MartyConnelly
martyconnelly at shaw.ca
Tue Dec 7 13:38:45 CST 2004
I just caught this blurb from MSDN Canada. newsletter. By the way they have just released SQL Express Manger the upgrade for SQL Enterprise Manager From the Community - Gift Ideas for Software Developers. Stocking Stuffers? The holiday season is here and there's no time to lose! Here are some gift ideas for developers to avoid the Hoilday rush. Celebrate this holiday season by giving your developers one of the Visual Studio 2005 Express Beta products!< http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1611003 > These little bundles of joy come in four "delicious" languages: Visual Basic 2005 Express, Visual C# 2005 Express, Visual C++ 2005 Express, and Visual J# 2005 Express. It's perfect for students, teachers, hobbyists, and enthusiasts who want to build dynamic .NET applications for the holidays. And best of all, they're free! Nothing says "I love you, code" better than a copy of one of these Visual Studio 2005 Express Beta Products! .NET developers writing SOAP endpoints will rejoice when they see what you got them this year. Earlier this week, Microsoft announced the public availability of the Web Services Enhancements for Microsoft .NET (WSE) 2.0 Service Pack 2 http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1611004 >. WSE augments the .NET Framework by providing support for advanced XML Web service protocols like WS-Addressing, WS-Policy, and WS-Security. Show your developers - who love everything WS-* - that you care by ringing in a new year of interoperability with WSE! Your database administrator will think "UPDATE MyManagers SET CoolQuotient = 1.0 WHERE Name = <YourName>" when receiving a copy of SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Community Technology Preview < http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=1611005 > (SQL Server Express). SQL Server Express represents a free, easy-to-use, lightweight version of SQL Server 2005. Why not demonstrate your love for stored and extended procedures in managed code with a copy of SQL Server Express? And for those of you have already downloaded the bits, you're in luck: Microsoft has just released the SQL Server 2005 Express Manager (XM) Community Technology Preview. This tool allows you to easily manage your SQL Server 2005 Express instances by providing a Query Editor and Object Explorer. It makes a great (virtual) stocking stuffer! Griffiths, Richard wrote: >Hi >The framework simply provides the dotnet runtime environment. To >develop you need Visual Studio .NET 2003 "Professional" Edition. I've >seen recently for about $700 and this includes windows 2003 and sql 2000 >(developer/test editions) - not bad really >Richard > >-----Original Message----- >From: dba-vb-bounces at databaseadvisors.com >[mailto:dba-vb-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Lawhon, Alan C >Contractor/Morgan Research >Sent: 07 December 2004 17:07 >To: dba-vb at databaseadvisors.com; accessd at shaw.ca >Subject: RE: [dba-VB] Please Advise: Should I Buy "Microsoft Visual >Basic.NET Standard 2003 ..." > >Jim: > >Thanks for the .NET links & info - which I am now diligently research- >ing. I need a bit of clarification concerning one of the links you >provided. First, some background ... > >We are in the process of coming up with a recommendation for our >customer >concerning what software (and development tools) should be purchased in >order to facilitate conversion of our environmental database application >to a "web enabled" environmental database application. I also have a >secondary goal of obtaining an "affordable" .NET integrated development >environment so that I can "play around" with VB.NET, ADO.NET, ASP.NET, >(and whatever-else .NET is required), on my home computer. (I have a >feeling I can learn more at home versus all the constant "distractions" >and interruptions here at work ...) > >I have visited the link you provided to Microsoft's download site for >the (free?) ".NET Framework SDK Version 1.1" IDE. According to info >at this MS site, the 106 MB download contains "everything developers >need to write, build, test, and deploy .NET Framework applications - >documentation, samples, and command-line tools and compilers." I >presume this means that this download includes the VB.NET compiler, >ADO.NET, ASP.NET and other .NET development tools - in other words >just about everything that is bundled with Microsoft's full-up version >of Visual Studio .NET? > >What has me scratching my head is this: I went to Microsoft's "Product >Information" page for Visual Studio .NET 2003 "Professional" Edition. > >URL: http://www.microsoft.com/products/info/product.aspx?view=22&pcid= >9fdcc2af-6b86-4ee8-9b71-90cebe8626e6&type=ovr > >and the "full up" (not upgrade) version of Visual Studio .NET lists for >$1,079.00 direct purchase from Microsoft. > >So, why is Microsoft, in effect, "giving away" the .NET Framework SDK, >(Version 1.1) "free" at one of their download sites while charging >$1,079.00 for [virtually] the same product at another Microsoft site? >Either I'm missing something here, or I'm totally confused, or >something. > >There has to be a "catch" here, because Microsoft doesn't "give away" >anything for free - or anything that is not "crippled" (or a woefully >lacking subset) of the full product. > >Have you actually downloaded (and used) the ".NET Framework SDK, >Version 1.1" product? (We are leaning toward recommending that our >customer buy a copy of the full up version of "Visual Studio .NET 2003 >Professional" edition.) > >Alan C. Lawhon > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Jim Lawrence (AccessD) [mailto:accessd at shaw.ca] >Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2004 5:18 PM >To: dba-vb at databaseadvisors.com >Subject: RE: [dba-VB] Please Advise: Should I Buy "Microsoft Visual >Basic .NET Standard 2003 ..." > > >Hi Alan: > >I am currently following the same route, a little further ahead but if >you >look sharp I can be seen just up the trail a bit. Following are a few of >the >options out there. The actual portion of the .Net application suite that >generates the web code is ASP.Net but the full .Net studio has ASP.Net >incorporated: > >Here is the pointer to the Asp.Net webmatrix editor and appropriate >tutorials...and it is free. >http://www.asp.net/webmatrix/tour/section2/newconn.aspx > >Sharpe Develop is IDE has Asp.Net, C#.Net and Vb.Net (Open source)...and >it >is free. http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SD/ > >The SDK can be downloaded from M$...and it is free. >http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=9b3a2ca6-3647-4 >070- >9f41-a333c6b9181d&displaylang=en > >Nothing like fair pricing and a good place to start. The best OS >platform to >develop the coding and testing is on an XP or 2000 server as they have >IIS >built in and applications can test immediately. > >Good luck and have fun. > >HTH >Jim > >-----Original Message----- >From: dba-vb-bounces at databaseadvisors.com >[mailto:dba-vb-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Lawhon, Alan C >Contractor/Morgan Research >Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2004 2:15 PM >To: dba-VB at databaseadvisors.com >Cc: dba-AccessD at databaseadvisors.com >Subject: [dba-VB] Please Advise: Should I Buy "Microsoft Visual Basic >.NET Standard 2003 ..." > > >... or just try to learn what I can from [VB.Net] books alone? > >Well, the "future" has finally arrived ... Here at work we have a >fairly >significant environmental database application that we have been using >(and >"tweaking") for the past five years. The application, called "EDS" - >which >stands for "Environmental Document System" - started off as a very >simple >Access 97 application. Over time, as the capabilities of the system >grew >and the need to provide client/server access was realized, the front end >migrated to Access 2000 and the back end [eventually] migrated to SQL >Server >2000 - which is where we are now. > >Well, you know how customers are ... they are always wanting changes (or >"something new") and that is the case with our customer. EDS is >becoming >increasingly popular with users outside our immediate organization. So >popular, in fact, that our Government manager has requested that we "web >enable" EDS and make EDS accessible from a web browser - such as >Internet >Explorer. Gulp !! It didn't take too much web surfing (and research) >to >realize that "web enabling" EDS is going to be thirsty work ... > >The EDS database consists of multiple form and report objects with lots >of >event driven Visual Basic code. Most of the VBA code is attached to >command >buttons as Click_Event() procedures. (There's a lot of logic testing >and >conditional execution for business rule implementation within the VBA >code.) > >The research I have done (so far) indicates that I face a steep learning >curve when it comes to web programming. I'm already looking at "HTML & >XML >for Beginners" (book) by Michael Morrison and I have just ordered a >couple >of books on databases and VB.Net programming. (I have ordered >"Beginning >VB.Net Databases" by Thearon Willis and "Programming Microsoft Visual >Basic >.NET for Microsoft Access Databases" by Rick Dobson.) I figure these >two >books will give me plenty to chew on - at least initially. > >The senior programmer and I have been looking on the internet for the >proper >.NET development tool. Right now it looks like we will be asking our >customer to pay for a full-up version of Visual Studio 2003 - or >whatever >contains the full "Professional" version of MS Visual Basic .NET. While >researching the various developer tool alternatives for VB.NET >programming, >I came across this page at Amazon.com's web site: > > http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000089GKW/002-1179299-3348025 > >The "Standard" edition of Microsoft VB.Net [2003] appeals to me for two >reasons: It's (relatively) affordable - less than a hundred dollars - >and >the "Standard" edition might be a good "learning tool" for playing >around >with VB.Net on my home computer. However, the "Standard" edition >appears to >have a number of ... uhm ... limitations. (Look at Frank Spillman's >"Roadblocks, Roadblocks" reader review in the above link.) > >I would be grateful if some of the folks on this list who have actually >done >some web programming (especially with VB.Net) could offer advice and >opinions with respect to the "Microsoft Visual Basic .NET Standard 2003" >[web] development tool. Basically, I'm wondering if the "Standard" >edition >has enough capability to serve as a useful "learning tool" - or is it so >"crippled" that I would be better off simply reading .NET books? > >Thanks in advance ... > >Alan C. Lawhon > > > > -- Marty Connelly Victoria, B.C. Canada