5 comments about Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Enterprise Architect.

1. All .NET languages need interpretor. Even C.NET which is a shame. Such language as C usually used to develop apps closely interacting with OS. So there will be even less interaction between user created apps and system because now Microsoft tells us to do everything through interpreter. Just like crippled Java does! But difference between stuff written in Java and C is that you know what your C application does, but you can never be sure about your Java application because there is interpreter between you and system, another buggy layer that controls you and that you cannot control. I agree .NET might be convinient way for people who like everything easy or are afraid to explore, but The biggest flow is that it takes control out of your hands convincing you that you are in control.
   Usual Microsofts trick!



2. Great, functional IDE for true object-oriented development.

   However, the UML support is held together by glue and scotch tape with the included version of Visio 2002. Very poorly done, tedious and will not let you perform continuous round-trip engineering.

   For an outstanding UML/Editor solution, check out Together Control Center. Although written and focused towards Java, it is capable of modeling and generating C# and VB.NET code.




3. The most "programming" I've ever done was a bit of server-side JavaScript - but with the IDE and the online help, I've had no problem sitting down and just chugging away at C#. The problem someone noted about needing an interpreter is incorrect: the Native Code Compiler included with the .NET SDK (installed with VS or available separately) can compile Microsoft's IL into machine code for Windows.

   Definitely worth the learning curve if this is your thing!




4. I come from a Visual Basic (3 and newer) and C/C++ background doing a great deal of development under both Windows and Unix. The software looks great and is quite user friendly (for a development environment). My biggest concern is the sheer size of the tool and the runtime environment. Among other things, I am a shareware author and a great number of prospective customers do not yet have the .NET runtime, which is a 24 MB download. Though I would not think twice about downloading such a file, those who are still dialing up to the Internet might think twice.

   Overall, nice tool, but I am not yet convinced it is the most prudent tool for me and Visual Studio 6 is going to have a long lifetime despite this successor.




5. Most of you reading this review will have used a Microsoft Compiler before, or a Borland product. If you have yet to experience .NET, you are missing out big time.

   Interface (2 sections):
   First Impressions 8/10 - I started up Visual Studio .NET only to see everything... EVERYTHING has been changed in some way. The reason why this gets an 8 is because it does not do well with new people coming to this product. But once you learn the interface and can get used to it:
   Current Impressiosn 10/10 - You will find that it is much more productive interface than Visual Studio 6. Now if your coming from Borland products, you will find that C# and VB is great, and can compete directly with Borland.

   Usefullness: 9/10 - It is just amazing how much you can do with this program, although it does have a few drawbacks, UML for example, but this can be overlooked.

   Value: 8/10 - If you can afford it, but the reason I gave it an 8, is because it is expensive, and most people will not be able to afford this product, but those that are able to do so, should. Maybe in a few years, this will replace VS 6 in price :D

   Final Score 9/10 - If you use C++, Visual Basic, or even the great C# that has just come out, you will love this product. The optimization is great.

   Final Words: Buy it, if not this, at least Visual Studio 6, but VS .NET wins the battle of the two!

3 comments about Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Enterprise Developer 2002 Upgrade.

1. Visual Studio .NET is the ultimate tool for the internet, intranet and stand alone developer from entry to high end specialized development. This kit, the enterprise kit includes every tool and documentation that one would need to build any kind of application intened for a Windows Platform or .NET framework.

   Visual Studio .NET Enterprise Architect Edition includes the following enhancements over the Enterprise Developer version

   Microsoft Visio®-based database modeling
   Capture and communicate business requirements clearly with conceptual, logical, and physical database modeling tools.

   Enterprise template project type
   Share best practices and provide architectural guidance across the development team with the new Enterprise template project type.

   Microsoft BizTalk™ Server
   Build distributed business processes that integrate applications and partners, as well as quickly establish reliable, secure trading relationships with customers and partners over the Web.

   Overall, no matter where you want to take your code today, you can build it better, smatter, faster with .NET Technologies.




2. If you're a Microsoft developer, you don't have much choice. There are some semi-lame development tools out there for the .NET platform but this is your only real choice. Of course, this is Version 1.0 of new technology so I expect vast improvements in the future. Microsoft is not famous for coming out with high-quality stuff in version 1. I think the visual interface looks worse than Visual Studio 6.0 - not as polished. In fact, it looks kind of like they hired the guy who designed the interface for the Forte for Java thing they push over at Sun - uuuuugly.



3. If you're a Microsoft developer, you don't have much choice. There are some semi-lame development tools out there for the .NET platform but this is your only real choice. Of course, this is Version 1.0 of new technology so I expect vast improvements in the future. Microsoft is not famous for coming out with high-quality stuff in version 1. I think the visual interface looks worse than Visual Studio 6.0 - not as polished. In fact, it looks kind of like they hired the guy who designed the interface for the Forte for Java thing they push over at Sun - uuuuugly.

1 comments about Delphi 2006 Professional Named New U - CD.

1. Delphi 2005 was like a slap in the face to Borlands loyal customer base and boy have they paid the price for it. A Google search for it would likely bring up blogs with people complaining about it. It was possibly one of the worst development products every produced.
   
   So have they learn there lesson with 2006. In a word, Yes for the most part.
   
   The new features are great but you can read about them anywhere so I won't say any more about them other than the fact that they pretty much do what they say they will.
   
   The question is, 'Is it more stable and usable than 2005'?
   Well I've used it now for about 3 weeks and it hasn't crashed on me apart from once ( and that was due to repeatedly debugging my code, which had a large memory leak ). It is much faster to start up now that I don't need to load up all the .net stuff just to develop my Win32 app.
   
   The downside, well the help still sucks with a lot of stuff missing, the same slow interface is annoying compared to older versions of help.
   
   In short Delphi 2006 is pleasurable to use, it works and is pretty solid. Just use google instead of the built in help

5 comments about Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Professional Upgrade.

1. Finished a Java course a few months ago and thought, ok, as far as oop goes, Java is top notch, but boy, oh boy, do the IDE's out there for Java stink! Then I got a hold of VS.NET and started learning C#. Wow! What a killer combo! Even using C# with the free SharpDevelop is better than Java and the incredibly bad Forte. I'll admit JBuilder is pretty good, but no way does it compare to VS.NET. And yes folks, you WILL see .NET applications running on Unix, Linux and Mac very soon, so start learning now!! Gee, you think this might give Sun less to wine about? We'll see. :-)



2. I've been using VS.NET for about 4 months now, and everyday I get more excited about it capabilities. I'm an experienced VB5/6 programmer and VB.NET is a whole new level. The OO features are welcomed and I've been waiting for them. VB development environment has always been the key to RAD in my mind. VS.NET takes that a step further and offers many new enhancements. The VB language is now very eligant and clean with loads a capability provided by the .NET Framework. The .NET Framework simplifies many methods I used to code by hand, and the extent of the base classes are sick!

   I have to mention distribution also... I distributed some apps around the company on many machines without installing a single .NET component, just load the framework and you're going (unless you need a legacy COM component).




3. Up until a year ago I think I would have been praising Microsoft for yet another great product...then IBM release eclipse 2.0, and everything changed. Eclipse has an amazingly solid interface, great version control integration, and incredible ease of use. And... oh by the way, tons of features you don't find in VS.NET, like code formatting/ beautifying (no I'm not talking about changing the font), easy file manipulations, *real* pre-compile time code checking, and did I mention it was free and can be run in both Windows and Linux? Ahh... so you say I'm not a java programmer, eclipse is useless to me....WRONG!!! A Project is already underway to add .NET support, specifically C#.

   Head to head eclipse is hands down the clear winner, but hey I suggest you draw your own opinions. Download eclipse and see for yourself.




4. This edition of Visual Studio is geared heavily towards web and .NET development. If you're still a native C++ programmer, the interface is going to feel clunky and project management (adding / removing configurations, the build process) can be a nightmare. The debugger is great, the compiler has improved, and the new runtime code checks are fantastic. They just need to work on the UI for non-.NET developers.



5. Dealing with Cheepmac is pretty risky
   When I received the software package, it is an upgrade for Microsoft Visual Studio.net 2002 and not Visual Studio 6.0 as the ad claimed.
   I have sent a number (5 to 8) emails from work and home to Cheepmac@yahoo.com in regards to this problem and trying to get shipping information to return this item. I sent these emails within the 7 days of receiving the order.
   I have never received an email from Cheepmac@yahoo.com for return instructions.
   I contacted Microsoft on the phone and they said that this upgrade had been discontinued a long time ago and clearly states on the package what the requirements were and it looked as if Cheepmac took me to the cleaners.
   I do not know why Cheepmac will not contact me back.

2 comments about CRYSTAL RPT PRO V9.0 CD NT W2K W98.

1. Suitable for end user reporting tool. Even a not computer-related person can produce a beautiful complete report. For several people, no training required. Can access many kind of data source, directly, ODBC, or trough Library.



2. Having been a DBA and Crystal Reports developer for the past 3 years, I have to say that version 9 is a notable improvement over previous versions (we are using the Advanced Edition). Yes it's quirky and far from perfect - but as far as highly-programmable/distributable/printable reporting goes, it's practically the only game in town.

   First of all, I like the new "command" object. You can use this to (among other things) actually write data back to the database (which is great for creating "tables of contents" and the like). I also like being able to create custom functions and store objects in a common repository. In addition, I've noticed that formatting tends to be much cleaner when exporting reports to pdf and other file formats. Also, the new compatibility with .NET will help us when we upgrade to that platform.

   Another enhancement is greater ease when it comes to changing the datasource location. You can now set the datasource location on both the main report and the subreports from one window - instead of having to open each subreport, as was required on older versions. And the program seems to do a lot better at recognizing when an external app is dynamically setting the datasource location (just make sure the schemas of both datasources are exactly the same when doing this).

   The Report Application Server (RAS) component (included with Advanced Edition) is a powerful tool for delivering reports on the web or across one's corporation, without having to pay extra. But be advised that you may need to do some extensive re-coding if you were previously using the RDC. Also, URL reporting is no longer supported - at least not with RAS. And if your corporation has a huge number of users, you might need to buy an additional processor license (which is by no means cheap).

   Many of the same Crystal quirks remain: occasional locking up on huge queries or "verify database" operations; kludgey editing/formatting (for example, when you move multiple fields around, they don't retain their original spacing); frequent and cryptic error messages (although this is somewhat improved); hypersensitivity to any change in the underlying data source, resulting in a frequent need to perform a "verify database" (e.g., if a field's datatype on the server changes from a varchar(10) to a varchar(20), it will still truncate at 10 characters unless you do a "verify"). But now it at least allows you to manually map a report field to a database column even if the datatypes don't match.

   In short.....until someone else comes out with a fully-customizable, fully-programmable database reporting solution that prints/exports/distributes professional-looking reports over the Internet and integrates with Visual Studio and other development tools.......Crystal Reports is "it".

No comments about Crystal Reports 9.0 Developer Edition Upgrade.

No comments about Sybase SQL Aywr 5.5.

5 comments about FileMaker Pro 5.5.

1. Someone invented the term, What you see is what you get... to me that implies that someone else decided what you wanted to get... With FileMaker Pro, what you want is what you get, you decide... it is one of the most configurable and supportable applications I have tried in over 30 years of computing experience.



2. I am used to using Excel and Access to satisfy my database needs. Most of the time I simply need to create a sheet to print labels on. I'm always amazed by the excruciating amount of time Excel and Access require to do this task.

   Filemaker is so much easier. It's intuitive, straightforward, and easy to manipulate. I was able to create my own personal database template within thirty minutes of being introduced to the program. It's that straightforward. It's sort and search utilities are clean and easy to use, as is it's label program. A friend recommended this program to me as the ultimate consumer database tool, and I agree.

   The best ever!




3. This is a sweet program, and it has TONS of features that make it absolutely easy to oragnize information and build systems to run a business.

   Unfortunately, it's not an enterprise application in some ways, and it lacks features like the ability to encrypt date internally, so despite it's easy web publishing capabilities, it's not the program to run your fortune 500 off of.

   The interface to the program is sweet, and you can do just about EVERYTHING with filemaker, including client server applications, and distributed data management.

   I would reccomend this program to my family, but I can't give it 4 stars because it tries to be all things to all people, and isn't.




4. I recommend FileMaker Pro to anyone. It is easy to use. One doesn't have to be a professional, in order to use it. It takes a little while at the beginning in finding out how it all works, but ones you looked at few examples, it is easy at the end and you'll find that you cannot live without it. There are tons of help instructions on the web, to help you if you get stuck.

   This program is ideal for keeping track of everything, if you work in a logistic area to keep track of your out- and in goings, or addresses, event planning, or just anything that you can think off, of keeping track and organising your work, this program can do it.

   I myself work in the Logistic side and it is helping me a great deal in keeping it all organized.




5. This program allows me to effortlessly create simple and complex databases, and expand their functionality in numerous ways (if only I had the time to do the latter!). Extremely versatile, easy to use, a hit with all my clients. When I get people to respond with "this is so exciting" about a database package, I know that something's up. Filemaker had done a great job improving an already stellar package. Combined with the thousands of plug-ins available, make this the best investment I have made for my consulting practice.

No comments about Microsoft Press INSIDE C# SECOND EDITION ( 0-7356-1648-5 ).

2 comments about Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 Professional Special Edition.

1. Microsoft has released another version of its penultimate Integrated Development Environment. Forgive me if I am not as excited as I was for 2002. I love Visual Studio and I love .NET, but there just isn't enough "new" in 2003 to warrant spending money on a new Visual Studio.
   
   With VS 2005 coming out next year, if you are already using VS 2002, just wait for 2005. If you're still in the pre-.NET days (e.g. VS 6), spend the time better training and preparing yourself for the upgrade.



2. If this is the "penultimate" (second to last), then what is the newest version? Is 2005 out yet? If not, then 2003 is the ultimate version, and 2002 is the penultimate.