Over the last two posts I worked through the basics of configuration in ASP.NET and how to leverage structured data in your JSON config files. Now it’s time to take a deeper look at how to access relevant parts of your configuration throughout the rest of your project.

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Structured data in earlier versions of ASP.NET meant creating and registering custom types and configuration sections for our applications. In ASP.NET Core and in Core MVC, structured configuration is a breeze with support for JSON documents as the storage mechanism and the ability to flatten hierarchies into highly portable keys.

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ASP.NET Core MVC introduces a new configuration system that adds flexibility and simultaneously enables cross-platform support (in a way that makes sense on other platforms). In this post we’re going to cover the basics of configuration and what you can expect as you look at the project template from File -> New Project in Visual Studio 2015.

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The day the announcement was made for Band 2, I was watching the keynote and keeping my finger on F5, repeatedly refreshing my browser and eagerly waiting for the Band 2 “Coming Soon” page turn over to an “Order Now” page. The week before launch, I added my credit card as a saved card on the Microsoft store. As soon as the page flipped over, I pulled the trigger and reserved my new edition.

I’ve worn it every day since November 2, 2015 and here’s what I’ve learned about the Microsoft Band 2 battery life, including tips on how to keep yours running all week long.

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You are always setting expectations. When you answer an email at 10pm, you are setting an expectation. When let a call go to voicemail at 6pm, you are setting an expectation.

These are difficult things to accept, especially if you’re in competition for advancement or your employer is challenging your boundaries on a regular basis, but just remember that resetting expectations is much more difficult that setting them in the first place. Remembering that every action you take (or don’t) defines how people will expect you to act in the future.

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I was recently in Seattle for the MVP Summit, one of the best ways to connect to product teams and really smart people from around the world. Every year I get to meet more of the team that builds the tools I use daily, reconnect with peers and catch up with friends. And I eat at Magiano’s.

But this year, the MVP Summit was trumped in awesomeness as quickly at it came to a close as the very next morning the code-a-thon for the Humanitarian Toolbox kicked into high gear.

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