Microsoft shows off new developer tools

Microsoft has shed light on the upcoming .Net and Visual Studio releases

Microsoft is offering the first look at the latest .Net and Visual Studio releases.

The company has announced the newest versions of both developer tools, known as .Net Framework 4.0 and Visual Studio 2010, but no official release dates were given.

Team working will be the main focus for Visual Studio 2010. Microsoft plans to upgrade the collaboration and testing tools for the development suite, along with introducing a new modelling tool designed to allow non-technical users to model and understand the way in which a new application may function.

"With Visual Studio 2010 and the .Net Framework 4.0 we are focused on the core pillars of developer experience: support for the latest platforms spanning client, server, services and devices; targeted experiences for specific application types; and core architecture improvements," said Soma Somasegar, senior vice president of Microsoft's developer division.

"These pillars are designed specifically to meet the needs of developers, the teams that drive the application lifecycle from idea to delivery, and the customers that demand the highest quality applications across multiple platforms."

Microsoft also plans to change the structure of Visual Studio. The upcoming 2010 version will integrate Visual Studio Team System development and database components.

As such, Microsoft said that it will grant Visual Studio Team System 2008 users licences to the development and database versions of both products for the 2008 and 2005 releases.