Visual Studio Blog
The official source of product insight from the Visual Studio Engineering Team
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Size, Alignment, and Memory Layout Insights for C++ Classes, Structs, and Unions
In Visual Studio 2022 version 17.8, we introduced a feature that allows C++ developers to easily view the size and alignment of classes, structs, unions, base types, or Enums. Furthermore, in Visual Studio 2022 version 17.9 Preview 1, we're taking it a step further by providing the capability to visualize the memory layout of your C++ classes, structs, and unions. Thanks to your feedback, you can now use these features to gain a better understanding of how data is organized and accessed in your programs. Size and Alignment Visualizing size and alignment provides C++ developers with powerful insights ...
Naming Made Easy: AI-Powered Rename Suggestions
Ever struggled to name a variable, method, or class—finding that perfect balance between expressiveness and conciseness? You're not alone. We've tackled this universal challenge in the latest Visual Studio Preview via our GitHub Copilot Chat extension (subscription required). Introducing: AI-powered rename suggestions. This feature doesn't just suggest names; it learns how your identifier is used and your code style to propose identifiers that seamlessly fit into your codebase. It's like having a dedicated naming expert by your side, enhancing your code while keeping you in the coding flow. The Power of AI in...
Unlocking the Secrets of Managed Memory: Dive into Event Handler Leak Insights!
Event handler leaks have been around for a long time, and they are one of the peskiest issues WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) developers regularly deal with. You might be thinking: What makes event handler leaks so important? Event handler leaks are easy to cause, all it takes is to forget to unsubscribe to an event. Additionally, they are quite difficult to spot and even trickier to fix. The new insight added to the Visual Studio Managed Memory Usage Tool introduced in update 17.9 Preview 1 significantly trivializes the process of spotting/fixing these leaks. It provides information on which objects are...
Visual Studio 17.9 Preview 2 has arrived!
Welcome to the release of Visual Studio 2022 17.9 Preview 2, which wraps up our development efforts for 2023. This update brings new features and enhancements, building on the solid foundation set by Preview 1 in November. In this preview, we've made some improvements to the C++ and .NET MAUI development experiences. You'll find the '#include Diagnostics' for C++ more robust and the 'Live Property Explorer' for .NET MAUI now available, making your coding more intuitive and efficient, along with other new features. These updates reflect our commitment to continuously improving Visual Studio in response to ...
Embracing SQL Server 2022 with SSDT 17.8: Unveiling Key Updates
In the dynamic landscape of database development, SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) is a powerful tool for database developers in the Visual Studio ecosystem. SSDT 17.8 is included in the latest version of Visual Studio 2022 v17.8, which was released on November 14th, 2023. This version introduces crucial enhancements and fixes, underscoring Microsoft's commitment to refining the developer experience. In conclusion, SSDT 17.8 emerges as a notable release and fortifies the tool's capabilities. From connectivity advancements to accessibility improvements and performance optimizations, this rel...
Scroll to expand document tabs
When you have lots of tabs open in Visual Studio, your horizontal screen resolution determines how many fit in the document tab well. The remaining document tabs are hidden unless you configure Visual Studio to display tabs in multiple rows. Alternatively, you could switch your tab layout to vertical tabs instead of the default horizontal layout. Vertical tabs, of course, isn’t the answer for everyone, and it’s not what we’re going to talk about in today’s blog post! Going back to multiple tab rows - enabling this feature and having multiple rows of tabs open will have an impact on your available coding space....
My favorite features in Visual Studio 17.8
It was a busy week for the Visual Studio team, preparing for both Ignite and .NET Conf. And releasing the latest version of Visual Studio 2022 which is now up to version 17.8. There were lots of announcements of cool new features, AI enhancements, performance improvements, and much more. That was a lot to digest, so I thought I’d bring attention to some of my favorites. Case-preserving find and replace When you do a replacement, you can now preserve the original casing of each match in your code. Note that to get Pascal case and Camel case, your replacement string must also be in Pascal case or Camel case. T...
Write Your Git Commits with GitHub Copilot
After spending hours on a bug fix or a feature update, often the last thing we developers want to do is carefully explain the contents of the Git commit. The latest Visual Studio preview is here to help. Use the new generated Git commit message feature to help you describe your set of changes. You can then refine the message with "why" the change was made and commit. Generating useful and informative commit messages helps you in a variety of ways. To try it out, download the latest Visual Studio preview and update the GitHub Copilot Chat Extension. You’ll also need an...
Community Feedback Building 17.8 & 17.9 Preview 1
The Visual Studio team depends on community feedback from all users to help create, design, and improve Visual Studio. We’re thrilled to announce that Visual Studio version 17.8 (available here today) utilized more than 360 feedback items from Developer Community. We are currently working hard to build the next version of Visual Studio and just released 17.9 Preview 1, where we are actively looking for feedback. Below dives deeper into what community suggestions made it into the latest releases of Visual Studio, how you can start using these new features, and where to give feedback. If you haven’t given feedba...