Visual Studio .NET Pro 2003

Visual Studio .NET Pro 2003 is Microsoft's multi-faceted development tool, targeting both Windows and Web applications. This 2003 edition includes numerous small improvements as well as major new features such as the Compact Framework for applications that run on Pocket PC and other smart devices. It supports multiple languages, with the main ones being Visual Basic, C#, and C++. There is also a Java-like language called J#, although J# applications only work on Windows so this is not a true Java development tool.

The Visual Studio .Net environment is truly integrated. It makes extensive use of docking and tabbed windows and there are plenty of project wizards along with huge amounts of online help. Auto-completion and pop-up help eases the business of editing code.

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 updates. 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 Pro 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

Visual Studio .NET is a complete set of development tools for building ASP Web applications, XML Web services, desktop applications, and mobile applications. Visual Basic .NET, Visual C++ .NET, Visual C# .NET, and Visual J# .NET all use the same integrated development environment (IDE), which allows them to share tools and facilitates in the creation of mixed-language solutions. In addition, these languages leverage the functionality of the .NET Framework, which provides access to key technologies that simplify the development of ASP Web applications and XML Web services.Visual Studio .NET 2003 Professional enables you to rapidly build a broad range of applications for Microsoft Windows, the Web, and mobile devices. Developers can use Visual Studio .NET 2003 Professional to quickly build professional software, reduce IT operating costs, integrate with a wide range of applications, systems, and devices. With an extensive set of visual designers, a range of programming languages, and integrated Visual Database Tools, Visual Studio .NET 2003 enables you to build powerful software quickly. Easy, Web-style deployment of rich Windows-based applications, built-in security, and an infrastructure for reusing existing code make the latest version of the Microsoft .NET Framework a dependable platform for software development. Support for the latest XML Web service standards and visual designers for mobile application development enable you to easily extend your applications to other systems and devices.Visual Studio .NET 2003 delivers the developer productivity you need to deliver a range of professional software in record time. The integrated development environment (IDE) provides a consistent interface for all languages, including Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Microsoft Visual C++ .NET, Microsoft Visual C# .NET, and Microsoft Visual J# .NET. Using the language best suited to your skill set, you can take advantage of shared visual designers to build rich Windows-based applications and dynamic Web applications that render in any browser.Windows developers will find the enhanced Windows Forms designer to be intuitive and efficient. Windows Forms are also compatible with any .NET development language. With visual inheritance, developers can greatly simplify the creation of Windows-based applications by reusing common logic and user interface throughout their solution. Using control anchoring and docking, programmers can build resizable forms automatically, while the in-place menu editor enables developers to visually author menus directly from within the Forms Designer. With its powerful WYSIWYG designer for Web pages, IntelliSense HTML editing features, and Style Sheet Editor, Visual Studio .NET 2003 helps developers feel comfortable authoring complex Web-based solutions. Developers can also leverage Visual XML designers and IntelliSense XML tag completion for drag-and-drop creation and data manipulation. By using automatically generated client-side validation code, Web developers can reduce the amount of client-side JavaScript and ensure that their application will work in both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape browsers. Extending visual design capabilities to the server is easier than ever with Visual Studio .NET 2003. The Component Designer provides a canvas for building and instantiating business logic components using the familiar drag-and-drop paradigm. In addition, the Server Explorer delivers direct access to server-side resources, including databases, message queues, event logs, Windows Services, Crystal Reports, and performance counters.Integrating any of these resources into your application is as easy as dragging controls onto a form. The enhanced XML Designer provides panning and zoom capabilities for graphically navigating and manipulating XML data and schema files. Visual Database tools deliver powerful designers and wizards for creating and managing data-driven applications.Visual Basic .NET 2003 delivers the most productive route to professional application development. Familiar Visual Basic syntax, expressive coding constructs, a powerful background compiler, and unsurpassed support for productivity within the code editor enable you to crank out software in record time. The fully modernized Visual Basic language supports Structured Exception Handling and optional power features including object-oriented constructs and multi-threading. Visual C++ .NET 2003 delivers maximum power, performance, control, and flexibility for creating applications that directly leverage Windows. New support for the Windows Forms designer offers C++ developers unprecedented productivity in building rich Windows-based applications. With attribute-based programming and ATL Server, an extension to the ATL libraries, you can use the C++ syntax to build ISAPI Web applications. Additionally, C++ developers can target the .NET Framework using Managed Extensions to Visual C++. In Visual Studio .NET 2003, developers using Visual C++ will also find that the key metric for measuring code portability, ANSI/ISO compliance, has been increased significantly.