How To Register Visual Studio 2012 Express

Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows Desktop When the Visual Studio 2012 gratis versions were originally announced the first matter I noticed was that they had switched from a language-specific model (C# Limited, VB Limited, etc) to a target-specific model (Windows 8, Spider web). However, I was very surprised (and disappointed) that there was no complimentary way to make Console Apps, or Windows Forms apps, or anything for the Windows Desktop. I wasn't the only ane who thought this was a trouble. Shortly thereafter (with a lot of people pushing) Soma appear there would be a "Windows Desktop" Limited version for free. He said:

...we heard from our customs that developers want to have for Windows desktop development the aforementioned peachy experience and access to the latest Visual Studio 2012 features at the Express level.

Today, I'grand happy to announce that nosotros will add Visual Studio Limited 2012 for Windows Desktop to the Visual Studio 2012 family. This volition bring to the Visual Studio Express family significant new capabilities that nosotros've made bachelor in Visual Studio 2012 for building great desktop applications.

I'm glad folks realized that no-cost desktop software development is important. Open Source projects demand gratuitous tools like the Express SKUs. Even improve that the the Express Desktop SKU gets the new 2012 features too.

Today Visual Studio has made Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows Desktop available and yous can go download it now free. The best part is that this one SKU supports C++, C#, and Visual Basic together. With this one gratuitous version you can make WinForms, WPF, Console or Grade Libraries with any or all of Visual Basic, C#, too every bit Win32 projects, grade libraries, and CLR apps using C++. You lot can likewise, of course, combine projects over multiple languages into a unmarried solution. You can target both .NET iv.0 and 4.5.

NOTE: You might wonder, what nearly a gratuitous F#? Why isn't F# included? We've got a free download to add together F# support to the costless Visual Studio Express 2012 for Web!

Related Links

Download page for Visual Studio 2012 for Windows Desktop (Web Installer or ISO)
Product page and Details for VS2012 for Windows Desktop
F# Tools for Visual Studio 2012 Express for Web (y'all *don't* need this if y'all have Pro already, this is just for Express for Spider web)

While Express SKUs don't allow capricious add-ins (you lot need Pro for that) the gratis SKU does include Unit Testing, Code Analysis, too as the NuGet package manager. Information technology's a flake of a nice coup for my little group that NuGet is now included in ALL Visual Studio 2012 SKUs, even Express ones. Package management is finally happening in .NET.

In the screenshot below I've added a C++ Console app, a Window Forms C# app and a C# Console to a unmarried solution in VS2012 using Limited for Windows Desktop.

Just to illustrate one of the reasons I call back a free "Desktop" SKU is so of import, I wanted to share a absurd open source project I constitute recently chosen Topshelf. It'due south a library for making Windows Services easier to write using .Net. It's up on GitHub under an Apache license. The easiest style to get Topshelf is with NuGet with merely "install-parcel Topshelf". Topshelf has some impressive documentation as well, peculiarly for an open source project!

Here'southward a simple Windows Service with a basic heartbeat timer using Topshelf:

public class TownCrier
{
          readonly Timer _timer;
          public TownCrier()
          {
          _timer = new Timer(chiliad) {AutoReset = truthful};
          _timer.Elapsed += (sender, eventArgs) => Console.WriteLine("It is {0} an all is well", DateTime.Now);
          }
          public void Start() { _timer.Showtime(); }
          public void Stop() { _timer.Stop(); }
}public grade Program
{
            public static void Main()
            {
            HostFactory.Run(ten =>                                 //1
            {
            ten.Service<TownCrier>(s =>                        //ii
            {
            s.ConstructUsing(name=> new TownCrier());     //3
            s.WhenStarted(tc => tc.Start());              //4
            s.WhenStopped(tc => tc.Stop());               //5
            });
            ten.RunAsLocalSystem();                            //vi
                      x.SetDescription("Sample Topshelf Host");        //7
            ten.SetDisplayName("Stuff");                       //8
            x.SetServiceName("stuff");                       //9
            });                                                  //10
            }
}

Topshelf fifty-fifty has nice Log4net and NLog integration. Anyway, this is but the kind of powerful, useful, and interesting open source library that could be helped by a gratuitous Express SKU for Desktop. I'm not involved directly (yet ;) ) in making decisions this loftier up, merely I (and many, many others) inside and out keep to abet for balance. In this case I'thousand very glad that the conclusion was made to transport this SKU and I promise you all observe it useful whether you work in open source or in education.

There'southward more than details over at the Visual Studio blog and the team is watching the comments.

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Well-nigh Scott

Scott Hanselman is a former professor, old Master Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-upward comic, a cornrower, and a book author.

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