visual studio 2012 web and desktop

Question

I have visual studio 2012 express for web, now I need to make a desktop app, need I to download visual studio 2012 express for desktop or is there any addon I can install on web edition? thanks

Answer 1

You can create Class Library projects in the web edition of Visual Studio Express, change the Output Type in the project properties to Console Application or Windows Application, add any library references you'd need (particularly for the Windows application, as none of the forms stuff will be included by default), and go from there.

This works well for console applications, but I imagine you're going to run into issues with Windows applications. The project templates are nonexistent, so you're on your own for setting things up from scratch. The forms designer probably isn't there, or if it is probably won't work as expected. And this won't work at all for Windows Store applications.

It's a lot easier to just download both editions and run them both. I've been running Web, Desktop, Windows 8, and Database editions side-by-side for a while now without problems.

Answer 2

need I to download visual studio 2012 express for desktop

Yes, you do.

That's part of the limitation of express editions.