Visual Studio 2005 or Visual Web Developer ?

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Bit Byte

I am new to web development - but I am confused with the 2 (largely
incompatable) development choices available.

I dont really want to invest time learning one, only to have iit
abandoned by MS further down the line, or to discover later that it was
the "poorer cousin". Which platform should I invest my time in learning
and why ?
 
re:
largely incompatable
Click to expand...

I don't know what gives you that idea.

Visual Web Developer is embedded in Visual Studio,
and is the identical same program, standalone or embedded.

The differences are that Visual Studio has quite a few features which VWD doesn't have,
that Visual Studio can be used to develop Windows programs and not just web apps,
and that add-ins don't work with VWD.

There's a list of features for each VS version at :
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/aa700921.aspx




Juan T. Llibre, asp.net MVP
asp.net faq : http://asp.net.do/faq/
foros de asp.net, en español : http://asp.net.do/foros/
===================================
 
I am new to web development - but I am confused with the 2 (largely
incompatable) development choices available.
Click to expand...

Obviously, when you say "largely incompatible", you actually mean "very
similar"...

VWD is merely a free cut-down version of Visual Studio.NET. If you take all
of the "Express" editions of the development suite and add them together,
you (more or less) arrive at the full-blown Visual Studio.NET 2005.
 
Correction:

I need to clarify myself. I'm talking aout the incompatabilities between
Web Application Project Model and Web Site Projects - which model is the
most widely supported (I know they both have pros and cons) - but I
don't really want to invest time with one only to find I picked the
"wrong horse"
 
re:
Web Application Project Model and Web Site Projects
Click to expand...

The VS 2005 WAP model is geared more towards large-scale,
multi-developer, commercial web development.

Web site projects (the VWD model) is suited for small websites/standalone development.

You would not want to attempt to perform large scale
or distributed type development with VWD, anyway.

Your choice, depending on your needs and budget.

If you can afford the cost for VS 2005, buy it.
If your budget is limited, take the free VWD IDE.




Juan T. Llibre, asp.net MVP
asp.net faq : http://asp.net.do/faq/
foros de asp.net, en español : http://asp.net.do/foros/
===================================
 
WAP and WSP has nothing to do with the version of VS, other than I guess you
can not run WAP from VS Express versions.

WSP is the "original" VS 2005 model, and is the only model available in a
clean VS 2005 installation - so for that reason it will be the most widely
supported. But that said there is no more "supported" cons, sins VS 2005 SP1
adds support for WSP.

Are you comming from classic ASP webdevelopment, you would most likely
prefer the WSP, sins it would be very much like you are used too. But are you
coming from VB or are you planing to make large scale websolutions you would
likely prefer the WAP model. Sinse it gives you better control over your web
project, and better options for structuring your projekt in seperated
assemblies - which you can not do i the WSP model.

And here is the link to "Comparing Web Site Projects and Web Application
Projects":
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa730880(VS.80).aspx#wapp_topic5

Hope it helps you!

Best regards
Casper Stendal
www.ecreo.dk
 
I am new to web development - but I am confused with the 2 (largely
incompatable) development choices available.

I dont really want to invest time learning one, only to have iit
abandoned by MS further down the line, or to discover later that it was
the "poorer cousin". Which platform should I invest my time in learning
and why ?
Click to expand...

They're the exact same "platforms"...
If you now one you now the other!
If you have one application written in any one that applcation will be
100% compatible with the other one...
(At least FROM Visual Web TO Visual Studio)

When that's said, buy an MSDN Universal subscription and get
EVERYTHING microsoft ever has created for free... :)
That will definitively be the cheapest long term solution if you're
serious about .Net development!!

..t
 
there's another factor to consider....

Visual Web developer is free, but PIG SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW !

You will waste much time using VWD because of its "click wait", "click wait" response time

If time is money for you, then free is not such a good deal...
 
re:
Visual Web developer is free, but PIG SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW !
Click to expand...

Compared to what ?

I've found that in systems with at least 512MB RAM and decent processor speed, it works fine.
If you have 1GB RAM, it works very fast.

Do you have any test data that shows otherwise ?



Juan T. Llibre, asp.net MVP
asp.net faq : http://asp.net.do/faq/
foros de asp.net, en español : http://asp.net.do/foros/
===================================
 
compared to every other application I use.

personal experience -- search the forums, similar reports abound...
 
re:
personal experience -- search the forums, similar reports abound...
Click to expand...

I've seen a couple of reports like :
"takes a few minutes to open on my work laptop"

....which I consider worthless, since on a test box I have with only
twin PIII 800Mhz processors and 512MB RAM its performance is adequate.

Are you referring to its loading time ( and not to its performance ) ?

VWD SP1 resolves a lot of problems:
http://blogs.msdn.com/mikhailarkhip...l-studio-vwd-express-2005-service-pack-1.aspx

Have you installed it ?



Juan T. Llibre, asp.net MVP
asp.net faq : http://asp.net.do/faq/
foros de asp.net, en español : http://asp.net.do/foros/
===================================
 
I would guess we simply guage performance differently.

I have sp1 and it is still PIG SLOOOOOOOOW. Loading and performance wise, screen switching, view opening and closing, etc.

click ...wait 20 seconds, click...wait 10 seconds , yawn ... go get coffee... lunch... nap..., wait, wait, wait....

In any case , fair warning provided, and the original poster can judge for themselves....
 
re:


I don't know what gives you that idea.

Visual Web Developer is embedded in Visual Studio,
and is the identical same program, standalone or embedded.

The differences are that Visual Studio has quite a few features which VWDdoesn't have,
that Visual Studio can be used to develop Windows programs and not just web apps,
and that add-ins don't work with VWD.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is my understanding, too. Does Reporting Model of the
Reporting Services work with VWD? I have not had good luck finding
reporting model in VWD after I installed the Reporting Services Add-in
for VWD.
 
That's right -- the big cheat is going on -- paying for MSDN Subscriptions
does not include Expression Web which is the software replacing FrontPage
but the rumor is Expression Web will be built into the next release of
Visual Studio. So if he rumor is true until the next release of Visual
Studio those paying for subscriptions are getting cheated and have to pay
extra for webpage layout.

<%= Clinton Gallagher
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/
MAP http://wikimapia.org/#y=43038073&x=-88043838&z=17&l=0&m=h
 
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