What is "missing" in the Visual Studio 2008 Express Editions?
In particular,
what functionality is not available?
what restrictions are there on its use?
The major areas where Visual Studio Express lacks features compared to Visual Studio Professional:
No add-ins/macros
Some Win32 tools missing
No Team Explorer support
Limited refactoring support
Debugging is much more limited (particularly problematic for server development is no remote debugging)
Lack of support for setup projects
No report creation tools
No Office development support
No mobile platform support
Limited set of designers
Limited set of database tools
No code profiling or test framework support
No MFC/ATL support
No support for compiling C++ to 64-bit images (workaround is to install Windows SDK which is free)
NOTE: it is often said that the Express EULA does not permit commercial development - that is not true (Visual Studio Express FAQ Item 7)
There's a handy set of comparison charts on microsoft.com.
It depends on the particular express edition, of course (since there are several and they have different features). The limitations you're most likely to run into are source control integration (and TFS client license), debugging limitations, limited refactorings, no unit testing support, and limited designer support.
For completeness sake, here's a list of features that are in Visual Studio 2008 Standard Edition but are in none of the express editions:
Add-Ins
Macros and Macros IDE
Visual Studio Add-in project template
VSPackages
Wizards
ATL/MFC Trace Tool
Create GUID
Dotfuscator Community Edition
Error Lookup
Source Control Integration
Spy++
Team Explorer Integration
Team Foundation Server Client Access License
Visual Studio 2008 Image Library
Add-Ins/Macro Security options
Visual Studio Settings
Class Designer
Encapsulate Field Refactoring
Extract Interface Refactoring
Promote Local Variable to Parameter Refactoring
Remove Parameters Refactoring
Reorder Parameters Refactoring
Debugging Dumps
JIT Debugging
Mini-dumps
Multithreaded/Multiprocess Debugging
NTSD Command Support
Step-Into Web Services Debugging
CAB Project Project Template
Merge Module Project Template
Publish Web Site Utility
Setup Project Template
Setup Wizard Project Template
Smart Device CAB Project Template
Web Setup Project Template
Windows Installer Deployment
64-bit Visual C++ Tools
Create XSD Schema from an XML Document
Reports Application Project Template
Visual Studio Report Designer
Visual Studio Report Wizard
Shared Add-in Project Template
ASP.NET AJAX Server Control Extender Project Template
ASP.NET AJAX Server Control Project Template
ASP.NET Reports Web Site project template
ASP.NET Server Control Project Template
ASP.NET Web Application Project Template
Generate Local Resources
WCF Service Host
WCF Service Library Project Template
WF Activity Designer
Custom Wizard Project Template
WF Empty Workflow Project Template
MFC ActiveX Control Project Template
MFC Application Project Template
MFC DLL Project Template
WF Sequential Workflow Console Application Project Template
WF Sequential Workflow Library Project Template
WF Sequential Workflow Service Library Project Template
WF State Machine Workflow Library Project Template
WF State Machine Workflow Designer
WF State Machine Workflow Service Library Project Template
WCF Syndication Service Library Project Template
Visual Studio Extensions for Windows Workflow Foundation Designer
Windows Forms Control Library Project Template
Windows Service Project Template
WF Workflow Activity Library Project Template
WPF Custom Control Library Project Template
WPF User Control Library Project Template
ASP.NET Server Control Item Template
COM Class Item Template
Configuration File Item Template
Frameset Item Template
Interface Item Template
CLR Installer Class Item Template
Local Database Cache Item Template
Module-Definition File Item Template
Nested Master Page Item Template
ATL Registration Script Item Template
MS Report Item Template
Report Wizard Item Template
.NET Resources File Item Template
Win32 Resource File Item Template
Static Discovery File (Web Services) Item Template
Transactional Component Item Template
Web Content Form Item Template
Windows Script Host Item Template
Windows Services Item Template
XML Schema Item Template
Here's comparison chart of editions
Edit: didn't realize this was for 2005, not 2008
Visual Studio 2008 Product Comparison
As far as I know there are no restrictions on its use, but I'm not a lawyer.
AviewAnew pointed out you can use Express Editions for commercial use: there are no licensing restrictions for applications built using Visual Studio Express Editions. See FAQ #7.
These are the most significant for me:
You cannot set breakpoints with a condition
Add-in support
Refactoring is very limited (rename, extract method)
MFC is the most important missing thing in my opinion.
No add-ins allowed
Other people have posted huge lists, but as a practical matter, speaking as someone who does mostly systems programming, the features I miss most when using the express edition are
the thread-aware parts of the debugger,and
the ability to open files with the built-in binary viewer.
If I did MFC programming more often I would probably miss the dialog designer as well.
One that is missing (which is nice to have) is:
Source Control Integration
enables two
options: source control solution based
on the Source Control Plug-in API
(formerly known as the MSSCCI API), or
a source control VSPackage
This is particularly important especially if you're working with systems like Perforce where you must check out files before changing with them, particularly changing project settings for all team members.
This MSDN document should get you everything you need!
Note that currently, you can't get F# in an Express edition, though I imagine that this is likely to change at some point in time.
There is a workaround - you install the Visual Studio Shell and F# CTP separately and they work together.
I had trouble with Visual Studio Express (C++) 2008 (with service pack 1) on Windows Vista, with debugging. Any time I did anything such as (a) break the program, (b) set focus from the app back to the IDE, (c) resume execution, the program hung for about 30 seconds. Task Manager showed "VSExpress.exe" consuming an entire CPU for the duration. Vista showed "Not responding" in the IDE's title bar during this time.
This was driving me bonkers so I bought a commercial copy of Visual Studio Professional 2008 ($150 from SoftwareSurplus) and this solved the problem.
For Visual Studio 2008, the Express editions do not have the built-in testing features for one.
You can build MFC applications if you download the libraries in the Platform SDK. But there is no built in support for designing dialogs.
Add-ins are allowed in Visual Studio Express. The most notable one is straight from Microsoft: XNA Game Studio works as a Visual Studio Express add-in.
There's even a project type (maybe only available in the full Visual Studio) that lets you build your own Visual Studio Express add-ins!
You can't create Windows services for one.
Related
I have implemented Nwazet commerce module & related functionality inside the Web matrix. now there are many changes required in implementation so need to work out in the visual studio. Now in visual studio i have just copied my implemented module of Web matrix and paste it in visual studio modules also applied DB related changes as well with the theme related changes also but it causes too many issues at the time of loading. also try to convert project in visual studio with upper ribbon available in Web Matrix with the option of Visual Studio Launch but it also gives error related to visual studio 2010 shell.
We are putting our existing Embarcadero Borland C++ Builder 6 projects into the new free Microsoft source control called "Visual Studio Team Services" (aka online version of TFS or Team Foundation Server formerly called Team Foundation Service).
http://www.visualstudio.com/products/what-is-visual-studio-online-vs
How can I put my code from my BCB 6 project to use it with this system.
Of course I'd prefer to have IDE integration, but as long as I have some kind of GUI I'm fine with doing source code tasks outside of the BCB IDE.
Are there any BCB files that are binary and therefore might be an issue with comparing changes?
Any ideas are greatly appreciated.
C++Builder does not have any native TFS support (not even in the latest version), let alone any VSOnline support. At least with TFS, there are third-party plugins to let C++Builder access TFS:
SourceConneXion
TFS.us
For TFS, you can also use the standard TFS client GUI. For Visual Studio Team Services, who knows.
Several files are binary, including RES and TDS, but you usually don't need to do diffs on those. You should, however, make sure to set your DFM files to Text mode, as they are set to Binary by default. DFMs are always binary in the final executable's resources, but the DFM source files can be either text or binary, and you will likely do diffs on DFMs from time to time.
you could use the visual studio shell (aka 'team explorer everywhere') to do checkins etc
and you could also use the power tools (tfpt) to give you explorer integration.
I installed the F# Tools for Visual Studio Express 2012 for Web. When I select New Project I expected to see F# Application in the list of Visual F# templates but all I see is F# Library and F# Tutorial.
I say I expected it because I see it referenced in the book Programming F# 3.0 by Chris Smith.
Any suggestions for getting the F# Application template in the list?
There is no F# Application template in the VS Express 2012 Web edition but you should be able to create one easily by adding an F# library project and then going to the project properties and specifying the output type as Console Application in the Application tab.
The following short video from Jon Harrop shows how to create a Windows application: WPF desktop GUI app development in F# with VS Express 2012 for Web
The process is the same for a console application.
I got F# from this link, and I installed the extensions (Tools -> Extensions and Updates) shown below:
I can now create the following types of projects in Visual Studio Express 2012 for Web:
Jon Harrop's videos are well worth the viewing, of course.
EDIT
The second image is scaled down and the text is illegible. The project templates under Visual F# -> Windows are:
F# Library
F# Library (Class Library)
F# Windows App (Service)
F# Windows App (WinForms)
F# Windows App (WPF)
F# Windows Console App
F# Tutorial
Just to complete the list, here are the other project types:
Visual F# -> Silverlight
F# Silverlight Library
ASPNET
F# and C# Web Application (ASP.NET MVC 4)
Service
F# and C# Web Service (ASP.NET, WSDL)
I am using microsoft visual web developer 2010 express edition.
i want to create windows service but, the template is missing .
how can i install this missing template.
thanks and regards
Mohit Leekha
This is listed as a limitation within the Express Edition of Visual Studio 2010. I'm sure you can do something not so ethical to get around it to build a template, you can google for that one.
Now, you can build a windows service without the template, you just will not have all of the fancy design time support for a few items.
You should use Visual Basic (or C#) 2010 Express, not the Web version to build a Windows Service.
I made a template for Visual Studio 2010 Express you can get it at my blog: http://blog.larmib.com/2011/windows-service-template-for-visual-studio-2010-express/ it is for Visual Basic.
I recently bought Bob's book Delphi XML, SOAP & Web Services
in page 85 of this book the (Delphi 2006 8used) comes with several New Item Categories such as
C# Projects
C++ Builder projects
Delphi for .NET Projects
something that you don't have in a fresh installation
I need this ASP.NET Web Service Application that is inside Delphi for .NET Projects, but I can't find how do we get this plugin(?) to install in Delphi so we get all this new projects categories.
Does any of you use this and can tell me what is the Plugin?
image from the book showing what we are after
alt text http://www.balexandre.com/temp/2009-08-31_1322_asmx_in_delphi.png
We tried Delphi prism but it is not that as Prism works in Visual Studio it self and not in Delphi Studio.
We also tried to send an email to Bob Swart but no answer from him :(
We thought and we own RAD Studio 2007 Professional, and that comes with that Delphi for .NET Projects but not the ASP.NET Web Services, so, we are thinking that it only be available for the Enterprise or Architect versions, but I can't find any information regarding where is this (bundle details and what's inside what) :(
Thanks
The Delphi.Net functionality was removed after Delphi 2007, so I am not sure why you do not see the project type. But as Delphi.Net is a pretty dead technology it would probably make sense to look for an alternative for .Net development like Delphi Prism or C#.
Actually, since Delphi 2007, the functionality has been split into three different product, plus a fourth studio product. There's Delphi for WIN32 which includes C++ and Delphi for .NET which includes C# and ASP.NET. And then there's the Developers Studio which combines these development systems into one product. There are also products called Turbo Delphi, Turbo C++, Turbo C# and Turbo Delphi for .NET.
To be honest, Borland/Codegear/Embarcadero is trying to find the most popular combinations of these products making it very unclear for developers to choose the right version. Now we have Delphi Prism for .NET which integrates in Visual Studio, plus Delphi and Delphi for .NET or whatever. Anyway, I stopped upgrading Delphi since I bought Developer Studio 2007 simply because they're making a big mess of their marketing strategy.
Plus, they're becoming too expensive. For .NET development, Visual Studio will provide plenty of options already, especially when designing web applications. I will upgrade once the price becomes reasonable again and their marketing strategy becomes more normalized. I fear it will be a cold day in Hell when that happens.
You're probably using just the WIN32 version, not the Studio version which would combine both. Or you just installed the WIN32 and not the .NET part! Or, with Delphi 2007, you just start the WIN32 identity, not the whole Studio identity. (Delphi will install multiple icons, one for Delphi/WIN32, one for C++, one for C#/.NET and one for the complete studio.)
Just adding that I myself use the RAD Developer Studio 2007 and it does contain the ASP.NET Web Services. Just make sure you've included them during installation!
Got it.... (finally)
The best way to integrate Delphi code in a .NET output (in my case ASP.NET Web Services) is to download Delphi Prism (free trial version for evaluation) and use it.
File > New Website > ASP.NET Web Service > Language: Oxygene > Choose the required Framework
alt text http://www.balexandre.com/temp/2009-09-01_0857.png
This will create a normal ASMX Web Service with the .pas file as the Code Behind :)
Exactly what I'm after!