Side-by-Side Visual Studio installation

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+1 Q:

Side-by-Side Visual Studio installation

Can Visual Studio Professional 2008 and Visual C++ Express 2008 be installed side by side without problems?

update
I am working in a situation where some of the team has pro, some have express. I have pro (but have not installed C++ Express) and for some reason, the solution doesn't compile for professional (fresh from svn), but it does compile for Express users. I don't know what else to check :\
update 2
The compile errors are thousands of errors in stdio, and they occur in all build configurations.

c:\program files\microsoft visual studio 9.0\vc\include\stdio.h(189) : error C2144: syntax error : 'int' should be preceded by ';'

update
resetting visual studio settings fixed the build errors. Not exactly my favorite way to fix things, but it worked. Marking @Kevin as the answerer for his effort.

No.

Different versions of Visual Studio are designed to be installed side by side (such as 2008 and 2010) but not different editions of the same version.

Why would you want Express still installed if you had Professional anyway?

Brian R. Bondy 2010-09-14 23:20:58

Thanks for the answer, see my question update for the reason.

BioBuckyBall 2010-09-14 23:25:51

Since Visual Studio 2008 Pro includes Visual C++, I don't see the benefit in doing this.

naacal 2010-09-14 23:22:08

+1 A:

Could you tell us more about which compilation issue you're having? One possibility is that there is a problem with one of the project's build configurations, and that bad configuration is selected when you open it in VS Professional.

EDIT: Sorry, I misinterpreted the question, "Can I install the two VS versions side by side?" As, "Could my side by side installation be causing my compilation error?"

To answer the actual question, I've long used VS2008 Professional and VC#2008 Express side by side without issue. I just checked and confirmed with a coworker that it also works fine for the C++ version.

Kevin D. 2010-09-14 23:38:08

sure, see update.

BioBuckyBall 2010-09-14 23:41:42

@BioBuckyBall, there's a setting in VS Professional under Options-->"Projects and Solutions" called "VC++ directories", and it is used to specify where the compiler should look for standard libraries. Perhaps one of the directories is missing. However without seeing the actual compilation error, this is just a guess. Could you edit your question once more to show the exact text and error number for one of the errors?

Kevin D. 2010-09-14 23:52:45

That wouldn't explain how express can do it and pro can't. I will add the first error output.

BioBuckyBall 2010-09-15 00:07:58

If the directory settings are correct in Express but a directory is missing in Professional, that could indeed explain it.

Kevin D. 2010-09-15 00:09:35

It's the same solution file/project file, with the same directories listed. Is there some incompatibility between the two that you are aware of?

BioBuckyBall 2010-09-15 00:30:02

Just to be sure, it does compile in VS Express on "your" machine, right? It could be that VS Professional and VS Express use separate standard libraries which are kept in separate directories, and the stdio.h that VS Professional uses somehow got corrupted. Do you get the same compilation error if you try compiling an empty project with only <stdio.h> included?

Kevin D. 2010-09-15 00:43:48

That is what my entire question is about. Express is not installed on my machine, and I want to know if it is possible or if it will cause additional problems. I would like to just install and use Express instead for this project. I will add this clarification to my question in case I confused others as well.

BioBuckyBall 2010-09-15 01:00:18

Ah, sorry! I thought you were suspecting the side-by-side installation as being the cause of the problem. I think you should be fine. I've long used VS2008 Professional side by side with VC#2008 Express without issue. As to determining the cause of the compilation issue, my last suggestion still holds.

Kevin D. 2010-09-15 01:03:01

Haha, no worries. If it was VC# I'd be less worried, but C++ builds tend to be more fragile and I may find myself completely unable to build half of our code :\

BioBuckyBall 2010-09-15 01:06:35

ansaurus

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