Visual Studio .NET Professional 2003 is Microsoft’s multi-faceted development tool, targeting both Windows and Web applications. This 2003 edition includes numerous small improvements as well as major new features like the Compact Framework, for applications that run on Pocket PC and other smart devices. It supports multiple languages, with the main ones being Visual Basic, C#, and C++. There is also a Java-like language called J#, although J# applications only work on Windows so this is not a true Java development tool. The Visual Studio .NET environment is truly integrated. It makes extensive use of docking and tabbed windows, and there are plenty of project wizards along with huge amounts of online help. Auto-completion and pop-up help eases the business of editing code.

Microsoft’s .NET tools are very different from their predecessors. Visual C++ can still compile standard Windows executables, but the other languages all target the .NET Framework, a runtime engine and class library that manages memory and enforces security. Framework applications perform well, since they are compiled to native code at runtime, but there is an overhead in terms of memory usage and the Framework runtime must be installed. In compensation, .NET brings many advantages. All the languages are fully object-oriented, the class library is rich, and XML support is deeply integrated. ASP.NET is for web applications, and represents a large advance on the old ASP. Instead of script, ASP.NET supports any of the .NET languages, running on the server and just-in-time compiled to native code. There is a visual web page designer, and carefully designed applications support a wide range of browsers. A new feature in this version of Visual Studio is Mobile Web Forms, which use adaptive rendering to support the browsers in mobile phones and PDAs.

The database technology in Visual Studio is called ADO.NET. It uses a disconnected model, which means that applications work with data locally, only contacting the server for data transfer or update. It’s a good model for laptops, smart devices, and wide area networks, but there’s a lot to learn for those skilled in older database APIs.

The Visual Studio .NET Professional 2003 edition represents the best value in the range. There’s no Visual SourceSafe or Visio diagramming, and it lacks the server licences found in the high-end Enterprise editions, but it’s otherwise a fully comprehensive package.

For those wondering whether to make the jump to .NET, this release is probably the right moment to go ahead. The technology is maturing, and the inclusion of the Compact Framework makes the package more compelling. Students and newcomers to programming will welcome the clean object-orientation in C#, and the deep XML support on offer is essential for enterprise applications or integrating with other platforms. It’s still important to note the heavy system requirements, and that .NET applications do not run on Windows 95. In most cases, the higher productivity of .NET languages soon pays for any additional resources. --Tim Anderson, Amazon.co.uk

Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition is the complete database and analysis offering for rapidly delivering the next generation of scalable e-commerce, line-of-business and data warehousing solutions. Query, analyze and manipulate data over the Web. Use Extensible Markup Language (XML) in SQL Server 2000 to exchange data between loosely coupled systems. Access data easily and securely from a browser, through firewalls, and perform fast full-text searches of formatted documents. Analyze and link online analytical processing (OLAP) cubes, even over the Web. Perform click stream analysis to learn about your Web customers. Grow without limits with enhanced scalability and reliability features. Partition your database workload to achieve scale-out of applications. Take full advantage of Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) hardware. Rapidly build, deploy, and manage e-commerce, line-of-business, and data warehousing solutions. Perform sophisticated data mining on customer and financial data. Reduce development time with the integrated T-SQL debugger, and develop your own functions that can be reused in different applications. SQL Server 2000 provides the fastest route to Web application development.

JBuilder Foundation was written by Java developers for Java developers. Featuring a responsive and feature-rich editing environment, rapid compilation using an advanced dependency-checking system, and an intuitive debugging environment, JBuilder Foundation is designed to deliver sophisticated portable code.

The AppBrowser makes managing hundreds of packages and thousands of source files easy. The CodeInsight technology editor, integrated seamlessly into the source code, automatically looks up classes, methods, and parameter information as you type. JavaBeans can be used in our visual design environment without introducing proprietary tags or preventing manual changes to your code. The debugger uses the new JPDA technology for a robust debugging experience on a standard JDK. The latest Java APIs can be easily integrated into your development environment. And JBuilder project files can be shared with users of the commercial JBuilder family on Solaris and Windows.

Rapidly build business solutions using Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0, the complete enterprise development-tool suite. Winner of PC Magazine's Technical Excellence Award, as well as PC Computing's MVP Award, Visual Studio allows you to build scalable applications for Windows and the Web that easily integrate with existing systems.

The Visual Studio 6.0 development suite sets the standard for developer productivity and comprehensive design support with integrated features across all the popular languages. Visual Studio 6.0 Enterprise Edition includes the complete set of development tools for building reusable applications in Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0, Visual C++ 6.0, Visual J++ 6.0, or Visual FoxPro 6.0. Visual InterDev 6.0 provides easy integration with the Internet and a full Web-page authoring environment.

In addition, Visual Studio Enterprise Edition adds extensive support for large systems and distributed applications. It offers additional features, including enterprise database development and design tools, team development support, development life-cycle support, and development and test versions of the Microsoft BackOffice family of application servers.

To take advantage of the latest capabilities for developing Windows 2000 and mobile computing applications, Visual Studio 6.0 now includes the Windows 2000 Developer's Readiness Kit and the freely redistributable SQL Server 7.0 compatible Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) for mobile applications.

FileMaker Server, for Windows, Mac OS, Mac OS X, and Red Hat Linux, delivers a database server that's reliable and easy to use for both network administrators and client users. This high-performance relational database engine accelerates FileMaker Pro 5.x operations over a network both by increasing the speed of database operations and by allowing up to 250 simultaneous guests per server, while hosting up to 125 database files. These capabilities make it an excellent choice for departments and workgroups in any size business.

For administrators, FileMaker Server delivers the ability to automatically update and deploy plug-ins to clients across the network. One update of a plug-in on the server updates all users of a FileMaker solution. Administrators will also appreciate the cross-platform support for TCP/IP, which eases deployment for Windows, Mac OS, and Mac OS X workgroup guests. This flexibility and compatibility mean that FileMaker Server can fit into corporate environments seamlessly.

And while FileMaker Server software contains powerful tools for IS professionals, it's easy to set up and run for non-technical people. The critical task of backing up FileMaker Pro databases on a regular basis can be automated and scheduled to be performed even while guests are connected. Register FileMaker Server 5.5 on your LDAP server for easy login from FileMaker Pro 5.x and tracking from the IT department.

SQL Server is the Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) of choice for a broad spectrum of corporate customers and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) building business applications. Customer needs and requirements have driven significant product innovations in ease of use, reliability, scalability, and data warehousing. Microsoft's SQL Server 7.0 is the first database to scale from the laptop to the enterprise using the same code base, offering 100 percent code compatibility; the first to support autoconfiguration and self-tuning; and the first with an integrated OLAP server.

Rapidly build business solutions using Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0, the complete enterprise development tool suite. Winner of the PC Magazine Technical Excellence Award, as well as the PC Computing MVP Award, Visual Studio allows you to build scalable applications for Windows and the Web that easily integrate with existing systems. The Visual Studio 6.0 development suite sets the standard for developer productivity and comprehensive design support with integrated features across all the popular languages. Visual Studio 6.0 Enterprise Edition includes the complete set of development tools for building reusable applications in Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0, Visual C++ 6.0, Visual J++ 6.0, or Visual FoxPro 6.0. Visual InterDev 6.0 provides easy integration with the Internet and a full Web-page authoring environment. In addition, Visual Studio Enterprise Edition adds extensive support for large systems and distributed applications. It offers additional features, including enterprise database development and design tools, team development support, development life cycle support, and development and test versions of the Microsoft BackOffice family of application servers. To take advantage of the latest capabilities for developing Windows 2000 and mobile computing applications, Visual Studio 6.0 now includes the Windows 2000 Developer's Readiness Kit and the freely redistributable SQL Server 7.0 compatible Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) for mobile applications.