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        Microsoft unleashes Visual Studio 2010 release candidate

        Jonathan Angel | Date: Feb 9, 2010 | Comments: 1


        Microsoft says the release candidate version of its Visual Studio 2010 will be downloadable tomorrow, including .NET Framework 4.0. This "major renovation" of the C++ IDE (integrated development environment) now adds support for parallel computing, cloud and web services, and a redesigned editor, the company says.

        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.


        Microsoft's Visual Studio 2010
        (Click to enlarge)

        Microsoft says VS 2010 -- released in Beta 1 form in May 2009, and Beta 2 form last November -- also adds support for the company's cloud-based Azure platform, plus new web development tools that include: an "IntelliSense" JavaScript engine; wizard-based support for ASP.NET websites; and tools to build content using Silverlight multimedia technology.

        VS 2010's editor has been rebuilt with a shell and user interface using WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) 4.0, according to Microsoft. 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 RC download, S. "Soma" Somasegar, corporate VP of Microsoft's developer division, says, "The goal of this RC is to get more feedback from you and ensure weve addressed the performance issues in the product. We have made significant performance improvements specifically as it relates to loading solutions, typing, building and debugging. "

        According to Somasegar, the RC includes a "go live" license for people who want to deploy the product in their production environments. Previously, Beta 2 added "integrated tooling for SharePoint, including project templates and debugging support, and runtime and tooling support for developing great Windows 7 applications."

        Other improvements since Beta 1 have included a greatly reduced download size for .NET Framework 4.0, sharper text thanks to a better text rendering stack, new Azure tools, and enhanced support for Silverlight, says Microsoft.

        In a separate blog post, Jason Zander, general manager of the Visual Studio team at Microsoft, said, "In addition to taking any final feedback from you, we are working closely with third-party companies that have popular Visual Studio add-ins (such as Resharper, CodeRush, Whole Tomato, etc) to make sure the environment works well. Weve still got more work to do here but are making great progress."

        Availability

        According to Microsoft, MSDN subscribers can download the Visual Studio 2010 RC immediately, here. General availability will follow tomorrow, Feb. 10, the company adds.

        A 25-minute video featuring Jason Zander demonstrating improvements in the Visual Studio 2010 RC, running on "quite a modest PC," may be found on the Microsoft website, here.


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