GuruStop.NET

Microsoft .NET framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 and Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 now have public BETAs. The service pack of Visual Studio 2008 has really interesting stuff.

Highlights I’m interested in are performance improvements in HTML editor, collection of JavaScript intellisense hotfixes plus new ones enabling better JavaScript intellisense for libraries like jQuery, JavaScript Code Formatting, ASP.NET Routing engine (the one used in ASP.NET MVC, it is actually developed as separate component), new release of the Entity Framework and LINQ to Entities and ADO.NET Data Services, WCF tools, minor C# editor improvements and interesting LINQ to SQL debugging improvements.

Other improvements include ASP.NET AJAX history management (browser back button support), ASP Classic server-side code intellisense fix, new desktop applications installation model called "Client-only Subset", ClickOnce improvements, various WPF improvements, and some new WPF and Windows Forms controls.

This post is not for repeating the announcements, instead referring to other related content:

• Just in case you have not read it already, here’s Scott Guthrie’s announcement with details of what the service pack has to offer:
  http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2008/05/12/visual-studio-2008-and-net-framework-3-5-service-pack-1-beta.aspx
• Official homepage:
  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/products/cc533447.aspx
  • Downloads:
    http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/cc533448.aspx
  • Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 Beta Readme (I personally recommend it)
    http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/F/D/8FD2A9F0-C3D4-4B0A-80AF-88D738DCDDF4/VSReadme.htm
• Visual Web Developer Team Announcement (With more details of bug fixes included in the service pack)
  http://blogs.msdn.com/webdevtools/archive/2008/05/12/visual-studio-2008-sp1-beta.aspx
• Must-have BETA warnings/problems
  http://www.hanselman.com/blog/VS2008AndNet35SP1BetaShouldYouFearThisRelease.aspx
• Error installing Visual Studio 2008 SP1 Beta and Silverlight Tools Beta 1
  http://blogs.msdn.com/webdevtools/archive/2008/05/12/error-installing-visual-studio-2008-sp1-beta-and-silverlight-tools-beta-1.aspx
• The effect on ASP.NET MVC
  http://haacked.com/archive/2008/05/12/sp1-beta-and-its-effect-on-mvc.aspx
• ADO.NET Data Services Framework Beta 1 is Live! (List of changes since last release)
  http://blogs.msdn.com/astoriateam/archive/2008/05/12/ado-net-data-services-framework-beta-1-is-live.aspx
• Clearing some confusion about Dynamic Data and VS SP1 Beta
  http://blogs.msdn.com/davidebb/archive/2008/05/12/clearing-some-confusion-about-dynamic-data-and-vs-sp1.aspx
• Notes from updating some Entity Framework apps to the SP1 Beta bits
  http://www.thedatafarm.com/blog/2008/05/12/NotesFromUpdatingSomeEntityFrameworkAppsToTheSP1BetaBits.aspx
• Notes from updating an Astoria project to the new SP1 Beta bits
  http://www.thedatafarm.com/blog/2008/05/12/NotesFromUpdatingAnAstoriaProjectToTheNewSP1BetaBits.aspx
• Introducing JScript Formatting in VS 2008 SP1
  http://blogs.msdn.com/webdevtools/archive/2008/05/12/introducing-jscript-formatting-in-vs-2008-sp1.aspx
• Introducing the Third Major Release of Windows Presentation Foundation (Intro to WPF goods in SP1)
  http://blogs.msdn.com/tims/archive/2008/05/12/introducing-the-third-major-release-of-windows-presentation-foundation.aspx