Visual Studio 2008 Product Comparison

April 2008, Version 1.08

The following product comparison is for illustrative purposes only.

For more information, see What's New in Visual Studio 2008.

• General
• Basic Tools
• Data-Related Tools
• Platform Tools
• Advanced Tools
• Item Templates

General

Languages Visual Studio provides several programming languages for software development

Feature Area JScript 8.0 is an open implementation of JavaScript for creating active online content for the Web (What's New in JScript 8.0) ♦       ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Visual Basic 2008 is an evolution of the Visual Basic language that is engineered for productively building type-safe and object-oriented applications (What's New in Visual Basic 2008) ♦ ♦     ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Visual C# 2008 brings the expressiveness and elegance of C-style languages to enable rapid application development for the .NET Framework (What's New in Visual C# 2008) ♦   ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Visual C++ 2008 provides a powerful and flexible development environment for creating Microsoft Windows–based and Microsoft .NET–based applications (What's New in Visual C++ 2008)       ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Project System Use the Project System to manage items required by your development effort, such as references, data connections, folders, and files

Feature Area Auto-Convert Projects enables you to easily move projects based on the .NET 2.0 Framework to .NET Framework 3.5   ♦ ♦                 Multitargeting Support enables you to target your code to a specific version of the .NET Framework ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Service Reference adds references to Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) services ♦ ♦ ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Solution Explorer provides an organized view of a solution's projects and files ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Solutions can contain multiple projects that you can open, close, and save together ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Upgrade Wizard enables you to open a Visual Basic 6.0 project in Visual Basic 2008 and step through the upgrade process   ♦     ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Visual Studio Conversion Wizard enables you to convert a solution or project to the project file format that is used by this version of Visual Studio ♦     ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Web References enable you to use objects and methods provided by a Web service in your code ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Extensibility Visual Studio is a highly-extensible and automatable integrated development environment

Feature Area Add-Ins enable you to create Visual Studio add-ins to extend or automate the functionality of Visual Studio         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Macros and Macros IDE enable you to create, manipulate, edit, and run macros to automate Visual Studio using Visual Studio’s automation model         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Visual Studio Add-in project template for creating an Add-in loadable into both the Visual Studio and the Visual Studio Macros IDE         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ VSPackages enable you to create software modules for extending Visual Studio with UI elements, services, projects, editors, and designers         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Wizards enable you to extend or automate the functionality of Visual Studio using programs that lead a user through a series of actions to accomplish a complex, repetitive, or difficult task         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

External Tools Visual Studio includes a number of core external tools to aid in developing and debugging your applications

Feature Area .NET Framework Tools make it easier for you to create, deploy, and manage applications and components that target the .NET Framework (see .NET Framework Tools) ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ATL/MFC Trace Tool displays debug trace messages in the ATL and MFC sources         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Create GUID generates a GUID based on specified criteria         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Dotfuscator Community Edition enables you to protect your managed application from reverse engineering         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Error Lookup retrieves a system error message or module error message based on the value entered         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ External Tools dialog box enables you to add tools to the Tools menu, which you can then launch from within Visual Studio ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Source Control Integration enables two options: source control solution based on the Source Control Plug-in API (formerly known as the MSSCCI API), or a source control VSPackage         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Spy++ provides a graphical view of the processes, threads, windows, and window messages of a system         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Team Explorer Integration enables you to install Team Explorer for use with Team Foundation Server, which also requires a Team Foundation Server CAL         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Team Foundation Server CAL included for accessing Team Foundation Server             ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Team Foundation Server Workgroup Edition included when purchasing Visual Studio Team System Editions with an MSDN Premium Subscription             ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Visual Studio Command Prompt opens a command prompt and sets the environment for using Visual Studio 2008 command-line tools       ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Visual Studio 2008 Image Library is a collection of over 1,800 application images and videos you can use to create applications that look visually consistent with Microsoft software         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Environment Options The many settings available enable you customize Visual Studio to better match your development style

Feature Area Add-Ins/Macro Security options enable you to define security settings for running add-ins and macros in Visual Studio         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ AutoRecover options enable you to specify whether or not files are automatically saved periodically while they are open, and whether restore modified files if Visual Studio shuts down unexpectedly ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Documents options to control the display of documents in Visual Studio and manage external changes to documents and files ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Filtered Options enables you to simplify the options available to a subset of those available ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦               Fonts and Colors options enables you to establish a custom font and color scheme for various user interface elements in Visual Studio, including syntax-specific fonts and colors ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ General options enable you to specify some basic IDE options, such as document UI, application animations, and file associations ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Import and Export Settings Wizard enables you to to export settings, import settings, or overwrite your settings by using a predefined settings collection ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ International Settings options enable you to change the default language when you have more than one language version of Visual Studio installed ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Visual Studio Settings enable you to choose from a number of predefined IDE settings         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Web Browser options enable you to sets options for both the internal Web browser and Internet Explorer ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

	Setup Experience Visual Studio Setup provides a consolidated setup experience
	Feature Area Express Setup provides the most streamlined setup experience with a lightweight download and the fewest decisions to make during setup ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦               Full Setup provides the most control over which components to install during setup           ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Simplified Setup provides some customization over which components to install during setup         ♦

Help System Visual Studio uses MSDN Library for integrated and comprehensive documentation

Feature Area Document Explorer provides a way of interacting with the help topics that are written for various products and technologies ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Dynamic Help window automatically displays links to Help, training, and other topics, based on the context of what you are doing in Visual Studio ♦     ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ MSDN Express Library is an abridged version of the MSDN Library that is specially tailored for the Visual Studio Express products ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦             MSDN Library is an essential resource for developers using Microsoft tools, products, and technologies (available as a separate download, but not included with Express or Standard editions) ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ MSDN Library Online provides online access to MSDN Library content ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

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Basic Tools

Code Editing Tools The ability to write and modify text and code is a core function of Visual Studio 2008

Feature Area Auto Using to detect when your code is missing a using statement to qualify a data type ♦   ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Bookmark window to display and navigate to bookmarks in your code ♦     ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Bookmarks enable you to mark lines of code and navigate to them ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Class Designer provides a visual design surface called a class diagram that you can use to work with classes and other types in a project         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Class View displays the symbols defined, referenced, or called in the application you are developing ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Code Colorization colorizes code tokens and constructs so they are easier to scan and read ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Code Definition window is a read-only editor view that displays the definition of a symbol in a code file stored in, or referenced by, the active project       ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Code Snippets Manager to add folders to the folder list that the Code Snippet Picker scans for XML .snippet files ♦ ♦ ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Code Snippets provide a way for you to insert ready-made snippets of code into your projects ♦ ♦ ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Document Outline window provides an outline view of elements and scripts in the current document ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Find All References enables you to find every line of code that references a particular class or member ♦ ♦ ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Generate Method Stub is an IntelliSense Automatic Code Generation feature that provides an easy way to create a new method declaration when writing a method call ♦   ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Feature Area IntelliSense accelerated development by making language references easy to access and use ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Metadata as Source enables you to view metadata that appears as C# source code in a read-only buffer ♦   ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Object Browser enables you to explore available objects and their members ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Organize Usings enables you to sort using statements and remove unused usings ♦   ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Properties window enables you to view and change the design-time properties and events of selected objects that are located in editors, designers, and other tools windows ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Property Manager enables you to modify project settings that are defined in property sheets       ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Resource Editors are specialized environments for creating, modifying, and previewing resources included in a Visual Studio project       ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Source Code and Markup Formatting enables the text editor to format source code and markup on a per language basis ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Surround-With Code Snippets enable you to wrap selected lines of code a code snippet ♦   ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Tag Navigator represents the element that is currently selected in the document and the hierarchy of parent tags to which it belongs ♦       ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Task List window helps you create and manage a list of programming tasks ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Feature Area Toolbox displays icons for items that you can add to the various design surfaces in Visual Studio ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Refactoring Tools Refactoring tools help you improve your code after it has been written by changing the internal structure of your code without changing its external behavior

Feature Area Encapsulate Field refactoring enables you to quickly create a property from an existing field, and then seamlessly update your code with references to the new property         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Extract Interface refactoring provides an easy way to create a new interface with members that originate from an existing class, struct, or interface         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Extract Method refactoring provides an easy way to create a new method from a code fragment in an existing member ♦   ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Promote Local Variable to Parameter refactoring provides an easy way to move a variable from a local usage to a method, indexer, or constructor parameter while updating the call sites correctly         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Remove Parameters refactoring provides an easy way to remove parameters from methods, indexers, or delegates         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Rename refactoring provides an easy way to rename identifiers for code symbols such as fields, local variables, methods, namespaces, properties, and types ♦ ♦ ♦   ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Reorder Parameters refactoring provides an easy way to change the order of the parameters for methods, indexers, and delegates         ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦