proficient asp.net and csharp programming using only opensource tools

Question

Is it feasible to become proficient with msft dotNet using only opensource (or no-fee tools from msft)

if yes, what is the toolset?

Answer 1

Yes. The Express Editions of Visual Studio.

Answer 2

If by open source you mean free these are a good start:

• Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition
• NUnit
• Some DI Framework
• Git

Answer 3

Visual Studio Express is a free download from Microsoft.

Answer 4

There is also:

• SharpDevelop
• Mono (though not strictly the whole framework includes mono develop)
• Roll your own directly with any editor, MSBuild and the SDK

Answer 5

And if you need a relational database SQL Server Express and MySQL are free.

Answer 6

Yes, however only to an extent. The free stuff like Microsoft Visual Studio Express is a great start for hobbyist and can help you practice the fundamentals. But you need the paid version for advance tools/features like code analysis. The advance tools help you do the powerful stuff and can reduce the amount of code you write and errors you create.