The creation of software isn't just the role of the software developer, but requires the input and expertise of several departments. From software design to testing to quality control, all aspects of the software development life cycle need to be considered.
This is the view of Clifford de Wit, developer and platform evangelism lead at Microsoft SA. He says Microsoft has been investing in the integration of multiple technologies and programs into the Visual Studio 2010 (VS2010) integrated development environment (IDE), which was released on 12 April.
“Since the release of Visual Studio 2005, Microsoft has seen this, and is growing the capabilities of the IDE, as well as the tools available to the users of the IDE.”
He adds that VS2010 was designed with the thought of 'one tool that everyone uses', and is targeted at every aspect of the development life cycle.
De Wit highlights that testing and UML capabilities are becoming more prevalent in the IDE. “Increased integration with other software products turns VS2010 into a powerhouse tool for software development. This leaves developers to the process of creating code.”
Local market
ITWeb asked De Wit about the local software development market, particularly the number of developers using .NET technologies.
While De Wit wasn't able to provide official comment on the figures, he commented: “Microsoft recently had its Dev Days in both Johannesburg and Cape Town, with numbers of around 1 100 people attending in Johannesburg and 600 in Cape Town.”
According to De Wit, there is a 50-50 ratio between companies that use the IDE with agreements through programmes like Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN), while the other 50% are small to medium-sized enterprises that only need one or two licences in their organisation.
Bandwidth constraints
The large size of the 3.5 version of the .NET Framework, and its previous effect on adoption, given SA's bandwidth constraints, resulted in the creation of two market segments: consumer-faced and corporate-faced, says De Wit.
“The corporate-faced segment hasn't struggled with the large downloads of the .NET Framework, as these organisations have group policies and are in control over what is installed on work machines. This means there's no need to worry about a large download of the runtime.”
He adds that with the release of .NET 4.0, there's a smaller redistributional runtime download, which will provide a better adoption rate in the consumer-faced channel.
As to whether or not HTML5 is a threat to Silverlight, as HTML5 provides the functionality to largely eliminate the need for the technology, he says: “Microsoft is designing Internet Explorer 9 with open arms to the HTML5 specification and aims to be the most compatible browser.”
He adds the HTML5 canvas will be a valid plug-in for services like YouTube, but Silverlight will still have its place in bringing intelligent applications to the desktop via the Web browser.
Bright sparks
De Wit says Microsoft is committed to working with universities and does a lot of work with them.
“Microsoft uses its Imagine Cup to foster the use of its .NET technologies and local universities are doing better than ever in the initiative.”
He adds that the event is open to students around the world, and that any student attending an accredited high school or college can participate.
“We also have our Dreamspark initiative which allows university students to download the full working professional version of VS2010, as well as other Microsoft products.”
De Wit highlights that the Dreamspark initiative provides resources to students that include access to articles, samples, videos and code.
“The Dreamspark initiative is available at no charge,” says De Wit. He concludes that students need to be currently studying at a verified, accredited school to be eligible to download and use the tools.
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