Last year, the Visual Studio team delivered many new developer-focused improvements and AI integrations, many of which came directly from your feedback on Developer Community. In this post, we highlight the team’s favorite features from 2024 that boost productivity, streamline workflows, and enhance your coding experience. Let’s dive in!
Image Hover Preview: See your images instantly! (Mads Kristensen 00:30)
Struggling to visualize referenced images in your code? Visual Studio’s Image Hover Preview solves this by showing a quick preview of any image, complete with dimensions and file size, when you hover over its reference. It’s a small addition with a big impact on productivity.
I love this feature!
Error Copying Improvements: Copy only what you need (Mads Kristensen 00:55)
Historically, copying error messages might have included detailed data that weren’t necessary to you. With this update, you can copy (Ctrl+C) just the error description, making it easier to search for solutions online.
Before:
Severity Code Description Project File Line Suppression State
Error (active) CS0103 The name ‘Test’ does not exist in the current context ConsoleApp1 C:\Users\jamont\source\repos\ConsoleApp1\ConsoleApp1\Program.cs 7
After:
The name ‘Test’ does not exist in the current context
Drag/Drop across multiple instances of Visual Studio (Mads Kristensen 1:45)
You can now copy/paste or drag/drop files between Visual Studio instances seamlessly. This feature works across most project types and enhances workflow efficiency.
Rename Suggestions: Smarter names for cleaner code (Dalia Ado Sheasha 2:48)
Tired of unclear variable or method names? The Rename Suggestions feature analyzes your code to offer context-aware naming options. It’s a lifesaver when working on legacy or inherited projects.
I hate naming things; this means I don’t have to!
Copilot for Commits: Automated and personalized messages (Jessie Houghton 4:23)
Commit messages just got easier. GitHub Copilot now generates customized commit messages, ensuring they align with your preferences and cover every change.
Memory Layout Viewer: Optimize memory usage (Sy Brand 5:25)
Visual Studio now lets you visualize memory layout, identify gaps, and optimize memory usage. This is particularly beneficial for projects requiring efficient memory management.
Async Debugging made easy (Andy Sterland 6:23)
Debugging async/await code is notoriously tricky. The new Async Debugger in Visual Studio provides clearer insights into async calls, making it easier to identify issues and debug effectively.
New .NET MAUI templates: Start projects with ease (Rachel Kang 8:08)
With this update to .NET MAUI templates, you can now include sample content to jump-start your project. These templates integrate popular toolkits for a smoother development experience.
Everything Copilot (Bruno Capuano 9:50)
You can now ask domain specific questions in Copilot Chat. Which, in combination with Copilot Edits, provides targeted code suggestions that you can add in session. If you want to change up the suggestions, you now can choose between different models in Copilot Chat.
New Extension Manager and Extension Hot Loading (Maia Kelner 11:11)
Installing extensions no longer interrupts your flow. With extension hot loading, you can install and use extensions without restarting Visual Studio.
Check out the new Bright Xaml Extension!
Unreal Engine integration: Game development streamlined (David Li 12:55)
Game developers rejoice! Open Unreal Engine projects directly in Visual Studio, configure targets, and leverage the new Unreal Engine toolbar for efficient workflows.
Code Search (Sandy Armstrong 14:13)
Use Ctrl + T to launch search. You can now search for specific scopes (current document, entire solution, etc)
You can dock the feature search window!
.NET Aspire integrations (James Montemagno 15:09)
You can now easily orchestrate your existing .NET applications and services with a single click. Visual Studio will automatically create the .NET Aspire `AppHost` and `ServiceDefault` projects and configure everything for you! From the same context menu in Visual Studio you can easily add .NET Aspire integrations to your project by bringing up a filtered NuGet search. Check it out!
We love your feedback!
These innovations and improvements are a direct result of your input. The Visual Studio team thrives on feedback, and your suggestions continue to make it better. Keep sharing your thoughts and ideas on Developer Community. We’re building the future of development together!
