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When writing scripts in YAML (such as for Azure DevOps pipelines), using colons : inside commands like Write-Host can sometimes trigger validation warnings in tools like Visual Studio.

This happens because YAML uses colons to define key-value pairs, and it may confuse your script as malformed YAML if colons aren't properly handled.

Here's how to avoid the issue:

✔️ Recommended Solutions

1. Use multi-line block with |
Best for longer scripts or when readability matters.

steps:
  - powershell: |
      Write-Host "Value is: 42"

2. Quote single-line scripts
Wrap the whole command in single or double quotes.

steps:
  - script: "Write-Host 'Value is: 42'"
    displayName: 'Print Value'

❌ Avoid this pattern:

steps:
  - script: Write-Host "Value is: 42"  # ❌ Unquoted colon — may cause YAML error

When working with software versions like 1.0.2 or 3.45.12-SNAPSHOT, it's common to use regular expressions (regex) to validate or extract these patterns. This Snipp shows you a simple and effective way to match such version numbers using regex.

What We Want to Match:

• 1.0.2
• 3.32.34
• 3.45.12-SNAPSHOT

These are typical semantic version numbers and may optionally include a suffix like -SNAPSHOT.

The Regex:

^\d+\.\d+\.\d+(?:-SNAPSHOT)?$

How It Works:

• ^ — Start of the string
• \d+ — One or more digits (major, minor, patch)
• \. — Dots separating version parts
• (?:-SNAPSHOT)? — Optional suffix (non-capturing group)
• $ — End of the string

Matches:

• ✔️ 1.0.2
• ✔️3.32.34
• ✔️3.45.12-SNAPSHOT

Not Matched:

• ❌ 1.0
• ❌3.2.4-RELEASE
• ❌a.b.c

This pattern is useful when validating software version inputs in forms, logs, or build scripts.

When configuring GitLab CI/CD pipelines, two common keywords—rules: and only:—determine when a job should run. While they can seem similar, they have key differences in flexibility and functionality.

rules: – The Modern Way

rules: is the recommended and more powerful approach. It lets you control job execution using:

• Branch names
• File changes
• Commit messages
• Environment variables
• Custom conditions (when: never, when: manual, etc.)

Example:

rules:
  - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH =~ /^feature|issue\/.*$/
    changes:
      - global.json
      - src/**/*
  - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "dev" && $CI_COMMIT_MESSAGE =~ /\[nopublish\]/
    when: never

Tipp: To detect changes to a file in the repo's root (like global.json), just add the filename without a path:

only: – The Legacy Filter

only: is simpler but limited. It matches jobs based on:

• Branches
• Tags
• Pipelines from merge requests

It cannot check file changes or commit messages.

Example:

only:
  - /^feature\/.*$/
  - main
  - dev

Best Practice

Use rules: for:

• Complex logic
• File or folder-based triggers
• Future-proofing pipelines

Stick with only: only for very simple setups or when updating legacy code.

Behind Nvidia’s AI dominance is a software platform most people have never heard of — CUDA. Created in 2004 by Ian Buck, CUDA began as a side project and turned into a secret weapon that powers everything from ChatGPT to cutting-edge robotics.

While rivals focus on building faster chips, CUDA gives Nvidia something harder to copy: an ecosystem. With over 900 libraries and deep adoption across industries, it’s why 90% of AI workloads run on Nvidia hardware today. Buck, once a startup founder, now leads the team defending and evolving this strategic edge — and some say he may even be in line to lead Nvidia next.

Curious how one quiet innovation shaped the future of AI?

Read the full story at Meet Ian Buck, the Architect of CUDA, Nvidia's $3.5 Trillion Moat - Business Insider

Open source software (OSS) has evolved from a niche hobby to the backbone of mission-critical systems—from cloud infrastructure to AI platforms and government services. Today, embracing OSS isn’t optional; it’s a strategic choice offering several key benefits:

• Speed & Flexibility: Without vendor lock-in or license fees, teams can rapidly prototype, customize tools to fit needs, and iterate freely.
• Security & Quality: Public scrutiny by global communities accelerates bug fixes, security patches, and code improvements .
• Innovation & Talent: Companies contributing to or releasing OSS (like TensorFlow or React) boost their brand, attract skilled developers, and tap into shared advances.
• Interoperability & Scalability: Open standards and modular licensing prevent lock-in and ease future platform changes .

However, businesses must also navigate challenges: support isn’t automatic (so consider vendor-backed services), choose active and well-governed projects, and understand licensing implications before adoption .

By forging smart open source strategies—engaging with communities, investing in support, and contributing back—companies can accelerate growth, control costs, and stay ahead in an evolving digital landscape.

Original link: https://towardsdatascience.com/why-open-source-is-no-longer-optional-and-how-to-make-it-work-for-your-business/

When writing YAML scripts for CI/CD pipelines, it's important to use the correct file path format and handle special characters properly. A common issue developers face is using Windows-style backslashes (\) in paths, which YAML and many tools like Visual Studio interpret as escape characters. Another is forgetting to quote paths that contain special characters like *.

To avoid these issues, follow these simple practices.

Use Forward Slashes Instead of Backslashes

Always use forward slashes / in your paths. This format works on all platforms and avoids YAML parsing errors.

Instead of: {project}\publish\bin

Use:

{project}/publish/bin

Quote Paths with Special Characters

If your path includes special characters such as *, wrap the string in double quotes. This tells YAML to treat the entire string as a literal value, not as a command or reference.

Correct usage:

"{project}/publish/bin/*"

General Tips for YAML Paths

• Use forward slashes for compatibility and readability
• Double-quote strings that include wildcards, colons, hashes, or spaces
• Avoid trailing slashes unless required by the tool

These small adjustments help make your YAML files more robust and portable.

Windows 11 supports the use of both Bluetooth and wired audio devices at the same time:

• Follow the steps to enable Stereo Mix and set it as the default recording device.
• Configure the Listen settings for your wired device to route audio through Stereo Mix.
• Ensure your Bluetooth device is connected and set as one of the playback devices.

This setup allows audio to be played through both Bluetooth and wired devices concurrently.

Combining base URLs with relative paths in .NET can lead to errors if not handled carefully. This guide shows a safe and reusable way to do it using two methods: one that works with Uri objects and another that accepts strings for convenience.

Why This Is Useful

• Prevents runtime errors from invalid or missing inputs
• Provides fallback behavior
• Easy to reuse in any .NET application

Implementation

Here's the core method that safely combines a Uri with a relative path:

public static string SafeCombineUrl(Uri? baseUri, string relativePath)
{
    try
    {
        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(relativePath))
        {
            return baseUri?.ToString() ?? string.Empty;
        }

        if (baseUri == null)
        {
            return relativePath;
        }

        return new Uri(baseUri, relativePath).ToString();
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        return $"[InvalidUrl={ex.Message}]";
    }
}

To make it easier to use with strings, add this helper method:

public static string SafeCombineUrl(string baseUri, string relativePath)
{
    try
    {
        Uri? baseUriObj = null;

        if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(baseUri))
        {
            baseUriObj = new Uri(baseUri, UriKind.Absolute);
        }

        return SafeCombineUrl(baseUriObj, relativePath);
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        return $"[InvalidBaseUri={ex.Message}]";
    }
}

How It Works

• If the relativePath is empty, it returns the base URL.
• If the base is missing, it returns the relative path.
• If both are valid, it combines them.
• If there's an error, it returns a helpful message.

When working with JsonElement in C#, calling methods like TryGetProperty on a default or uninitialized JsonElement can cause runtime exceptions. This usually happens when the JsonElement has not been properly assigned a value.

To avoid this issue, always check whether the JsonElement is valid before accessing its properties. A safe way to do this is by checking its ValueKind.

Here’s a safer extension method that returns a string property only if it exists and the element is valid:

public static string? GetStringProperty(this JsonElement element, string propertyName)
{
    if (element.ValueKind == JsonValueKind.Undefined)
        return null;

    return element.TryGetProperty(propertyName, out var prop) && prop.ValueKind == JsonValueKind.String
        ? prop.GetString()
        : null;
}

This ensures that your code won’t throw an InvalidOperationException when the JsonElement is default.

Use this method when reading from JSON documents where property existence isn’t guaranteed.

What’s the Problem?

When writing unit tests for a custom DelegatingHandler, you might try calling:

var response = await handler.SendAsync(request, cancellationToken);

But this will cause a compiler error. Why? Because SendAsync in DelegatingHandler is protected, meaning you can't call it directly from your test project.

The Simple Solution

Use HttpMessageInvoker, which is designed to work with any HttpMessageHandler (including DelegatingHandler). It provides a public SendAsync method, so you can easily test your handler:

var handler = new YourCustomHandler
{
    InnerHandler = new DummyHandler() // Replace with mock/stub as needed
};

var invoker = new HttpMessageInvoker(handler);
var response = await invoker.SendAsync(request, cancellationToken);

This allows you to simulate HTTP requests through your custom handler, without using HttpClient.

Why This Works

• DelegatingHandler is a subclass of HttpMessageHandler.
• HttpMessageInvoker takes any HttpMessageHandler and exposes a public way to send HTTP requests.
• This bypasses the visibility issue with protected SendAsync.

Tip for Better Testing

Use a mock InnerHandler to control the behavior of the response. This helps you test how your DelegatingHandler reacts to different scenarios.