I am new to Visual Studio 2008 Shell (integrated mode), I just want to know what is its function? (I did not find much clearly from the web.)
From http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/bb510103.aspx
looks like it is some interface/framework to allow tools to integrate with VSTS IDE. My question is whether any Microsoft VSTS tools (like databse designer and other tools in VSTS) dependent on VSTS Shell? I am asking this question because it is conflicting with SQL Server 2008, and I want to make sure that if I uninstaill VSTS Shell, it does not impact anything.
thanks in advance,
George
SQL Server 2008 Management Studio using the VS 2008 Shell. (That's why it looks and feels just like Visual Studio).
Visual Studio Shell is an extensibility mechanism provided to use Visual Studio core platform to provide your own tools. It has two modes. In "Isolated Mode," it'll always set up a separate instance of Visual Studio that hosts your tool. In "Integrated Mode," it'll only install a new VS instance if there's no one already available. If one is already there, it'll integrate with it. I don't think removing it causes any problems for a VS installation. It seems to be smart enough to handle it (it might break a third party tool, however).
The shell version means that applications can merge into the shell and be used independently. Isolated mode means that this version only performs one task and is a complete separate application..
See: VS2k8 Shell
A clearly defined difference is here
Related
Im working on a couple of independent Visual Studio extensions in separate solutions. When I open one of them and launch the experimental instance in the debugger, the other extensions from the other solutions (which aren't open) are loaded as well. There must be a way to only launch one extension in the experimental instance at a time (in particular the one you're currently working on), right?
You can actually create as many experimental instances as you like by using different, arbitrary values of the "RootSuffix" parameter (which will create multiple separate base keys in the registry) but I'm not sure how easy it is to configure VSSDK projects (such as VsPackage ones) to publish to a different VS hive. Probably just a property you set inside each project file. Each experimental instance is completely separate.
So you can run "devenv.exe /RootSuffix MyFirstInstance" and "devenv.exe /RootSuffix MySecondInstance" and each will use separate sets of user extensions. This would result in using the registry keys HKCU\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0MyFirstInstance_Config and HKCU\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0MySecondInstance_Config, respectively.
They seem to have removed a lot of the documentation for this feature since VS2005, but it all still seems to work.
Not really. When you build and run the extension project in VS, it is actually deployed to the experimental instance of VS, but they're not uninstalled when you finish debugging/running.
Your best bet is to use the script to reset the experiment instance that is provided with the VS SDK. Unfortunately you'll have to do this every time you switch between your solutions.
Look in the start menu for:
Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 SDK\Tools\Reset the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Experimental instance.lnk
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#
I have been using Visual Studio Express versions. I used to use the full Pro VS 2005. I can't figure out what I am missing with the Express version. What benefits will I get if I buy the full version of VS?
Here you go. This link is vs2005 specific rather than the more-recent 2008, but that's the version you asked about.
Some highlights:
No Mobile Device support
No Object Test Bench
No Extensions
No built-in source control support (they should really change this)
No remote debugging
No Office Development support
No 64-bit compiler support
No Visual Studio Package support
No profiler
No SQL Server debugging integration
Limited deployment options
This list is actually quite lengthy, but with the notable exception of source control they are mostly things you might be able to do without as a single developer, if you really have to. Even the source control can be handled by a file-system-only tool like Tortoise.
Obviously if you're building something like a smart phone app or VS extension it's a non-starter, so you'll need to evaluate what you're really doing. Some of the other missing features like object test bench or the profiler can be partially replaced by third-party tools.
Here's a link to a downloadable Visual Studio 2008 Product Comparison Guide from Microsoft.
The full version of Visual studio supports some extra features and tools.
One of the big differences is more debugging options (You can specify break conditions for debugging, unlike the express version). That feature alone is probably worth it.
You can also install 3rd party addons to add extra featues.
No Resharper.
also, you can add addins like VisualSVN and Resharper into pro. You can't into express.
Matze might be right - MS needs the money - 5K people layed off today, and only 4.7b profit! :(
Depends on what you do. Look at the product matrix to see what features you gain with higher SKUs. Testing, Smart Devices, etc may or may not be relevant for you.
This really just requires a bit of Googling.
You can view a comparison of the paid versions here and an overview of the Express versions here
Have a look at this:
http://blogshare.members.winisp.net/docs/VisualStudio2008-ProductComparison-v1.02-Revisions.xps
If you are doign any sort of professional development with Visual Studio you should buy the Standard edition at a bare minimum. Without it you will loose Source Control integration which IMHO is vital absolute must no questions asked must have for professional development.
I used VS2003 for a while, and am currently using VS2008 C# Express.
Personally, I miss the ability to set a conditional breakpoint instead of simply breaking when a line is hit, and the Threads window.
Support for code version systems is a feature that is real essential.
And Microsoft needs your money to go on implementing new, hot stuff.
Our company is considering using the Visual Studio Shell for one of our products.
Does anyone have any experience using it? Was it easy to work with? Did it save time? Are there any things that you weren't able to get it to do? Have you shipped anything with it?
A couple of points regarding the Isolated shell.
As you might know, there are two considerations when you use shell - Isolated Mode and Integrated Mode. (Read more from MSDN)
Isolated Shell can be used by organizations, to build applications that run side by side with other editions of Visual Studio.
Here are some points we learned,
trying to use shell for some of our
applications.
If you are planning to use Isolated
shell, you can't use Microsoft
Language Packages like C# and VB.NET
inside that.
Creating a package for your shell is
much like creating any other VS
Package.
You don't have support for Team
Explorer and VS Built in Source
Control access, in Isolated Shell
(See this post from Vin)
Though not directly related - If you are using VS SDK 1.1 to develop your packages - remember that the managed package framework is no longer available with the default distribution. So don't get surprised if your old packages can't load MPF files after moving to SDK 1.1. It has got moved to Codeplex as a separate download.
I played around a bit with it a couple of weeks ago, like every thing there is going to be a learn curve but if you study the examples a bit and have a look at a project on codeplex called Storyboard designer. I'm sure that you could pick it up, I found it very hard to find other examples on the net but I wasn't looking very hard.
I would say if you think that the shell can give you want you need I would go for it, it is a very handy interface to work with and if your targeting developers it is also a common interface for them, so it will feel natural.
I typically use Visual Studio Community on my PC for developing business intelligence solutions (databases, SSIS, SSAS, SSRS), then deploying to the server. A few weeks ago my managers requested we put Visual Studio on a server so that other developers and consultants could connect to the server and access Visual Studio.
Ultimately I installed SQL Server Data Tools (14.0.61021.0), which automatically installed Visual Studio Shell 2015. After installation, I launched Visual Studio Shell and tried doing some of the things I am used to doing in Community edition. I was able to do pretty much anything I was used to doing for BI Development.
Visual Studio Shell 2015:
Solution files with BI projects...
SSIS
Installing extensions & add-ons...
ANKHSVN for version control with SVN server
Visual Studio 2015 Color Theme Editor
Project deployment
I am developing an Isolated Shell that caters to "designers/special content creators" performing specific tasks, using the Shell. As they operate on files, they need to be able to use TFS for source control. This is mainly due to the fact that Developers will also operate on the same files from TFS but using Visual studio 2008.
After looking and searching I still could not find Team Explorer to be available to Shell.
Asking on MSDN forums, lead me to the answer that "this is not supported yet in the Isolated Shell". Well, then the whole point of giving away a shell is not justified, if you want to use a source control system for your files. The idea is not to recreate everything and develop tool windows etc using the TFS provider API.
The Visual Studio Extensibility book by Keyven Nayyeri has an example, which only goes so far into this problem of adding a sc provider.
Has anyone worked on developing Visual Studio 2008 Isolated Shell applications/environment? Please provide comments, questions - anything that you have to share apart from the following threads, which I've already participated in.
Threads from MSDN forums:
Team Explorer for Isolated Shell
Is it possible to use Team Explorer in VS Shell Isolated?
Thanks for your answer. Yes you are right, we will acquire CALs for users without having to buy them Visual Studio, that's the direction we will be taking.
But I am yet to figure out how to make Team Explorer available to such users, inside Shell. So I am looking to find out the technical details of how that can be done.
I mean, I have a user, he installs my VS Shell application, he has no VStudio Team system on his machine. Now if I acquire CAL for TFS and install Team Explorer, do you think it will be automatically available in the VS Shell app?
Any ideas? have you worked on making this happen?
Thanks
It sounds like you are trying to allow the "special content creators" save files in TFS Source Control without having to buy them a license to a Visual Studio Team Edition -- correct me if I'm wrong.
If that's the case, unfortunately I believe that you can't quite do that. Your users still need a Client Access License ("CAL") to access TFS.
I think that you can acquire just CALs for your users without having to buy Visual Studio for them (I presume for less than a full blown Visual Studio would cost). At that point, you can just distribute to them the Team Explorer, which is a VS shell with nothing but TFS access components. That is available in your TFS server media.
I found this via Google. You might want to review it to decide your best options:
Visual Studio Team System 2008 Licensing White Paper
The only exception to the CAL rules I'm aware of is access to Work Items. Assuming properly licensed servers, anyone in your organization can create new Work Items or view and update existing ones created by them, using the Work Item Web Access component.
Just stumbled on this question, it might still be relevant to you.
You have the option of including the AnkhSVN (http://ankhsvn.open.collab.net/) packages and load it into your Isolated Shell. While there are some issues around it, with Subversion support, you could use SvnBridge to access TFS repositories. This might bring you a little bit closer to the process you are trying to achieve.