Visual Studio .NET 2003 Professional Edition enables you to rapidly build a broad range of applications for Microsoft Windows, the Web, and mobile devices. Built to address today's most challenging software development needs, Visual Studio .NET 2003 enhances, further refines, and is highly compatible with its predecessor.  With Visual Studio .NET 2003, developers can deliver a range of professional software in record time. The integrated development environment (IDE) provides a consistent interface for all languages, including Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, Microsoft Visual C++ .NET, Microsoft Visual C# .NET, and Microsoft Visual J .NET. Using the language best suited to your skill set, you can take advantage of shared visual designers to build rich Windows-based applications and dynamic Web applications that render in any browser.

Visual Studio .NET 2003 contains an updated version of the .NET Framework, version 1.1, that builds on the previous version with new capabilities and improved scalability, reliability, security, and performance. These core enhancements in the underlying development framework combine with improved IDE responsiveness to enable reduced costs associated with application development, deployment, and maintenance.

Addressing the emerging opportunities represented by XML Web services and mobile application development were key design goals of Visual Studio .NET 2003. Using the skills you already have, Visual Studio .NET 2003 enables you to create and consume Web services and provides intuitive designers for rapidly building broad-reach Mobile Web applications as well as smart device software.

• Built-in security: Safely restricts application access to only authorized users, while Code Access Security enables rich client .NET applications to be safely download from the Internet

• Managed Data Providers: Deliver data controls for seamless connections to OLEDB and ODBC data sources including SQL Server, Access, Oracle, and more

• Support for the .NET Framework v 1.1: Delivers full, direct access to the rich class libraries found in the .NET Framework

• Built-in support for Visual J# .NET: Delivers Java language support for building professional Windows and Web-based applications

• Mobile application support: Enable you to use existing skills to build rich Mobile software and broad-reach Mobile Web applications

• Visual C++ .NET support for Windows Forms: Enables C++ developers to rapidly build Windows-based applications

• Windows Forms Designer: Speeds and simplifies the creation of powerful Windows-based applications

• Web Forms Designer: Provides visual creation of professional Web applications

• One-click Hosting: Enables seamless deployment of Web applications to the Internet

• Integrated Crystal Reports: Provides a powerful reporting mechanism for all of your Visual Studio .NET applications

• Server Explorer and Component Designer: Minimize coding associated with building business logic components

• Visual Database Tools: Simplify the creation of database applications

Improved Features:

• IntelliSense: Provides statement completion within the code editor and Immediate Window

• Web Services support: Enables developers to rapidly build and consume standards-based Web services that promote application integration

• Visual Basic .NET Upgrade Wizard: Enables existing Visual Basic projects and code to be upgraded to Visual Basic .NET

Benefits:

• Quickly build professional software for Windows and the Web:
  - Visual Studio .NET provides intuitive visual designers for building professional Windows and Web-based software, enabling developers to reuse existing skills across multiple application types

• Build high-performance database applications:
  - ADO.NET class libraries provide the infrastructure for high performance data access to multiple data sources, including SQL Server, Oracle, and more. The Server Explorer and Visual Database Tools simplify data access by reducing the coding effort involved in building data components

• Simplify application deployment and maintenance:
  - No Touch Deployment enables Windows applications to be deployed as easily as Web pages, while the side-by-side component versioning policy eliminates DLL overwrites and alleviates component versioning issues

• Connect to a wide variety of systems, applications, and devices:
  - Industry-leading support for Web service creation and consumption enables you to quickly build and employ standards-based business logic components

• Leverage existing investments in code and skills:
  - Visual Studio .NET 2003 Professional provides developers with a smooth upgrade path. The Visual Basic Upgrade Wizard, COM Interoperability, and a "load-and-go" upgrade for Visual C++ and Visual J++ developers delivers multiple options for reusing existing code and assets

• Build device-based applications in record time:
  - Built-in support for smart devices enables design, development, debugging, and automatic deployment of applications to Windows CE .NET and Pocket PC powered devices. Mobile Web application projects enable you to build broad-reach Web applications that automatically render on more than 200 wireless mobile devices