Which one of these isn't like the others?
- A Tomato
- A Potato
- A Banana
- An Orange
If you guessed Tomato -- because its a vegetable -- sorry, wrong, its actually a fruit (a berry, actually). Only the USDA calls it a Veggie. If you guessed Banana -- because its not a spherically shaped item -- that's also wrong. If you guessed the Orange -- for whatever reason -- wrong again. Nope, its the Potato. Its the only true veggie on the list.
Now, which of these doesn't belong:
- Visual Basic 2005 Express, October 2004 Community Technical Preview release
- Visual C# 2005 Express, October 2004 Community Technical Preview release
- SQL Server 2005 Express, October 2004 Community Technical Preview release
- Visual Web Developer 2005 Express , October 2004 Community Technical Preview release
If you guessed SQL Server 2005 Express, October 2004 Community Technical Preview release (henceforth SSX October CTP,) because its a Server product, you'd be wrong. But if you guessed that because it depends on a different version of the .NET framework different than the other three you'd be correct!
Or you've read Ajay Manchepalli (the SQL Express Release Program Manager) recent posting on the SSX blog letting us know about this.
More importantly is this note therein:
Visual Studio 2005 Express team has recently released their October CTP. If you are installing any of the Visual Studio 2005 Express editions (Such as VC++, VC#, VJ#, VB, Web Developer), then you want to make sure to only install SQL Express included as part of the VS 2005 October CTP setup. This is because the SQL Express bits included as part of the VS 2005 Oct CTP has been tested around Visual Studio specific scenarios and works with a more recent version of frameworks than what the SQL Express October CTP uses.
My emphasis added. So if you're using, say, Visual Basic 2005 Express to build programs against SQL Server 2005, Microsoft suggests you stick with the Beta2 bits. However, if you rushed into upgrading to the SSX October CTP like I did, please note that tools like QARA will not work with that nor will Lloyd have a way to build a version of QARA that does work with it.
Things like this happen with betas from time to time, and since Microsoft is eager to get bits in our hands early, we should expect some discontinuity like this with CTP bits. Hopefully, the next beta releases will be synchronized.