says.
(Click here for a larger view of the editor in Visual Studio 2010)A key element of Visual Studio 2010 (VS 2010) is its support for .NET Framework 4.0, a major update to the previous
.NET Framework 3.5 that includes an improved CLR (common language runtime). Among other enhancements, .NET Framework 4.0 provides core support for building parallel applications that utilize two, four, or more processor cores, and the
PLINQ (parallel language integrated query) language.
According to Microsoft, VS 2010 also adds support for the company's cloud-based Azure platform, new web development tools that include an "IntelliSense" JavaScript engine, wizard-based support for ASP.NET websites, and tools to build content using Silverlight 2 multimedia technology. The company adds that VS 2010's editor has been rebuilt with a shell and user interface using WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) 4.0. Compatible with third-party add-ins, the editor is said to include new features such as the "Document Map Margin," providing a graphical view of source files that offers information such as layout, code coverage, symbol highlights, and comments.
Other new functionality in VS 2010 highlighted by Microsoft includes the following:
- Tools for Windows 7 application development
- Support for creating Microsoft Office client applications that span both 32- and 64-bit versions
- Support for databases that include not only Microsoft's own SQL Server, but also Oracle and IBM DB2
- Enhanced support for ALM (application lifecycle management) through Visual Studio Team System 2010
- Enhanced development of Microsoft Sharepoint applications
In a
blog entry announcing the download, S. "Soma" Somasegar, corporate VP of Microsoft's developer division, says, "We have more work to do in terms of finishing up the feature work for some of the scenarios and getting to the right levels of quality and performance, but we have made enough progress that we wanted to start getting your feedback."
Indeed, Microsoft has continued to refine the performance of VS 2010 right up to the release of Beta 1. Last week, for example, according to
another blog post, the company eliminated triangles from the outlining mode of VS 2010's editor.
AvailabilityFurther information on Microsoft's Visual Studio 2010, including how to download Beta 1, is available from the company's website,
here.
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