Does Visual Studio 2017 support Python?

Yes, in a big way. Just the Intellisense support may by itself a great help.

You need to install PTVS (Python Tools for Visual Studio) to have Python support in Visual Studio (2017,2015, 2013 and earlier). In Visual Studio 2015 you need a Python Interpreter (Python 3.5 or earlier, 3.6 and above are not supported). The VS may guide you to install a Python Interpreter.

Python support is not presently available in Visual Studio for Mac, but is available on Mac and Linux through Visual Studio Code.

More here:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/python/installing-python-support-in-visual-studio

Well, here is my personal take. I have Microsoft Visual Studio Community 2017, version 15.5.7 which has the following Python related products:

VS2017Python_1

In the installed templates I can see all of the following that are specific to Python:

VS2017Python_0
What is more. You also get other perks, if you install Visual Studio that I have installed:

VS2017Python_2

Actually, I have other Python stuff as well:

How do I download R Studio to run / learn R programming?

If you are looking for the free version you need to download the RStudio Desktop which comes under Open Source License. Go here to see other versions which are not free ).

In the above link choose the free edition which has Integrated Tools for R and click Download.

You get the following page. If your operating system is in this list, you download from the related link. Note that depending on whether or not you have R 2.11.1+ version. If you do not have you need to download that one first (http://cran.rstudio.com/).

RStudidowwnloads.png

Click on the one you need. For Windows 10 Desktop, the relevant installer is RStudio 1.0.136 -Windows Vista/7/8/10.

You save the file to your Downloads folder.

Double click the executable and it begins installing following the wizard steps.

The installation folder by default is C:\Program Files\RStudio but you can change. You can also add shortcuts.

The installation is quick and you will find the rstudio.exe in the RStudio\bin folder. Double click to launch the program. The shiny package is already in it as shown.

RStudio_01

When you just run library(shiny) in RStudio you get the following response. You also get color coding and code guidance very much like intellisense as shown.

RStudio_02

How do you customize Windows PowerShell ISE?

You can change many of the settings as well as fonts & Colors in the Windows PowerShell ISE.

Code coloring, intellisense settings; script pane  customization; and other settings can be changed in Windows PowerShell ISE.

Launch Windows PowerShell ISE from the run program as shown:


CusotmizePSISE.png

In the Windows PowerShell ISE displayed click to open Tools | Options to display the Options window as shown. In the tabbed page (2 tabs) General you will see the following. These are (may be) the defaults.


PsIseOptions1.png

In the tabbed page Colors and Fonts you can set the changes you want to make or use defaults for Script Pane as well as Console Panes.


PsIseOptions2.png

How do I code a grid layout in XAML using Visual Studio 2013 Express for Windows Desktop?

XAML is somewhat like HTML but lot more powerful coming from the Microsoft Windows Presentation Foundation(WPF). It is a declarative language (you pretty much declare most of the things) and Visual Studio Express for Windows Desktop allows you to create projects of the type, WPF Application.
You can download Visual Studio 2013 Express for Windows Desktop which is free from here:
http://www.visualstudio.com/downloads/download-visual-studio-vs

Before installing make sure your computer satisfies the requirements(at least the minimum).
You can buy higher versions like Standard, Professional and Ultimate and they are expensive.

Once it is installed you have the option to launch it, if you want to.

I usually launch it as the adminsitrator of the computer.

Click File | New Project to create a new project (You can use VB or C#). Use the Project type WPF Application.

Click OK and you will get a project folder in your Solution Explorer
 Here is the default project created as shown:

Right side you have the Solution Explorer and the MainWindow.xaml is represented in both design(top left) and in the markup language in bottom left. The main window has a size of 350x525 but you are seeing at a reduced size 25%.

In what follows you will be placing a number of objects inside a grid, using the grid layout. This happens to be the default as you see in the markup . Be warned that everything is case sensitive here.

A grid is a layout type that allows you to create 2D geometrical pattern (like a chess board) consisting of rows and columns and in the intersecting cells you may place other controls. You may also think of the grid as a table with rows and columns if you are used to HTML coding. But strictly speaking Grid is not a table.

Make sure you read the code and this is pretty much the default. You see just one row and one column.

Now the logic for the grid arrangement goes like this:
1. You create Grid Definitions
2. You decide the row definition
3, You decide the column definition
4. You decide what to put in each of the cells

If there are 3 rows and 3 columns, you will have nine cells to place your objects(controls).
In this post, you will be creating a 3x3 grid and place in them nine buttons to mimic the numeric keypad. I have not included the '0' and you may try to modify it on your own.

Here is the XAML code for this grid layout:
----

 

----
This is pretty much all that is required. I have used a 300x300 sized gird. You may copy this and paste it after removing the default XAML code, but you have to name the project just as in the second screen shot or make changes to your XAML code.

This produces the foloowing in the design area

If you want you can add some styling as shown here for just one cell:


In XAML coding make use of intellisense, a feature that gives you the possible things you can insert as you type on.

How do I verify intellisense in SQL Server 2008?

It is quite easy. Assume you have a database and you are writing a query, a simple select satatement such as this one,

Select * from Customers in a sample Northwind database.

In earlier versions when you did not have intellisense you had to guess what you
need to do. Perhaps you looked up and verified what table to use, etc.

Now in SQL Server 2008 it is easy because "intellisense" shows what options you have. Intellisense is also called auto-completion.

I just typed Use and some letter(t) after a space and intellisense provided all the available databases that I can use. Even if you had typed z you would have gotten the list. This is great. Adds immensely to productivity.

















Here is another example,







The down side, from my point of view is that this drop-down can be huge and you may end up scrolling up and down reading the tool tips. Of course you must have a rough idea of what makes sense and what is meaningful.



Here is an auto-completion in the Google Search