VS 2008 vs VS 2008 Express

Question

I am using Visual Studio Team System 2008 to work on web development. I'm used to it, but I can not afford to buy even VS 2008 Standard at this time.

I had never used any of the Express releases before, but I was thinking about downloading VS C # Express and VS Web Developer Express.

Am I wasting my time or can I do some serious development with these tools?

Answer 1

You can seriously engage in express release. They pulled out a few things, primarily connected to the system. If you use a bunch of plug-ins, you may find that inability to use them is a deterrent.

Here is a link to compare the express edition and other issues.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/zcbsd3cz(VS.80).aspx

Answer 2

You really can seriously engage in the development of express editions of Visual Studio 2008, including commercial products, see question number 7 in the FAQ , which states:

Seven) Can I use Express Edition for commercial use?
Yes, there are no licensing restrictions for applications created using Visual Studio Express Editions.

The functional matrix shows that while you are losing some functionality between Pro and Express Edition. The biggest problem is that there is no support for add-ons (and adding it is forbidden with EULA), which limits many nice additions to the environment, such as ReSharper, VisualAssist, etc.

You also do not get "Studio", but four separate editions, Web Developer, VB, VC ++ and C #, if you want to mix and match languages ​​/ projects in the way that is supported by standard / professional versions, then you are in luck. Below the surface, however, MSBuild is accessible and can provide you with multilingual solutions.

Answer 3

Express Editions works great if you do not want to have different types of projects / languages ​​in the solution, and you do not need built-in version control.

Otherwise, it is almost the same.

Answer 4

The following is a detailed list of available features in different editions of Visual Studio: Product Comparison

Answer 5

You can find feature comparisons in the various editions of Visual Studio 2008 here . What I find most annoying in the release is that you cannot have multiple projects in the solution file, and you cannot use add-ons like Resharper.

Answer 6

It depends on how you define "serious development." One big thing missing from the express (and even standard) release is the lack of support for mobile development. You also miss the convenience of grouping various types of projects into a solution.

I think you will also miss some types of projects (Windows services, Sql Server / CLR projects come to mind) in the Express version.

Answer 7

I have not provided the full version of VS2008 at home, but I have Express and use it for some intermediate application development (without web content). I find him good enough, he got most of the material that I use. I tried SharpDevelop, but this did not allow to create more than one project launch, so I dropped it for Express.

Most plugins do not seem to work in Express versions if this is a problem for you.

Answer 8

You really can do business with the VS 2008 Express editions.

See the answer to question No. 7 FAQ at this link: http://www.microsoft.com/express/support/faq/

Answer 9

You can download the free version of VS2008 (if you have a .edu address) for free through Microsoft Dreamspark .

In this case, the (full-featured) 90-day trial version of VS2005 and VS2008 Pro ... can be "expanded" ... indefinitely ... by setting your system clock back, but there is no real reason to do it.

Express is great for being a "lite" version, but picking it in a variety of ways. For something serious, get the real thing.

Answer 10

I am doing serious work using Express editions. I am not a professional programmer since I switched to management, but I still hold my hand in writing a random utility or web page. The only thing I missed from the professional versions is remote web debugging.