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Are you using any features in the different editions of the Visual Studio 2008 Team?

We are considering licensing for Visual Studio and must decide if licenses are required for Architecture / Database / Test editions. Does anyone have enough experience with these tools to say if they are useful? I would like some specific examples.

I also agree with the non-Microsoft site links that provide some overview of the various editions.

Edit: To clarify, most of us already have version release licenses, the question is whether it is enough for any of the other editions to get Team Suite licenses or Arch / DB / Test licenses for some people.

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The database version proved invaluable for us in getting our 2 databases with 200+ tables under source control and including databases in continuous integration builds. This edition also includes data and schema comparisons and many other features that have truly changed the way our databases are handled.



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I am using the Developers version; I cannot talk about others, except for one important point.

Back in VSTS 2005, the only way for continuous integration in Team Foundation Server is to write a test list. The only way to write a testlist was to have a VSTS for testers, write the XML by hand, or purchase an add-on to replace this functionality. We ended up buying Test Manager from Ekobit for about 100 bux that worked great (thanks guys!).



VSTS 2008 for Developers now has the ability to create test lists. So, from a developer's point of view, VSTS for Developers has everything we need. I can create databases and do limited versioning with them (using create and alter scripts in the Database project), create tests (unit etal), do some architecture work (code diagrams), etc.

Again, I haven't used the Architects, Database or Test versions, so I can't tell you why you need them; I can only tell you that Developers allows me to do everything I have to do, if not in the fastest and most efficient way.

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The best things I like about the updated versions of VS are as follows:

Debug window to access all breakpoints in the solution. It's very handy to disable the ones you forgot about before they hit.

Process window for a list of all processes connected to VS.

Remote debugging of other computers.

Debugging SQL.

There are many others, but I think the best I can do is point to this page that lists all the differences between versions.

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Personally, the only truly compelling reason for using Team System is to use Team Foundation Server (CAL included). Other most useful features:

  • Unit testing - but this is not much different from using NUnit or similar with VS Pro. Even the Microsoft P&P team provides both NUnit and Microsoft versions of their unit tests.

  • Code Analysis, available as standalone FxCop.

My recommendation:

  • If you can negotiate a big deal for volume licensing, the Team Edition might not be that much more expensive, so go.

  • If you are using TFS, get the Team Edition.

  • Otherwise, consider using Pro edition + FxCop + NUnit.

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