Microsoft Visual Studio Express
Microsoft Visual Studio Express is a set of free
integrated development environments developed by
Microsoft that are lightweight versions of the
Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 (codenamed Whidbey) product line. The idea of express editions, according to Microsoft, is to provide a streamlined, easy-to-use and easy-to-learn IDEs for less serious users, such as hobbyists and students. They were released on
November 7,
2005, and were supposed to be free just for one year (SQL Server 2005 Express Edition being the only exception). However, Microsoft announced on
April 19,
2006 that these editions will always remain free.
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MSDE
Microsoft Visual Studio Express
Visual Studio 2005 Express