NEW YORK, Dec. 9, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. today announced widespread beta availability of its Microsoft® Visual InterDev
™
version 1.0 Web application development system, previously code-named
“Internet Studio.”
Visual InterDev, the newest member of Microsoft’s visual tools family, provides developers with a powerful solution for building Web applications for corporate intranets and the Internet. The beta release of Microsoft Visual InterDev 1.0 is now available for downloading at no charge through the Microsoft Site Builder Program (connect-time charges may apply). Details can be found on the new Visual InterDev Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/vinterdev/ . Visual InterDev includes an integrated visual development environment, database development tools, and site management and content editing tools. Visual InterDev increases developer productivity by providing a single environment with easy-to-use, drag-and-drop visual tools. By using the product’s powerful database development tools, developers can work with any database that supports ODBC. Visual InterDev delivers HTML-based Web applications that are browser- and platform-independent and are extensible with third-party components that extend the tool’s capabilities seamlessly. Developers Embrace Visual InterDev “Visual InterDev provides amazing database functionality – better than any product we’ve seen for the Web or otherwise,”
said Robert Fraik, president, Digital Foundry Inc.
“Enabling seamless integration of ODBC-compliant database connectivity into Web applications, especially for large-scale projects such as ours, is of paramount importance. The ease of creating truly complex, database-driven Web sites is overwhelming.” “Visual InterDev provides a comprehensive and robust application development environment,”
said Michael Van Hoozer, senior manager of technology for Andersen Consulting.
“The integrated development environment provides the ‘glue’ to pull many disparate technologies for the Web to build truly dynamic applications.”
Visual InterDev delivers the tools and functionality necessary to create and manage sophisticated Web applications, including these:
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Integrated visual development environment. This plays a fundamental role in increasing developer productivity by bringing together all the tools necessary to build and manage a Web application within a single work space.
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Support for building Active Server applications. By taking advantage of Active Server Pages, a new feature of the Microsoft Internet Information Server 3.0, developers can build robust, server-based Web applications. The Visual InterDev development framework features open database access, application state management and server-side scripting support.
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Integrated database development tools. These tools enable developers to add database connectivity to their Web applications, making their sites smarter and more interactive. Visual InterDev provides this functionality through the use of Active Data Objects, design-time controls, and database wizards that can automatically generate HTML and server-side scripting logic for database connectivity and databound HTML forms.
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Site management and content editing tools. These provide support for managing complete applications throughout their life cycle, including support for application development, content editing and publishing, and ongoing Web site management.
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Team-based development. This enables teams of developers to work together on the same Web site at the same time. Seamless interoperability with the Microsoft FrontPage
™
97 Web authoring and management tool provides organizations with an ideal workgroup solution inclusive of both programmers and nonprogrammers. Integration with the Visual SourceSafe
™
version control system version 5.0 provides additional revision-tracking and file-locking capabilities for team-based projects. Beta Availability The beta release of Visual InterDev can be downloaded for free by any member of the Microsoft Site Builder Program (connect-time charges may apply). Through Dec. 31, 1996, anyone can join the program as a guest member at no charge and download the product immediately. In addition, Site Builder Level 2 and 3 members can receive a free CD with the Visual InterDev beta release and all other Microsoft downloadable products for no charge; Site Builder Level 1 members can receive the same CD for $49.95. After Dec. 31, 1996, the beta download will be available only to Site Builder Level 1, 2 and 3 members. For more information on the product, including instructions for downloading the beta version, visit .Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Visual InterDev, FrontPage and Visual SourceSafe are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
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