Must have tools for Windows

Each one of us uses some tools that makes his/her life easier. In this post I would like to share a list of very essential tools save a lot of time and let us focus on what is really important to us. The tools have a common denominator: they help to get things or get things done. Please note the difference in terminology. Sometimes in the past there was File Manager and we had the feeling that we "manage" files. When the amount of files increased it was replaced by Windows Explorer. So we had the feeling or exploring things. Then a Search button was added that should have help us to find thing. Unfortunately it was pretty slow, so we still go lost among the files. Nowadays in the 2014 we want to "get" instead of search, manage or explore. So the tools you'll see here focus on getting programs from the internet, getting files on your computer, getting programs on your computer, getting you passwords etc.

So here they are:

1. chocolatey.org - is the ultimate installer for every program for Windows. It has an enormous catalog of pro grams for download with a one line command line. So it is the new way to "get" programs to your computer.

2. Everything -  is the fastest and most effective way to "get" files on local computer. Unlike built-in Windows Search, it is extremely fast, it does not interfere with other programs, such as anti-virus software or files written by compilers or test runners. And it can be invoked with a shortcut. I prefer WinKey-N, for the similarity for the ReSharper and IntelliJ Ctrl-N, but it is completely your choice.

3. Launchy - is the fastest and most elegant way to execute eny program on your computer. It can be invoked with a shortcut (I use Alt-Space) and with typing a few characters it finds any program you need. Launchy has also some useful pluigns like: Killy, Tasky

4. Console2 - command-line console has been for many years the way we like to execute things. But the built-in console is poor and lacks of many features. Console2 is the new and must-have console application. Among its features: multiple tabs, copy-paste with keyboard shortcuts, resize. After installing Console2, follow step described by Scot Hanselman here.

5. Dropbox - needless to say how it is important to keep all your files synced between different machines. Dropbox is one of the popular and  convenient ways to do it.

6. Lightshot- this small and non-intrusive application helps to take screenshot. It allows cropping your screen while taking the snapshot, then editing it on the spot and then copying to clipboard or saving to file. By copying to clipboard and then pasting to the desired application (even to Gmail) you can save a lot of time.

7. Keepass - we need to keep track of our passwords and there are plenty of them. Every website, every application require its own authentication. Keepass allows storing all your passwords in a single encrypted file. The file can be protected by master password, external file, Windows User account or any combination of those methods. I suggest saving the Keepass file in Dropbox folder for easy access from different machines.

All the tools listed above are free.

Automatic Deployment :: The final solution

In my previous post I lited tools used for automatic deployment. Although all of them have significant advantages, they did not fit for our needs. Or if they did, they seem to be too complex for such simple deployment process. So let's start with what we needed. We needed a script/tool that:

1. Downloads binaries 

2. Updates configuration files

3. Stops a windows service

4. Copies rellevant files 

5. Starts a windows service

6. Checks that the service is started and responding properly

7. Iterates the above steps for several servers in several data centers

One of the most important decisions we've made before and during the tools selection, was the following. Use the same deployment tool/script for deployment to test/staging environment as for production deployment. This rule seems to be pretty obvious and maybe irrelevant, but it saves a lot of times and script fixing during produciton debug. When the product is deployed to test machines on a frwquently basis it tested each time. If there is some new configuration parameter that needs to be updated. If we forget to update the deployment script it fails in deploy to test machine. Then we fix it in deploy to test machine and produciton deployment works smoothly.

So let's go back to tool seleciton: we use TeamCity as our continious integration system for builds automated tests etc. And it seemed so natural to use TeamCity for automatic deployment as well. We wrote, or actually, reused Powershell script previously written in order to extend Puppet. These scripts do the steps described above. 

So the winners are TeamCity and Powershell

Windows 8 Build event

Haven't been here for a while, will try to update the blog more frequently. I attended a Microsoft Build event yesterday where guys and a girl from Redmond presented the next operating system - Windows 8. The presentation was held in the US and was broadcast live worldwide.

So what are the new buzz words we hear in the next years:
- WinRT - a new run-time to provide a unified access to all languages: C, C++, C#, VB.NET and Javascript
- Reset/Restore will replace the familiar Restore Points. Creating your own "reset" point is available in command line utility only
- Metrostyle - is the new unified styling of applications supporting multi-touch, sliding etc

Additional features are:
- Publishing applications to the cloud. All the apps will be certified by "the big brother" to have no malicious code
- I was also impressed by boot up performance, it's a real improvement

Good work!