CTPs out ASAP for VS V.NEXT
Posted 03:24 PM    

CTPs out ASAP for VS V.NEXT translates simply to this: Soon, Microsoft's releasing early betas (Community Technical Previews) for some key capabilities in the next version of Visual Studio. Microsoft's Ian Knox gave us the rundown in a post-keynote briefing yesterday. Four key CTPs or previews will be ready soon:

• VSTA, or Visual Studio Tools for Applications. This CTP should be available this Friday, Feb 3, 2006. Note that these tools do not, according to a Microsoft spokesman, include support for Office 12 beyond InfoPath. Apparently more broad VSTA support will be in Office 13, or whatever's next
• LINQ, a VB add-in that builds on the earlier LINQ preview. You can download it here now and read more here. LINQ is Language INtegrated Query -- cool, and more than I can describe here.
• CIDER, which is a VS Designer for WinFX Windows Presentation Foundation tools, available in the December 16 download and coming soon in a new one, I believe, since the December preview is very basic (more details in the WIKI).
• TFS -- Team Foundation Server, discussed in more depth elsewhere, should have a release candidate ready soon before the anticipated March release.

All of these technologies besides TFS will roll up into the next version of Visual Studio, expected sometime in 2007, code-named "Orcas." Orcas, despite focusing on many Windows Vista-specific technologies, will follow after Vista by what will likely be several months.