Microsoft will release a beta version of Visual Studio LightSwitch on August 23, aiming to simplify the process of developing applications. This Visual Studio integrated development environment is so easy to use that even business managers can use it to develop applications.
Professional developers are no longer the only ones making business applications, said Dave Mendlen, senior manager of developer tools platform marketing at Microsoft. LightSwitch will provide business end users with an easy way to create their own applications.
This software is a simplified version of the Visual Studio development platform that integrates a set of templates that include many different enterprise processes. Users can use these templates to make their own applications.
You can use one of the templates and add content to it using VB or C#, Mendlen said. In some cases, users don't need to add code at all.
Applications created using LightSwitch can run on a local machine or in Microsoft's Azure cloud computing service, and can be accessed using a browser configured with Microsoft's Silverlight software.
In addition to templates, this software also provides some pre-made features. The user interface of this software is also unique in that there is no separation between development mode and runtime mode. Mendlen said this means that any changes made by the user can be immediately displayed in the running test instance of the program.
By leveraging Microsoft's .NET framework, LightSwitch can also create applications that are widely used in office environments.