Laith Zraikat: .Net Development

Jeeran in Venture Magazine

Thu, 29 Jun 2006 18:58:00 GMT

Venture is a new Jordanian business magazine. It is by the same creative people behind JO Magazine. The content and style seem very promising, and it stands to achieve the same outstanding sucess witnesses by its sister "JO".

This is an interview we did with Venture magazine in its June issue. To Qais, Jibril ,and the rest of the team; Thanks guys, we really enjoyed it.

ASP.Net 2.0 "How to" Videos

Sat, 25 Feb 2006 15:00:00 GMT

Recently released video lessons on the common questions about the new features in ASP.Net 2.0. They will provide clear, easy, and straight to the point examples on how to perform some advanced functions. They are great for all levels, newbie to expert.

The topics covered:

Caching (2 parts)
Create a full-featured customer login protal
Data: create data driven web sites
Form Building
Localization
Master Pages and Site Navigation
Membership and Roles
Profiles and Themes
Web Parts and Personalization
Tips and Tricks: covers a wide range of techniques for enhancing ASP.Net web pages.

For a more detailed description and download links, read:
ASP.NET 2.0 How Do I Video Series is here -- a must see

Converting a string from UTF-8 to Windows-1256 encoding

Thu, 22 Dec 2005 20:29:00 GMT

I recently was faced with a problem where a form was sending text encoded in UTF-8, and the ASP.Net page processing the data used "windows-1256". This really messed up the text.

The dilemma I was that I had to keep the page encoding containing the form as utf-8, and I had to keep the processing page as windows-1256.

I was able to solve it by converting the incoming text from utf-8 to windows-1256 by using the following two methods:

///<summary>
/// Converts any UTF-8 string into the selected character set
///</summary>
///<param name="StringToConvert"></param>
///<param name="TargetCharSet"></param>
///<returns></returns>
public byte[] ConvertUTF8StringEncoding(string StringToConvert, string TargetCharSet)
{
byte[] ByteConvertedString;
byte[] ByteStringToConvert;
Encoding TargetEncoding;
// Convert the string to a Byte array
ByteStringToConvert = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(StringToConvert);
// Get the target encoding type
TargetEncoding = Encoding.GetEncoding(TargetCharSet);
// Convert the byte array using the target encoding
ByteConvertedString = Encoding.Convert(System.Text.Encoding.UTF8, TargetEncoding, ByteStringToConvert);
return ByteConvertedString;
}

///<summary>
/// This converts the Binary array back to string.
///</summary>
///<param name="Binary"></param>
///<returns></returns>
string BinaryUTF8ToString(byte[] Binary)
{
return System.Text.UnicodeEncoding.UTF8.GetString(Binary);
}

The first method will return a byte array of the string encoded in windows-1256. The second method will convert the binary array back to its string value.

So to convert any UTF-8 form input string, we write the following

stringConvertedString = BinaryUTF8ToString(ConvertStringEncoding(
Request.Form["FormInput"], "windows-1256"));

Converting a date from Gregorian calendar to Hijri

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 16:18:00 GMT

This piece of code will take the date you give it, and convert it to its equivilant under the Hijri or Gregorian calendar according to your arguments. It will also enable you to set the language in which you wish to display the Gregorian dates (Hijri date will always be displayd in arabic).

public string ConvertDateCalendar(DateTime DateConv, string Calendar, string DateLangCulture)
{
DateTimeFormatInfo DTFormat;
DateLangCulture = DateLangCulture.ToLower();
/// We can't have the hijri date writen in English. We will get a runtime error - LAITH - 11/13/2005 1:01:45 PM -

if (Calendar == "Hijri" && DateLangCulture.StartsWith("en-"))
{
DateLangCulture = "ar-sa";
}

/// Set the date time format to the given culture - LAITH - 11/13/2005 1:04:22 PM -
DTFormat = new System.Globalization.CultureInfo(DateLangCulture, false).DateTimeFormat;

/// Set the calendar property of the date time format to the given calendar - LAITH - 11/13/2005 1:04:52 PM -
switch (Calendar)
{
case"Hijri":
DTFormat.Calendar = new System.Globalization.HijriCalendar();
break;

case"Gregorian":
DTFormat.Calendar = new System.Globalization.GregorianCalendar();
break;

default:
return"";
}

/// We format the date structure to whatever we want - LAITH - 11/13/2005 1:05:39 PM -
DTFormat.ShortDatePattern = "dd/MM/yyyy";
return (DateConv.Date.ToString("f", DTFormat));
}

Strip HTML tags from a string in .NET

Tue, 22 Nov 2005 21:28:00 GMT

The best and shortest way is to use Regular Expression for this task:

VB.Net

Function StripHTMLTags(ByVal HTMLToStrip AsString) AsString
Dim stripped AsString
If HTMLToStrip <> "" Then
stripped = Regex.Replace(HTMLToStrip, "<(.|\n)+?>", String.Empty)
Return stripped
Else
Return ""
EndIf
EndFunction

C#

privatestring StripHTMLTags(string HTMLToStrip)
{
string stripped;
if (!Convert.ToBoolean(HTMLToStrip == ""))
{
stripped = Regex.Replace(formHTML.Text, @"<(.|\n)*?>", string.Empty);
return stripped;
}
else
{
return"";
}
}

Generate a Random String Key in VB.NET

Mon, 21 Nov 2005 20:48:00 GMT

Introduction

I had to create a piece of code that will give me a set of randomly generated keys. Each key had to consist of letters and numbers, and the letters could be either (randomly) lowercase or uppercase.

Looking at some sample code on the web, I could not find what I needed. All the examples I found either generated numbers only, or letters only. I also wanted this random key to be based on a certain rule that made it "not straightforward" random, so, I came up with this little piece of code.

Using the code

The way it works is as follows:

You feed it with a string of letters: KeyLetters, a string of numbers: KeyNumbers, and how many characters you want the random key to be: Keychars. We then call Generate() which goes and generates a random number through the Randomize() statement and the Rnd() function.

Multiply Rnd() by 111 -could be any number we choose which is sufficient enough to bring the value above zero. If the resulting number is an even number, then our random character will be a letter. If we get an odd number, then our random character will be a number. To generate a random character, we generate a random index for one of the character arrays (depending on what our random character will be). Once we have an index which is >= o, we use it to get the value in the corresponding index in the character array.

If we are generating a number, then that is our random character. If we are generating a letter, then we need to determine whether we want it uppercase or lowercase. For that purpose we generate another random number by multiplying the value of Rnd() by 99 – could be any other number too – and then determine whether the result is even or odd. This time, we capitalize the letter if we get an odd number, otherwise we leave it as it is.

And so on, … the loop keeps "looping" while using, and we use a StringBuilder to construct our resulting string , until we've generated the desired number of characters for our Random Key. We convert the StringBuilder to String and return it with the function.

Note: XML comments in the source code were generated using "VBXC - VB.NET XML Commentor beta 3". I highly recommend it.

Module Module1
SubMain()
Dim KeyGen As RandomKeyGenerator
Dim NumKeys AsInteger
Dim i_Keys AsInteger
Dim RandomKey AsString
''' MODIFY THIS TO GET MORE KEYS - LAITH - 27/07/2005 22:48:30 -
NumKeys = 20
KeyGen = New RandomKeyGenerator
KeyGen.KeyLetters = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz"
KeyGen.KeyNumbers = "0123456789"
KeyGen.KeyChars = 12
For i_Keys = 1 To NumKeys
RandomKey = KeyGen.Generate()
Console.WriteLine(RandomKey)
Next
Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit...")
Console.Read()
End Sub
End Module

RandomKeyGenerator.vb
OptionStrictOn
Imports System.Text

''' <date>27072005</date><time>070339</time>
''' <type>class</type>
''' <summary>
''' REQUIRES PROPERTIES: KeyLetters, KeyNumbers, MaxChars
''' </summary>
Public Class RandomKeyGenerator
Dim Key_Letters AsString
Dim Key_Numbers AsString
Dim Key_Chars AsInteger
Dim LettersArray AsChar()
Dim NumbersArray AsChar()
''' <date>27072005</date><time>071924</time>
''' <type>property</type>
''' <summary>
''' WRITE ONLY PROPERTY. HAS TO BE SET BEFORE CALLING GENERATE()
''' </summary>
ProtectedFriendWriteOnlyProperty KeyLetters() AsString
Set(ByVal Value AsString)
Key_Letters = Value
EndSet
EndProperty
''' <date>27072005</date><time>071924</time>
''' <type>property</type>
''' <summary>
''' WRITE ONLY PROPERTY. HAS TO BE SET BEFORE CALLING GENERATE()
''' </summary>
ProtectedFriendWriteOnlyProperty KeyNumbers() AsString
Set(ByVal Value AsString)
Key_Numbers = Value
EndSet
EndProperty
''' <date>27072005</date><time>071924</time>
''' <type>property</type>
''' <summary>
''' WRITE ONLY PROPERTY. HAS TO BE SET BEFORE CALLING GENERATE()
''' </summary>
ProtectedFriendWriteOnlyProperty KeyChars() AsInteger
Set(ByVal Value AsInteger)
Key_Chars = Value
EndSet
EndProperty
''' <date>27072005</date><time>072344</time>
''' <type>function</type>
''' <summary>
''' GENERATES A RANDOM STRING OF LETTERS AND NUMBERS.
''' LETTERS CAN BE RANDOMLY CAPITAL OR SMALL.
''' </summary>
''' <returns type="String">RETURNS THE RANDOMLY GENERATED KEY</returns>
Function Generate() AsString
Dim i_key AsInteger
Dim Random1 AsSingle
Dim arrIndex As Int16
Dim sb AsNew StringBuilder
Dim RandomLetter AsString
''' CONVERT LettersArray & NumbersArray TO CHARACTR ARRAYS
LettersArray = Key_Letters.ToCharArray
NumbersArray = Key_Numbers.ToCharArray
For i_key = 1 To Key_Chars
''' START THE CLOCK - LAITH - 27/07/2005 18:01:18 -
Randomize()
Random1 = Rnd()
arrIndex = -1
''' IF THE VALUE IS AN EVEN NUMBER WE GENERATE A LETTER,
''' OTHERWISE WE GENERATE A NUMBER
''' - LAITH - 27/07/2005 18:02:55 -
''' THE NUMBER '111' WAS RANDOMLY CHOSEN. ANY NUMBER
''' WILL DO, WE JUST NEED TO BRING THE VALUE
''' ABOVE '0' - LAITH - 27/07/2005 18:40:48 -
If (CType(Random1 * 111, Integer)) Mod 2 = 0 Then

''' GENERATE A RANDOM INDEX IN THE LETTERS
''' CHARACTER ARRAY - LAITH - 27/07/2005 18:47:44 -
DoWhile arrIndex < 0
arrIndex = _ Convert.ToInt16(LettersArray.GetUpperBound(0) _
* Random1)
Loop
RandomLetter = LettersArray(arrIndex)
''' CREATE ANOTHER RANDOM NUMBER. IF IT IS ODD,
''' WE CAPITALIZE THE LETTER
''' - LAITH - 27/07/2005 18:55:59 -
If (CType(arrIndex * Random1 * 99, Integer)) Mod 2 <> 0 Then
RandomLetter = LettersArray(arrIndex).ToString
RandomLetter = RandomLetter.ToUpper
EndIf
sb.Append(RandomLetter)
Else
''' GENERATE A RANDOM INDEX IN THE NUMBERS
''' CHARACTER ARRAY - LAITH - 27/07/2005 18:47:44 -
DoWhile arrIndex < 0
arrIndex = _ Convert.ToInt16(NumbersArray.GetUpperBound(0) _
* Random1)
Loop
sb.Append(NumbersArray(arrIndex))
EndIf
Next
Return sb.ToString
EndFunction
End Class

Source Code:

Download demo project - 2.36 Kb
Download source - 7.64 Kb