What are the restrictions on VS Express?

[aCynic2]

I'm just looking for now. Did MS put any restrictions on this since it's free? Could I sell anything I make with it?

Does it produce professional level finished products, read as, are all the optimization options in place?


I'm comparing it against OpenWatcom.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Text

* No IDE support for databases other than SQL Express and Access
* No support for Web Applications with ASP.NET (this can instead be done with Visual Web Developer Express, though the non-Express version of Visual BASIC allows both web and windows applications from the same IDE)
* No support for developing for mobile devices (no templates or emulator)
* No Crystal Reports
* Fewer project templates (e.g. Windows services template, Excel Workbook template)
* Limited options for debugging and breakpoints.

 

[aCynic2]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

* Limited options for debugging and breakpoints.

This is the only real concern.

So that means I can use it to make a commercial product? I'll keep it in mind.

 

[imported_Dhaval00]

There are no restrictions on commercial use. In fact, we just delivered a product developed totally using the Express editions (Visual Studio, SQL Server, and Web Developer)... the customer had major cost/legal issues.

Additionally, I know a whole slew of consultants who use the Express editions for developing full-fledged enterprise applications. No legal issues there *LMAO*

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Dhaval00
There are no restrictions on commercial use. In fact, we just delivered a product developed totally using the Express editions (Visual Studio, SQL Server, and Web Developer)... the customer had major cost/legal issues.

Additionally, I know a whole slew of consultants who use the Express editions for developing full-fledged enterprise applications. No legal issues there *LMAO*

Why are you laughing? The EULA for the Express editions have no restrictions whatsoever.

 

[Lethrir]

The biggest problem I have with the Express editions is the fact you need to install multiple applications to cover C#, VB.NET, ASP.NET etc but it's not a huge deal and that's only because I use a wide variety of languages for different projects. This also means there's less integration and of course you won't get the team options.

Overall though, the Express Editions are well worth a look and you can always buy Standard or Pro later and load the same projects into them.

 

[imported_Dhaval00]

I was hoping some of the consultants would pick up on that joke. There was a huge debate over the legal issues when MS first came out with the Express editions... it seemed that the consultant community ended up abusing (more productively) something that MS had hoped only n00bs would use as learning tools. Even to this day, there are a few folks at MS that I know personally who wrath consultants (mind you, they only wrath the consultants who can afford to buy MSDN licenses, but don't) because of how they abuse the Express editions.

And just because of that EULA that you mentioned, the consultants had/have the final say 🙂

By the way, this seems unrelated, but I think MS is still giving away free copies of VS2005 Standard: http://www.microsoft.com/busin...005upgrade/offers.mspx

 

[aCynic2]

Originally posted by: Lethrir
The biggest problem I have with the Express editions is the fact you need to install multiple applications to cover C#, VB.NET, ASP.NET etc but it's not a huge deal and that's only because I use a wide variety of languages for different projects. This also means there's less integration and of course you won't get the team options.

I don't use any of that. I'm only interested in the C compiler. I don't want to use managed languages at all.

Overall though, the Express Editions are well worth a look and you can always buy Standard or Pro later and load the same projects into them.

Well, I'm hoping OpenWatcom can start gutting MS in the compiler market.

Watcom was such a name of reckoning in the 80s that I'm glad Sybase turned it over to the public as an open source project.

But, if I have to, I'll buy VS Pro, but it will be awhile, perhaps as a business expense once I do start to work on getting the business rolling (right now, I'm working on the first phase of the first product and it doesn't require an office or major tools).

 

[CTho9305]

Originally posted by: aCynic2

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh

* Limited options for debugging and breakpoints.

This is the only real concern.

The only issue there I've noticed is that you can't use it as the OS crash handler. With normal versions of VC++, you can set it up so that when any program crashes, the debugger attaches to the process and you can examine the call stack / step over the crash / do other debugger-like things. With the express edition, that can't be done. For most people, that's probably a non-issue.