Dr. GUI Online
November 23, 1998
… will be even better than Rose NT 4.0.
Dr. GUI notes that Windows NT version 5.0 won't be called NT 5.0 after all—instead, it will be called "Windows 2000." Just as Windows NT 4.0 comes in several editions (Workstation, Server, and Advanced Server), so will Windows 2000: Professional (formerly Workstation), Server, Advanced Server (formerly Enterprise Edition), and Datacenter Server (new!). You can read more about the name change and these products at the Windows site. Note that the names of existing products, such as Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 98, don't change.
MSDN has also added a new page with links to articles about API changes in Windows 2000.
Dr. GUI just read about all the awards that Microsoft products have picked up at Comdex, and he couldn't be prouder. Here are the highlights for developers—the complete list is at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1998/Nov98/SQLwinpr.htm.
Dr. GUI's favorite programming environment, Visual Studio version 6.0, won two awards: PC/Computing's MVP Award for Application Development and PC Magazine's Technical Excellence Award for Development Tools. PC Computing said that it's "unrivaled in power and features at any price." Read more about it at http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/.
If you're doing database work using Microsoft SQL Server, you'll be excited about new SQL Server 7.0 (http://www.microsoft.com/sql/reviews.htm). In addition to sporting many new features, the new version is much faster and more scalable than previous versions.
How good is it? Being an unreconstructed Windows and MFC programmer, Dr. GUI's not heavily into databases (but he will be soon—the world is changing), but he did note that SQL Server 7.0 was awarded PC Week's Best of Show at Comdex.
It's here! And it's cool! It's the Internet Explorer 5.0 beta 2! (See http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/essentials/versions/IE5res.asp for the most recent available downloads of Internet Explorer 5.0.)
Whether you develop Web applications or use the HTML control for desktop, you'll want to check out the new features, such as DHTML behaviors and XML support, in Internet Explorer 5.0.
Oh, and IE4 got the PC/Computing MVP award for Web browsers.
Internet Information Server 4.0 and Site Server 3.0, Commerce Edition received PC/Computing's MVP awards in the Web Server Software and Commerce Server Software categories, respectively. And FrontPage 98 received Home Office Computing's Gold Award for Best Website/HTML Publishing Package.
Dr. GUI's also pleased that many independent software vendors (ISVs) received awards at Comdex for products they built on the Microsoft platform. These ISVs are especially close to the good doctor's heart: each is a member of the MSDN ISV program. (Find out how you can join at http://msdnisv.microsoft.com/msdnisv/default.asp.)
So, without further ado, the winners are: Symantec Corp.; Adobe Systems Inc.; Intel Corp.; ScanSoft Inc., a Xerox Co.; Network Associates Inc.; Macromedia Inc.; Infoseek Corp.; Marketwave; Citrix Systems Inc.; Mijenix Corp.; Xpoint Technologies Inc.; and Cisco Systems Inc.
Sure, Dr. GUI's happy about the awards for Visual Studio 6.0, SQL Server 7.0, Internet Explorer 4.0, and the rest. They reflect Microsoft's dedication to its customers and the hard work of everyone in Microsoft product development and support teams. And he's happy for the successes of MSDN ISV program members.
But the award, frankly, that Dr. GUI is proudest of is the PC Week Corporate Partners Candor Award, given yearly to a company that exhibits outstanding openness and honesty in sharing technology vision with corporate customers and for placing high value on customer suggestions and needs.
Do you write data-intensive Web applications? Exchange data with other computers? Just want to know about the latest Web technology?
Now that Internet Explorer 5.0 beta 2 has XML support, you might want to learn about it at the XML site. There's even a cool online tutorial for you to try.
Dr. GUI didn't make it this year, but if you were lucky enough to go to the PDC or the Visual C++ Developer's Conference, you got the preview edition of Visual C++ that contains a version of the compiler that supports Attributes. Attributes are a new technology that will make writing C++, COM, and COM+ programs as easy as Visual Basic—but without sacrificing exact control over the code you generate. Such components include various COM components and controls and even components that support transactioning, queueing, remoting, and security—all by specifying a few Attributes.
If you're familiar with Interface Definition Language (IDL), you have a running start on Attributes. The syntax is basically the same: Like IDL attributes, Attributes are applied to various entities in your C++ program. In fact, a cool use of Attributes is to replace IDL for COM programming. But they're much more powerful than that.
Even if you'll someday use attributes, it's good to learn about COM and ATL so you understand what's going on underneath. So don't worry—all that you learn about ATL and COM won't go to waste.
For more information, check out the Visual C++ site.
By the way, there's a new version of the OLE/COM Viewer available on the COM site. If you've had trouble with the previous version, be sure to update.
OK, so not everything is coming up roses in Redmond (especially since it's cold and it gets dark around 4 P.M.). But this is a preliminary ruling, and this case has a long way to go (and besides, roses bloom in the summer). Anyway, for the latest from Microsoft about what's happening with Microsoft and Java, check out http://www.microsoft.com/java/.
Dr. GUI thinks the key thing for developers is that Microsoft is not abandoning Java. And Microsoft is sure as heck not going to abandon our customers who use Java, whether you choose to use the full power of Windows or not. As Bob Muglia, Senior Vice President of the Applications and Tools Group at Microsoft, said in his letter to developers, "…we are committed to providing you with the tools necessary for you to continue to use the Java language to access the rich functionality of Windows while protecting your investment made to date." (See http://msdn.microsoft.com/visualj/statement.asp.)