Software

• Ideal for the part-time or occasional developer to develop and deploy client-server based Windows, Web, SmartPhone, and Pocket PC applications
• "Drag and drop" user interface designers for virtually every type of application; Master Pages support for maintaining a consistent look and feel across Web applications
• Edit and Continue for simple, intuitive debugging; integrated ClickOnce support

• Complete development environment with comprehensive application development features, including improved visual designers, code editors, and programming languages for optimum productivity.
• Build tools that extend the Visual Studio Integrated Development enviroment using the Visual Studio Software Developers Kit.

Microsoft’s .NET tools are very different from their predecessors. Visual C++ can still compile standard Windows executables, but the other languages all target the .NET Framework, a runtime engine and class library that manages memory and enforces security. Framework applications perform well, since they are compiled to native code at runtime, but there is an overhead in terms of memory usage and the Framework runtime must be installed. In compensation, .NET brings many advantages. All the languages are fully object-oriented, the class library is rich, and XML support is deeply integrated. ASP.NET is for web applications, and represents a large advance on the old ASP. Instead of script, ASP.NET supports any of the .NET languages, running on the server and just-in-time compiled to native code. There is a visual web page designer, and carefully designed applications support a wide range of browsers. A new feature in this version of Visual Studio is Mobile Web Forms, which use adaptive rendering to support the browsers in mobile phones and PDAs.

The database technology in Visual Studio is called ADO.NET. It uses a disconnected model, which means that applications work with data locally, only contacting the server for data transfer or update. It’s a good model for laptops, smart devices, and wide area networks, but there’s a lot to learn for those skilled in older database APIs.

The Visual Studio .NET Professional 2003 edition represents the best value in the range. There’s no Visual SourceSafe or Visio diagramming, and it lacks the server licences found in the high-end Enterprise editions, but it’s otherwise a fully comprehensive package.

For those wondering whether to make the jump to .NET, this release is probably the right moment to go ahead. The technology is maturing, and the inclusion of the Compact Framework makes the package more compelling. Students and newcomers to programming will welcome the clean object-orientation in C#, and the deep XML support on offer is essential for enterprise applications or integrating with other platforms. It’s still important to note the heavy system requirements, and that .NET applications do not run on Windows 95. In most cases, the higher productivity of .NET languages soon pays for any additional resources. --Tim Anderson, Amazon.co.uk

Other languages, such as COBOL and FORTRAN, can plug into Visual Studio, and Microsoft provides a version of the Java language called J#. These two languages, along with J#, have full support for the visual design tools in Visual Studio .NET. Also included is JScript .NET, Microsoft's version of JavaScript, although this comes without a form designer. Visual C++ is more similar to earlier versions, and is the only compiler included that can build old-style Windows executables. With a compiler switch, it can also target .NET, making it particularly flexible.

The Enterprise Developer edition has source-code management with Visual SourceSafe, performance testing, and analysis tools. It also includes developer versions of many of Microsoft's server products, including SQL Server, Commerce Server, Exchange Server, and the Windows 2000 Advanced Server operating system. These are licensed for development only, but even so, it is a rich range of products. Finally, there is the ability to use enterprise templates. New in Visual Studio .NET, these are sophisticated skeleton projects that assist organizations in maintaining consistent best practices. The twist is that, while Enterprise Developer can use these templates, it cannot create them. For that you need the high-end Enterprise Architect.

Overall, Visual Studio .NET is a radical break from the past for Microsoft. C# is an entirely new language, aimed at C and C++ programmers looking for something safer and more productive. Visual Basic .NET is a new twist on the old Microsoft favorite, losing compatibility with earlier versions but gaining full object orientation as well as access to all the .NET libraries.

There are a few points against Visual Studio .NET. One is that, like earlier versions, it only creates applications that run on Windows. Web applications are a partial exception, in that they support cross-platform clients, but deployment requires a Windows Web server. Another factor is, with its multiple compilers and mountains of documentation, Visual Studio .NET eats up gigabytes of disk space, and the IDE tends to be slow with less than around 384 MB RAM. Serious developers will take this in stride, but casual users could have difficulty. Fortunately, the applications created have more modest system requirements, although Windows 95 is not supported. Finally, developers coming from earlier editions face a lot of learning, with radical changes in both Visual Basic and ASP.

Despite these minor issues and a steep learning curve, Visual Studio .NET is an extremely versatile, sophisticated, and capable development tool. --Tim Anderson, Amazon.co.uk

Developers can include both managed and unmanaged code in the same project: the compiler does the necessary internal translation automatically. This feature is particularly valuable for those with existing applications that cannot be ported all at once to the .NET platform.

The Visual C++ .NET product consists of an IDE, class libraries, compiler, and tools. The compiler in the Standard edition is nonoptimizing, so professional developers may prefer Visual Studio .NET Professional or higher. The key libraries are the MFC (Microsoft Foundation Classes), which wrap the Windows API, and the ATL (Active Template Library), for efficient development of COM or ActiveX components. In addition, the bundled .NET Framework SDK has command-line compilers for Visual Basic, JScript, and Visual C#, and you can also compile C# from the IDE. Despite its managed extensions, Visual C++ .NET does not support the Windows Forms designer or the Web Forms designer, although there is a visual dialog editor for native Windows applications.

The two big changes in Visual C++ .NET, when compared to Visual C++ 6.0, are support for the .NET Framework and a brand-new IDE. There are minor updates to MFC and ATL, and the ability to do COM programming using attributes is a strong feature. The Standard C++ Library is updated in this version, with improved standards compliance for those building portable applications, although Visual C++ .NET is still not the best in this respect. On the other hand, it excels as a tool for building Windows applications and components, where its huge flexibility compensates for the lack of a visual form designer.

The Visual C++ IDE is outstanding, although you need to double the minimum system requirements for good performance, and note that it does not run on Windows 98 or Me. Online help is now fully integrated into the main workspace, wizards have been streamlined, and the XML designer will be useful even to those not working with the .NET Framework. --Tim Anderson, Amazon.co.uk

The strength of the Visual C++ Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is its overall usability and polished user interface. From top to bottom it provides a robust set of code management tools, plus built-in debugging abilities. To get started, the AppWizard tool lets you generate skeleton code for a wide variety of project types, including building applications that take advantage of the Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), a powerful C++ class library. In just a few minutes, we generated the "skeleton code" for a full-featured Windows application.

Other wizards help simplify development throughout the project development cycle. The ClassView tool makes it easy to browse source your C++ code. (Instead of worrying about the files that your code resides in, you can treat your C++ code in a truly object-oriented manner.) A big win for any Visual C++ user is Microsoft's excellent instant pop-up help system (called IntelliSense). As you write code, the IDE gives you a list of all available C++ methods and properties so you can minimize typing.

Another wizard that simplifies many aspects of development is the ClassWizard, used for deriving new classes from old ones automatically, as well as attaching MFC code to Windows messages (like clicking a mouse or pressing a key). Other integrated tools include the ResourceView tool for designing visual resources like dialog boxes and bitmaps.

Once you have written your program, you will need to debug it. Visual C++'s powerful debugger makes it easy to test your code. Besides setting breakpoints, you can view variables easily using watch variables. Standout features here include being able to highlight variables and inspect their contents within the code source window. You can also drag and drop variables to the watch window, a timesaving feature.

With its rich array of features, Visual C++ continues to be the compiler of choice for Windows development pros. The Standard Edition provides an affordable, entry-level version of this topnotch C++ tool. --Rich Dragan

• Desktop-based solution for developers working alone or in small teams
• Easily return to a previous version of a file; Unicode and XML support
• Provides users with remote Web access over HTTP

Product Description
Microsoft Visual SourceSafe 2005 - complete package
Category: Development tools
Subcategory: Development tools - utilities / components & libraries
License Type: Complete package
License Qty: 1 user
License Pricing: Standard
Language(s): English
Platform: Windows
Distribution Media: CD-ROM
Package Type: Retail
OS Required: Microsoft