Visual Studio 2012 Update 1 CTP

11/26/2012 Update. 

Note The final release of Visual Studio Update 1 now available, please see:

Visual Studio and Team Foundation Server 2012 Update 1 now available

Also Note the KB of fixes is now available:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2797915/EN-US

Summary

Visual Studio 2012 Update is providing continuous value to customers, adding new capabilities year-round to features in the main product release. These releases will be aligned with the core software development trends in the market, ensuring developers and development teams always have access to the best solution for building modern applications.

Below you will find the key new features that can be found in the Visual Studio 2012 Update 1 CTP.   This release is a Consumer Technology Preview of the forthcoming Visual Studio Update due out in November.

• Supporting agile teams: Agile planning along with adding Kanban support to the existing Scrum support.
• Continuously enabling quality: code coverage for manual testing web apps, easily filter and group your unit tests or a web interface for test cases
• SharePoint development: add additional ALM capabilities to SharePoint such as Load Testing and Coded UI testing support.
• Windows development: improving Windows 8 application development, Windows XP for C++ applications without side by side installations.

Please note: as this is a Technology Preview; it is NOT meant to be run on production workstations or servers.  You can install these updates on top of the RTM release of Visual Studio 2012 and going forward, future updates will install correctly on older updates.

New Features in Visual Studio 2012

Below is the list of features found in the Update 1 CTP. Going forward, for more information using these features please see the Visual Studio Team blog

• Build applications targeting Windows XP 
• Support for debugging mixed managed and native Windows Store Applications
• Improvements for loading symbols and source
• IntelliTrace collection for SharePoint Applications
• Memory Profiling for JavaScript Applications
• Shut down MSBuild processes when Visual Studio shuts down
• The ability for the Test Explorer to group and filter tests
• Enables building code maps to easily understand relationships and navigate between disparate locations (in your managed code Right click “Show on Code Map”)
• Visual Studio integration with System Center for IntelliTrace analysis of APM exception alerts
• JavaScript Memory Analysis tool which enables developers to inspect the memory usage in their Windows Store Applications written primarily in JavaScript and be able to diagnose potential leaks

New Test Features in Microsoft Test Manager and Visual Studio

Below is the list of features found in the Update 1 CTP.  Going forward, for more information using these features please see the Visual Studio ALM Team blog

• Collect code coverage data while manual testing ASP.NET IIS applications
• Populate Test Suites using hierarchical queries in Microsoft Test Manager.
• Edit Test Case properties directly from the test runner of Microsoft Test Manager
• Command line functionality for copying entire test suites and all the containing test cases (Deep copy)
• The ability to view and edit test cases in a test plan from Team Foundation Server web access  (NOTE: scheduled to be an update 2 feature)
• The ability to run manual test cases and file bugs from Team Foundation Server web access (NOTE: Scheduled to be an update 2 feature)
• The ability to create coded UI tests for SharePoint 2010 Applications
• Data collectors populate trait information for Visual Studio Unit Test Grouping
• Usability improvements for coded UI tests
• The ability to pause and resume manual test sessions in Microsoft Test Manager
• Publish test results to TFS from the command-line
• Load testing support for SharePoint applications
• Automatic updates for Microsoft Test Manager and Microsoft Feedback Client

New Features in Team Foundation Server

Below is the list of features found in the Update 1 CTP.  Going forward, for more information using these features please see Brian Harry and the Visual Studio ALM Teams’ blog

• Improved navigation and usability enhancements for Web Access for example: Web Access now remembers the state of the splitters, contains styling improvements, added several animations and contains next/previous work item navigation
• Usability improvements for Version Control
• Assign tasks to user stories through drag and drop in the taskboard
• Assign ownership through drag and drop in the people view of the taskboard
• Updated Team Foundation Server Web Access navigation styling
• Show counts for links and attachments in Team Foundation Web Access
• Track project progress with a Kanban board
• Drag and drop queries and query folders in Web Access
• Expand and Collapse the left navigation pane in web access
• Version control supports paths longer than 260 characters

Note: The Version controls warehouse still has a 260 character limit and you need to have this update applied to both your Team Foundation Server and Visual Studio client.

Downloads

For your convenience you will find the download page for the Visual Studio 2012 Update 1 CTP at:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=34818

Statement of Support

Please note: as this is a Technology Preview, it is NOT meant to be run on production workstations or servers.  The testing of these CTPs is not as exhaustive and complete as the testing for the release product.  The recommended approach for upgrading Visual Studio on developer workstations is installing the latest Visual Studio Update 1 CTP on top of the RTM or a previous CTP build.   NOTE: since setup is updating the files during these updates there is NOT a “downgrade” path to get back to a previous release. 

WARNING: Do not install the CTP on a Team Foundation Server Production Server.  Unlike Visual Studio you can NOT upgrade Team Foundation Server once a CTP is applied and you can NOT attach a CTP TFS configuration database (which contains the Source, Work Items etc) to a released version of Team Foundation Server.

 

The installer available for the Visual Studio 2012 Update may also be used to download and create a disk layout that will include updates for all of the Visual Studio clients. To create this layout:

1. Download and save the installer
2. Run the installer from a command prompt with flag: /layout
3. Specify the download location in the UI.

How to Provide Feedback on this Release

Feedback is an important part of this process. To supply feedback, please use the Visual Studio 2012 feedback tool. For your convenience the feedback tool automatically captures the build number and attaches system information – so we know any bugs/suggestions are for this technology preview.