Last November, Microsoft launched Visual Studio (VS) 2005 in several editions, including Team System, Professional, Standard, and Express. One edition of particular interest is the Express edition. The reason? It's free. For those System i developers who have been toying with the idea of delving into Microsoft's .NET world, VS Express may be just the thing to nudge you forward.
Why .NET?
Why would a System i programmer want to work with .NET? A number of reasons come to mind, including the ability to...
- support .NET applications your company already has or is contemplating purchasing
- create Windows GUI front-ends for your DB2 data
- build Web-based applications for DB2 data using ASP.NET
- easily construct and expose business logic (System i- or Windows-based logic) as Web services
Since .NET is popular among developers, skill set is yet another reason to consider learning it.
Why VS Express?
VS Express offers many benefits to beginners:
- Its simplified interface doesn't include the seemingly infinite options that are common in complex products like Visual Studio Professional and WebSphere Development Studio Client for iSeries.
- Ranging from 35–70 MB, it is a relatively small download. If you opt to download the SQL Server 2005 Express edition, this download becomes about 400 MB.
- The scaled-down help system that's included reduces complexity.
- It allows developers to experiment without coughing up cash that could be used on other projects.
- Even though it's an Express edition, it's loaded with features.
- VS 2005 Starter Kits help developers get up to speed by providing a way to study code demonstrating "best practices" in a small, easy-to-grasp project.
How Many Express Editions?
There are two basic VS Express editions to choose from:
- Visual Basic, C#, C++, and J# Express—Create GUI or console applications using any one (and only one) of these listed languages.
- Web Developer Express—Create ASP.NET Web applications using VB.NET or C#.
To get started, you need to choose a user interface (Windows vs. Web) and a programming language; then, download the appropriate Express edition. Note that for GUI programming, you may choose only a single language. Web Developer offers two languages.
Which language should you use? VB or C#? Since all .NET languages are supposed to perform equally, it really doesn't matter (although Microsoft has managed to endow VB.NET and C# with a few specific beneficial features that the other language doesn't have; I suppose Microsoft has to have a reason to keep them distinct!). If you have no preference and are starting from ground zero, I would recommend starting with C# because it shares many similarities with Java. Learning C# can therefore provide a jump start for Java skills, which is a boon to System i shops.
Features and Drawbacks
VS Express is loaded with many of the same great features as the Professional edition, including context-sensitive help, local debugging support, and "IntelliSense" support.
But alas, being free, VS Express is missing some things. First of all, several advanced project templates, such as the Crystal Reports application and Windows Service, are missing. Second, GUI programming and Web programming are differentiated into separate products. Third, mobile devices are not supported.
For more information, check out the full comparison of features offered by the various VS 2005 editions.
Practical Usage
This past summer, I created an intranet application for a customer, using Visual Studio 2005 Professional on my laptop. This intranet app retrieved most of its data from MAPICS running on a System i. My major dilemma was ease of remote code maintenance. My only access to the customer's system was a remote desktop connection. I didn't want to have to go onsite whenever the customer called requesting a small change.
The solution was to install VS Express Web Developer edition (no charge!) at the customer location. That way, I could simply change the application right on their system at their request. The only trouble I had maintaining this application was with Crystal Reports, which is unsupported in Express. I circumvented this problem by creating a separate Web services project to serve up Crystal Report requests. Therefore, I still have to maintain the Crystal Report definitions on my laptop and then export them (the hard way to the customer's box), but everything else works fine.
Finally, after installing the VB Express edition on my home computer, I even started showing my six-year-old twin daughters some simple VB programming. They love it!
Get It Now
Originally slated to be free for only the first year, Microsoft later announced that these Express editions will be perpetually free. This is a great way to delve into .NET. Once you've mastered Express, it'll be an easy decision to move to a higher edition—and worth the money.
Michael Sansoterra is a programmer/analyst at i3 Business Solutions, an IT services firm based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. You can reach him at
More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.
TRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now! Request Now.
Forms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.
Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:
Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.
IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn:
LATEST COMMENTS
MC Press Online