The O in SOLID - The Open-Closed Principle

First proposed by Bertrand Meyer in 1988, the Open-Closed Principle goes like this: Software entities should be open for extension but closed for modification. In other words, use the class in any way you need but modifying its behavior comes by adding new code, never by modifying or deleting the old.

How on earth do we do this?

Razor Support Added to the DevExpress ASP.NET MVC Extensions

With the recent ASP.NET MVC 3 release from Microsoft, a brand new view-engine was dispatched into the wild. This view-engine allows developers to reduce the number of keystrokes they type when writing a view template and it fosters a faster, more fluid workflow while coding.

This neat creation is Razor.

The great news is the DevExpress ASP.NET MVC extensions all support ASP.NET MVC 3 and Razor.

Check out Mehul’s post for more details on how to get started.

ASP.NET MVC 3: Razor View Engine Support Added!

What's coming in the Pivot Grid?

Christmas and New Year have been and gone, and now we focus on the exciting new developments that we can offer you throughout 2011.

Here Woody details some of the functionality and features that you can expect to see from the analytics team during the course of this year. Naturally performance is high on the agenda, but does Woody’s post resemble what you hope to see this year?

Check out the post and remember to leave your feedback in the comments for Woody and the team.

What Next For the Pivot Grid?

Elijah Manor: How Good C# Habits Encourage Bad JavaScript Habits

JavaScript expert, Elijah Manor, has kindly offered to deliver a free, live and interactive webinar for DevExpress customers who want to learn more about the Dark Arts … Sorry, we mean JavaScript!

As part of the DevExpress Webinar Series, we’re bringing you free content from industry gurus to help you to explore development techniques, new languages and new platforms. Remember, we want to provide content for you to gain value from. If you have topic of interest, or a peer that you would like to see deliver a webinar, contact us with the details.

Seats are limited for this exclusive, interactive session. Register for your seat now.

Free DevExpress Webinar with JavaScript legend Elijah Manor

Andrew Connell on SharePoint 2010 Data Access

Are you considering SharePoint for your next project? Keen to explore the basics of data access?

Andrew Connell has years of experience with Microsoft SharePoint and is on hand to welcome you to this beginner level session to discuss just that.

Register your seat now for this session and join us, live.

Free SharePoint Training with MVP, Andrew Connell

Love the VCL controls? Tell the team!

We continue our series of Ask the Team webinars with what we hope will be a lively and exciting discussion with the DevExpress VCL team.

Led by Julian, this session will give you the opportunity to give your feedback and comments to the VCL team live.

Do you have a burning issue to raise with the team? Want to talk more to them about the supported IDEs for the next iterations of the VCL controls? Bring your questions to the webinar and get answers direct from the developers behind the controls.

Places are very limited. Register your seat now to participate with us live and interactively.

DevExpress Webinar: Ask the VCL Team

CodeRush Walkthrough: Creating Virtual Methods

Being able to cover every possible coding template is a real behemoth of a task. That’s why, in designing CodeRush, we chose to hand over the power to users by designing a system that allows you to create an almost infinite number of possible templates, to adapt to any option you might conceive.

The best part is any CodeRush user can wield the power. You just need an idea and 15 minutes spare time. We’re serious.

Here’s Rory to show you how to do it.

The Template Engine – Creating Virtual Methods

When Reporting Gets Complex

The DevExpress Reporting controls are designed to remove the belligerent tedium from creating custom reports. Easy-to-use and greatly customizable, the XtraReports Suite can handle even the most complex of reporting requirements.

While getting his hands dirty in the forums, Seth came across a request from a customer with a complex hierarchical structure.

Take a look at how the concept was addressed and download the sample for yourself.

The Complex Master-Detail Report

How do I control context menus with the Pivot Grid?

Whilst on a voyage of discovery, Woody is bringing up development treasures from the very depths of the pivot grid archives.

It’s a straightforward question: “How do I control the different context menus for the pivot grid?”, but for each platform the mechanism is different.

Starting here with the WinForms pivot grid, Woody details the steps necessary to control some of the end-user experiences.

Controlling Context Menus with XtraPivotGrid

DevExpress Webinars - 'I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing'

Maybe you've not been placing explosives under the surface of a giant meteor headed for Earth on a path of certain destruction. Maybe Bruce Willis isn't your boss. Maybe you've just been so busy you feel like you've been on another planet.

Whatever the reason for missing installments in the DevExpress Webinar Series, you can be assured that we'll always have them ready for you when you have the time to view them. You can find them right here on the DevExpress Channel.

But please be aware that it is in everyone's best interests not to upset Aerosmith. Catch up on the highlights of the DevExpress webinar series, now!

Consume-first Declaration with CodeRush Exploring Common Pivot Data Views Creating Your Own Financial Indicators Business Letters and Mail Merge with Rich Text Edit

Shawn Wildermuth on Creating WP7 Applications

In the last issue of DX Press we presented you with the opportunity to join us on an exclusive webinar with Silverlight MVP, experienced trainer and author, Shawn Wildermuth.

We were treated to an introduction to the process of creating a Windows Phone 7 application.

For those of you that couldn’t join us on the webinar, you can view it now via the DevExpress Channel.

Sit back, relax and let Shawn wow you with the ease with which you can create your first WP7 application.

Creating Your First WP7 Application