ok, here's my first post

I like Visual Basic. a lot. it's simple an wonderfull. I like it's clear syntax.

The only problem I see is the IDE. I'm using two

(1) - Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
(2) - Sharpdevelop

Both are great IDE's and both are slowwwww to load.

I work as a software consultant and it happens to be that at moments I have to switch between three to five project at the same time and for the sake of clarity I just quit one then launch next. (always from zero (I mean a folder on the desk showing the project)).

I started to use (1) but it was too slow, then I used (2) but the same.

The question is:

Do exist some other way (apart of console mode) to program in visual basic (or any .net language at all) that gives me a project control but start up really fast.?

Is there some way to use another visual environment that it's faster even if not 100% compatible?

Can be created a module that allows visual studio 98 (the one that comes with VB6) to generate .net code? (I know it sound silly but I have a module that creates code to another language called euphoria)

Sorry for my english, it´s not my native language. But I´m listening the Tech Five section in John C. Dvorak page every day to learn english a lot more.

Thanks in advance

Max Herment

by the way! my machine is an AMD Athlon 3100 - 64 bits (running 32bits xp) and I have a fast video card (nvidia Gforce 7300 GS with 256MB) My hard disk is Paralel ATA and I thing it's a good machine.

I've tried the IDE's on faster machines at my client locations but the problem is the same!

Did you check out Visual Web Developer Express? I use it, and it seems (to me) to be fairly fast - your mileage may vary, but take a look. It's a free download from Microsoft. It's geared towards writing ASP.Net web applications, but I use it for all of my VB work. Check it out here.

edit: you should note that Visual Web Developer is for making web sites - as far as I can tell, you can't use it to create an application.

This post has been edited by girasquid: 4 Nov, 2007 - 11:30 PM

You could also take a look at Visual Basic 2005 Express, it's faster than both #Develop and VS, but you loose a lot of functionality over the 2 as it is just s scaled down version of VS. VS is going to take some time to load, not only is it a large application, but it has to load a ton of stuff as it's loading, so theres really nothing you can do about that.

I don't find it that slow on my home computer, or my work one for that matter, then again they both have a DuoCore processor and 4GB DDR2.

P.S. You never do say how much memory you have in your computer.

Thanks for the ideas, I´m going to try it right now.

By the way, is the first time I see a response too incredible fast, you are really
dedicated people, I´m amazed.

I´ll reply the results as soon as I test these environments.

Thanks again.

Hello again friends

I have downloaded de visual studio express 2005 and I found the speed diference just incredible. It runs extremely fast. This makes me thing that there must be some kind of tunning I should do in the vstudio 2005 pro that I was using. The speed difference is so big that i find it suspicious!!

Anyway, the developer express versions are enough for me now.

One question remain, where can I download the complete vexpress and not simply the loader-installer that microsoft pages gives us. I know it can be done.

Thanks

Max Herment
Caracas, Venezuela.

Moved to VB.Net Forum

If you're asking what I believe you're asking (how to get an express version of Visual Studio with the same features as VS Pro), that isn't possible. That's the downside of the Express Editions.

NO NO I´m not asking that...

when you download the setup program you get a file of +- 3mb, and I do not think vbexpress is as little as that. The program (vbsetup.exe) is no more than a downloader of something bigger. But how can I get the complete file (I think it's 50MB more or less) to install it in various machines in case there's no internet connection available.

If I´m not clear clear please let me know I'll try to expand the question.

Anyway, what you've told me has been very good because the express versions of the IDE are REALLY fast, and it work fast even in a machine with 256MB ram.

My home machine (and the work machine because I'm a software consultant and work programmig at home) has 1GB ram. but I need to install the development tools in customer machines for last minute updates and adjustments (yes you already know that, you are all programmers) and I saw the load speed is good even in 256MB machines.

I know that the complete versions of the languages can be loaded from nowhere, it's illegal. I know that. Don't worry.

Ok

Thanks a lot.

Max Herment

P.S.
I read in a magazine (a month ago maybe) that vbsetup or vccsetup can be loaded complete that's the reason I'm asking for, but I don't know where to get it.
and I also believe that the express version are very powerfull. The sql express allows a 2gb databases (if you design a database carefully eliminating redundancy and compacting some fields there's a lot of thing you can store there. And what's the problem you need more,space...well just open another database!!!

I'm not sure where you can get the complete installer either; I have a couple copies of it off of CD's that came with books, but I don't know of anywhere you can actually download it.

Had to dig a little for this link. They hid it from you. But using the ISO or IMG files on that page will allow you to make an offline installer on a CD. Sorry I misunderstood your question from before, I didn't realize that it came as an online installer.

TO: aceofspades686

Never mind, it's not your fault, as you may probably know English is not my native language.. But I'm trying to learn. I listen every day the 5tech section of Mr. John C. Dvorak from PC-Magazine (www.dvorak.org) It's amazing and he speaks very fast. That's what I need to really learn to speak english.

Your help has been very productive. In fact, I recovered my faith in the vb.net platform thank to your help.

I'll dig more trying to find the page to download the complete file then I'll post it

Thanks

Max Herment

No worries, and there was a link to the complete file in my last post . Here it is again. Click here.

This post has been edited by aceofspades686: 7 Nov, 2007 - 08:06 PM

Congratulations for your new Thumb Drive. You Deserve it!!

maxherment, you do realize that the Express Editions IDE may be faster but you lose a ton of functionality and project types dont you? The IDE that VB 2005 Express uses is a severely scaled down version of Visual Studio 2005. Ive never noticed the kind of performance issues you're talking about when I have enough memory in my system.

Both my personal machine, and my machine at work have 4GB and I don't notice a severe slowdown in production due to VS being that slow. Maybe you should look at the configuration of your machine before blaming it on the IDE Just a suggestion

Interesting point. My machines has only 1GB ram. That's one bottleneck. I know. But when I work with visual studio 2005 I work with that alone, no other apps are running in the machine (not even firefox, nothing.. nada)

Then I ask myself. How it is possible that an IDE needs a complete GB or more to just start fast. It's too bloated in my humble opinion.

I have not checked all what I'm loosing with the express editions but this could be a good theme for a new topic maybe. I find the express edition useful not only for students and hobby programmer but also for little business systems. I can do database (using sql express) with up to 2GB databases, I have access to the complete .net framework library and I saw that express editions are FAST to load

I'm very careful with my machine's configuration. I put special attention to the services running, background task etc, and I'm proud to announce that my task manager shows no more than 25 processes running simultaneously; all of them practically using no processor time. I have disabled the themes manager and my machine boots from zero to desktop active in 18 secs. flat. (I'm a benchmark fanatic)

I don't see problems with compiled .net apps neither, they also run FAST. The only problem is the IDE (the visual studio 2005 ide I mean)

But now thank to the suggestions i received in the forums, I've started to use the express editions and everything is going smoothly.

what most amazes me is the speed difference.

I know that many programmers works on one project at a time, and so I. But once in a while happens that two or three clients calls simultaneously, then I have to switch quickly between two or three; even more projects.

There's where I need the speed. When the IDE starts, because I need to work with many project in the same minutes basically. I know it sounds crazy, but real world IS crazy.

well, sorry for the post extension. Only one question left... can windows xp 32 bits use more than two GBs ??

Thank you Friends
This forum really works

Max Herment
Caracas, Venezuela

On average I normally have VS 2005 open 4 or 5 times constantly and still dont see the performance issues you're referring to, so I know it has to be something with your computer. When you go to deploy your project with the VB Express edition is really when you're going to notice what you're losing, with the Express Edition the only option you have is ClickOnce Deployment, no setup project types at all, and no Class Libraries project types, and other such project types.

I run it with 1 GB on one of my laptops (alongside Vista as well) and I've never noticed the kind of slowdowns you're talking about. I suppose it could also be your processor.

Ok Friends, you convinced me. I'm going to re-install windows in my machine with no software apart of vs 2005. I'll do it on weekend. and I'll test it. I'll do all kind of benchmark and I'll post the most relevant ones.

My machine has an AMD 64bit at 3ghz processor but I'm using xp 32bits. I will install xp 32 bits because it's the platform all my clients use.

There's full logic in what you say.

I have all the software completely legal. The only software I have paid for is: Win XP, VS 2005, Visual Foxpro 8 (and an upgrade to 9) and I'm using allmost microsoft only software, except of course firefox. All the other software I use is open source. (sourceforge.net fan )

I don't use office 2003 but openoffice 2

I'm not a microsoft fan really but market dictates sometimes

for the benchmarks I won't install any except winXp + Vs 2500... there must be something wrong in the installation or... well I'll see

I'll benchmark with the default installation, then I will start to disable the non needed services (well not needed by me) like themes, and wireless..

I use avg antivirus and rarely have problems with virus.
I'm sure there are no rootkits, in my machine and for safety I wont connect this machine to the Internet untill all tests be completed.

ok...bye

have a nice weekend

Max


This post has been edited by maxherment: 8 Nov, 2007 - 09:49 PM

Well I imagine with the specs you've posted on your PC, you should see an huge increase in performance. I also run it on my laptap and desktop both running only 1GB ram.

Never had any major performance issues.

Hello Friends, I'm back

I had a complex weekend, and starting the week I've got a virus attack to many
of my clients, so you can imagine how it was that!!

Anyway, I did what I promised, I installed the Vstudio 2005 in a completely clean
machine, and finally I've got the real reason for the botleneck, I don't understand
why I did't think in that before.

The solution to speed up the load time is easy. Just disable the startup page. I have a good
speed adsl line, but anyway if the emule is runnig, little bandwith is left for the startup
page of visual studio. I disabled it and now it runs smooth. As fast as the express versions.

when I speak about the starting page, I mean the Internet page you see when vstudio starts. It goes
directly to a news page from microsoft (a vstudio news of course), you can disable in tools/options
and I set it to start with an empty project. When you click on you .sln file it starts in your project instead
and is very fast.

The first time you load vs it is always because it must be loaded from disk, but from then on, every time
you start vs it's almost instantaneous.

Thank you all friends. Now I see the most useful aspect of the forums in general. They let
you see things from a different point of view.

Even this simple concept turns to be a powerfull one.

Well... I'll start to dig deeply in the .net languages, and when I have something to tell I'll create
a new post. a new theme by the way. I consider this one to be closed.

Thanks a lot specially to aceofspades686 who gaves me the link to find the complete express versions
where you can find a very special version of sql express with a report writer FOR FREE!!

Ok I'll post soon, bye

Max