Microsoft has announced that the next version of Visual Studio, previously known by the code name “Orcas,” will now be formally known as Visual Studio 2008. Beta 2 of Visual Studio 2008 will become available later this summer and will include a new feature known as the Visual Studio Shell.
Visual Studio Shell is a feature that appears to be targeted squarely at the software development tools market. Essentially, it allows you to create an IDE around the tried-and-tested Visual Studio framework.
There are basically two main modes:
Integrated Mode and
Isolated Mode.
- Integrated Mode basically allows you to use back the same Visual Studio IDE, but with your custom tools present alongside Visual Studio’s existing tools. I would say that this is pretty much how external tools or SDKs are integrated into Visual Studio at the moment.
- Isolated Mode on the other hand allows partners to create a unique application instance that is separate from other versions of Visual Studio installed on the machine. This gives an incredible amount of customization over what the user sees at the end of the day.
Costing-wise, the Visual Studio Shell FAQ says:
The Visual Studio Shell will be freely available as part of the Visual Studio SDK starting with the release of Visual Studio 2008. Building and deploying applications based on the Visual Studio Shell will be royalty-free.
For more information:
Visual Studio Shell on the VSX Team Blog
Visual Studio 2008 Product Page
downloads at: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/aa700831.aspx
Visual Studio Product Roadmap
Microsoft® Visual Studio® code name “Orcas” delivers on Microsoft’s vision of smart client applications by enabling developers to rapidly create connected applications that deliver the highest quality rich user experiences. With Visual Studio code name “Orcas”, organizations will find it easier than ever before to capture and analyze information so that they can make effective business decisions. Visual Studio code name “Orcas” enables any size organization to rapidly create more secure, manageable & reliable applications that take advantage of Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system.
Visual Studio code name “Orcas” delivers key advances for developers in three primary pillars:
Improve Developer Productivity
In Visual Studio code name “Orcas”, developer productivity doesn’t end with the code editor and wizards. By extending this concept to application architectures and the underlying platform, Visual Studio code name “Orcas” delivers not only a productive development tool but also enables developers to tackle new business problems while decreasing the total cost of solution construction. In Visual Studio code name “Orcas”, developers, designers and database professionals will see new tools and frameworks become available to simplify their tasks.
Manage the IT Life Cycle
Visual Studio code name “Orcas” enhances the end-to-end value of Visual Studio Team System by increasing its role-based coverage and delivering enhanced traceability throughout the software development life cycle. With deep integration across roles in the software life cycle and the Team Foundation Server, Team System enables customers to amplify the impact of their teams and improve software quality.
Employ the Latest Technologies
As users look for new ways of comprehending and retaining information developers must still grapple with basic desktop and application security. Visual Studio, Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system enable you to deliver a safe, robust and compelling user experience in any type of application.
Visual Studio code name “Orcas” achieves these key advances through a wide array of innovative product improvements, such as:
Handle Data More Smoothly
With the introduction for Language Integrated Query (LINQ) and improvements to ADO.NET, developers can now deal with data using a consistent programmatic way and with new design surfaces and support for the occasionally connected design pattern.
Enable New Web Experiences
Beyond the secure, reliable & extensible infrastructure of IIS, developers can easily create Web applications with more interactive, more responsive and more efficient client-side execution using the seamless integration and familiar programming model of ASP.NET AJAX and other extensions & enhancements.
Improve Application Life-cycle Management (ALM)
Visual Studio code name “Orcas” provides great support for not only managing the entire software development life cycle, but also the critical interaction with the final end users and managers of an enterprise application.
Target Windows Vista and .NET Framework 3.0 Development
Developers will be easily able to leverage new platform technologies and deliver more compelling applications to their customers by effortlessly incorporating new Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) features into both existing Windows Forms applications and new applications.
Create Microsoft Office Applications
Visual Studio Tools for Office is now fully integrated into Visual Studio code name “Orcas” Professional Edition enables developers to customize any Office application, from Outlook to PowerPoint, to improve end user productivity and significantly improving deployment.
Eagerly Awaited.
Microsoft announces Visual Studio 2008
Re: Microsoft announces Visual Studio 2008
Linear Mode
