Visual Studio LightSwitch Available for Download
Microsoft released the first beta of its data-driven app tool LightSwitch to MSDN subscribers today. Announced at VSLive! earlier this month, LightSwitch is billed as a new edition of Visual Studio 2010 that is streamlined for business users to build small business or departmental-type apps such as order or inventory tracking, without having to write code or cobble together Access, SharePoint and Excel.
In LightSwitch, you create a data structure (SQL Server Express) or use an existing data source (SharePoint lists, WCF RIA Services), choose from common patterns (screen templates) and the wizard-driven tool applies the templates to the data to build an VB or C# application.
Visual Studio LightSwitch creates a Silverlight 4 out-of-browser desktop application by default. The app can be customized in LightSwitch or handed off to developers for further development in Visual Studio 2010 Professional.
The Visual Studio team has worked on the product for several years. The first public beta is expected on Monday, August 23. The team acknowledges that features are missing in the initial beta and they are requesting developer feedback. Microsoft is planning to support Windows Azure and SQL Azure in beta 2. Support for Microsoft Access as a data source is on the roadmap.
When it ships, LightSwitch will be available as a separate Visual Studio 2010 SKU or as a "vertically integrated product," which means that MSDN subscribers will be able to download it and access it from within Visual Studio 2010 as a project type.
The Internet offered a platform to the "citizen journalist" (no professional training or three reliable sources for verification required). Is application development headed down a similar path?
Express your thoughts on this emerging category of Microsoft app dev tools--LightSwitch and WebMatrix. Take LightSwitch for a spin and let us know what you think. Drop me a line at krichards@1105media.com.
Posted by Kathleen Richards on 08/19/2010 at 6:25 PM