Microsoft Visual Studio LightSwitch

This is actually development environment which helps you to create forms-over-data applications in few minutes without writing single line of code. With the latest VS2012 RC candidate, you get the project template in built. You can use VB.NET or C# to write the code if required.

On the presentation tier of the LightSwitch application, you have SliverLight. The application can use WCF RIA domain services in ASP.NET. The application is basically three-tier architecture. Logic tier can include WCF RIA, Entity Framework, OData etc. Storage can include SQL server, SQL Azure, SQL Express or Sharepoint data lists.

Recommended for building quick forms-over-data application. You can practically build new data, master list data, edit list with details and search screens in few minutes using the available templates (including validations etc) and fetching the data from storage as mentioned above. One can dive deep and write core C# code to take it one level deeper.

More to come… J

Amol

Windows 8 Preview Installation experience on a virtual machine

Quick points:

• While downloading iso for Windows 8 previews, please check the size of iso file after download is completed. It should be close to 2.5 GB for 32 bit installer and around 3.5 GB for 64 bit. If the file size is not correct then chances are high that your installation will fail.

• 64 bit installation (either fresh or upgrade from Win 7) could be painful experience at times. After the installation is complete, it just shows the message that certain files are missing and then restart the installation. After few iterations, you will find that certain drives are missing and need to be installed separately. At least, I had this experience. Workaround information for this issue is available on the next along with some fixit tools as well.

• Windows 8 32 bit installation is really smooth. Complete installation may take around 1 hour after few restarts. But it is worth.

• Windows 8 gives you pleasure of both the worlds i.e. typical windows (XP, Vista, 7 etc.) experience + tablet UI experience.

• Just plug in USB device and start using it on your win 8 tablet. :)

Next..

Install Express 2012 RC for Windows 8 and you are good to start writing Metro apps…

More to come….