Microsoft .NET: Jumpstart for Systems Administrators and Developers (Communications (Digital Press))

Within the Visual Studio IDE, there are tools to assist the developer, including the following:

• The help system is dynamic and context sensitive. Using IntelliSense Visual Studio will offer relevant code hints and, where appropriate, auto complete lines of code (see Figure 3.2).

  Figure 3.2: New Project Window in Visual Studio.NET.

• The Solution Explorer contains all of the related files used by a specific project, and the toolbox has been extended to include all the items a developer is likely to need when writing an application (see Figure 3.3).

  Figure 3.3: Solution Explorer window.

• The Server Explorer lists all of the server-based resources used by a project, including databases, message queues, and event logs (see Figure 3.4).

  Figure 3.4: Server Explorer window.

• The Task List Explorer allows developers to maintain a list of things to do; this can be commented and then accessed by other team members, giving better support for multiperson development teams.

• The debugging of code has been extended in Visual Studio.NET with support for cross-language debugging for development teams using different languages in a project.

• The Forms Designer now allows both traditional Windows forms and forms for Web-based applications to be created using the usual drag-and-drop design format.

• The XML Designer allows XML schema and data files to be created and edited. IntelliSense statement completion is available, if you are writing XML based on a known schema.