Wanted: Visual Studio Software Developer who is proficient with clicking “OK” in Wizards

Has anyone seen a job posting even remotely resembling that description?

…probably not — but Microsoft sure seems hell bent on gearing the software development world on doing absolutely everything with wizards.

I blogged about the Microsoft Mobile Development Handbook yesterday – and got it today.

First impression:

I went straight to chapter 3: Using SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition and Other Data Stores.

The first thing I noticed was that the book’s examples focused on doing things with wizards rather than code. Tasks that were trivial with code consume page after page where the authors explain how to manage such a task with the wizards. Fine — show us the wizard way. But WHY don’t they also discuss doing things in code?

Is Microsoft doing this to make Visual Studio even more likable and easy-for-anyone in hopes of further driving Java out of the business world? If so, it’s a mistake. In trying to make things easy with wizards, Microsoft is complicating matters ridiculously for developers who are already even reasonably versed in the code language method of performing tasks.

Chapter 3 is dense enough and has a LOT of material to cover without forcing me to convert in my head how to do every process from the [demonstrated] wizard way to the [virtually ignored] code way.

Ultimately:

I don’t mind that the book is enamored with wizards. It bothers me philisophically – but I’m absolutely determined to figure this out and to take our project to the next level with more powerful mobile forms.

The only down side is that I’m going to be stuck mucking my way through translating wizards to coding practices (I wouldn’t mind translating C# to VB – that’s a much faster task). and all this makes my job take longer – which makes my boss less jovial.

Thanks a lot Microsoft!