Review: Visual Studio 2012 shines on Windows 8

Visual Studio is no longer simply an IDE, no longer a place you go just to write and debug C/C++ code. It has long since become something of a development mashup. It's where you go to tackle any task in the development process, regardless of the target. It's where you head to do your LightSwitch development, your SQL Server development, your Web application development, your Windows Azure development, and your ASP.Net or Windows Forms development in C#, F#, VB.Net, and -- oh, yes -- good old Visual C++. Naturally, it's where you build applications for Windows 8 and Windows RT.

That's not all. With the new Visual Studio 2012, you have to start wondering what you don't do in Visual Studio 2012. It's not the Master Control Program by a long shot ... but it's trying.

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As with earlier releases of Visual Studio, Visual Studio 2012 is available in several editions. The Express editions are, of course, free. Whereas some of the non-free editions target QA and Team Managers, the Express editions are intended specifically for developers:

• Express 2012 for Web. Aimed at Web developers, this version provides tools for HTML5 and JavaScript, with particular attention paid to jQuery. It also includes a CSS editor that understands CSS3. For server-side code, you can develop ASP.Net or MVC framework applications in any of the .Net languages.
• Express for Windows Desktop. This version of Express caters to the more traditional developer, one employing the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Forms, or the tried-and-true Win32 libraries. This edition also supports the creation of Windows 8 Store applications.
• Express for Windows 8. Provides a trimmed-down IDE specifically for creating Window Store applications using either HTML5 and JavaScript or XAML plus C#, VB.Net, or C++. This Express edition also includes the Blend tool for UI construction.

The top of the Visual Studio 2012 line is the Ultimate edition, which is the version I tested. Ultimate installs enough gigabytes (about 10GB on my system) of development tools and libraries and documentation to occupy a person for a lifetime. You can target any of the platforms mentioned in the above list of Express editions, and you'll find support for all the .Net languages. Plus, Ultimate edition includes modeling, lifecycle management, testing, and development team management tools.

Next, there's the Premium Edition, meant primarily for agile development teams. It includes tools for task planning and development workflow. The Professional edition is meant for small development teams, and it includes tools for building applications on the Windows desktop, the Web, in the Azure cloud, and even Windows-supported mobile devices.

The Test Professional edition is obviously intended for QA team members. It incorporates tools for managing tests and test plans, executing tests, and analyzing test results.

It is not possible to cover all of the features of Visual Studio 2012. This article will concentrate on those new features developers are likely to be interested in. Even then, it will be a challenge to do the IDE justice. Details for all the editions -- their intended users, as well as a comparison of features provided as well as omitted -- can be found at Microsoft's Visual Studio website.

Test Center Scorecard
	40%	30%	20%	10%
Microsoft Visual Studio 2012	9	9	9	9	9.0 Excellent