Origional Questions:

-------------------------------------------



1)  When can we expect to get the beta2 bits if we are MSDN Universal

Subscribers, and also if we are not MSDN subscribers at all?



2)  Will the beta2 bits be released at the same time as the VS.NET

beta2?



3)  My company has purchased a marketplace app that runs on Commerce

Server

2000.  We are anxious to start adding some functionality to the

application

using the .net framework.  Do you know of anywhere we can get some

information about programming against Commerce Server 2000 API's from

the

.net framework?



ScottGu Answers:

-------------------------------------------



Hi Chris,



Beta2 will be publically available for everyone to download.  Unlike

Beta1 -- there will be both an SDK version available (with all the

samples, docs, SQL Server lite edition, etc included) as well as a much

smaller "redist" version that you'll be able to download.  This second

setup will be much smaller (probably around 14-15 Mb) and will have

everything required to install and build ASP.NET applications (it will

then link to the docs and samples online).  We're hoping the smaller

setup will make it much easier for people with slow network links to

download (although we've had an absolutely amazing number of people

download the 110Mb Beta1 setup). 



The Beta2 bits will indeed be released at the same time as the VS.NET

Beta2 bits -- so it will be a refresh of the entire stack.  MSDN

Universal Subscribers will have CDs of both sent out to them shortly

after the web download is made available.



Regarding Commerce Server 2000 and ASP.NET -- I actually don't have as

much info.  I know the Commerce team is working on this now, but I'm

actually not sure the full plan here.  I'll send some mail to the

commerce folks to see if I can find out more for you.



Hope this helps,



Scott

As for Commerce Server 2000/ASP.NET support:



(disclaimer:  Since the .NET Frameworks are still in beta, we are not

yet providing formal support through Product Support Services, but I've

got my eye on the listservs run by Wrox and Charles Carroll and I'm

happy to answer questions you have via those channels.)



You can utilize the Commerce Server 2000 objects from the CLR/Classic

COM interop layer today, though support for some of ASP.NET's

gee-whiz-bang-cool features will be easier with some Commerce Server

objects than others. 



For example, you can take advantage of databinding to Web Controls via

the OrderForm and OrderGroup objects directly -- due to their support

for the Classic COM IEnumXXX interfaces which translate nicely to

collections in the .NET world -- while databinding to the Catalog

System's objects will require a bit more work on your part to databind

the classic ADO Recordsets exposed by the Catalog System.  There are

probably a number of other issues I could list, but we haven't fleshed

out all of them yet.



Rest assured that we are putting something together to help you

(developers) leverage Commerce Server 2000's services from ASP.NET, but

we're still ironing out all the issues, so I don't have a complete

answer for this just yet.  Stay tuned and I'll update you when we have a

formal announcement to make.



As for Commerce Server/ASP.NET in general, I'm a Program Manager on the

Commerce Server team and I would love to hear about the work you plan to

do so I can push your requirements into the work we're doing.  Feel free

to email me privately so we can discuss.



-RI



-----Original Message-----

From: Scott Guthrie

Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2001 10:26 AM

To: ASP+

Subject: [aspx] Timeing, Availability and Commerce Server 2000 Questions

Answered





Origional Questions:

-------------------------------------------



1)  When can we expect to get the beta2 bits if we are MSDN Universal

Subscribers, and also if we are not MSDN subscribers at all?



2)  Will the beta2 bits be released at the same time as the VS.NET

beta2?



3)  My company has purchased a marketplace app that runs on Commerce

Server 2000.  We are anxious to start adding some functionality to the

application using the .net framework.  Do you know of anywhere we can

get some information about programming against Commerce Server 2000

API's from the .net framework?



ScottGu Answers:

-------------------------------------------



Hi Chris,



Beta2 will be publically available for everyone to download.  Unlike

Beta1 -- there will be both an SDK version available (with all the

samples, docs, SQL Server lite edition, etc included) as well as a much

smaller "redist" version that you'll be able to download.  This second

setup will be much smaller (probably around 14-15 Mb) and will have

everything required to install and build ASP.NET applications (it will

then link to the docs and samples online).  We're hoping the smaller

setup will make it much easier for people with slow network links to

download (although we've had an absolutely amazing number of people

download the 110Mb Beta1 setup). 



The Beta2 bits will indeed be released at the same time as the VS.NET

Beta2 bits -- so it will be a refresh of the entire stack.  MSDN

Universal Subscribers will have CDs of both sent out to them shortly

after the web download is made available.



Regarding Commerce Server 2000 and ASP.NET -- I actually don't have as

much info.  I know the Commerce team is working on this now, but I'm

actually not sure the full plan here.  I'll send some mail to the

commerce folks to see if I can find out more for you.



Hope this helps,



Scott