Using PrivateObject class for unit testing of private methods in .NET

Whether private members should be unit tested or not, I should say that the PrivateObject class serves its purpose nicely.

Useful tools: Kleopatra for file and email encryption

Kleopatra of Gpg4Win for file and email encryption.

Will add some comments later.

Useful tools: Beyond Compare for file and folder comparison

Beyond Compare of Scooter Software for file and folder comparison.

Will add some comments later.

Using SQL Server aliases vs messing with configuration files

For creating SQL Server aliases use either SQL Server Configuration Manager or cliconfg.exe utility. The utility apparently exists on virtually any Windows computer. Safe way would be creating same aliases for 32-bit (System32) and 64-bit environments (SysWow64).

With aliases properly set there is no need to modify connection strings in project's configuration file when switching between different environments, e.g. development and production.