Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated
development environment (IDE) from Microsoft. It is used to develop console and graphical
user interface applications along with Windows Forms or WPF applications, web sites, web applications, and web services in both native code together with managed code for all platforms supported by Microsoft Windows, Windows Mobile, Windows CE, .NET Framework, .NET Compact Framework and Microsoft Silverlight.
Visual Studio is a complete set of development tools for building
ASP.NET Web applications, desktop applications , XML Web Services, and mobile
applications. Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual C#, and Visual J# all use the
same integrated development environment (IDE), which allows them to share tools
and facilitates in the creation of mixed-language solutions. In addition, these
languages leverage the functionality of the .NET Framework, which provides
access to key technologies that simplify the development of ASP Web applications
and XML Web Services.
Visual Studio includes a code editor supporting IntelliSense as well as code refactoring. The integrated debugger works both as a source-level
debugger and a machine-level debugger. Other built-in tools include a forms
designer for building GUI applications, web designer, class designer, and database schema designer.
Microsoft provides "Express" editions of its Visual Studio
2010 components Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual C++, and Visual Web Developer
at no cost. Visual Studio 2012, 2010, 2008 and 2005 Professional Editions,
along with language-specific versions (Visual Basic, C++, C#, J#) of Visual
Studio Express 2010 are available for free to students.
Windows Forms Designer
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| Window Form Designer |
The Windows Forms designer is used to build GUI (Graphical User Interface) applications
using Windows Forms. Layout can be controlled by housing
the controls inside other containers or locking them to the side of the form.
Controls that display data (like textbox, list box, grid view, etc.) can
be bound to data sources like databases or queries. Data-bound controls can be created by
dragging items from the Data Sources window onto a design surface. The UI
(User Interface) is linked with code using an event-driven
programming model. The
designer generates either C# or VB.NET code for the application.
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| WPF Designer |
WPF Designer
The WPF designer, codenamed Cider, was introduced with Visual
Studio 2008. Like the Windows Forms designer it supports the drag and drop
metaphor. It is used to authoruser interfaces targeting Windows
Presentation Foundation. It supports all WPF functionality including data binding and automatic layout management. It generates XAML code for the
UI. The generated XAML (Extensible Application Markup Language) file
is compatible with Microsoft
Expression Design, the
designer-oriented product. The XAML code is linked with code using a code-behind model.
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| Web Form Designer |
Web designer/development
Visual Studio also includes a web-site editor and
designer that allows web pages to be authored by dragging and dropping widgets.
It is used for developing ASP.NET applications and supports HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
It uses a code-behind model to link with ASP.NET
code. From Visual Studio 2008 onwards, the layout engine used by the web designer
is shared with Microsoft Expression Web. There is also ASP.NET MVC support
for MVC technology as a separate
download and ASP.NET Dynamic Data project available from
Microsoft
Class designer
The Class Designer is used to author and edit the classes (including its
members and their access) using UML modeling. The Class Designer can
generate C# and VB.NET code outlines for the classes and methods. It can also generate
class diagrams from hand-written classes.
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| Data Designer |
Data designer
The data designer can be used to graphically edit database schemas, including typed tables, primary and foreign keys and constraints. It
can also be used to design queries from the graphical view.
Mapping designer
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| Mapping |
From Visual Studio 2008 onwards, the mapping designer is used by LINQ to
SQL to design
the mapping between database schemas and the classes that encapsulate the data. The new solution from ORM approach, ADO.NET
Entity Framework, replaces and
improves the old technology.
Open Tabs Browser
The open tabs browser is used to list all open tabs and to switch between
them. It is invoked using CTRL+TAB.
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| Properties Explorer |
Properties Explorer
The Properties Editor tool is used to edit properties in a GUI
pane inside Visual Studio. It lists all available properties (both read-only
and those which can be set) for all objects including classes, forms, web pages and other items.
Object Browser
The Object Browser is a namespace and class library browser for Microsoft .NET. It can be used to browse the namespaces (which are arranged hierarchically)
in managed assemblies. The hierarchy may or may not reflect the organization in the file system.
Solution Explorer
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| Solution Explorer |
In Visual Studio parlance, a solution is a set of code files and other
resources that are used to build an application. The files in a solution are
arranged hierarchically, which might or might not reflect the organization in
the file system. The Solution Explorer is used to manage and browse
the files in a solution.
Data Explorer
Data Explorer is used to manage databases on Microsoft SQL Server instances. It allows creation and alteration of database tables (either by issuing T-SQL commands or by using the Data designer). It can also be used to create queries and stored procedures, with the latter in either T-SQL or in managed code via SQL CLR. Debugging and IntelliSense support is available as well.
Server Explorer
The Server Explorer tool is used to manage database connections on an accessible computer. It is also used to browse runningWindows Services, performance counters, Windows Event Log and message queues and use them as a datasource.
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| Team Explorer |
Team Explorer
Team Explorer is used to integrate the capabilities of Team Foundation Server, the Revision Control System into the IDE (and the basis for
Microsoft's CodePlex hosting environment for open
source projects). In addition to source control it provides the ability to view
and manage individual work items (including bugs, tasks and other documents)
and to browse TFS statistics. It is included as part of a TFS
install and is also available as a download for Visual Studio separately Team
Explorer is also available as a stand-alone environment solely to access TFS
services.
