In the life of a computer programmer, it’s all about the tools available. Microsoft now makes programming in the Windows environment almost as easy as authoring websites. Microsoft is offering to the public five of their most popular programming environments. There is an obvious ulterior motive for this give-away, but does it really matter what Microsoft’s motivations are, we are talking about free tools here.
The thought process behind the complimentary software development tools released by Microsoft is an attempt to ensure that creating software in the Windows environment is simple and accessible by many programmers. The hope is that software developers will use these tools to create software which is dependant upon the Windows Operating System. Personally, I do not see anything wrong with that course of action and it appears that everybody wins in this situation.
Although these programming tools are “Express” editions they still offer a wide array of programming possibilities. There are however, full versions of these programming tools available but they are expensive and if you are just testing the waters of programming, then this would be a great way to start without the investment involved with purchasing the full blown versions.
The available software is broken down into corresponding programming languages. The first programming language available is “Visual Basic Express Edition”. For all intensive purposes this is probably the easiest language to learn and is a large part of programming in the Windows environment.
About five years ago Microsoft parted ways with the JAVA programming language. It appears that Microsoft felt as though Sun Microsystems was becoming competitive in their market and starting to really find a foothold in the programming industry. This was do in large part to the JAVA programming language’s cross platform compatibility. Microsoft countered Sun with their own version of the JAVA language known as J #, pronounced, “J Sharp.” It is now offered as a free development tool in an Express version as well.
The next offering from Microsoft is the C++ programming language. The C++ programming language is considered by many to be the most difficult programming language to learn. However, Microsoft has created a simple environment which allows even the most novice programmer to create great programs.
C# which is pronounced “C Sharp” is another graphical interface environment which assists programmers with the ability to create Windows based programs. C# is a programming language which is a sort of hybrid between JAVA and C. It offers all of the versatility of JAVA while retaining the power of the C programming language.
The final package is actually a Web Development environment. This package allows you to develop dynamic websites and online applications. It has a graphical user interface which makes it as simple as any WYSIWYG, (What You See Is What You Get) editor. Examples of these programs include, Macromedia Dreamweaver and Microsoft FrontPage.
All of these programming utilities utilize the “Intellisense” technology. As you type in your code, Intellisense will detect specific actions, or pieces of code, and it will create a popup menu which presents the programmers with certain pre-defined commands they can choose from to complete the code. These tools make creating attractive functional programs simple by eliminating the burden of creating interactive elements and letting the developer concentrate on the nuts and bolts of their application programs.
All of these developer tools are dependant upon the Microsoft .Net technology and will not work without it. However, the .Net Framework is present on every Windows XP and Windows Vista platform. These software packages are available for immediate download from the MSDN website. Once you have installed them and run them for the first time, you will be prompted to complete the free registration process.
Even if you are not interested in developing software, you can simply use these utilities to enhance your own Windows machine by creating and personalizing your own applications. Those wishing to learn how to program will most certainly benefit form these tools.
Sources:
Microsoft Beginner Developer Learning Center
Microsoft Visual Studio Express – Includes all Tools
