Visual Studio + Java support plugins

Hello,

First of all, the mail address 'vschallenge@microsoft.com' seems to be not working. I posted some questions a couple of days ago (on 16th) and no one responded...

Please check the mail. I also post a shortened version here:

1) Can Visual Studio extensions participate in the contest (that is, not VSTS, but VS IDE plugins)?

Your rules are somewhat confusing on that matter, in one place you say "one of our Visual Studio products" and in others only VSTS.

I am asking actually because I am the author of Visual Studio extension called IntegraStudio, which provides fairly complete Java language support for VS (real Java, not .NET Java like VJ# once was). It supports IntelliSense, real-time error reporting, Solution Explorer integration for Ant and Maven projects, build with Ant or Maven and JDWP compliant debugger.

The project has beta status and currently is provided free of charge. You can find it here:

http://www.softerg.com/integra

So the question actually is: would a project like this qualify?

2) You also give an option to write an app in Java, but allowed tools seem to be restricted to Eclipse or IntelliJ. Why don't you allow to use Visual Studio for that task? This is really strange: you promote competing IDEs and do not allow to use your own. Something is not right here ;-)

Well, if anyone thinks now "but Visual Studio does not support Java", that is wrong. Please see pt. 1) or browse Visual Studio Gallery website, you find not only IntegraStudio, but other plugins as well (although IntegraStudio is the most advanced so far).

3) I also asked about general feasibility of making Java support extension for VS and long-term perspectives for it (or lack of them). But this topic is too large to discuss here. Please state if you received my mail, whether you are interested at all (or not) and perhaps some other mail address which is more appropriate for that (and working).

Feel free to contact me at my support address (see the website).

Best regards,
Przemek Kuczmierczyk
SOFT-ERG