Interview - Karl Moore, VB.NET Writer and Guru

The NEW Book: Tell Us More, Give Us Juice!

Your next book is titled "VB.NET and ASP.NET Secrets!". Could you give us an example of a "secret"?

Ooh, you crafty devil. The new book will basically teach a whole bundle of those nifty .NET secrets that you only find once in a blue moon, usually hidden inside some ten-page magazine article.

You'll learn, for example, how to convert the contents of a RichTextBox control into HTML, how to create a default ASP.NET "Enter" button, how to send an Excel data page straight down to the browser -- even if your server doesn't have Excel, the ten steps to doing absolutely ANYTHING and EVERYTHING with a DataGrid, what to do when debugging stops working, how to quickly create applications that will run on mobile phones, the three tricks to using XML, how to generate amazing ASP.NET images on the fly, how to incorporate encryption in your applications in just twelve lines of code, plus how you can steal Microsoft code -- and save yourself hours of development time.

These are all real life secrets, with ready-to-run, thoroughly tested code snippets presented throughout the book.

I've also include a full .NET introduction in the book, plus a quick C# translation guide, along with an introduction to a powerful "hidden" language in .NET. I can't say any more!

Can we expect more books after this one, or are your hands simply too sore?

I'm guessing I'll have a little rest, actually. Get out the ice bucket and soak my pinkies. But who knows.

The NEW Software Project

Our rumour mill also tells us you're releasing a new version of your WebZinc component in 2003. Is that right?

That's right: on January 10th we unveiled WebZinc .NET. We've been selling WebZinc for two whole years and this is a huge revamp.

What exactly does WebZinc do?

It's a tool that allows you to manipulate the Internet in code. You could, for example, extract data from a Website or fill out a form. It has many more features, too: customers such as British Telecom, Network Solutions (and even ComponentSource itself) have applications using it every single day. The official site can be found at www.webzinc.net

Your SitePoint readers can win a copy of it in that competition you're running. I hear you're also giving away a copy of my book...

We are... But wait! Why "WebZinc"? Who came up with such a bizarre name?

Erm. Me. Something to do with Vodka and the periodic table, methinks.

Parting Shots

I understand you live in Yorkshire, England?

Ayy, that's right: home of Puddings, Moors and Terriers. I live in the middle of a field, over in the East Ridings. I haven't picked up the Yorkshire accent yet, but there's still time.

What's so special about your tongue?

Wow, you're well researched. Nothing's special, it's just that a few members on the VB Forums site commented on a photo someone had scanned in. It was of me, at some crazed Mexican restaurant, looking distinctly satanic -- and with my tongue in full stretch. I don't even remember it being taken.

The forum members soon started a "what a big tongue you've got" thread and the lewd and suggestive comments haven't stopped since. Oh boy.

What music are you listening to right now?

Barry Manilow and "Turn the Radio Up". But please don't tell anyone.

Karl, thank you for this interview. I really appreciate it, as does the community at SitePoint!

Win a copy of Karl's book -- or his software! Visit SitePoint's .NET Feature Guide to find out how!