10 Tools Which I Left After Using VSTS 2008

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

I have started using Visual Studio Team System (VSTS) 2008, recently. Previously I worked with Visual Studio 2005. As a matter of fact I had to use lots of external tools to perform and speedup my development process. However, while working with VSTS 2008, it's very exciting for me that, I found replacements for most of the external tools there.

Here are 10 tools which I left after using VSTS 2008:

1. Database Schema Compare

External tool: Redgate SQL Compare

VSTS 2008 tool: Menu -> Data -> Schema Compare

2. Database Data Compare

External tool: Redgate SQL Data Compare

VSTS 2008 tool: Menu -> Data -> Data Compare

3. Database Data Generator

External tool: Data Gen 0.9

VSTS 2008 tool (power tool): Add -> New Item -> Data Generation Wizard

4. Unit Testing

External tool: Test Driven.NET

VSTS 2008 tool: Menu -> Test -> New Test

5. Web Testing

External tool: Badboy

VSTS 2008 tool: Menu -> Test -> New Test

6. Load Testing

External tool: Neoload

VSTS 2008 tool: Menu -> Test -> New Test

7. Code Profiling

External tool: Redgate ANTS Profiler

VSTS 2008 tool: Menu -> Analyze -> Launch Performance Wizard

8. Code Analysis

External tool: Fxcop

VSTS 2008 tool: Menu -> Analyze -> Run Code Analysis

9. Code Matrics

External tool: nDepend

VSTS 2008 tool: Menu -> Analyze -> Calculate Code Matrics

10. Java Script Debugging

External tool: Code Project Java Script Debugging Tool

VSTS 2008 tool: see Scott Gu's post on it.

Technorati Tags: tools,technology,microsoft,visual studio 2008,development

16 Comments

Great post! This is all useful info.

Guy - Tuesday, June 24, 2008 11:21:07 PM

Wow. I didn't know there was Schema Compare and Data Compare built into VSTS!

LaptopHeaven - Wednesday, June 25, 2008 1:37:39 AM

well i may not have VSTS but i sure think Datagen could save me a lot of work! thanks for the link.

Guy Harwood - Wednesday, June 25, 2008 5:48:47 PM

You could also use Visual Studio Team SUITE (not well advertised) if you don't need need the whole team system.

superjason - Wednesday, June 25, 2008 8:26:32 PM

superjason, can you give more details on you comment, maybe some links.

Thanks,
Schneider

schneider - Wednesday, June 25, 2008 10:12:14 PM

Good post.Thanks

galib - Wednesday, June 25, 2008 10:52:25 PM

The Data menu only appears in certain contexts and I do not see the Data or Schema Compare options when it is visible. I have VSTS Dev Edition. Does that not come with that feature?

Brennan Stehling - Thursday, June 26, 2008 12:40:29 AM

You really dropped TestDriven.Net? I agree that being able to run your tests in debug mode are one of the clear pluses of the test features in VS2008 (it's included in VS2008 Pro, BTW), but that wasn't enough so far to convince me to leave NUnit behind. Do you have a way to run NUnit tests within VS2008?

Mathias - Thursday, June 26, 2008 10:15:16 AM

Wow.
Great Post

kamii47 - Thursday, June 26, 2008 1:59:50 PM

@ Mathias
Thats fine for me regarding my current need. If I need more, I will try best to be at VSTS 2008, rather going to an external tool (and will have a post on it as well ;)

joycsharp - Thursday, June 26, 2008 3:45:22 PM

@Brennan Stehling

You have to install Visual Studio Team System 2008 Database Edition for the corresponding features.

joycsharp - Thursday, June 26, 2008 3:46:23 PM

@ All
Thanks all for your inputs.

joycsharp - Thursday, June 26, 2008 4:37:48 PM

Although there are database tools in VS2008 from the Database Developer Edition, I am not so happy with them. I do not like how user permissions are stored and have to be maintained. Other ways we have developed our stored procs and views to have a statement at the top that if it does not exist create a dummy shell, then the guts is always an ALTER is does not like. Perhaps I should spend more time, but that is my opinion of the database edition portion. I am impressed with the other tools, but you also must remind people that this is for the FULL team suite edition.

Andy - Saturday, June 28, 2008 3:18:21 AM

Awesome Post. I may use this content in front of customers and I'll build out a slide deck...Thanks!

Ian Ceicys - Saturday, June 28, 2008 4:21:28 AM

I am also using VSTS 2008. Very very helpful post for me. Thank you.

Setu - Monday, June 30, 2008 1:22:18 PM

hi mohammad,

I want to know how does Recorded or coded webtest behaves when the same are included in LoadTest in VSTS 2008, Please give your inputs.
prasad.patel@emids.com

Prasad Patel - Thursday, May 13, 2010 8:50:31 PM

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