-and-how-to-use-it/Using an AI Agent to Automate Jira Updates, PR Reviews, and Code Deployment
In modern software development, teams juggle multiple tools: Jira for project management, GitHub/GitLab for code collaboration, and CI/CD pipelines for deployment. Developers often spend significant time switching contexts—updating Jira tickets, reviewing pull requests, and triggering deployments. An AI agent can automate much of this workflow, acting as a “digital teammate” that fetches Jira data, helps review PRs, and pushes deployments. In this blog, we’ll explore how to set it up step by step. https://dellenny.com/supercharging-your-workflow-using-an-ai-agent-to-automate-jira-updates-pr-reviews-and-code-deployment/
