Standard -vs- Studio question...

I'm ready to place my order for the new Visual Basic Standard 2003 edition for 100.00 bucks but I have a question.. I read this here at the MS site..

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Visual Basic .NET Standard Edition is available for the hobbyist, student, or beginner programmer who wants to learn the Visual Basic language by constructing applications for Windows® and the Web. Visual Basic developers who want to build professional Windows-based and Web applications, controls, and class libraries, as well as developers who want to upgrade existing Visual Basic 6.0 code, should obtain Visual Studio .NET Professional Edition, which includes Visual Basic .NET. Visual Basic .NET does not include a Professional Edition, so it is recommended that existing Visual Basic 6.0 Professional Edition customers obtain Visual Studio .NET Professional Edition.

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The part that concerns me is where it says "and class libraries". What exactely does this mean? Does it mean you can't create class objects? or does it mean you can't create DLL's??

That means .NET Base Class Libraries (all namspaces , IO . Web , Collections ..etc). That might mean you can't disribute your appplications to get some money out of it (not sure though).

Surely that can't be right.. Especially since you can take your code and compile it directly with the .Net compiler without question.. I mean sure 100.00 buck's isn't alot but then again it's enough to merrit wether or not I buy the software or "borrow" a copy of visual studio if the Standard edition isn't going to meet my needs.. I'm a hobbyist and can't afford or see fit to spend 1000.00 + on a IDE that all I use is VB ... I prefer to pay for the software I use but if the standard VB.Net isn't going to meet my needs, my choices are limited..

Can anyone tell me what the limitations are on the Standard? I mean is it totally crippled? Can I build applications? Can I distribute them? Anyone know these answers?

You can use the whole framework and all the namespaces. There are just some features that are disabled.

If you can somehow swing it, you can get an academic version of VS.Net Professional for about the same price as you are going to buy the VB.Net standard.
http://www.academicsuperstore.com/ma...242e1b6eb35dcb

Not sure what this statement means, but it looks like no big deal:

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Visual Studio.NET Academic is functionally identical to Microsoft Visual Studio.NET Professional 2003, but may only be used in an academic environment.

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If your not a student, maybe you know one that will help you obtain it?...hmmm....kinda shady, but it will get you what you want, especially since you are only doing it as a hobby.

Plus, if you ever distribute your applications and someone from MS decides to look at you funny, couldn't you just say you command line compiled them?...

It is late, going to bed now.

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If you can somehow swing it, you can get an academic version of VS.Net Professional for about the same price as you are going to buy the VB.Net standard

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That's interesting, you're the 3rd person to tell me to do it this way. The only problem is everyone that I have talked too hasn't actually gotten their hands dirty in the Academic version so they aren't 100% certain the Academic version isn't crippled in even the slightest way.

So is there ANYONE here using the Academic Version of VS.Net and if so, does it have any limitations other than its licensing?


VB Standard 2003

It looks to me like M$ has beefed up the "Standard" release since 2002, this new release has alot of features and options turned on that the 2002 standard release has disabled.. Interesting..

I believe the class library bit does mean that standard doesn't have the option to make dlls. Which are much handier than you may think.

A big difference between 2002 Standard and 2002 Enterprise was, for example, much of Server Explorer is disabled in Standard. Wouldn't be surprised if the same things are true in 2003.

Server Explorer kind of sucks in Pro Studio too.

For instance you can't edit SQL Servers that aren't on the same machine. You can read things from them but can't add or edit objects in them :( .

I love the server explorer in the Ent Arch version. I would hate having to go back. It is almost like having the Enterprise Manager built in.

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Originally posted by Hinder
That's interesting, you're the 3rd person to tell me to do it this way. The only problem is everyone that I have talked too hasn't actually gotten their hands dirty in the Academic version so they aren't 100% certain the Academic version isn't crippled in even the slightest way.

So is there ANYONE here using the Academic Version of VS.Net and if so, does it have any limitations other than its licensing?


VB Standard 2003

It looks to me like M$ has beefed up the "Standard" release since 2002, this new release has alot of features and options turned on that the 2002 standard release has disabled.. Interesting..

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The Academic version is fully functional. Nothing is disabled. MS just added some stuff for teachers to assign homework and other school stuff.

BTW if you want to see those features you can go to MS academic alliance website and download the acedemic addon.

Well, I got the Academic version of 2002 .Net and there is nothing disabled, although i have never seen the Enterprise version... so I can't say it matches up to that....

But what I got is a VS STUDIO PROFESSIONAL with Academic version slapped on the CD.... the IDE reports Professional.... the only difference is the CD's say Academic version...

It builds...compiles... distributes... (it cost me a whole $30 (shipping included) for the whole suite)

http://wiscweb5.wisc.edu/wisc/UW_Mil..._products.html

The academic version only comes in the Professional flavor.