Orcas: Visual Studio 2008 : Upgrade Visual Studio Professional 2005
The only thing that remains constant in the world is Change. Visual Studio is the latest victim of change. Orcas, the code name for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 is the upgrade to Visual Studio 2005.The Code name Orcas is in reference to Orcas Island situated in the Pacific Ocean. This article aims to answer three questions that arise in ones mind.
What Orcas?
Why Orcas?
When Orcas?
What Orcas?
Orcas, the next version of Visual Studio, focuses on the development of Smart Client applications with rich user experiences. The term "Smart Client" means the combination of both Windows and Web applications. Orcas enables organizations to create secure and reliable applications on Windows Vista and Office 2007 System. By default, applications developed using Orcas targets on .NET Framework 3.5. Orcas also provides a tool set to target 2.0, 3.0 and Compact framework run times. With Orcas a User can build Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) based Web or Windows Mobile device applications.
Why Orcas?
Orcas facilitates developers in three primary areas Improving Developer Productivity Managing Application Life Cycle Engaging Latest Technologies Improving Developer Productivity With Orcas, developers will be able to deliver convincing applications furnished with new technologies to their customers. Orcas enables developers to effortlessly incorporate Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) features into the existing and new Windows based applications. Orcas offers improvements for the developers in following ways + Increase number of features delivered in the Integrated Chips. Orcas adopts Windows Presentation Foundation and enables developers to build "rich experience" applications quickly and easily. The term "Rich experience" means satisfying users with good visual appearance and interactive feedback.
Increase the effectiveness of UI
Orcas supports common formats such as Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML), which gives the designers more control over User Interface (UI) layout and controls. XAML allows the work flow where the designer and developer can work together in parallel. While the Designers create the user interfaces, the developers can write application Logic for that UI. Later the UI and Logic files can be integrated effortlessly. Targeting different .NET Framework platforms
Orcas provides a tool set to target the desired platform there by allowing developers to build applications targeting different .NET Framework platforms.
Create Microsoft Office Applications Orcas is integrated with Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO) which allows developers to customize the members of Office family Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, Visio, and Project meeting the end user requirements and to leverage the advantage of the improvements in the 2007 Microsoft Office system.
Handle Data More Smoothly
Orcas improves the way the developers handle data. Orcas introduces Language Integrated Query (LINQ) where the developers will be able to write queries natively in C# or Visual Basic without having to use specialized languages, such as Structured Query Language (SQL). The Occasionally connected data access feature of Orcas provides users with the ability to synchronize data with the main database when required.
Enable New Web Experience
Orcas offers a robust, end-to-end platform for building, hosting and exposing applications over the Web. Apart from the secure, reliable & extensible infrastructure of IIS, developers can easily create Web applications with more interactive, more responsive and more efficient client-side execution using ASP.NET AJAX and via Internet Explorer browser plugins.
Application Life Cycle
Management (ALM) Application Life Cycle Management (ALM) is the process of delivering software in continuous repeating steps. It includes Requirement, Design, Development, Testing, Development and Support. ALM is a key aspect in the building and long-term support of various applications. This feature of Orcas not only helps in managing the entire software development life cycle but also allows interaction with the final end users and managers of an enterprise application. Capabilities of Orcas includes
Unit Testing
Orcas has an interface where developers can perform unit testing of the developing application.
Load Testing
Orcas provides a Load testing interface and a multi machine graph view allowing the user to view test results and the performance of all the machines under test simultaneously. Performance Tuning A new feature in Orcas is the ability to drive system performance tuning which enables developers to run profiling during tests, so that they can run, load and test procedures against a system and see how it behaves. Engaging Latest Technologies With the arrival of Orcas, Windows Vista and 2007 Office System, the developers could deliver a safe, robust and obliging User experience applications regardless of project complexity.
When Orcas?
The complete version of Orcas (Microsoft Visual Studio 2008) will be available by the end of year 2007. To get a feel of the numerous features of Orcas, the Beta 2 version is available at the following location.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=36b6609e-6f3d-40f4-8c7d-ad111679d8dc&displaylang=en