Gerald Versluis

@jfversluis

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Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· 2h

A red build should show evidence, not send you log hunting. Microsoft.Testing.Platform 2.3 puts test failures and summaries directly in GitHub Actions. The reporter is still preview. https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/microsoft-testing-platform-reporting/

GitHub Actions test summary generated by Microsoft.Testing.Platform, showing one failed test with its error message and stack trace directly on the workflow page.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· 1d

Issues can be related without blocking or duplicating each other. GitHub's new "Relates to" relationship is in public preview, adding a neutral connection for cross-cutting work. https://github.blog/changelog/2026-08-07-connecting-issues-and-multi-select-field-support

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· 1d

One quick question shouldn't derail the agent that's already working. VS Code 1.132 adds `/btw`: a side chat that shares the current context and prompt cache without interrupting the active turn. Small feature. Very practical. https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_132

VS Code Agents window showing a C# test project while a primary test investigation continues and a /btw side chat identifies xUnit as the repository's test framework.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· 4d

Very millennial of me: I will happily type a small novel before talking to my computer. Then I tried VS Code 1.131's built-in dictation. Chat, editors, even the terminal. Honestly? Much faster than I expected. https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_131

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· 5d

Upgraded a .NET MAUI app to .NET 10 and content moved under Android system bars? `ContentPage` now defaults to edge-to-edge. Set `SafeAreaEdges="Container"` to restore .NET 9-style behavior. https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/maui/user-interface/safe-area

Android screenshot of a .NET MAUI app with a large purple .NET bot image extending edge-to-edge behind the status and navigation bars, with an overlay explaining edge-to-edge content.

Android screenshot of a .NET MAUI form titled "Respect All Safe Areas," with the app bar below the status bar and the Submit button above the home indicator.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· 5d

We’re live! 🔴 Matt Goldman, David Ortinau, and I are recapping MAUI UI July: the highlights, community contributions, latest updates, and what’s next for building beautiful .NET MAUI apps. Come join us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH19sR5AzuA

Promotional thumbnail for the .NET MAUI Community Standup "MAUI UI July Recap." Text lists David Ortinau, Gerald Versluis, and Matt Goldman, with circular headshots of all three on a purple gradient background.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· 6d

Our midlife crisis has a registration page now. Mark and I signed up for HYROX Utrecht: 8 km running plus sleds, wall balls and burpees. The name is silly. The cause is serious. We're raising €1,500 for KWF cancer research ❤️ https://acties.kwf.nl/fundraisers/MarkandGeraldsmidlifecrisis

Fundraiser graphic titled “Midlife crisis, but make it painful,” combining Mark and Gerald in a red convertible with their HYROX arena image and €1,500 KWF cancer-research goal.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· 6d

“Generate unit tests” leaves a lot unsaid. A new open-source test agent learns the repo, framework, and test command before writing tests. It completed 140/152 benchmark tasks vs 120/152 for stock Copilot. https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/polyglot-unit-testing-agent/

Diagram titled "A repository-aware unit-test workflow" showing five stages: research the repository, plan test scenarios, implement and register unit tests, build and run the suite, then check assertions, coverage gaps, and test discovery at a quality gate.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· 7d

Publishing to NuGet.org with an API key? Aug 17: new keys max out at 30 days. Nov 1: older keys expire. If CI still uses a key, look at Trusted Publishing now. https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/strengthening-nuget-supply-chain-security-reducing-api-key-lifetime/

Graphic summarizing NuGet.org API key changes: new keys are limited to 30 days starting August 17, 2026; older keys expire November 1, 2026; Trusted Publishing with OIDC is recommended.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· 25d

One shot with GitHub Copilot Desktop: @mauiday.net event app with data coming from Sessionize, branding taken from the website, used MAUI DevFlow so that the agent could self-verify and adjust. Is it perfect? Not yet, but also I could not have done this in the time Copilot did.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· 29d

Copilot CLI tip: restrict tools before the task starts. If I only want repo work, I do not want the agent trying web searches or unrelated commands. Use available/denied tools to shape the session up front. Fewer detours. Less approval noise. Less wasted context.

Terminal screenshot in Windows PowerShell showing the command copilot --excluded-tools='web_fetch,web_search' at a C source prompt, demonstrating how to start Copilot CLI with web fetch and web search tools excluded.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jul 13

Copilot CLI remote control feels like a small feature until you use it. Start a session with --remote, walk away, then steer it from GitHub.com or GitHub Mobile when it needs approval or direction. Very handy for long-running fixes where the terminal is not where you are.

Desktop screenshot of GitHub Copilot CLI showing the slash command /remote with options to enable or disable remote control, alongside a code diff and session details.

Mobile screenshot of a GitHub Copilot remote session in GitHub Mobile showing a conversation about merging a pull request, a branch-policy question, and a reply box to continue from the phone or web.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jul 10

The one thing I want for the GitHub Copilot desktop app now is a way to go over all my sessions that have an open PR that is not merged and tell me the latest state of each so I don't have to poll them all myself with: news?

Screenshot of a GitHub Copilot chat showing a PR status update: CI passed on the previous commit, one unresolved review thread remains, and a new CI run is pending.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jul 10

The Copilot app/CLI habit I keep coming back to: one session should be one PR-sized change. Not “make the app better”. More like: • fix this failing test • add this validation rule • update this API call and its tests Small scope. Clear diff. Easier review.

Graphic titled Copilot session sizing. It compares vague Copilot tasks like make the app better, clean up the codebase, fix performance, and modernize everything with PR-sized tasks like fix this failing test, add this validation rule, update this API call, and include matching tests. Footer says treat each session like a focused branch.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jul 9

GitHub Actions tip: stop giving GITHUB_TOKEN more access than the job needs. A build job usually needs read access. A release job may need write access. An issue/comment bot needs something else again. Set permissions per workflow or job. Start small, then add only what breaks.

Graphic titled GitHub Actions token permissions. It compares overly broad GITHUB_TOKEN permissions such as write-all with a better default of workflow contents read and write access only for the release job, summarized as start read-only and add writes deliberately.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jul 8

If your .NET solution has package versions scattered across project files, future you has cleanup waiting. Central Package Management moves versions into Directory.Packages.props. Projects reference the package. One file owns the version. Less dependency archaeology.

Graphic titled Central Package Management. It compares package versions scattered across project files before, with a Directory.Packages.props file after, summarizing that one file owns package versions and there is less dependency archaeology.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jul 7

One HttpClient per request is not the fix. It owns a connection pool. Dispose it constantly and you churn connections/ports. Use one of these: • long-lived HttpClient + PooledConnectionLifetime • short-lived clients from IHttpClientFactory

Cheat sheet graphic titled HttpClient lifetime. It says not to create and dispose HttpClient for every request, warns against connection churn, port pressure, and stale DNS surprises, and recommends either a long-lived HttpClient with PooledConnectionLifetime or IHttpClientFactory named or typed clients.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jul 6

Steal this .NET MAUI release check before you ship: 1. Cold start on a real device 2. Light/dark switch while running 3. Deep link with real parameters 4. Network off/on 5. Rotate, resume, background 6. Fresh install + upgrade install Boring? Yes. Finds bugs? Also yes.

Checklist graphic titled .NET MAUI release check with six items: cold start on a real device, light/dark switch while running, deep link with real parameters, network off/on, rotate resume background, and fresh install plus upgrade install.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jul 6

.NET MAUI tip: stop checking the app theme every time you need a color. AppThemeBinding lets XAML pick Light/Dark resources, and update when the system theme changes. Less theme plumbing. Fewer dark mode surprises. https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/maui/user-interface/system-theme-changes

Code-card graphic titled “Stop manual theme checks” comparing manual .NET MAUI theme checks in C# with an AppThemeBinding XAML style named CardStyle that picks light and dark resources automatically and updates when the system theme changes.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jul 3

Your queue has no brakes. If producers add work faster than consumers process it, an unbounded queue is delayed pain. Friday .NET tip: use a bounded Channel<t>. When it fills up, choose what happens: wait, drop, or fail. https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/core/extensions/channels</t>

Code-card graphic titled “Your queue has no brakes” showing an unbounded List-based queue labeled “no brakes” compared with a bounded Channel<T> example labeled “backpressure”, emphasizing that bounded channels make producer and consumer pressure explicit.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jul 2

That “Not recommended” label next to NuGet API Keys says a lot. NuGet is making the direction clear: stop using long-lived API keys. I finally moved to Trusted Publishing. Short-lived GitHub Actions tokens, no secret to rotate. https://blog.verslu.is/nuget/trusted-publishing-easy-setup/

Screenshot of the NuGet.org account menu showing a Trusted Publishing option and an API Keys option marked with a “Not recommended” label.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jul 1

Your background loop probably doesn't need Task.Delay. For periodic async work, PeriodicTimer makes the intent much clearer: wait for the next tick, do the work, repeat. One consumer at a time, dispose it, pass the token. https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/api/system.threading.periodictimer

Code-card graphic titled “Stop hand-rolling timer loops”. It compares a background loop using Task.Delay with a version using PeriodicTimer and WaitForNextTickAsync. The card notes that PeriodicTimer should have one consumer at a time, should be disposed to stop, and should use the cancellation token.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jun 30

7 years ago I swore I’d never write another book again. So anyway, here’s my new book: Getting Started with Visual Studio 2026 📘 Writing is hard. Finishing is harder. Holding the actual book? Pretty neat. It’s out now: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Started-Visual-Studio-2026/dp/B0GPHTZXYG/

Gerald Versluis holding a physical copy of his book Getting Started with Visual Studio 2026 by Apress, with several additional copies stacked on a table in front of him.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jun 30

Stop using a mutable Dictionary for data that never changes. If you build lookup data once and read it a lot, FrozenDictionary can be a better fit. Freezing has a cost. Use it for long-lived lookups. https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/core/whats-new/dotnet-8/runtime#performance-focused-types

Code-card graphic titled “Freeze read-only lookups”. It compares a static readonly mutable Dictionary loaded by LoadRates with a FrozenDictionary created using ToFrozenDictionary and StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase. The card notes that frozen dictionaries are best when you build once, keep the lookup around, and read many times, and not for dictionaries you keep changing.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jun 29

Your .NET MAUI app probably isn't just a phone app anymore. VisualStateManager + AdaptiveTrigger can switch layout when the window gets wider, right in XAML. No SizeChanged soup. Pretty neat. https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/maui/fundamentals/triggers#state-triggers

Code-card graphic titled “Responsive layouts in .NET MAUI”. It shows a narrow preview with vertically stacked cards and a wide window preview with horizontal cards, alongside XAML using VisualStateManager, VisualStateGroupList, and AdaptiveTrigger MinWindowWidth 800 to switch a StackLayout from vertical to horizontal orientation.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jun 26

Delete your timeout helper. If your code has Task.WhenAny + Task.Delay just to put a timeout around an await, Task.WaitAsync probably does it cleaner. Tiny API. Nice cleanup. Very satisfying. https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/api/system.threading.tasks.task.waitasync

Code-card graphic titled “Delete the timeout helper”. It compares a longer Task.WhenAny plus Task.Delay timeout helper with a shorter Task.WaitAsync example, and notes that CancellationToken should be passed to the underlying operation to stop the work too.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jun 25

And yes, the badges are real physical ones you get at the event 😄 This one is from Kraków. Cologne gets its own design too. Tiny developer conference side quest unlocked: collect them all.

Photo of a hand holding a physical MAUI Day Kraków 2026 badge in front of a blurred dragon statue outdoors.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jun 25

MAUI Day is coming to Cologne 🇩🇪 Friday, October 23, 2026. One day, in person, all about building mobile apps with .NET MAUI. No live stream or recordings, so if you can make it: go grab a ticket. Seats are limited. https://www.eventbrite.nl/e/net-maui-day-cologne-2026-tickets-1990687626278

Circular MAUI Day badge for Köln 2026, showing the Cologne Cathedral and a bridge over water inside a blue and pink badge design.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jun 24

.NET tip: stop discovering bad config after deploy. Bind your settings with the options pattern, validate them, and use ValidateOnStart. Missing URL? Invalid timeout? Fail at startup, not during the first real request. https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/core/extensions/options#options-validation

Code screenshot-style card showing PaymentOptions with Required, Url, and Range validation attributes, and Program.cs binding options with BindConfiguration, ValidateDataAnnotations, and ValidateOnStart so invalid configuration fails at startup.

Gerald Versluis@jfversluis· Jun 20

Let’s give this puppy a little upgrade!