LassoSoft, LLC

Newsletter

• 2009nov30

  LassoSoft Newsletter - November, 2009

   

  We're back from the 2009 Lasso Developer Conference, and it was a fantastic event!  Attendees had a great time learning about Lasso, networking with fellow members of the Lasso Community, and making new acquaintances while catching up with long-time friends.  The LassoSoft Team appreciates everyone who participated in this year's event, and we look forward to seeing you all again in 2010.
  
  This newsletter is full of the latest news and information about Lasso and it's developers.  We have a few exciting announcements to share with you, and the Lasso Community has been busy, as well.  For all the juicy details, please read below.
  
  Happy Coding,
  
  The LassoSoft Team

   

  ---

  Lasso 9 Release Date

  LassoSoft is very excited to announce that Lasso 9, the fastest, most powerful version of Lasso ever created, will be released in early January, 2010. This version of Lasso is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication by LassoSoft, and unwavering loyalty and support from the Lasso Community.
  
  For more information and details, please visit the Lasso 9 section of LassoSoft.com

   

  2009 Lasso Developer Conference Content

  We've created a LassoSoft channel on YouTube, and it's now been populated with content from this year's Lasso Developer Conference in  Amsterdam:

  http://www.youtube.com/user/LassoSoft
  
  The content is organized by each day that it was presented, and the videos are in the order that the presenters were scheduled.  For easier management (and to abide by YouTube's policies), the presentations have been divided into segments.  For quick reference, each segment is numbered and labeled in sequential order.
  
  At this time, Sessions and Advanced Tracks are available.  As time allows, we will work to offer additional content, such as Beginner Tracks, Round Tables, etc.
  
  Presenters who have uploaded their content to Slideshare http://www.slideshare.net/event/2009-lasso-developer-conference/slideshows have the applicable links to that content listed on their video pages of the LassoSoft YouTube channel.  Not all presenters have uploaded their content yet, and are encouraged to do so (please notify us if you do).
  
  If any Conference Attendees have video content from the LDC that they would like to see included on the LassoSoft channel, please send an email to info@lassosoft.com with details.
  
  We plan to organize both a LassoTech article and LassoSoft.com page with this information, in the near future.  Stay tuned!
  
  We hope you enjoy the videos from this year's event, and look forward to seeing you all again next year.

   

  2009/2010 Lasso Developer Conference survey

  LassoSoft would like to hear from you!
  
  We're asking for feedback on the 2009 Lasso Developer Conference (LDC09), held in Amsterdam this past October.  We're also asking for feedback for the upcoming 2010 Lasso Developer Conference (LDC10).
  
  Our goal is to continue providing the best conference possible for our Lasso Community. This is the chance to make your voice heard and let us know what you're thinking.  We appreciate your time and assistance with our efforts to bring you a rockin' event in 2010!

  Lasso Professional Alliance Survey

  LassoSoft will soon be making a big push to improve the Lasso Professional Alliance and bring as much value as possible to it's Members.  In doing so, we could use your help and feedback!  We would appreciate it if you could take a moment to participate in an online survey.
  
  This feedback will assist us with deciding which areas to focus on, and the general direction of the LPA in the future.
  
  We'd like to point out that this is a Lasso based survey from Laguna Survey. We'd like to thank our partner Lars Gundersen at Sonora IT for working with us to bring this to the Lasso Community.

   

  Core Five Releases Open Source FileManager for CKEditor

  Core Five Creative recently announced the availability of FileManager, an open source, web-based file browsing utility designed to integrate with inline HTML editors such as CKEditor and its predecessor, FCKEditor.
  
  Many users of FCKEditor have been stuck without an upgrade path to the vastly improved CKEditor 3.0, since the new version ships without a built-in file browser. The software's creators, CKSource, offer a commercial add-on, CKFinder, but it only includes connectors for a handful of server-side languages. FileManager rectifies this by providing a simple javascript API for which connectors can be written in your server-side language of choice. For the initial release, an example connector is provided for Lasso, with plans to include additional connectors in future releases. Contributions are encouraged.
  
  Complete details about the release, as well as installation instructions and an API reference, are available from the Core Five Labs blog.

   

  Open Source Week Calendar for Lasso using Knop and Jquery

  The jquery-week-calendar plugin provides a simple and flexible way of including a weekly calendar in your application.  It is built on top of jquery and jquery ui and is inspired by other online weekly calendars such as google calendar.  It's based on a Jquery plugin, WeekCalendar, using Lasso on Knop on the server side.
  
  This open source application was originally introduced at the 2009 Lasso Developer Conference by Jolle Carlestam, and it's a valuable and time-saving tool that has been provided by him to the Lasso Community.
  
  The code is available on the Google code Knop site.
  
  The Week Calendar list is here: http://groups.google.com/group/jquery-week-calendar
  
  The Knop mailing-list can be subscribed to here: http://montania.se/projects/knop/

   

  Lfor - Open-Source Forums Application

  Iterate LLC recently announced the immediate availability of Lfor, an open-source forums application for the Lasso language from Lassosoft.  Lfor was demonstrated in a roundtable at the 2009 Lasso Developer Conference, in Amsterdam.
  
  Lfor is a forums application which allows users to sign up, follow a forum, create topics, and add messages.  Each message may have a photo attached.  Users must sign up to use the forums, and may have up to five postnames.  To be able to post, users must be approved by the administrator.  A standard feature is a search function, allowing searches on topics, posts, or members.  All postnames are publicly searchable.
  
  There are provided pages for FAQ, copyright, suggestions, and terms of use pages.  In case a password is forgotten, there is a retrieve password feature.  For consumer-based sites, there is an information request feature that can be requested per topic.  Members may subcribe to e-mail notification of new posts to a particular topic.  For advertising purposes, there is the ability to include ad panels (banners).  Code for an optional captcha is provided to help in spam reduction.
  
  The Lfor codebase is provided as an open-source project managed through GoogleCode.  The project location is http://code.google.com/p/lfor/.
  
  The project maintainer is Eric Landmann of Iterate LLC.  Contact Iterate at support@iterate.ws.

   

  itPage - Open-Source CMS for Lasso

  Iterate LLC recently announced the immediate availability of version 3 of itPage, an open-source content management system (CMS) for the Lasso language from Lassosoft.  itPage was the subject of a roundtable talk at the 2009 Lasso Developer Conference, in Amsterdam.  itPage has a feature set suitable for general-purpose commercial websites.  Some of the front-end features include galleries, testimonials, multiple template, clean URLs, flexible site heirarchy, rotating stories, and portfolios.
  
  Sites powered by itPage have a built-in search feature that searches the site content without any extra effort or coding needed by the developer.  There is robust image support for many image and filetypes to be used on the webiste, including native .swf and automatic conversion of video to Flash video.
  
  Features developers will appreciate include a user-management system, clean URLs, jQuery integration including Thickbox, ToolTips and Galleria.  All source code is commented, and documentation can be found on the wiki http://code.google.com/p/itpage/w/list. Users and developers may benefit from subscribing to the talk list, managed via Google Groups at http://groups.google.com/group/itPageTalk. The wiki also documents all custom tags and provides example usages.  Several sets of templates are provided with the codebase.  Users will also find screencasts available for common administrative tasks like creating a gallery or portfolio on the wiki site.
  
  The back-end features include management of all data types, individual content page overrides for SEO terms, stylesheets and templates, a comprehensive image library that allows management of all images and media in the site, a file library, and system settings/site control.
  
  The itPage codebase is provided as an open-source project managed through GoogleCode.  The project location is http://code.google.com/p/itpage/. The project maintainer is Eric Landmann of Iterate LLC.  Contact Iterate at support@iterate.ws.
  
  More comprehensive information about itPage, its features and implementation can be found on the itPage site.

   

  Object-Oriented Programming and Lasso 9 Primer

  A new article has recently been added to LassoTech.  The introduction to Lasso 9 brings in some new functionality, as well as an increased exposure to object-oriented programming (OOP).
  
  Lasso in an object-oriented language, however before version 9, it was generally received as a language that could perform either procedurally, or had the tools to get into OOP. This article is meant to clarify how OOP works, how Lasso developers have been using OOP techniques without knowing them, and clarify some of the terminology.

  LassoSoft, LLC
• 2009jul24

  LassoSoft Newsletter - July, 2009

   

  With a little more than two months to go until the first official European Lasso Developer Conference, we're busy getting everything wrapped up and ready to go. We have some really cool new offerings this year, such as multiple learning tracks, frameworks comparisons, and presentations on topics not previously covered.
  
  This is an experience that's not to be missed. We look forward to seeing you in Amsterdam!
  
  Happy Coding,
  
  The LassoSoft Team

   

  ---

  LassoSoft Expands European Presence

  In June 2009, Kerry Adams, Director of Sales and co-owner LassoSoft permanently relocated to Prague, Czech Republic. "Lasso has a large and loyal user base in and around Europe. As we grow the Lasso Community and introduce new aspects of the Lasso language and increase our product line, we feel that it makes sense to have a physical presence in this region." explains Kerry.
  
  One of several ways that LassoSoft intends to expand it's presence in the EU region is by attending local events and conferences to promote Lasso and support the European Lasso Community. Keep your eyes on the LassoSoft site for more news about our various involvements in and around the EU in the future, beginning with the upcoming Lasso Developer Conference this October in Amsterdam!

  Lasso Developer Conference 2009 Sponsors

  We would like to thank our 2009 Lasso Developer Conference Sponsors for their assistance and support. They make a big difference, and we appreciate them all:

   

  Diamond Sponsor:

  

   

  Platinum Sponsor:

  

   

  Additional Sponsors:

  

   

  

   

  Please take a moment to visit them online and consider their services.

   

  Conference Registration to Conclude

  On August 31st we will conclude accepting new registrations for this year's Lasso Developer Conference. If you haven't yet registered, now is the time to do so. Don't wait until the last minute and miss out on this great opportunity for you to grow your skills as a Lasso Developer and learn from experts in the industry.
  
  Personalize the conference by selecting the talks that you want to attend, obtain new skills with technical sessions, stay current with best practices, learn about new related technologies and interact and network with a wide range of users.

   

  Speakers and Presenters

  We have some fantastic presenters lined-up for Attendees this year, and they'll be covering relevant topics that cover various aspects of Lasso and it's related technologies.
  
  We'll also be offering new topics that relate to the business side of working with technologies, project strategies and clients. Creating solutions in only a piece of the puzzle. Learn how things like sales, project management and customer relations can help improve your bottom line.

   

  Conference Surprises

  LassoSoft will be unveiling some surprises at the Conference that are sure to impress. Exciting new things for Lasso and the Lasso Community. Be there to experience it first hand!

  LassoSoft, LLC
• 2009jun10

  LassoSoft Newsletter - June, 2009

   

  We're very excited about the upcoming Lasso Developer Conference (LDC), and we're looking forward to seeing you there. This will be our first overseas conference, taking place in Amsterdam from October 1st to 4th, 2009.
  
  The early registration period for the conference is ending at the end of June. Please register today to attend the conference.
  
  Please take a moment to visit the LDC web site and learn all about the new opportunities that await you this year in Amsterdam.
  
  Happy Coding,
  
  The LassoSoft Team

   

  ---

  LDC 2009 Early Registration Period Ending

  The Lasso Developer Conference 2009 (LDC 2009) will be held October 1st to 4th in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Lasso Developer conference is the premier event for all Lasso developers of any skill level.
  
  Early registration for Lasso Developer Conference 2009 is only $399.00, and Guest passes are $149. We expect to reach our event capacity this year, therefore, early registration is strongly encouraged. After the early registration deadline passes (June 30th), the regular price for registration will be $499.00 (all prices in US dollar). Additional discounts are available to Lasso Professional Alliance members.
  
  The conference will be held at the Spaces business center in Amsterdam, located in the heart of downtown Amsterdam and is convenient to many area hotels, transportation, museums, shopping, entertainment, and tourist activities.
  
  The conference is a chance to hear from LassoSoft about the latest developments of the Lasso product line and also from your fellow developers about the tips and techniques which help them get the most out of Lasso. LassoSoft is still accepting applications for session and track presenters, as well as round table and panel hosts. To apply, please visit the Lasso Developer Conference web site. New speakers and topics will be announced as they are added to the event.

   

  BBEdit 9.2 Supports Lasso

  BBEdit 9.2, the latest version of Bare Bones Software's powerful text editor, now offers built-in support for LassoScript, including syntax coloring, function navigation and text folding. This makes it easier than ever to edit Lasso source files within the the leading professional-strength HTML and text editor for the Macintosh.
  
  "LassoSoft focuses on helping Web developers create custom, data-driven Web sites without requiring a degree in computer science to do the job," explained Fletcher Sandbeck, co-founder of LassoSoft. "Bare Bones Software's BBEdit is a wonderful fit for our developer community, and we are thrilled with the LassoScript editing support introduced in version 9.2. Now our customers can apply BBEdit's legendary performance and feature set to their work."
  
  More details about BBEdit 9.2 including additional features in this new version can be found in the press release: http://www.barebones.com/company/bbedit92_pr.html.
  
  For those who are interested in trying BBEdit 9, a fully functional 30-day demo demo can be downloaded from: http://www.barebones.com/products/bbedit/demo.html.

   

  Lasso Professional 8.5.6 Now Available

  LassoSoft is pleased to announce the release of Lasso Professional 8.5.6. Lasso Professional 8.5.6 is a free update to Lasso Professional 8.5 which is recommended for all users. This update includes an important security update, minor fixes, and documentation updates. Consult the Lasso 8.5 Setup Guide and Lasso 8.5 Language Guide for information about the new features in this version.

  LassoSoft, LLC
• 2009apr13

  LassoSoft Newsletter - April, 2009

   

  We've recently announced the upcoming Lasso Developer Conference (LDC) for 2009, and we're looking forward to seeing you there. This marks the first year that the official Lasso Developer Conference has commenced in Europe, and we're very excited for this inaugural event.
  
  This year's LDC also marks a shift to a new format, in which multiple tracks will be offered, as well as some really cool new events such as Lightning Talk and Panel Discussions. This conference is all about learning and growing your Lasso skills in a hands-on environment, and taking the information home to put it to immediate use.
  
  If you haven't visited the LDC pages recently, nearly every one of them has been updated with new information. Please take a moment to visit and learn about the new opportunities that await you this year in Amsterdam.
  
  Happy Coding,
  
  The LassoSoft Team

   

  ---

  Lasso Developer Conference 2009

  LassoSoft, LLC, developers of Lasso Professional and Lasso Studio, today announced that the Lasso Developer Conference 2009 (LDC 2009) will be held October 1st to 4th in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Lasso Developer conference is the premier event for all Lasso developers of any skill level.
  
  "We are quite pleased to be holding our first ever Lasso Developer Conference in Amsterdam!" exclaimed Kyle Jessup, Director of Development for Lasso. "This year's LDC location should cater to a wider variety of Lasso developers from all over the world. Each conference brings together great minds and users of all skill levels and we expect Lasso Developer Conference '09 to be the best yet."
  
  The Lasso Developer Conference 2009 will be held at the Spaces business center in Amsterdam. The Spaces business center is located in the heart of downtown Amsterdam and is convenient to many area hotels, transportation, museums, shopping, entertainment, and tourist activities.

   

  Early Registration Discounts

  Early registration for Lasso Developer Conference 2009 is only $399.00, and Guest passes are $149. We expect to reach our event capacity this year, therefore, early registration is strongly encouraged. After the early registration deadline passes (June 30th), the regular price for registration will be $499.00 (all prices in US dollar). Additional discounts are available to Lasso Professional Alliance members.

   

  Call for Speakers and Participants

  LassoSoft is currently soliciting applications for session and track presenters, as well as round table and panel hosts. To apply, please visit the Lasso Developer Conference web site. New speakers and topics will be announced as they are added to the event. Visit the Lasso Developer Conference web site.

   

  Community Resources

  This month we would like to highlight some of the excellent resources put together by members of the Lasso community:

  Twitter - Jason Huck has put together a Twitter API in Lasso. If you want your site visitors to be able to interact with the popular social networking service then you can use this API to follow timelines, display messages, and send messages.
  http://tagswap.net/twitter

  File Permissions - Steve Piercy has put together a guide to configuring File Permissions with Lasso on Mac OS X. Since the permissions of Lasso and the operating system need to be set in concert, working through the steps in this guide can make it easier to work with the file tags and file uploads.
  http://www.stevepiercy.com/lasso_stuff/file_perms.lasso

  LassoSoft has a list of community resources on its web site. Visit the Lasso Community section to find information about our mailing lists, Lasso Professional Alliance, Add-Ons (frameworks and downloadable tools), and to find Developers or Hosting Providers.
  http://www.lassosoft.com/Community/

  LassoSoft, LLC
• 2008nov25

  LassoSoft Newsletter - November, 2008

   

  November's newsletter has a lot of information that we hope you'll find useful!
  
  Happy Coding,
  
  The LassoSoft Team

   

  ---

  
  Lasso Upgrade Discount Plan

  LassoSoft understands the concerns that can surround pending new versions of a software product, and the decisions that companies and developers must face when trying to decide whether or not to wait for the next version or proceed with upgrading to the current commercial version. To help ease these concerns, LassoSoft would like to introduce the Lasso Upgrade Discount Plan to our valued customers.
  
  Here's how the Lasso Upgrade Discount Plan works:

  • Upgrade to or purchase a full license of Lasso Professional 8.5 between now (Nov. 25, 2008) and the release of LP9, and receive a 10% discount on an upgrade to LP9.
  • Upgrade to or purchase a full license of Lasso Professional 8.5 within 60 days of the release of LP9, and receive a 25% discount on an upgrade to LP9.
  • Upgrade to or purchase a full license of Lasso Professional 8.5 within 30 days of the release of LP9, and receive a 50% discount on an upgrade to LP9.
  • Upgrade to or purchase a full license of Lasso Professional 8.5 within 15 days of the release of LP9, and receive a free upgrade to LP9.

   

  The intention of this plan is to help those who need to purchase a Lasso license now or before the release of LP9 feel comfortable with their purchase, knowing that they won't be required to turn around and pay full price again to upgrade to LP9.
  
  A few notes regarding the Lasso Upgrade Discount Plan:

  • These discounts are not stackable. For example, if someone purchases or upgrades within 30 days they do not receive the 10%, the 25% AND the 50% discount, they receive the 50% discount.
  • These discounts may be applicable with additional discounts, although we do reserve the right to limit or refuse the discount amount on an order if abused or misused.

   

  Other terms and conditions may apply to certain orders, but generally speaking, this is how the program will work for everybody. If you have any questions about your particular upgrade path, please feel free to contact us.

   

  Free Lasso 8.5

  In order to accelerate the migration efforts of those Lasso users who are moving from a version older than Lasso Professional 8.5 to Lasso Professional 9, we would like to remind them that they can download and use LP8.5 Developer for free.
  
  Lasso Developer is intended for development purposes only, and thus has some connection limitations. However, it is perfect to begin your testing and development of an old Lasso site or application that you plan to bring forward to Lasso Professional 9 when it is released.
  
  If you need a fully functional version of Lasso Professional 8.5 now, you may purchase it online and receive a discount on your upgrade to LP9 when it is released (please see previous topic, Lasso Upgrade Discount Plan).

   

  LassoSoft Server Migration to Anu Internet Services

  While at this year's Lasso Developer Conference in Chicago, LassoSoft had the fortune of meeting with representatives of many different organizations and seeing first hand the type of services that they are able to offer their customers.
  
  As LassoSoft grows, we try to anticipate our future needs as well as the future needs of our users and customers. To that end, we are very pleased to announce the migration of our servers to their new home at Anu Internet Services http://www.anu.net/newsletter.
  
  "We're extremely pleased that LassoSoft have chosen Anu to host their sites" said Chris Wik, Director of Anu Internet Services. "We have been hosting Lasso driven sites for many years. This agreement strengthens our position as a key player in the Lasso hosting market and showcases our commitment to the Lasso product line."
  
  Anu has also been hosting the European download mirror for all Lasso products for several years. Once we learned that they were expanding their infrastructure to include a third data center in Chicago, and after much consideration and research, we felt that this move would be a good fit and offer the best solution for LassoSoft's needs.
  
  For those interested, we are upgrading from an old pair of xServes that we owned to a pair of virtual CentOS machines that are much faster and more scalable. Since the move, there have been noticeable speed improvements on the LassoSoft.com site.

   

  Lasso Developer Conference Videos

  LassoSoft is pleased to announce that all of the LDC 2008 videos are now available on the LassoTech website. If you click on the link below the video you can visit Google to download an iPod version of the video. Also, all of the videos are linked at Google so you can click between them if you look at the "More From User" option.
  
  Thursday: http://www.lassotech.com/LDC2008_Video_Thursday
  
  Friday: http://www.lassotech.com/LDC2008_Video_Friday
  
  Saturday: hhttp://www.lassotech.com/LDC2008_Video_Saturday
  
  We hope that you enjoy these videos, and perhaps they will encourage you to join us for the next Lasso Developer Conference (it's a lot more fun in person!). LassoSoft would like to offer it's sincere gratitude to Brian Loomis of Virtual Relations for making these videos possible http://www.virtualrelations.us .

   

  LassoSoft Holiday Hours

  LassoSoft will be closed on the following upcoming days in observance of local holidays, in order to give our staff the opportunity to spend time with family and friends.

  • Thursday, November 27th and Friday, November 28th
  • Monday, December 22nd through Friday, December 26th
  • Thursday, January 1st 2009

   

  Tips of the Week

  The latest tip of the week discusses an update to the RSS data source and examples of how the RSS data source can be used on your Web site.
  
  RSS Data Source Examples and Update
  
  http://www.lassotech.com/TotW_20080104
  
  Other recent tips of the week include:
  
  Lasso Developer Conference and Summit Materials: downloads of the materials from Lasso Developer Conference 2008 and the complete Lasso Summit materials from 2001 to 2007.
  
  http://www.lassotech.com/TotW_20080229
  
  Speeding up Email Sending with Asynchronous Tags: include a set of tags that can speed of email sending within Lasso by using asynchronous tags.
  
  http://www.lassotech.com/TotW_20080815
  
  Comments, corrections, or ideas for future tips of the week are appreciated and can be sent to documentation@lassosoft.com

  LassoSoft, LLC

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