Learn to write code (Free MS Visual Studio Express)

[kiwi_2005]

Well theirs plenty of free ones out there for Linux etc but just a thought that Microsoft have put out the Express version of Visual Studio 2010 for free, no strings, no pay later. After you install you'll see the 30 day trial just register and your got this software forever.

Ive never gone further than creating a simple Hello World/shopping list windows or the odd silly click on 'Ok' and watch my window tell a joke or something with VB 6. VB is one of the easiest to learn so now with this Express updated for .net framework 4.0 there is no excuse. Get coding!

Limited in some ways but good enough for us newbies/students to play around with. Choose the All offline install ISO image option (680mb).

http://www.microsoft.com/express/Downloads/

How it all Started

Visual Basic was invented by Microsoft, but it's based on an early language called BASIC invented by Dartmouth College professors John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz in 1964. Since C was invented almost ten years later, BASIC is one of the earliest computer languages. Every version of BASIC has been a revolutionary event in programming from the very beginning. In fact, the version of BASIC created by Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen in February 1975 has an excellent claim to being the very first personal computer language. The first version was written in the native machine language of a machine that many consider to be the very first PC, the MITS Altair 8800. Since the first PC version was written directly in machine language, nothing else came before it, not even an assembler language.

The first version of Visual Basic came out in May of 1991. It was revolutionary because everyone could create Windows programs easily and quickly for the first time. Before Visual Basic, Windows programs were usually written using the complicated syntax of C++ and the even more complicated requirements of Windows. It was a tricky job for even the most experienced programmers. But Visual Basic opened Windows programming for everyone. That made it a key part of the amazing early success of Windows. People who didn't live through this era often don't understand that IBM and OS/2 had nearly all the money, most of the customers, and they made the computers. They had it all! Microsoft was a tiny, insignificant upstart by comparison. The programming universe was literally turned upside down when Windows and Visual Basic became the most successful software system in the world up to that time.

I did live through it and as I write these words, it's even hard for me to believe just how amazing that time was.

But Microsoft has never been a company that let history happen to them. They have always made their own history. In February 2002, Microsoft made a 300 billion dollar bet on a totally new technology base for their entire company. They called it .NET. Bill Gates, who usually says what he means, called .NET a "bet the company" move. If .NET had flopped, it probably would have been all over for Microsoft.

Some VB sites
http://www.vb6.us/
http://visualbasic.about.com/od/lear.../a/LVBE_L1.htm
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/cc136611.aspx
http://www.vbcode.com/

[Herr-Berbunch]

Well spotted 50% downloaded as I type.

[Raptor1]

I thought VS Express was old news. They had versions like this for 2005, 2008 and now 2010.

Certainly extremely useful if one does not have the full version, though.

[kiwi_2005]

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

Well spotted 50% downloaded as I type.

Your welcome.

Man wish i had net speeds like you, took me 1hr 48min to download 680mb

[kiwi_2005]

Originally Posted by Raptor1

I thought VS Express was old news. They had versions like this for 2005, 2008 and now 2010.

I knew their was an express for VB6 not the others though. I use to use VB 6 professional edtion (old work cds) came with J++, FoxPro and alot of other useless stuff i was only interest in VB. Zap to July2010 decided to reInstall VB 6 the other night and try learning it again, but VB 6 came with errors during a ton load of updates just to get it up to date. Gave up and thought well thats it then. Till last night i found out about VS Express 2010.

[krashkart]

I've used it off and on where an API calls expressly for Visual Studio. I like it even if it lags my computer a bit.


Psst... try Devcpp, it's way better!

[SteamWake]

They are also evidently going to this buisness model with Microsoft Office as well.

[Thomen]

Just for kicks and giggles:

Should you have access to an .edu email, ea.. you are a student, you may want to take a look at https://www.dreamspark.com/default.aspx

A lot of MS products (incl Server 2003, 2008 and 2008 R2) for free, if you are a student.

[kiwi_2005]

Originally Posted by krashkart

Psst... try Devcpp, it's way better!

Devcpp Now ive seen that somewhere - Borland C++ 4.5. Years ago Borland put out a free version of 4.5 I remember grabbing it off PC Plus Magazine cd and went out and brought the book 'Borland C++ for Dummies' , (yea what was I thinking buy a dummies book to learn programming!?!) long nights typing code from books, pages of the stuff just to get the app to do something simple. Then few years later tried Visual Basic and realize all that code i typed to make one app do a simple thing, was only a few lines with VB!

(Man im sad i always go for the freebies )

[PeriscopeDepth]

VS express has always been free as far as I know. And what developers use Windows??? Even the awesome .NET developers I know are using Mono on a Linux installation. The terminal on Windows is a joke compared to bash/ZSH.

PD

[aergistal]

Originally Posted by PeriscopeDepth

VS express has always been free as far as I know. And what developers use Windows??? Even the awesome .NET developers I know are using Mono on a Linux installation. The terminal on Windows is a joke compared to bash/ZSH.

PD

Well people don't usually get Windows for the terminal. And altough I enjoy bashing MS products from time to time I must say I'm happy with the fact that they decided to release Express for free (or better said forced to) and I've used it sucesfully for commercial Windows Only applications.

If I want cross platform compatibility there's always Java.

One major thing I don't like about .NET is that assemblies are easily disassembled back to the original source code. So obfuscation is a must for sensible releases. I was even forced to encrypt some but they're available at runtime anyway.

[krashkart]

Originally Posted by kiwi_2005

Devcpp Now ive seen that somewhere - Borland C++ 4.5. Years ago Borland put out a free version of 4.5 I remember grabbing it off PC Plus Magazine cd and went out and brought the book 'Borland C++ for Dummies' , (yea what was I thinking buy a dummies book to learn programming!?!) long nights typing code from books, pages of the stuff just to get the app to do something simple. Then few years later tried Visual Basic and realize all that code i typed to make one app do a simple thing, was only a few lines with VB!

(Man im sad i always go for the freebies )

Heh. I still have three old 'Dummies' books, one of which is for AppleScript. Yeah, I'm a closet Mac user. Sosumi.