Web Service Software Factory 2010 Beta is Public

Finally the new version of WSSF for Visual Studio 2010 is out. This Beta release will show many new features along with the migration and fix stuff that always come along with these releases.

Download location in Codeplex: http://servicefactory.codeplex.com/  

This contains the binary version along with the Hands-on labs and the source version as well.

In this first post for the new version I will give a first glance of the new features and relevant changes that you will find also in the upcoming final release.

Common Changes

- As part of the new features added to the "Visual Studio 2010 Visualization and Modeling SDK" (old DSL SDK) WSSF now get the benefits of the new features like "Copy & Paste" elements between models and also to external documents as images and some other goodies.

- Another new feature of this SDK is the Model Bus that we use to communicate between models so we removed the DSL Integration Service (DIS) to handle relationships between shapes on different models. As part of this new infrastructure, we provide now with relations between Data Contracts located in different models, a feature that has been asked by many.

- The custom model project was removed and now you can place the model files in any CSharp or VB project and also in any sub folder hierarchy. You will also get the VS built in Add dialog to create new models or export existing ones.

- Now each model element has a menu option that let view the generated code for that element by opening the associated code file.

- Performance enhancements on big models for validation and elements manipulation.

- The new "Generate All Code" option on each model let perform a full scope code generation that will traverse all the referenced models so now you can simply open the host model and generate all the code from there without opening each model file and perform multiple code generation operations.

- VSIX Deployment. Now the msi installer was replaced by the new VS Extensibility infrastructure so you will install the factory as a VS Extension. You will get the main WSSF extension along with the other three models extensions. This will get all the benefits from the VSIX installation like no more GAC registration and deployment by user or machine scope in an "xcopy fashion" way.

- External references updated to latest version like Enterprise Library 5.0 and GAX v2.0.

- WCF Semantic Code Analysis now adds to the current menu option, the new rulset file which can be selected in the Code Analysis project properties or added to an existing ruleset and therefore be part of an automated msbuild process. This file is located in the main WSSF extension installation folder.

- The new "Remarks" property was added to all the model elements in order to persist comments that will be added to the generated code in the form of an XML remarks element to complement the code documentation.

Data Contract Model

The main new addition for the Data Contract model is the ability to enable composition and sharing of data contracts across data contract models with the new Model Bus Feature commented in the above section.

Service Contract Model

The Service Contract model get the new dialog for referencing Data Contract elements using the new Model Bus plumbing so you will get a more comprehensive and robust way to select external elements.

Host Designer

This model got most of the UI changes because we get back the former model that is more consistent with the user experience and metaphors used on the service contract and data contract models. Another change is the client proxy generation that now uses the VS built in dialog for adding service references and let the user select some advanced feature that will drive the proxy code generation.

Backward Compatibility (Old models)

As you may expect, all the three models are fully backward compatible with the existing models including the new host designer UI.

You can leave your opinions about the new factory or suggestion about new features on the service factory discussion forum and also comment you experience ask as many questions you like.