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Database development has gotten easier, thanks to Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Database Professionals (or DB Pro edition, for short). If you need to create, manage, or build solutions that connect to SQL Server, this tool is for you.
DB Pro edition provides a number of features to make managing databases easier. As a member of Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite, DB Pro edition works in conjunction with Team Foundation Server's source code control feature to manage database changes just as you manage your source code. DB Pro edition supports sandbox development of databases, and it includes tools for database comparison, data generation, unit testing, and database deployment. But what is most compelling about DB Pro edition is using all of its features together as part of a holistic, database development life cycle.

Visual Studio provides interfaces for extending the environment to generate one file, from another, through a "Custom Tool". Now, learn how to generate multiple files, easily, and extensibly.

An enhanced DataSet Visualizer for Visual Studio 2005

The goal of this pilot is to provide you with direct access to the most requested hotfixes that are produced for our developer tools. A hotfix is a single package that includes one or more files that is used to address a very specific customer problem with a product. You'll find a description and download links below for the most frequently requested hotfixes for the Visual Studio 2005 suite of products.

For example, Microsoft released the fix for annoying bug in VS 2005: "You may receive an error message when you rebuild a solution and try to view a Windows Form in Design view in Visual Studio 2005. ("One or more errors encountered while loading the designer" error)".

SlickEdit has released SlickEditВ® Gadgets, a collection of free utilities for the MicrosoftВ® Visual StudioВ® 2005 development environment. SlickEdit Gadgets is an assortment of useful utilities to help programmers monitor, explore, and inspect the contents of their code. SlickEdit Gadgets include: * Editor Gadgets: Four utilities that add visual pizzazz to your editor, such as background images and wallpaper. * Command Spy: Monitors command execution and allows you to see exactly what commands you've run, how many times you've run them and what key bindings are used to invoke those commands. * File Explorer: Provides an easy way to open solutions, projects, or single files in Visual Studio. * Data Object Analyzer: Inspects the contents of any clipboard operation, or drag-and-drop operation, from any other application. * SLOC Report: Provides a graphical report of the total lines of code in a file, project, or solution.

This article discusses about the default dynamic behaviour of Web References in Visual Studio 2005

A convenient tool for quick solution back-ups.

It's no secret that poorly defined requirements equal a poorly developed application--or a well developed application that simply does the wrong thing. Ravenflow's RAVEN product integrates with Visual Studio 2005 Team System to streamline the process from requirements definition and validation to creation of Team Foundation Server work items. The end result is improved requirements accuracy as well as the ability to trace development efforts to each identified requirement.

A Visual Studio add-in that automates the AssemblyVersion control.

Link source code comments to your bug tracker, MSDN, development WIKI and more