| Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition is a | | | | and layout models. Minor details, those that just make |
| complete, IDE, or "Integrated Development | | | | life easier, have not been overlooked; .NET Framework |
| Environment" for professional software application | | | | 2.0, for example, allows control of "snap" lines making |
| developers. Its range of programming language and | | | | control alignment neater, and easier. Similarly, other |
| platform support, together with support for 64-bit | | | | .NET Framework 2.0 controls allow application |
| computing architectures and other Microsoft | | | | developers to access advanced operating system |
| technologies, mean that almost any development task | | | | features, such as services, and background threads, |
| can be tackled with confidence. Standalone, web and | | | | without the need for advanced programming |
| mobile solutions are all possibilities, for any platform that | | | | knowledge. |
| supports the .NET Framework 2.0, or the .NET | | | | The Visual 2005 Professional Edition "bundle" includes |
| Compact Framework 2.0. | | | | support for Visual Basic, Visual C++, C# and VJ#, and |
| Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition | | | | XML and XSLT, accompanied by visual form |
| Visually, Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition | | | | designers and editors. It is possible, therefore, to |
| appears much the same as previous versions. The | | | | streamline the development of each tier of a multi-tier |
| default opening screen has the look of a web portal, | | | | development project, by the use of powerful editing |
| and provides access to online content, as well as | | | | and debugging functions throughout the development |
| recent products. From the point of view of productivity, | | | | lifecycle. Visual Studio 2005 supports "Edit and |
| however, the IDE has undergone something of a | | | | Continue" for Visual Basic, and C#; this means that a |
| transformation. It is now much easier to see, at a | | | | developer can run an application, pause its execution, |
| glance, which sections of code have been edited, and | | | | make an desired changes to the application code, and |
| if they have already been saved. This can be useful | | | | resume execution, effectively debugging that |
| for a developer who needs to keep track of multiple | | | | application "on the fly". "Exception Assistant" provides |
| changes to multiple files. In addition, the new "code | | | | a new method of isolating runtime problems, which can |
| snippets" feature allows developers to create, and | | | | be notoriously difficult to track down using conventional |
| maintain, a library of prewritten code, for performing | | | | debugging techniques. The Exception Assistant |
| various common tasks. This prewritten code can then | | | | provides information on the location of any exception |
| be dropped into an application at the appropriate point, | | | | thrown, along suggestions for possible causes, and |
| either complete, or in the form of a bare bones, | | | | fixes, of that exception, including links to documentation. |
| skeleton, which can be fleshed out according to the | | | | Crystal Reports, upgraded to support the new |
| application. A selection of snippets is supplied, and | | | | "ClickOnce" application deployment method, SQL |
| more are available online, so getting started is fairly | | | | Reporting Services, a development version of SQL |
| quick and painless. | | | | Server 2005, and support for 64-bit compilers, are all |
| Life has been made easier for Windows Forms | | | | also included in the Visual Studio 2005 Professional |
| developers, too, with a range of new controls, wizards | | | | edition package. |