Category Archives: Programming

Microsoft Visual Studio Installer Projects

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I was forced to remain using Visual Studio 2010 and not upgrade to Visual Studio 2012 or Visual Studio 2013, because my company has dozens of internally used utility apps that use visual studio installer/setup projects. It just is not worth the effort to migrate to another installer technology.

Surprising, last year Microsoft reversed the decision to remove set-up projects, as politically the focus was on getting developers making Windows Store applications where the end product is submitted to Microsoft to host and manage. I write this post as I still come across developers that are unaware that this functionality has been returned.

You can download the extension package from here that updates Visual Studio 2013 only (not Visual Studio 2012)

Setup

After installing the extension you will see the project template available in Visual Studio 2013 shown below

Installer/Setup project

I am currently evaluating Visual Studio 2015 preview, so one naturally assumed that you would be able to create a new set-up project as the functionality had been returned in the previous version, albeit via an add-in extension, I assumed I could see the project template shown in the image above, but it was not there.

It turns out that Microsoft have changed their mind again, and decided not to include installer/setup project in Visual Studio 2015, article available here.

We’d like to thank you all for your comments on this UserVoice entry. We have been discussing the comments on InstallShield Limited Edition (ISLE) raised here with Flexera and we are currently working with them to address the top issues. At this stage we have no plans to include the former Visual Studio Setup Projects in future product versions but we will continue to work with Flexera and the community to ensure Visual Studio customers’ setup needs will be met with no-cost tooling that supports a broad range of scenarios.

Tony Goodhew, Program Manager, VS Pro.

 This is a very frustrating development, a decision based on political and not technical issues. it just means a whole class of Visual Studio developer simply won’t upgrade.

Spec#, a new dawn for programming languages

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Spec# pronounced ‘Spec Sharp’ is new attempt at a more cost effective way to develop and maintain high-quality software. This language is being developed by Microsoft Research and has left me completely dumbstruck. My favourite programming language is C# of which I’m self taught, but I was formally trained in C/C++.

Spec# is an extension to C# that introduces the notion of contract based programming. If you have tried Windows Communication Foundation, you will be familiar with the notion of contracts. Spec# takes things to a whole new level, and is very very explicit – this is a complete understatement by the way.

When you are defining your encapsulated fields and methods you have to go into a great more detail about how those fields and methods will operate, all at compile time. In C++, C# or Visual Basic, a developer usually writes a chunk of code and then compiles that code into a .dll or executable. It is only at this stage when problems are identified, and resolutions are effected. Spec# does not allow this because as you write your code it checks everything. One of the key features is that you have to specify values as non-null. This is a big deal.

What non-null stipulations allow for, is very performant code (‘performant’ is a word used by Technical Fellows so it is now a word – as far as I am concerned). This is because code is not being checked for being null which is something that is always done for Common Language Runtime languages. The way the Spec# team achieve this is through their ‘brain-box’ knowledge of Microsoft Intermediate Language.

I will certainly be keeping my eyes on this one.

Moving over to ALT.NET

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Kevin Moore has planted the seeds of doubt in me again. In this article he links to Joel Spolsky’s article Why I Hate Frameworks.

Obviously this is a very popular article, and is very humorous and perceptive. Some perceptions on software do indeed last a long time. I have just read through the white-paper for SCSF and that is pretty heavy going. The example in the white-paper is for a National Bank, with thousands of users and appears vastly over engineered for the purposes which I require. Joel’s article really does resonate once you get to about page 10 of the 50 or so pages.

What does a user for a small to medium sized application, that must perform well and adhere to best practices use? It appears as if there are solutions for the mega problems but non for the mini or micros ones. The .NET framework is increasing the ability for individuals for write far fuller applications, with fewer staff than ever before.

Due to my present and abject disgruntlement, I’ve decided to go ALT.NET, and see if that ‘bears any fruits’. This is something I’ve heard of for some time now, in fact, as bar back as this article. I really am getting rather fatigued at the present state of things and hope things like http://www.castleproject.org/ can help bring about the development ascension I yearn.