Visual Studio Express is a very popular Integrated Development Environment (IDE) package from Microsoft built to be a lightweight alternative to the full package of the app. The toolset of the Visual Studio Express is little smaller than the full IDE packages, but all the necessary features are present in it to create both native Windows applications and Windows 8 Metro-Style applications. Try out Visual Studio Community for a free, fully-featured and extensible IDE; An updated alternative to the app.
Because of the ease of use, smaller toolset and the great capabilities for creation of applications of all shapes and sizes, Microsoft recommends the app for students, home users, hobbyist and intermediate users who want to expand their knowledge. Programming language support that is present in Visual Studio Express covers five popular languages - Visual Basic Express, Visual C++ Express, Visual C# Express, Visual Web Developer Express and Express for Windows Phone. The entire process of creating new applications is set inside highly streamlined dashboard that promotes the most useful tools in the easy-to-reach positions on your screen, enabling faster coding, application management and increase of daily productivity.
Features and Highlights
It speaks your favorite language
Develop in any native Windows language including C#, VB.NET, and C++. Extend your ambitions with support for Windows 8 desktop, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Forms (WinForms), and Win32. Whatever you choose, you’ll find a range of controls, frameworks, and client technologies to support your development.
Build great apps by design
Visually create your app with new designers for XAML. You’ll get to success faster with full feature support for layout, data binding, and template editing. You can also create Window 8 apps and take advantage of full IntelliSense support for modifying XAML.
Get everyday tasks done faster
How can you speed up your work? By having your favorite tools at your fingertips and everything else close by. With a new user interface, you’ll navigate through the code more easily, find common tasks faster, and save time with almost everything.
Connect devices with continuous services
Connect your app to the cloud with APIs that make it simpler to integrate continuous services. Or strike out on your own and use VisualStudio Professional to create your own services instead.
Write code. Leave the rest to us
Move your development process to the cloud with Team Foundation Service, dramatically reducing your infrastructure maintenance and easily connecting to providers and external teams. With Team Foundation Service, your code is always safely managed and accessible.