|
Beta
Experience Newsletter Number 2, July 27, 2005
|
Editorial
|
|
|
From
the Editor Only a few weeks ago, thousands
of developers and IT pros attended TechEd Europe
2005. I’m still jazzed by the enthusiasm attendees
showed for the upcoming releases of Visual Studio
and SQL Server. TechEd featured many speakers from
the product teams who have since then returned to
Redmond and are in their last stretch to launching
these products in the week of November 7th.
Having these people at the event also
provided an excellent opportunity to gather some
great technical content for this newsletter.
Kimberly L. Tripp has since years been one of the
top rated speakers at the event. Check out her
talk on SQL Server 2005 Indexing best practices
and gone are the days you thought indexing was a
boring topic. If you are more interested
in Office development, we have collected quite
some information on Visual Studio Tools for
Office. We’ve got a video clip and audio clip and
information in articles. This way you can get up
to speed on VSTO in your preferred way.
Currently, the Beta Experience has well
over 100.000 subscribers and feedback has been
great! If you have some feedback on the program,
good or bad, you can email thebeta@microsoft.com.
For technical feedback, check out the Product
Feedback Center. Thanks for spreading the word
on the Beta Experience and I hope to talk to you
again in the next edition of this newsletter which
will feature a big section on Visual Studio Team
System. Hans Verbeeck,
Developer & Platforms Group, Microsoft
EMEA Beta Experience Team
|
Top
enhancements in VS2005
|
|
Whenever
we speak to customers about the new Visual Studio
2005, they find something that is specifically
appealing to them. Discover what Mario Szpuszta, a
Developer Evangelist from Microsoft Austria
considers to be his Top features and
enhancements... Learn
more... |
|
|
In
recent years, David Goon, an Application
Development Consultant from Microsoft UK traded
his assembler debugging skills for the shinier
world of mobile gadgets. Join us to find out why
David now believes that the features and
enhancements in Visual Studio 2005 will make this
development suite the tool of choice when
targeting Windows Mobile... Learn
more... |
Visual
Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System
|
|
View
the Visual Studio Tools for Office demo shown by
BJ Holtgrewe during the Steve Ballmer Keynote from
TechEd U.S. 2005!
|
|
|
|
|
Outlook
add-in support simplifies interaction with the
host application and provides a cleaner event
framework for creating add-ins along with
streamlined security. Download
here | |
|
|
We
caught up with BJ Holtgrewe, Product Manager for
Visual Studio Tools for Office and Mike
Hernandez, a Program Manager working on Visual
Studio Tools for Office at TechEd EMEA – Hear
what they had to say! | |
|
|
Visual
Studio 2005 Tools for Office Code Samples can be
found here. |
|
View
from the community on VSTO |
|
|
|
Tomislav
Bronzin, Microsoft Regional Director &
Solution Architect MVP, is a software architect
and reports on his experience with the new VSTO
2005, the new cool things you can do with it and
some open questions.
| |
 |
|
|
Neno
Loje, Technical Director and MVP for Visual C#
in Germany, on the exciting possiblities of
writing Office abd especially Outlook
Add-Ins.
| |
|
WeFly
247 - the enhancements of .NET 2.0
As we're embarking on the
journey that brings us to the next major version of the
.NET Framework, which is taking the productivity and
power of the platform to an even more mature level,
let's take a
look at the enhancements that have been incorporated
in this 2.0 release, and how they've been applied
throughout the WeFly247 project. Visit Jelle
Druyts Blog for WeFly247 articles.
Kimberly
Tripp on SQL Server Indexing
|
|
Hot
off the press! Watch TechEd EMEA’s top rated
SQL Server expert Kimberly Tripp discuss SQL
Server 2005 indexing best practices. You can do
this on line, on demand, in near DVD quality over
broadband using our new video on demand service
called IT’s
Showtime!SQL Server 2005 offers more
options to cover queries alleviating some SQL
Server 2000 restrictions. In these sessions,
Kimberly discusses a good strategy for table
clustering, supporting non-clustered indexes and
focus on non-clustered covering as well as Indexed
Views. In addition to index creation, Kimberly
covers index de-fragmentation that can help you
avoid query execution degradation.
|
Download
BizTalk Server 2006 Beta 1!
With
support for Visual Studio .NET 2005 and SQL Server
2000/2005 BizTalk Server is the perfect product for all
your business process and integration needs. BizTalk
Server 2006 simplifies management with a brand new
Microsoft Management Console interface, simplified
setup, MSI based deployment and proactive monitoring. In
addition BizTalk Server 2006 includes enhanced Business
Activity Monitoring functionality with a generic API,
and support for portals. Finally BizTalk Server 2006
includes a numerous improvements to the engine and
developer experience such as the ability to subscribe
the suspended messages, in order messaging the flat-file
schema wizard, and single click developer redeployment.
Whether you are looking for so called ESB functionality
of publish and subscribe messaging, or a full BPM stack
including orchestration, rules and business activity
monitoring check out BizTalk Server 2006.
To get
BizTalk Server 2006 Beta 1:
| 1. |
|
| 2. |
Click
on “Sign in as Guest” and use the Guest ID
“BizTalkBetaTeam” |
| 3. |
On
the top navigation under "Enrolled Betas" navigate
through "BizTalk Server 2006" and click on
"Program Info". Then on the left side click on
“Survey” and complete the “BizTalk Server 2006
Open Beta Nomination Form” |
| 4. |
Complete
and submit the
form. |
Within
1-2 business days you should receive a confirmation
letter from Microsoft welcoming you to the BizTalk
Server 2006 Beta Program. This letter will contain
additional information on where to download the Beta and
access the support newsgroup.
Interview
with Scott Woodgate on the new BizTalk Server 2006
Listen
now...
Get
Ready for Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005 with
Microsoft Learning
Whether
your focus is Windows or Web applications, with
Microsoft E-Learning you will find classroom training,
books, free skills assessments and free e-learning to
help you get up to speed on the newest features of the
software. You can create you own learning schedule and
gain access to hands-on virtual labs that provide an
in-depth, online training experience. Take
advantage of Free* Microsoft E-Learning Courses and
Clinics for Visual Studio 2005 Whether you are
interested in creating Windows forms, building Web
applications, implementing Data Access, or finding out
about Visual Studio Team System, you can access the
E-Learning topic you want, when you want it, and learn
at your own pace. Each lesson includes hands-on virtual
labs and offline functionality, so sign up
today. * Microsoft E-Learning for Visual
Studio 2005 is free until November 8, 2005.
Skills
Assessments for Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server
2005 In addition, you may consider taking a
free Microsoft Skills Assessment to help you meet your
Visual Studio 2005 training goals. You'll receive a
learning roadmap with additional skills resources
including instructor-led classroom training and books.
Take
your FREE assessmentFor further information
on how to get ready! Visit www.msdn.microsoft.com/vs2005/learning
or www.microsoft.com/learning
Free
Sample Chapter - Microsoft Press
|
|
Programming
Indigo: Code Name for the Unified Framework
for Building Service-Oriented Applications on the
Microsoft® Windows® Platform Beta Edition, ISBN
0735621519, by David Pallmann Do you want
to develop next generation Web services
applications? This book, written by a key member
of the Microsoft “Indigo” team, shows how to
accomplish specific Web services tasks and prepare
for the next wave of service-oriented development.
In addition to procedures and code samples, each
chapter includes detailed architectural guidance
to help convey the big picture, along with best
practices to promote successful working habits.
Download your free sample chapter
3 or chapter
5 today.
|
The
Visual Studio Beta Experience Caterpillar – is it
real?
When we released the first
Beta Experience visuals we were often asked whether this
caterpillar with its Visual Studio brand colours is real
or a fake. It is indeed real. We did not retouch
it. What appears to be a mascot for Visual Studio is the
4th or 5th instar larva of the North American Cecropia
Silkmoth (other species in that family are used as a
source of commercial silk). With a wingspan of 15 cm it
is the largest moth in North America and surely one of
the most beautiful (see picture). Its Latin name
“Cecropia” derives from Cecrops, the mythological king
of Attica and founder of Athens. Some of you
noted that the visual may resemble a “bug”. Although
zoologically not correct, there is a grain of truth in
it – this is a beta version and if you find any “bugs”
it will help us to make the final version even
better…
| |
|
Missed
the previous issue?
Look
for previous issues in our archive. |
|
Product
Information
Microsoft
will be launching the new Microsoft® Visual
Studio® 2005 family of development tools in
November 2005.
As part of this release,
MSDN® Subscriptions will also undergo changes to
align with these new product offerings.
|
|
Events
and Webcasts
IT's
Showtime!
Watch
SQL Server Expert Seminars on-line, on-demand and
near-DVD quality using our new IT’s Showtime!
video on demand service |
|
VSTO
Tour
The Visual Studio Tools for
Office Tour comes to a town near you.
Save the
date!
Austria, Vienna - Sep 29
Czech
Republic,
tbd - Sep 26
Denmark,
Copenhagen - Sep 21
Greece, Athens - Oct
05
Ireland, tbd - Oct 07
Netherlands, tbd -
Oct 12
Poland, tbd - Sep 28
Spain, tbd - Oct
10
Sweden,
Stockholm - Sep 23
Turkey,
Istanbul - Oct 03
|
|
Review:
Tech·Ed 2005
Seeing
6,500 delegates descend upon Amsterdam, Microsoft
Tech•Ed 2005 Europe offered four days of deep
technical learning. Read
the review |
|
Free
E-Learning Book
Don’t
Forget, register your Visual Studio Beta 2 NOW and
recieve a Free Online Book from Microsoft Press
Register your copy of Visual Studio 2005
Beta 2 today, and receive access to a free
developer book from Microsoft Press. Chose from
online versions of Introducing ASP.NET 2.0,
Introducing Microsoft Visual Basic 2005, and
Writing Secure Code, 2nd Edition. Learn
more... | | |
