Guild Companies

If you've been mucking around with Microsoft's .NET Framework, you'll be pleased to find out that the company has just released Service Pack 2 for the framework. The .NET Framework runs on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows XP and is intended to give those operating systems some of the functionality that will be embedded in the future Windows .NET operating systems. At this point, it is a more a means for developers to experiment with Web services than an actual product.

SP1 for the framework was announced in late March, following a November 2001 launch of the product. The .NET Framework SP2 fixes fourteen bugs in the software, and also includes unspecified security enhancements. You can see a full list of the bugs that were fixed in SP2 at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q321884. A bunch of the fixes are for problems with Web pages developed using Microsoft's ASP.NET technologies. SP1 for the .NET Framework included a change in the default machine security level for a Windows server running the .NET Framework and a relatively meager three fixes for the Common Language Runtime (CLR) that is at the heart of the .NET initiative and the Visual Studio .NET development tool. A detailed description of the SP1 fixes, which are also rolled into the .NET Framework SP2 if you have not yet applied them, is available at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q317396. Microsoft is strongly encouraging customers to apply this patch to the framework, but be careful since once SP2 is applied, it cannot be unapplied. Customers running Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP have to have the latest critical security updates applied on their machines before installing .NET Framework SP2.

Only a few weeks ago, Microsoft announced the first release candidate (RC1) of the XML-enabled version of Windows 2000, code-named "Whistler" and named Windows .NET Server, at its annual financial analysts conference in Redmond, Washington. Windows .NET Server, which is the foundation of Microsoft's .NET strategy, us expected to be announced either late this year or early next year, and will probably ship sometime in January. When Windows .NET Server is out there for a while and its own SP1 is released, this is when Microsoft's Web services strategy based on .NET will start to be something more than a lot of ideas and potential and something customers can not only buy into, but actually buy.

Sponsored By

ASNA

Why Barnes & Noble Uses ASNA Visual RPG for Development:

Barnes & Noble needed to design a new system with a Windows appearance, but utilize their AS/400 database and the RPG development staff. The developers were able to create a new Windows application with the look and feel of a true Windows environment, and develop it in a language they were all familiar with. In doing so, they were able to transform from green-screen programmers into Windows programmers and they now have the knowledge of Visual programming with exposure to object oriented programming.

"ASNA Visual RPG provides experienced RPG programmers with the ability to create GUI-based applications easily with minimal formal training."
—Yuriy Khaykin, Barnes & Noble

ASNA Visual RPG (AVR) for Web, Windows and .NET Development

ASNA Visual RPG (AVR) is an integrated development environment for creating enterprise Web, Windows and .NET applications. Transparent database access; an integrated editor, compiler and debugger; support for emerging standards such as XML and SOAP; and equally powerful Web or Windows deployment possibilities make ASNA Visual RPG the one application development environment you can't afford to ignore! Use your RPG skills to develop Web, Windows and .NET applications today.

Download your FREE trial of AVR today!

http://www.asna.com/downloads.asp