| Microsoft releases VS 2008, NET Framework 3.5 betas |
May 13, 2008
 Microsoft has released new beta versions of its Visual Studio 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5 programming tools. The updates preview the Service Pack 1 (SP1) editions scheduled for release this summer, and include a bevy of bug fixes, performance enhancements, and new features, the company says.
S. "Soma" Somasegar, corporate VP of Microsoft's developer division, said in a blog posting that the betas "enable an improved developer experience by adding a number of additional components that cover a range of highly requested customer features. For example, the service pack is the first release for Visual Studio 2008 that delivers full support for SQL Server 2008 and the ADO.Net Entity Framework."
Visual Studio 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5 include more informative online help
(Click to enlarge)
According to Microsoft, the Visual Studio 2008 SP1 beta includes:- Full support for SQL Server 2008
- The introduction of the ADO.NET entity designer
- Visual Basic and Visual C++ components and tools (including an MFC-based Office 2007-style "Ribbon")
- Improvements to Team Foundation Server, improved e-mail integration with work item tracking, and full support for hosting on SQL Server 2008
- Improvements for Web development, including richer JavaScript support, enhanced AJAX and data tools, and site deployment
The .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 beta is said to include:- Performance increases from 20 to 45 percent for applications based on WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation), without having to change any code
- WCF (Windows Communication Foundation) improvements that give developers more control over the way they access data and services
- A streamlined installation experience for client applications
- Improvements in the ADO.NET entity framework, ADO.NET data services, and support for SQL Server 2008
David Berg, senior program manager of Microsoft's developer division performance engineering team, said in a separate blog posting that Visual Studio 2008 SP1 is "so packed with new features, major updates to frameworks, and fixes, that with everything installed you would need to download and install about 1GB of updates. Which brings us to the first and most important performance improvement –- you only download what you need."
A new installation/update engine only downloads needed components, and is also significantly faster than the one that came with Visual Studio 2005 SP1, he added. Other performance increases highlighted by Berg include a 10 to 20 percent improvement in startup time for the WPF designer, faster editing, improved syncing of Active Directory identities, better online index rebuilding, and a faster security manager.
Visual Studio 2008, first offered in November 2007, supports Windows CE, Windows Mobile, and Windows XP Embedded. At that time, new features for mobile developers were added, including:- Automated functional testing of managed code
- An enhanced device emulator (version 3.0) that permits simulation of real-world changes in device state, such as signal dropoff or battery running dead
- support for NET Compact Framework 3.5
- An implementation of the Windows Communication Foundation enabling device to device and device to server communication over the Exchange Activesync transport
- The ability to build SQL Server 3.5 Compact Edition applications using the Visual Studio 2008 designer experience
Further information
For more information on the SP1 betas, see the coverage on our sister publication, eWEEK.com, here. To read S. Somasegar's blog posting, go here. To see David Berg's blog posting, go here.
To read more about the updates and download the betas, see Microsoft's website, here.
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