VS 2005...the horror, the horror

DublinWriter

I'm thinking about developing a system using VS2005 (c# + asp.net).

The IDE seems to be pure pants. I've developed a handful of asp.net stuff before using VS 2005 and it's a nightmare to use if you're designing forms that have a lot of fields.

I guess what I'm asking is is there a better IDE for developing asp.net applications?!?

NeverSayDie

DublinWriter wrote: »

I'm thinking about developing a system using VS2005 (c# + asp.net).

The IDE seems to be pure pants. I've developed a handful of asp.net stuff before using VS 2005 and it's a nightmare to use if you're designing forms that have a lot of fields.

I guess what I'm asking is is there a better IDE for developing asp.net applications?!?

Eh, either of the two newer versions of Visual Studio that have been released in the 5 years since?

I've been using VS 2005 for years for various sorts of development, including ASP.NET, find it pretty OK. Don't recall having any particular problems with lots of fields in pages.

They improved various aspects of ASP.NET development in VS 2008 from what I gather, and presumably again in VS 2010, so either of those would be the best place to look I should think.

fasty

Later version of Visual Studio? Or the Web Developer Express?

NeverSayDie

fasty wrote: »

Later version of Visual Studio? Or the Web Developer Express?

Well, whichever you want. Visual Studio 2005 has since been superseded by Visual Studio 2008, and again by Visual Studio 2010 (released quite recently).

Visual Studio comes in a variety of different editions, including free Express versions. If you want to do ASP.NET development with a free tool, Web Developer Express would be the one to go for. The 2010 version of that came out a while back, and should do fine, though if there's any issues with it you could always stick with 2008. No reason to use 2005 if you don't have to though.

Edit; apologies, thought this was a question in response from the OP for some reason

dazberry

DublinWriter wrote: »

I'm thinking about developing a system using VS2005 (c# + asp.net).

The IDE seems to be pure pants. I've developed a handful of asp.net stuff before using VS 2005 and it's a nightmare to use if you're designing forms that have a lot of fields.

It's not the IDE, it's webforms itself and how it's melded into HTML - personally I think it's an awful technology. Might be worth biting the bullet and looking at one of the MVC frameworks (or implementing something similar yourself)...

D.

DublinWriter

I've checked out some blogs re VS2008 and VS2010 and from what I see the problem is even worse in those versions.

Typically Microsoft, later versions are basically bloatware and performance is even worse.

Using templates with tabbed controls is basically a nightmare.

NeverSayDie

If you dislike Microsoft tech that much, maybe you should look at Ruby/Rails, PHP, J2EE, or one of the many other platforms available for web development.

fasty

I would reconsider developing a web application using WebForms. The postback/viewstate model they use, plus the dodgyness of the form designer do not make for a pleasurable experience.

As suggested, use an MVC framework. I use ASP.Net MVC 2 and it's the business.

John_Mc

fasty wrote: »

I would reconsider developing a web application using WebForms. The postback/viewstate model they use, plus the dodgyness of the form designer do not make for a pleasurable experience.

As suggested, use an MVC framework. I use ASP.Net MVC 2 and it's the business.

+1

DublinWriter

NeverSayDie wrote: »

If you dislike Microsoft tech that much, maybe you should look at Ruby/Rails, PHP, J2EE, or one of the many other platforms available for web development.

I'm kind of stuck as the client wants it developed that way.

Personally, I would have chosen J2EE.

Many thanks fasty and dazberry, I'll check out the MVC 2 framework when I get a spare 5 minutes next month. Is the learning curve steep?

yop

Feck,
Thats not great to hear, am doing a project for a client which is in VS2003 and they are moving to VS2005 so am moving the existing pages to VS2005 and adding 10 more pages.

Should I expect issues?

kayos

yop wrote: »

Feck,
Thats not great to hear, am doing a project for a client which is in VS2003 and they are moving to VS2005 so am moving the existing pages to VS2005 and adding 10 more pages.

Should I expect issues?

Apart from opening up the design view on a web form being slow (unless you have enough RAM) I never found any problems with any versions of VS when doing web stuff.

Evil Phil

I don't use the web designer in any version of VS. I just open it in souce view then use Firefox/Firebug as my design view.

yop

Thanks lads.

Been a long while since I used VS for ASP.NET so wasn't sure what had changed!

Lemming

yop wrote: »

Feck,
Thats not great to hear, am doing a project for a client which is in VS2003 and they are moving to VS2005 so am moving the existing pages to VS2005 and adding 10 more pages.

Should I expect issues?

In moving from VS2003 to VS2005 you are also allowing the ability to move from .Net 1.1 to .Net 2.0, and you will wonder how the f*ck you ever managed with the former. I've had to go back to use 1.1 for contracts on occasion and screamed silently in frustration at things I take for granted using .Net 2.0+ that weren't available with 1.1 or just .... cumbersome to go about.

Recommendations for ASP.Net mvc 2 here too.