“To stay on the map you've got to keep showing up.” -- Peter Gallagher
Periodically I create a map of the Microsoft application platform. (Here is my previous map of the Microsoft application platform.) Making the map helps me stay on top of the platform, identify potential changes to architecture and design strategies, and anticipate trends. It also helps me figure out where to invest my time and energy. It also helps me see potential customer confusion.
Here is my latest map of the Microsoft application platform:
Category
Items
Application Infrastructure
.NET Framework
Base Class Libraries (BCL)
Common Language Runtime (CLR)
Language Integrated Query (LINQ)
ALM (Application Life-Cycle Management)
Visual Studio Team System
Visual Studio Team Foundation Server
App Frameworks / Extensions
Enterprise Library
Managed Extensibility Framework (MEF)
Cloud
Windows Azure
Windows Azure DataMarket (“Dallas”)
Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio
App Fabric
SQL Azure
Collaboration / Integration / Workflow
SharePoint Server
Windows Workflow Foundation (WF)
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS)
Microsoft BizTalk Server
Data Access
ADO.NET Core
ADO.NET Entity Framework
ADO.NET Sync Framework
LINQ to SQL
OData
WCF Data Services
WCF RIA Services
Database Server / Storage
SQL Azure
SQL Server
SQL Server Compact
Desktop
WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation)
Silverlight (Out-of-Browser)
Windows Forms
Developer Tools
Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Expression Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio Express
Microsoft Visual Studio LightSwitch
Microsoft Visual Studio Team Foundation Server
Games
XNA
D3D
Win32
Identity
WIF (Windows Identity Foundation) (Geneva)
Active Directory Federation Services (Geneva Server)
Card Space
Languages
Common Language Runtime (CLR)
Dynamic Language Runtime
Visual Basic
Visual C#
Visual C++
F#
Iron Python
IronRuby
LINQ
LINQ to Entities
LINQ to SQL
LINQ to XML
LINQ to DataSet
LINQ to Objects
Manageability
Systems Center Operations Manager (SCOM)
Office
Office 2010
Visual Studio Office Development Projects
Office 2010 PIA (Primary Interop Assemblies)
Parallel
F#
Parallel Extensions for .NET
PLINQ
Task Library
Phone
Silverlight for Windows Phone
XNA Framework
Windows Phone Developer Tools
Services
Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)
WCF Data Services (ADO.NET Data Services, Astoria)