Microsoft’s Development Tools

Posted under Software by Rob

Microsoft has continued to enhance their “Express” development tools.A few years back, while developing a workflow project, I had the need for SQL server on my laptop. Rather than go through the paper maze of doom that most corporations throw up to thwart anyone who might try to spend some precious corporate coin, I tried the express version.

The tool worked installed easily, worked great, and had better administration tools than paid for versions of SQL Server.

With their new tools for 2008, you can get the latest and greatest versions of Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, C# , C++ or Visual Basic.

This is most helpful for consultants or any business who needs to stay current with their toolsets, but doesn’t feel like spending their dollars on costly upgrades.

They also offer an interesting tool called PopFly.  It seems to be the new web development tool for the Facebook generation. You can create little applications – called gadgets or mashups – that you can then add to your web site.

While all these new tools make web development even easier, it does tend to make people believe that developing anything that is on the web is equally easy, and that if their 15 year old can make a Facebook page in a day, well that inventory control application should be about the same.

It’s not always easy to explain the finer nuances of software development in this fast paced, ever changing culture. But at least Microsoft is making it a bit easier on developers to get the latest tools. And anything that lets you avoid the purchasing paper maze has got to be a good thing.