Happy news!

This is happy news for me and for you modders out there! I've been working like an maniac to get Express Beta to work with the SDK (again...) After looking through some coding pages, I ended up at Microsofts homepage, then I went to the Coding4Fun section. There I found out that Valve and Microsoft were working close together on an Express version that compiles the Source TM SDK.

This is what I read:

Coding4Fun wrote:
Which C++ compiler should I use to build mods with the Source SDK?
Valve suggests that you use Visual C++ .NET 2003. It's possible to get other compilers to work, but your results may vary. Today, Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition will not compile Valve's currently shipping SDK. But fear not! Microsoft is working closely with Valve to enable Visual C++ Express to work with a future Source SDK update. This should be available within the next month or two - check back here for the latest status.

How do I get the Source SDK?
The Source SDK is invoked via the Steam application when you install Half-Life 2. When you start a new mod, the latest version of the SDK is downloaded to your computer.

I have so many more questions! Like how do I add a new weapon? How do I create a new map? Can I create myself as a new character in the game?
We knew you'd have lots of questions. But we won't try to answer all of them here, because there are a lot of GREAT community sites already devoted to Half-Life 2 modding. That's why we've compiled a list of some of the best community sites, along with links to Valve's official developer site. See below to discover how you can quickly get started with a tutorial or connect with other modders. Have fun!

This is good news for me, if I just hang on with coding for a while and map instead it will all come together at the end. And this is good news for coders that cant afford .Net 2003.

Happy coding in a few months! ;)