Microsoft has announced that it has brought back Developer news inside Visual Studio after multiple requests from users. This is after discontinuing it on Visual Studio 2017, however, the company has incorporated the feature back into Visual Studio as an extension, but this time it will be more refined.
Now, Microsoft has gone a step further to ensure that issues encountered before will not be replicated in the new Developer News, hence the newly added refreshing updates. We all know how sourcing for breaking news and information is an uphill task, not to mention finding a credible and reliable source that will keep you updated on everything.
Here are some of the common complaints lodged by users:
- The feed isn’t updated often enough
- I need to customize the news to my interests
- I don’t use the Start Page, but still want the news feed
- The news feed isn’t easily available when I’ve got a solution open
First up is the newly incorporated News tool that can be accessed in the same location as Solution Explorer. However, if you do not want the News feed to be visible, then you can close it down and easily access it via the View top level menu or using the following keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + N.
What’s more, users will now be able to customize their news feed according to their preferences. You can do this by simply clicking on the settings icon at the top-right corner. It will open up a comprehensive list of news feeds options that you can choose from. It is worth noting that the Visual Studio news feed is selected by default because it features stories about Visual Studio which affect all users. You get to select the rest.
According to Microsoft, the top-most checkbox controls which browser to use upon clicking on a news story. The story will open your default browsers when you click on it by default, though you can change this and use Visual Studio’s internal browser. Alternatively, you can open a news story by long pressing the Control key while simultaneously clicking on the news story.
Microsoft has further indicated the testing phase was successful, and that there are more enhancements and improvements in store for the Developer News feature in the future like having a news reader inside Visual Studio.
Access this new feature by downloading this extension via the Visual Studio Marketplace. Let us know what you think in the comment section below.
