Reading Notes #704

This week’s collection highlights practical ways to improve developer workflows, from faster test runs and more manageable pull requests to intuitive new AI integrations. I have gathered a few standout articles on Blazor components, Azure Functions updates, and the nuances of training coding agents for your specific stack.

Suggestion of the week

• Stop overloading your skills - Microsoft for Developers (Waldek Mastykarz) - The post ends with: "In many cases, models don’t need a textbook. They needed a cheat sheet." It's so true! And this post explains why and how to validate it.

Programming

• I built a little Claude that dances when it needs me (Jim Bennett) - I've been thinking about one of those notifications, and I really like what Jim did here. Have a look, it's way more useful than you think

• How to Filter a Blazor Table Control using .NET | ComponentOne (Ashwin Saxena) - Another Blazor component: ComponentOne. It's nice to have options.

Open Source

• How pull request limits are cutting down the noise (Camilla Moraes & Ashley Wolf) - This will help control the flow for many OSS projects. Hopefully, it will be seen positively by the communities.

DevOps

• Distributed Test Runs in the Aspire Community Toolkit | LINQ to Fail (Aaron Powell) - I didn't know all that was possible. This is a great post that shares the optimization iterations to make unit test runs take less time.

AI

• Azure Functions MCP Extension: What's New at Build 2026 (Lily Ma) - An easy win. Simple to write, fast and straightforward to deploy, and serverless.

• Intelligent Terminal 0.1.1 is here: bash support, new slash commands, and more customization (Hamza Usmani) - Finally! I know someone who has wanted this terminal for a very long time. It looks nice, I saw the demo at Build.

• When the model has never seen your code - Microsoft for Developers (Waldek Mastykarz) - A very interesting post, part of a series about how to make AI coding agents work correctly with your technology.

Sharing my Reading Notes is a habit I started a long time ago, where I share a list of all the articles, blog posts, and books that catch my interest during the week. 

 ~frank

Reading Notes #676

This #rd explores practical insights on leveraging GitHub Copilot for enhanced .NET testing, the rise of AI-driven documentation solutions, and the importance of security in coding agents. From dissecting Docker’s MCP servers to debating the merits of Minimal APIs, we cover a mix of .NET updates, developer workflows, and emerging best practices. Whether you’re refining build processes, optimizing codebases, or staying ahead of security trends, these notes offer a curated selection of ideas to spark your next project or refactor.

Let’s unpack what’s new and impactful in tech!

AI

• A New Approach for Coding Agent Safety | Docker - Security must be part of our top priorities, and it's very interesting to see docker's effort in this area

• Supercharge Your Test Coverage with GitHub Copilot Testing for .NET ( McKenna Barlow) - It's only in the insider version for now, but I'm looking forward to trying it and seeing if it's really better than the one prompt

• Are There Any Good AI Documentation Apps Out There? (Rachel Kaufman) - Great question! I believe there is a simple way to do that. More to come.

• 6 Must-Have MCP Servers (and How to Use Them) | Docker - Nice list of tools that can help your agents.

• Ask AI from Anywhere: No GUI, No Heavy Clients, No Friction (Frank Boucher) - A cool little tools that you can call from any terminal (yes it works via ssh too!) that call AI and ask a question or does a web research for you. The post and the video explains how it works and where to find the code.

Programming

• Reinventing how .NET Builds and Ships (Again) (Matt Mitchell) - This post is not a 30-second read, but it's a detailed story that explains all the facts and how it was built. That great new version 10 in terms of the build.

• Fetching GitHub content from C# (Thomas Ardal,) - Yes, those APIs are pretty cool.

• Why you must use Minimal APIs over Controllers for new apps (David) - I really like minimal API, but don't get in a rush to convert all your existing projects; the controller approach is also very valuable.

~frank

Reading Notes #642

This week, I explored posts about improving cache management for ASP.NET Core applications and understanding error handling in Blazor. These articles, along with others on AI model selection and development productivity, offer valuable insights for developers.

Cloud

• Hello HybridCache! Streamlining Cache Management for ASP.NET Core Applications - .NET Blog - Already GA! Wow, great library that really simplifies having the best cache experience possible.

Programming

• Blazor Basics: Handling Errors and Exception Logging (Claudio Bernasconi ) - This nice post explains the fundamentals about the errors with Blazor.

AI

• Selecting the right model for coding (Mark Downie) - Nice post that answers a question, that I'm sure many of us thought without really knowing the answer.

Miscellaneous

• Announcing Dapr AI Agents (Mark Fussell, Yaron Schneider, Roberto Rodriguez) - I like those tech savvy agent that knows about one thing. I f|l I can trust them more and it usually go faster.

• Mastering GitHub Copilot: When to use AI agent mode (Andrea Griffiths) - Using copilot the "good way" can and will definitely improve your productivity. This post helps you to get started

• Xbox + .NET Aspire: Transforming Local Development Practices (Craig Taylor) - Since I started using Aspire, I want to use it everywhere. Yes, it's that good and this story is just another proof.

Sharing my Reading Notes is a habit I started a long time ago, where I share a list of all the articles, blog posts, and books that catch my interest during the week. 

If you have interesting content, share it!

~Frank

Reading Notes #641

This week's reading notes cover an array of topics, from programming insights and AI advancements to cloud solutions and practical tips for developers. Explore the updates, tools, and advice that could inspire your next project!

prompt: Web dev in a D&D monsters card style

 

Suggestion of the week

• Profiles in Visual Studio Code - I used two profiles to control an extension. But after reading this, I may create more! I have so many ideas.

Cloud

• Hello HybridCache! Streamlining Cache Management for ASP.NET Core Applications - Already GA! Wow, a great library that simplifies have the best cache experience possible.

Programming

• Introducing support for SLNX, a new, simpler solution file format in the .NET CLI - The XML format for the solution file has been around but no it's supported everywhere. "dotnet sln migrate" to convert yours.

• .NET Aspire Integration Testing Quick Start (James Gould) - This is a nice post sharing tips and tricks about .NET and unit test.

AI

• Introducing Azure AI Foundry — Everything you need for AI development (Zachary-Cavanell) - Quick intro whatinis and how to get started. There is the video and transcript.

Miscellaneous

• The Principal Developer Advocate Paradox: Scaling Impact Without Burnout (Dewan Ahmed) - Yes, that's exactly that. I think all jobs have theirs completely, but the advocate is definitely one that is hard to understand and measure.

Sharing my Reading Notes is a habit I started a long time ago, where I share a list of all the articles, blog posts, and books that catch my interest during the week. 

If you have interesting content, share it!

~Frank