No more command-line build environment for Windows 8 SDK

[anta40]

Windows SDK is usually good enough to do Windows programming, without the need of installing VS (Visual Studio)

And now...

The Windows SDK no longer ships with a complete command-line build environment. You must install a compiler and build environment separately.
If you require a complete development environment that includes compilers and a build environment, you can download Visual Studio 2012 RC, which includes
the necessary components of the Windows SDK.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/hh852363.aspx

Which means no cl.exe, ml.exe, link.exe, and so on.
Bad decision, no?

[hutch--]

If you read further down you get a list of what has been removed. It looks like you need both the dev version of VC and the SDK to get all of the current build tools.

[anta40]

Yes, I read that part. But still I don't understand their rationale. Maybe they want more people use VS?

[hutch--]

Its probably the case that they don't want duplicates that are harder to keep up to date. If you want this stuff, install both VS and the SDK.

[Greenhorn]

The reason is that VS 11 Express doesn't support building native Windows Application anymore.
Users of VS 11 Express can only build Metro Apps, nothing else.
And to prevent the possibility to build native Windows Applications by just using the Win8 SDK via command line or with an alternative IDE, they removed the compilers, linkers and so on.

Ms should be ashamed to squeeze the hobbyist programmers.

However, maybe one can build native Windows Applications with the Win8 SDK by installing VS 11 Express, the Win8 SDK and then using an alternative IDE or just via command line.

[anta40]

Ms should be ashamed to squeeze the hobbyist programmers.

Exactly. Not every person can afford the Pro/Ultimate/etc version of VS, unless they're willing to search for the illegal copies :P
I guess one of the alternative is to use the compiler from MinGW, for example.

[dedndave]

they're cutting off their own nose - lol
if they want developers to write code for metro, they have to be a little more flexible
that's ok with me - it helps us keep win7 alive

[Greenhorn]

Microsoft will provide an additional version of VS 2012 Express which is for development of native Windows Applications for the Desktop.
It is named Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows Desktop and available for C++, C# and Visual Basic.
So one can get from it the latest compilers, linkers and other development tools.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudio/archive/2012/06/08/visual-studio-express-2012-for-windows-desktop.aspx

It seems they had many angry responses to their restrictions for VS 2012 Express.

See, they can do it!  ;)

[dedndave]

 

too late, now