.NET Rocks!

How do you secure browser-based frontends with ASP.NET Core backends? Carl and Richard discuss the Backend for Frontend (BFF) Security Framework with Erwin van der Valk. Erwin talks about Sam Newman's BFF Pattern and how it helps deal with the diversity of clients, including web, desktop, and mobile, to work with a common backend. OAuth 2.0 is capable of dealing with this complexity, but there are many moving parts, and that's where the security framework can help!

Steve Smith, an entrepreneur and software developer dedicated to building quality software, shares valuable insights on balancing architecture and code. He discusses how architectural strategies evolve with team size and the impact of modern tools on decision-making. The conversation also delves into the challenges of refactoring, the importance of simplicity in coding practices, and how to maintain project direction in software development. A compelling dialogue that highlights the delicate dance between effective architecture and efficient coding!

Rob Mensching, CEO and co-founder of Fire Giant and creator of WiX, shares insights on the burnout crisis facing open source maintainers. He proposes an innovative maintenance fee model through GitHub to support these developers sustainably. The conversation highlights the challenges of single maintainers overwhelmed by user demands and emphasizes the importance of fair compensation. Rob discusses how this model can help balance the community’s needs with the realities of maintaining critical software projects.

Vishwas Lele, Co-founder and CEO of pwin.ai and Microsoft Regional Director, discusses how AI can revolutionize responses to government RFPs. He shares insights from his startup journey, emphasizing the importance of tuning large language models to maximize their effectiveness. The conversation covers the need for domain-specific solutions and highlights the balance between speed and quality in proposal writing. Vishwas also addresses the challenges of using AI in document processing, stressing transparency and compliance in RFP responses.

Elias Puurunen, an innovator in digital event experiences and founder of Tractus Events, dives into integrating audio-video in .NET applications. He explains the benefits of using NDI protocols for real-time streaming and the power of P/Invoke for accessing libraries. The conversation highlights the use of NVIDIA GPUs for swift encoding and decoding, showcasing advancements in video production tools. Elias also emphasizes the evolution of video compression techniques and how modern frameworks enhance performance for live streaming.

In this discussion, Spencer Schneidenbach, a Microsoft MVP and CTO of Aviron Software, shares his expertise on integrating large language models in healthcare applications. He elaborates on using AI to improve customer interactions by summarizing conversations and analyzing sentiments. The chat touches on Microsoft's Semantic Kernel, which simplifies connecting AI to APIs. Additionally, Spencer highlights the balance between creativity and consistency in AI responses, emphasizing the necessity of effective prompting and rigorous testing for successful AI implementations.

Dr. Jodie Burchell, a developer advocate in data science at JetBrains and former lead data scientist at Verve Group Europe, discusses measuring large language models (LLMs). She dives into various benchmarks and the importance of accuracy, reliability, and customization for specific topics. The conversation highlights the challenges in building effective test suites and emphasizes that smaller, targeted models can often outperform larger counterparts. Jodie also explores the complexities of evaluating AI performance with humor and insight.

Martine Dowden, an award-winning CTO and UX/UI expert, dives into the fascinating world of JavaScript promises. She explains the power of async programming, showcasing tools like Callbacks, Promises, and Async/Await. Martine shares intriguing features such as grouping sync calls and the race condition that favors rapid completion. With her insights, developers can navigate the complexities of asynchronous code and enhance user interfaces effectively. Plus, she reveals common pitfalls and offers strategies to manage errors in networking scenarios.

In this discussion, Rob Richardson, a software craftsman and Microsoft MVP, dives into the latest features of .NET Aspire 9.1. He highlights the benefits of OpenTelemetry and the simplicity of developing cloud applications with improved database management. The conversation also tackles the evolution of .NET for cloud deployment, exploring options like Azure Container Apps and Kubernetes. Rob shares insights on retrofitting existing apps and choosing between different containers, making it clear that there’s more than one route to success.

In this conversation with Jimmy Bogard, an independent software consultant and creator of Automapper, listeners dive into the fascinating 17-year journey of this popular open-source library. Jimmy shares the origins of Automapper and its transition from an internal tool to a community staple with hundreds of millions of downloads. The discussion highlights the challenges of maintaining open-source projects, balancing monetization, and the significance of community support in software development. Plus, they touch on the evolving tech landscape and the importance of adaptive coding practices.