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One of the hurdles people have with thinking about creating PC based robotics
or HCI/Home Automation is the idea that an expensive IDE needs to be figured into the cost.
With the advent of Microsoft's Express languages this is no longer the case when developing on Windows. The Express languages are completely free. Not only are they free, but we have found that these lighter weight versions of the popular Visual Studio languages have everything your average developer needs. Instead of being harshly crippled trial versions these are full development
environments that are not quickly outgrown. Big kudos to Microsoft for handing
this out to the community. (We should also mention here that their
Robotic Studio is free as well.)
From the Express FAQ:
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How are Express Editions different from the rest of the Visual Studio and SQL Server Editions?
Express Edition products are designed for hobbyists, students, and
novice developers. As such, they lack the full breadth of features found
in higher-end Visual Studio and SQL Server Editions. They are designed
specifically for scenarios common to the hobbyist, student, and novice
developer. Each Express Edition includes targeted documentation that
will help the beginning programmer quickly learn the concepts required
to build more advanced applications. The user interfaces are
significantly streamlined to ensure that extraneous features do not
interfere with the learning process. If you later decide that you do
need additional features available in the higher-end editions of Visual
Studio and SQL Server, you can seamlessly upgrade your code and skills.
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Express Editions Homepage
Express FAQ Page |
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| All of the languages (except J#) have a 16 hour video entitled,
“Video training for absolute beginners” in their Tutorials section. We
recommend beginners starting there. |
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We recommend also visiting the Microsoft
Coding
4 Fun website
where you can find lots of fun projects and
code examples. |
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| Here are some projects on the Coding 4 Fun site which use our
products: |
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Dancing4Fun
Using a
Phidget IFK 8/8/8 Phidget, four
14” x 30” floor switch mats, four
12’ analog cables, one of our colleagues,
Ed Kaim, wrote a nice little DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) game with an
in-depth tutorial on Coding4Fun.
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It’s Hot In Here
Using a
Phidget IFK 8/8/8, and a
Phidget Temperature Sensor, another colleague,
Scott Hanselman wrote a killer application complete with an in-depth
tutorial which demonstrates the use of Web Services to record and retrieve
temperature data.
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Script those Christmas Lights
(You Tube Video!)
Ever want to have your Christmas lights rock out? Brian Peek has written a great article showing off how to animate your Christmas lights for Coding 4 Fun using some
Phidget Relays, some code, and some electrical parts.
With enough time and effort, you'll be able to rock them out in sync with some music and annoy your entire neighborhood.
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