Visual Studio .NET RC1 at PDC
WinInfo | at | by Mike
Microsoft will launch a release candidate of Visual Studio .NET at this month's Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles. This release will be accompanied by near-final versions of the .NET Framework development library and a new Software Development Kit (SDK) for .NET My Services, previously code-named Hailstorm. After the .NET Framework is finalized, it will be released in a service packs for Windows 2000 and XP early next year; future Windows versions will also incorporate this technology. Regarding the Java add-on, which might be marketed as Visual J# .NET, it's unclear what prompted Microsoft to reverse course. Java backers point to the language's popularity, though it's outpaced by many other languages, including Microsoft's own Visual Basic. Still, it behooves Microsoft to provide an upgrade path for the people who are still using Java: Otherwise, that potential audience could have been shut out of the .NET wave, since third party Java add-ons wouldn't have the widespread adoption of an official Microsoft release. Expect a public beta of this tool soon.