One of the most useful tools for .NET development is Lutz Roeder's .NET Reflector, now in version 5.  It uses reflection to peek inside .NET assemblies and disassembles the IL back into C# or VB code for those times that you need an in-depth look into any .NET library.  Ever wonder what the code for System.String looked like? This release adds some really nice features:

• Formatted code comments- doubles as a documentation browser for XML code-commented members
• 'Expand members' in disassembler lets you see code for an entire class at once- previously you had to look at each method separately.
• New analyzer features shows where classes are instantiated and exposed.
• Search Google or MSDN for a member

In addition to helping you debug code, this is also a great learning tool.  What better way to understand framework development than to peek inside The Framework itself?

 

 

Ever wondered what a secure ASP.NET 2.0 application should look like?  The ASP.NET Internet Security Reference Implementation rolls all of the Patterns and Practices Security Guidance into real-world sample application, complete with full documentation about all of the security features, why and how they were implemented, and the drawbacks to doing so.

If you are doing ASP.NET 1.1 or 2.0 web design, you should download this, read through it, and check out the code.  While the code is 2.0, all of the security concepts- and some of the solutions- map to 1.1 apps as well.

One note: it installs into C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Internet Security Reference Implementation by default.  It took me forever to find it!

Rumor is going around the blogosphere that the .NET Documentation application is no longer going to be developed.  There's still a chance that someone could pick it up, but Microsoft is planning to release the application they use internally to do MSDN documentation.  Watch the Developer Documentation Forum for more news on 'Sandcastle'.