We had used Visual SVN for Eclipse before starting a new project with Visual Studio 2017 and now we are looking a similar one for VS. We have look at several version control plugin and tried some of them i.e. Team Foundation Server, AnkhSVN but we do not think that they fulfilled our requirements. We have many problems while synchronisation and we do not want to use it anymore. So, we are looking a good version control plugin or software similar to Visual SVN in Eclipse as described below:
It uses Windows Server rather than Linux, etc.
It should be free.
It should be as useful as Visual SVN as used for Eclipse.
Could you please suggest us some plugin or tool having the features above for Visual Studio 2017 except from AnkhSVN? Any help would be appreciated.
I need to setup a c# ide (free) on his laptop, do I need to download the sdk or does windows 7 come with a c# compiler? (it's been a while setting something up from scratch)
You can try Visual C# 2010 Express, it's a free version of Visual Studio for C# development, and IMHO more than enough for someone learning that you don't really need the full VS2010 package.
Download Visual C# 2010 Express edition. It's free, you can find further information here: http://www.microsoft.com/express/Windows/
Just use Microsoft Visual Studio Express.
http://www.microsoft.com/express/
The Microsoft Web Platform Installer can be used to install Visual Studio Express, and also easily install many of the other MS tools like WebMatrix.
The Microsoft Web Platform Installer
3.0 (Web PI) is a free tool that makes getting the latest components of the
Microsoft Web Platform, including
Internet Information Services (IIS),
SQL Server Express, .NET Framework and
Visual Web Developer easy.
Similarly Linqpad is a great tool for playing around and dynamic prototyping. I can't advocate it enough.
... LINQPad is more than just a LINQ
tool: it's an ergonomic C#/VB
scratchpad that instantly executes any
C#/VB expression, statement block or
program with rich output formatting –
the ultimate in dynamic development.
Put an end to those hundreds of Visual
Studio Console projects cluttering
your source folder!
Look for the free version of Visual Studio 2008. Not sure if there is one for 2010. It's at the Microsoft site. http://www.microsoft.com/express/downloads/#2008-Visual-CS
Framework is sufficient, IIRC.
Having now read Martin Fowler's "Refactoring," I would like to know what refactoring options are available in Visual Studio (Express especially, and for C# especially). The built-in IDE seems to just have Rename Variable and Extract Method; what's surprising is that 2003 (non-express) has around half-a-dozen refactorings.
What kind of tools and options are available, other than the IDE and refactoring by hand? I primarily use Express versions of Visual Studio, so brownie points for finding something that'll work without Visual Studio Professional.
Get yourself a copy of resharper by Jetbrains. Worth every penny and then some.
Since there is a Sharpdevelop 3.0 ( http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SD/Download/ ) can anybody tell me how it compares to the Express Editions ? ( http://www.microsoft.com/Express/ )
I tried to find differences, but could only find this old post http://community.icsharpcode.net/blogs/mattward/pages/VisualStudioExpressComparison.aspx
I wrote a blog-post about it, you can find it here
In my conclusion I say:
Conlusion
If I have to choose for web applications than the express edition wins easily. The build in webserver, the graphical designer with split screen functionality and javascript debugging just make it too good.
If you think you really need to work with a database from within the IDE than also SharpDevelop is not for you. If you want to create a windows forms or console application both will work fine, if you want to build these applications more seriously and use a source control system, static code analysis and stylecop from the IDE you need SharpDevelop !
If the express editions would allow third party extensibility (Resharper) and solve my little annoyances, it would be number one.
If SharpDevelop would get a resharper add-in, a graphical designer for web pages and a build in web server, it would be number one.
SharpDevelop is a free/opensource project. Where as Microsoft Visual Studio Express Edition is a crippled Visual Studio lacking some of the tool/features that help in release commercial software.
If you are planing on using Visual Studio in the future, then use express edition. Otherwise I would highly recommend SharpDevelop.
In terms of features, they both have debuggers, they both have syntax highlighting and code completion. They both will have all the features you expect from a full out RAD IDE for .Net.
The other issue that is worth mentioning is the unit testing support in Sharpdevelop. Nunit can be integrated into the IDE and that is a huge gain IMO. Unit testing in #Develop is far superior to MSTest and Nunit with VS is not integrated into the IDE.
Is it possible to use C# for free? Which tools would you use?
For fun/studying: I'm pretty sure you can, but still, the tools question remains.
For programs you wish to sell?
The tools I'm looking for:
IDE (as complete as possible: debugging, refactoring, libraries, IntelliSense etc.) - also, if it's not included in the IDE, compiler.
Unit Testing,
Documenting (extracting comments as with JavaDoc),
Deploying.
Other suggestions for nice free tools are also welcome.
Note that IMO, Visual Studio Express is NOT offering all these tools.
IDEs:
Visual Studio 2017 Community. It has a subset of Professional Edition's features, but all that you have mentioned. You may want to Compare Visual Studio 2017 Editions. High school and university students are eligible for free licence of VS Professional from Dreamspark.
Sharp Develop
Mono Develop
standalone compiler:
csc.exe, vbc.exe and msbuild.exe are a part of .NET Framework. Windows SDK tools is also free. Or you can use compiler from Mono project.
Unit Testing:
NUnit, mbUnit, xUnit and many, many others.
Documenting: (extracting comments JavaDoc-style)
GhostDoc - not for Express Edition
Deploying:
NAnt, Cruse Control .NET
While OP says:
Visual Studio Express is NOT offering all this tools as claimed!
What doesn't C# Express provide that you want?
serious deploying, unit testing, documenting
Yet, IMO you can do that with Visual Studio Express.
Deployment
Visual Studio Deployment projects are certainly missing from Visual Studio Express, but frankly that's not much of an omission. The whole feature is half baked, good enough to tick off a feature list, good enough for toy deployments but, arguably, not really up to the rigors of the real world.
Windows Installer XML (WiX) is an open source toolkit from Microsoft for creating installers. The installer for Microsoft Office 2007 was reportedly built with WiX, so it's reasonable to believe that it can handle any smaller case.
Another installation tool is the Nullsoft Scriptable Install System, perhaps easier to understand than WiX, but also not using with the MSI technology built into Windows and therefore harder to manage in the Enterprise case.
Unit Testing
The Microsoft testing framework is MSTest, and while it's up to the task, it's not the leader of the pack. In fact, if you google around for reactions to MSTest, you'll find many who think it a ripoff of NUnit.
There was a time that you could integrate any of the test tools into Visual Studio Express, using Test Driven.Net, though that no longer works.
What does work is to use the external runner programs for your unit testing tool - all of the major unit testing frameworks come with them. When using VS Express myself, I tend to have the test runner hanging around in the background; rerunning tests then just involves a task switch.
NUnit is the grandaddy of the .NET testing frameworks, and it works very well. There are others around though, such as mbUnit and xUnit.
Documentation
No version of Visual Studio has a good story for documentation. In fact, they all have the same story - a compiler switch to generate XML files based on the documentation comments.
To convert those XML files into real documentation, you need other tools. NDoc used to be the standard, but that project is unfortunately now dead (quite a sad tale). Sandcastle (another Microsoft Open Source project) is likely to become the new gold standard, but the tool isn't yet as mature and easy to use as we would like. DocU is a new release in this field, might be worth followup.
Conclusions
As you can see, there are good ways to achieve the goals you want, even using Visual Studio Express. In fact, there are only two things you'll gain from moving up to a paid version of Visual Studio.
You'll get MSTest, if you want it.
You'll be able install extensions/plugins like TestDriven.NET and Resharper.
For someone getting started, I don't think the value proposition is there. Start with the free tools and spend money when you have enough experience to spend it well.
IDE (as complete as possible, debugging, refactoring, libraries, intellisense, ...) => Sharpdevelop (#develop) an Open Source IDE for .Net with support for multiple languages.
If not in IDE, compiler
=> As mentioned by Jozef
Unit Testing => Sharpdevelop, NUnit integrated inside
Documenting (extracting comments eg, cf javadoc) => Sharpdevelop, SandCastle and SHFB integrated
Deploying => Sharpdevelop, WIX integrated.
Check out all the features for Shardevelop at SharpDevelop Features
Its free to create programs and sell. For fun you can develop some more features inside it :)
You can download Visual Studio Express. It includes all that you are asking for. Here is the linky :)
Good luck!
http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/
Visual C# express edition
Visual C# express edition
Nunit
SandCastle
Don't know , I'll let someone else answer that.
Look at Visual C# Express for your IDE and compiler, NDoc for your documentation, MbUnit or NUnit for unit testing, and I believe C# Express will handle deployment as well.
Visual Studio 2008 Express, (or Visual C# 2008 Express, if you don't want to use other languages) is a good choice. It's free.
Non-Microsoft, try SharpDevelop
Edit: if you are a student, and your university is MSDN AA certificated, you can get Visual Studio 2008 Professional for free. Yes, free.
http://www.microsoft.com/express/vcsharp/
https://www.dreamspark.com/Products/ProductList.aspx (if you're a student:)
Also look at WiX for deploying - this allows you to create MSI files.