What development tool should I use to code in F#? - visual-studio

I got started with F# back in the day (before VS2010 beta); at the time, if I remember correctly, there was not an Express version of F#, but one could use the VS Shell (I think that was the name) and then install F# on top of it.
What's the current state of affairs? I've read out there that there's no 2010 Express version of F#; is there a 2010 Shell that one can download and install F# latest on top of? If not, what's the best way (if any) to code in F# 2010 for free?
I'm aware that asking for free stuff is A LOT to ask for. But this was possible in VS2008 and I'm wondering if it's also possible in VS2010.
Thanks!
PS - I believe (not sure though) that VS2010 beta can be downloaded for free; the problem with that is that when the final release comes out, one will have to pay for a license. For a guy who codes for fun like myself it doesn't make much sense to buy the full version if I can get the very basic features for free...

See
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/734525/getting-started-with-f
Basically right now you can use the free VS2008 integrated shell along with the F# CTP, or use the VS2010RC (which is free as a Beta).
(I don't know if there is a VS2010 shell published yet, and I don't know if the F# CTP works with it; for the moment, your best long-term-free strategy is to use 2008.)

I think you can also use SharpDevelop with F#:
http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SD/Features.aspx

If you mean visual F# the best tool is Visual Studio 2010 RC:
Check out these links :
Creating Your First F# Program with Visual Studio
Using Visual F# to Create, Debug, and Deploy an Application
**[Update]**Check out this link too:Features of the Visual Studio 2010 Release of Visual F#

Related

Uninstall F# from VS 2015

I have recently installed Visual Studio 2015 (Enterprise), and although I only selected C++ from the programming languages list, it has also installed F#. A language I have never used and will not use, simply because I'm working with C# and VB currently, and I'm satisfied with the results I get. My plan is moving to C++ after I learn C#, so I have nothing to do with F#. It's only taking up space from my disk and I want to remove it. I've been looking all morning about an easy way to do so, but all I could find was a lot of questions regarding earlier VS releases and somehow managed to successfully remove the F# project templates. But the rest is still there - screenshot:
As you can see I cannot uninstall it via Extensions and Updates, nor I can find it in Programs and Features. I could find some F# SDK and F# for VS stuff in the registry, but I'm not experienced enough with it to find the uninstallers. Any ideas?
Goto Programs and Features in Windows, and select Visual Studio Enterprise 2015 and click Change, when the Setup dialog appears, select Modify then untick the following:

Using Visual Studio with TWL/Nitro SDK

Is there any way I can use Nintendo TWL or Nitro SDK on Visual Studio, along with their IS-NITRO-DEBUGGER? I know there're some workaround, since I heard people using Visual Studio to work on DS/DSi games. I don't want to use CodeWarrior for this.
PS: I have Visual Studio 2010 and 2012 express edition.
It should be pretty easy, I wrote a little wizard that creates projects for use on the devkitPro toolchain (supports the DS among others) that could probably be modified for use with the official devkit. VS 10 is a bit more friendly with this sort of setup but it works on VS12 as well.
http://pern.drunkencoders.com/
The wizard is here and you will have to install it then open and edit the javascript files...no access to the official devkit so can't comment on how much of an undertaking this might be.
You may simply be able to edit the libnds template makefiles to point at the official toolchain and the wizard will just work as is (other than having to create a debug association).
There are also some good debugging tools if the toolchain that is based on gcc that will let you debug directly in visual studio with memory watches and custom viewers.

How to integrate TFS with embedded development

In our company, we have two main development environment. One uses VS2010 for C# and C++ development, the other uses Code Composer from TI (not the newest Eclipse based, and no, I cannot upgrade it right now).
Some of the C++ code is shared between VS solution and the embedded solution.
I'm in the process of upgrading our VSS to TFS, and so far everything is a bliss, but it is going to be a hard sell telling my EE engineers that they need to install VS2010 to perform source control.
I'm installing the TFS 2010 Power Tools right now, but the bad reviews scare me.
So, what's the best way to perform this integration?
You can get the engineers licensed with TFS and then use the explorer to have them check in and out, if Visual Studio scariness is the main issue. The explorer is very lightweight compared to Visual Studio.
As for the power pack, it is an installation on top of VS or the Explorer, unless you are talkinga bout TFPT.exe, which is a command line tool to be able to work with source code. I would not head that way, although engineers might be brainiac enought to love the DOS/UNIX like syntax. :-)

Any reason NOT to upgrade to VS2010? (Besides the cash of course!)

For those with experience of VS2008 and VS2010. Are there any areas in which you prefered 2008? Any annoyances with the upgrade?
Any reasons not to upgrade?
I'm coming at this from a Web Dev point of view.
Thanks
I think it depend principally of how you use VS.
If your goal is to continue to use Windows Form without Linq (some people stay with VB6...), VS 2010 don't seems to be a good investment...
But if you use, or plan to use WPF and co., VS 2010 seems to be a good investment for me !
So, i think it's interesting to ask yourself : "Any reason NOT to upgrade to WPF and Linq ?"
About your the fear of change like Office 2003 -> Office 2007
Yes, me too, i feel "dropped to my grandma's level"...
But i feel like that too with the change Windows Form -> WPF.
It's good for me : it's not with the improvement of the candle the the bulb was invented !
Office 2007 is for me a great improvement for the user interface...
But it's just my point of vue.
The main reason to upgrade to Visual Studio 2010 is the .NET Framework's new version 4.0, and all the accompanying tools you can use.
If you don't need this new version now, you can delay the upgrade: that's a reason.
But sooner or later, because we all know that we can't stay behind, we'll have to step forward... This is why all of us are using Visual Studio 2008 instead of Visual Studio 6.0 and build software for Windows 7 instead of Windows 98...
If you're in a team, one person upgrading forces all of your developers to have to upgrade as the Solution files and Project files will be marked as being 2010 format and VS2008 won't read them. One of our developers checked in a project using a 2010 beta and now we can't work on it as we didn't buy 2010 yet :(
I suggest you get VS2010 Express (when it's around) and experiment with it as far as performance goes. It's not quite the same as the full version, but close enough to spot big problems I should think.

will there be a F# express edition?

I know VS2010 is coming out soon and that usually corresponds to a update of the express versions
does anyone know if they are going to make a separate F# express suite?
From this page:
Don says: Our current plan is not to have a separate express edition, but instead to continue to provide a version of the development tools that can either be used as a standalone command line compiler, or as an add-in, initially to Visual Studio 2008.
UPDATE
Today a new release of F# includes an installer into the VS2010 integrated shell. So you can have a 'free' VS2010 experience of F# now.
You can install Visual Studio 2008 Shell and install F# add-in on top of it (which makes it effectively free). I can't see a need for an express edition.
They say It will come with VS2010:
http://cs.hubfs.net/blogs/f_team/archive/2009/05/20/10398.aspx
The compiler is free (as in beer) so you're only lacking an editor.
Mehrdad is of course correct that the VS shell can be installed for free and then you just install the free F#. And he's correct again that to get both C# Express and VB Express on one machine is two separate installs.
So for the stack-overflow types, really there is no need for F# Express.
But consider a high-school, community-college or university setting. It's easier for the instructor, and easier for all the students to visit one site (the future 2010 Express edition site) and click on install F# Express. One URL for the instructors to document in class handouts, one place to go per student, then one install operation per student. And no instructor or student has to worry "Should I install integrated mode VS shell or isolated mode VS shell?"
Again, there's no issue here for stack-overflow people. And it won't be an issue in the classrooms until instructors want to put F# into their classrooms.
But there is a bit of chicken/egg here. If an F# Express edition exists before there is much demand in the classrooms, that removes a hurdle, which means classroom demand could take off sooner. Maybe a lot sooner.

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