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Product Features

• Build applications for Windows, the Web, the Microsoft Office system, the .NET Framework, SQL Server, and Windows Mobile with integrated drag-and-drop designers; be part of a community of millions of developers
• Visual Studio integrates Visual Basic, Visual C#, and Visual C++ to support a wide variety of development styles; Editor features simplify the cycle of designing, developing, and debugging an application
• Deploy client applications easily with ClickOnce, which enables developers and IT Pros to deploy an application and its prerequisites and then ensure that the application remains up-to-date
• Build applications which target the .NET Framework, shortening development time by reducing the need for infrastructure code and helping to enhance application security
• Use ASP.NET to speed the creation of interactive, highly appealing Web applications and Web services. Master Pages allow developers to easily manage a consistent site layout in one place

Product Description

Today's developers face the challenge of targeting a broad range of platforms and crafting applications that quickly deliver value to the business. Integrated designers and language features in Visual Studio allow developers to build the connected applications demanded by today's businesses while taking advantage of the .NET Framework 3.5 to reduce development time.

Design high-performance applications
Connect to the data you need, regardless of its location, and build data driven applications using Language Integrated Query (LINQ).

Build great client applications
Develop compelling solutions that leverage the user experience and capabilities of the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Windows Vista.

Build powerful Web applications
Build rich, interactive applications using the ASP.NET AJAX interactive Web interfaces.

What's New in 2008

• Build applications that utilize the latest Web technologies with improved support for AJAX and Web Controls and the Microsoft AJAX Library
• Create Web applications more easily with an improved design surface and standards support
• Utilize data from any data source more smoothly with LINQ, a set of language extensions to Visual Basic and Visual C#
• Manage and build applications that target multiple versions of the .NET Framework. For the first time, you can use one tool to work on applications that run on .NET Framework versions 2.0, 3.0, and 3.5
• Ensure application correctness more easily with integrated unit testing in Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition
• Discover the full power of the .NET Framework 3.5 with integrated tools which simplify building great user experiences and connected systems
• Build stunning user experiences with integrated designers for Windows Presentation Foundation. Experiences built with WPF can interoperate seamlessly with Windows Forms
• Create connected applications using new visual designers for Windows Communications Foundation and Windows Workflow Foundation
• Use Visual Studio's professional development environment to build Microsoft Office-based solutions that are reliable, scalable, and easy to maintain (available in Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition only)
• Enhance collaboration between developers and designers to create more compelling user experiences

Feature Highlights

• Build applications for Windows, the Web, the Microsoft Office system, the .NET Framework, SQL Server, and Windows Mobile with integrated drag-and-drop designers
• Visual Studio integrates Visual Basic, Visual C#, and Visual C++ to support a wide variety of development styles
• Editor features such as Edit and Continue and Microsoft IntelliSense simplify the cycle of designing, developing, and debugging an application
• Deploy client applications easily with ClickOnce, which enables developers and IT Pros to deploy an application and its prerequisites and then ensure that the application remains up-to-date
• Build applications which target the .NET Framework, shortening development time by reducing the need for infrastructure code and helping to enhance application security
• Use ASP.NET to speed the creation of interactive, highly appealing Web applications and Web services. Master Pages allow developers to easily manage a consistent site layout in one place
• A community of millions of developers ensures that developers can find partners and other community members addressing the same challenges

Write Code Faster
At the core of all software solutions is the code that developers write. Visual Studio 2008 helps developers write code faster through a wealth of productivity-enhancing features, such as IntelliSense technology, auto-completion, auto-colorization, method lookup, syntax and type checking, code refactoring, code-snippet management, and many more.

Avoid Memorizing Syntax
Introduced by Microsoft more than a decade ago, IntelliSense technology in Visual Studio is a form of automated completion that displays a list of the members that are available for that class or object after a developer types a class or object name and a period. It speeds coding by reducing the number of keystrokes required and the need to reference external documentation. IntelliSense in Visual Studio 2008 adds support for JavaScript to provide the same benefits to Web developers, including those who are using Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) programming techniques.

Write Less Code
Visual Studio includes prebuilt building blocks for native and managed code, such as Active Type Library, Microsoft Foundation Class Library (MFC), and the Microsoft .NET Framework. By taking advantage of these, developers can reduce the amount of low-level code they must write and instead focus on solving business problems. Visual Studio 2008 supports the .NET Framework version 3.5, which includes enhancements to the base class libraries, Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Communication Foundation, Windows Workflow Foundation, and Windows CardSpace--and delivers improved interoperability between native and managed code.

Handle Data More Productively
Programming against data sources has traditionally meant having to learn a new data access technology or paradigm for each data source. Language-Integrated Query (LINQ), a set of extensions to the C# and Visual Basic languages and the .NET Framework 3.5, enables developers to employ a consistent approach and write less code when querying and transforming object collections, ADO.NET, XML data, and relational data from Microsoft SQL ServerÐbased databases. Developers using LINQ benefit from design-time assistance in Visual Studio 2008--such as statement completion, smart compile auto-correction, and IntelliSense technology--enabling them to invest less time in learning how to access the data through syntax for languages like T-SQL or XPATH and instead focus on what to do with the data.

Use Integrated Tools
Visual Studio 2008 also enhances developer productivity by providing an integrated set of tools for activities other than writing code. The Visual Studio project system makes all aspects of a project easy to manage, from writing the first line of code through packaging finished software for deployment. During development, visual designers, server and data explorers, debuggers, automated build tools, background compilation, integration with source code control, an integrated Help system, and a range of third-party extensions for Visual Studio all come together to help developers remain focused on business needs and deliver faster.

Program in Multiple Languages
Visual Studio supports several of the world's most popular programming languages, including Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual C++, and JavaScript, making it useful to a broad range of developers and for a broad range of applications. Solutions for Visual Studio from more than 200 other companies add support for additional languages and a multitude of other capabilities, enabling developers to continue using the same familiar tools as they learn new languages, grow their skills, address unique business needs, and switch between projects

Build Software for the Web
Most companies that employ Internet technology for public Web sites and/or internal business applications are looking for ways to accelerate solution delivery, enhance the end-user experience, and improve integration. Visual Studio 2008 and ASP.NET 3.5 (part of the .NET Framework 3.5) provide a versatile tool set for building stunning Web sites or for connecting distributed systems using Web services.

Build Rich, Responsive Web Sites
Support for AJAX in Visual Studio 2008 enables developers to deliver richer, more responsive Web applications--and a more interactive user experience--by eliminating the need to reload an entire Web page when a user makes a change. Developers using AJAX can take advantage of IntelliSense technology to discover variables, objects, and their methods, and can debug JavaScript code by setting breakpoints inside Visual Studio--a capability that works with the most popular Web browsers. Developers also benefit from improved designers and editors.

Web developers will also benefit from enhancements in ASP.NET 3.5. The new ListView control provides unprecedented flexibility in how data is displayed (with complete control over the HTML markup generated), and the new DataPager control handles the work of allowing users to page through large numbers of records. The LinqDataSource control makes it easy to create data-driven Web sites by enabling developers to use LINQ to retrieve, filter, order, and group data that can then be declaratively bound to data visualization controls.

Connect Systems and Applications Using Web Services
Developers can use Windows Communication Foundation in the .NET Framework 3.5 to build Web services that are exposed using any number of Internet-standard protocols, such as SOAP, RSS, JSON, POX, and more. Whether developers are building an AJAX application that uses JSON, syndicating data via RSS, or building a standard SOAP Web service, Windows Communication Foundation makes it easy to create service endpoints. Plus, Windows Communication Foundation now supports building Web services in partial-trust situations like a typical shared-hosting environment.

Collaborate with Web Designers
Developers can easily collaborate with designers who use Microsoft Expression Web through the use of cascading style sheets and shared project files. Designers can use Expression Web to design a UI and then turn it over to developers with confidence that the UI design and subsequently developed business logic code will both remain intact.

Build Software for Microsoft Office System
The user interfaces of line-of-business applications can be difficult to learn, respond sluggishly to user input, and require people to be connected to the corporate intranet. Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition provides a powerful tool set for building Office Business Applications (OBAs), which extend the data in line-of-business systems to end users through familiar Microsoft Office programs. Through such an approach, developers can integrate the front office and back office, making the information in ERP, CRM, and other enterprise systems directly accessible from within everyday business processes.

Develop Mobile Applications Using Existing Skills
Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition makes it easy to extend the information in line-of-business systems to mobile workers. A project template for Windows MobileÐbased applications provides a workspace with familiar tools, while the .NET Compact Framework lets developers use existing skills and familiar technologies, such as Windows Forms, Windows Communication Foundation, and LINQ. Enhanced mobile Windows Forms controls make it easy to modify and optimize mobile applications' screens to support the smaller displays of mobile devices.

Easily Test and Deploy Mobile Applications
New device emulators automate testing scenarios, allowing developers to simulate real-world changes in device state, such as signal drop-off or a battery running out of power. Unit-testing support lets developers reuse some of the same unit tests that have been developed for a desktop version of a mobile application, or write new ones where needed. A security-aware IDE makes it easy to understand and manage custom security settings, and to view, add, remove, and manage security certificates on the device.

Manage and Synchronize Data
Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition provides integrated support for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition, a free, lightweight version of SQL Server 2005 that makes an ideal, high-performance local data store for mobile applications. Developers can keep local data synchronized using the Microsoft Sync Framework, which enables collaboration and offline access for applications, services, and devices, including technologies and tools that enable roaming, sharing, and taking data offline.

System Requirements:

• Computer with a 1.6 GHz or faster processor

• --Windows Vista (x86 & x64)--all editions except Starter Edition
• --Windows XP (x86 & x64) with Service Pack 2 or later--all editions except Starter Edition
• --Windows Server 2003 (x86 & x64) with Service Pack 1 or later (all editions)
• --Windows Server 2003 R2 (x86 and x64) or later (all editions)
• 384 MB of RAM or more (768 MB of RAM or more for Windows Vista)
• 2.2 GB of available hard-disk space
• 5400 RPM hard drive
• 1024 x 768 or higher-resolution display
• DVD-ROM Drive
• Additional features may require Internet access. Fees may apply.