Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Enterprise Architect 2003

Microsoft's .NET tools are very different from their predecessors. Visual C++ can still compile standard Windows executables, but the other languages all target the .NET Framework, a runtime engine and class library that manages memory and enforces security. Framework applications perform well, since they are compiled to native code at runtime, but there is an overhead in terms of memory usage and the Framework runtime must be installed. In compensation, .NET brings many advantages. All the languages are fully object-oriented, the class library is rich, and XML support is fully integrated. ASP.NET is for web applications, and represents a large advance on the old ASP. Instead of script, ASP.NET supports any of the .NET languages, running on the server and just-in-time compiled to native code. There is a visual web page designer, and carefully designed applications support a wide range of browsers. New in this version of Visual Studio is Mobile Web Forms, which use adaptive rendering to support the browsers in mobile phones and PDAs. The database technology in Visual Studio is called ADO.NET, and uses a disconnected model that is ideal for laptops, smart devices, and wide area networks.

Visual Studio .NET Enterprise Architect 2003 is the top of the range. It's the only version to include Visio, a drawing and modelling tool with integrated reverse-engineering and code-generation, though sadly not full round-tripping. There are also developer licenses for the key Microsoft server platforms, including Windows Server 2003, Exchange 2000 Server, Biztalk Server and SQL Server 2000. Another key component is the Visual SourceSafe code management system, which is especially important for team development, Application Center Test, for stress-testing web applications, and Enterprise Templates which let architects design and deploy best practices for project development. For those wondering whether to make the jump to .NET, this release is probably the right moment to go ahead. The technology is maturing, and the inclusion of the Compact Framework makes the package more compelling. The deep XML support on offer is essential for many enterprise applications and enables integration with other platforms. It's still important to note the heavy system requirements, and that .NET applications do not run on Windows 95. In most cases, the higher productivity of .NET languages soon pays for any additional resources. --Tim Anderson, Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com Product Description
Visual Studio .NET 2003 provides developers with comprehensive tools for designing and building distributed applications for Microsoft Windows, the Web, and mobile devices. Visual Studio .NET 2003 Enterprise Architect (VSEA) builds on the power of Visual Studio .NET 2003 Enterprise Developer by including additional capabilities for designing, specifying, and communicating application architecture, development best practices, and application functionality.

Use Microsoft Visio-based Unified Modeling Language (UML) to specify and communicate application architecture and functionality. Generate skeleton code to create starting implementations, and use reverse-engineering capabilities to document existing implementations in all Visual Studio .NET programming languages. Capture business requirements easily with Visio-based conceptual modeling. Full roundtrip engineering with logical and physical data models enable communication from the business analyst to the database designer.

Senior developers and architects can customize Enterprise Template projects to provide application starting points for less-experienced developers, increasing development team productivity. Build reusable components to simplify common programming tasks. Use Enterprise Instrumentation Framework components to simplify application manageability and instrumentation. And use the .NET Framework and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 to develop distributed applications with improved deployment capabilities, security, reliability, and performance.

This version of Visual Studio includes: Visual Basic.NET 2003, Visual C++.NET 2003, Visual C#.NET 2003, and Visual J#.NET 2003. Having access to all of the .NET languages means that you have the ability to code in whichever language is most appropriate to your project.

A few language enhancements have also been included in this version. One of the most useful is the ability to declare a variable inside a loop using VB.NET 2003. For example:

For each var1 as string in varArray
'Do action
Next

Microsoft also bundles a handful of useful utilities with this package. These utilities will enable you to monitor your applications, benchmark web services, obfuscate your code, and much more.

.NET has a slightly different syntax than earlier versions of the languages (ie version 6), so if you are new to .NET a reference book would be handy.

Visual Studio.NET 2003 is worth the upgrade.

If you are a developer using several Microsoft technologies, a MSDN subscription is very helpful. MSDN Universal subscriptions include Visual Studio Enterprise Architect, developer licenses for all Microsoft operating systems, developer licenses for all Microsoft server systems, Microsoft Office Professional Enterprise edition, and more. MSDN subscribers have access to support via managed newsgroups and phone support.