Microsoft’s Visual Studio Pro is the industry standard software that most programmers go to if they want to develop robust software. Visual Studio Pro is quite expensive to buy, but there is a free version of the software called Visual Studio Community 2015. While Visual Studio Community does lack some of the tools available for the Pro version of the software, it is more than capable of creating exciting content. So much, so that game development software Unity 3D now uses it as its default scripting environment.
It’s clear that Microsoft wants everyone to be able to develop with Visual Studio Community, and now they’ve released a video (shown above) giving a brief introduction to the software. Here are some of the highlights:
- Multiple languages supported: C, C++, C#, Visual Basic, F#, Node, Python.
- Mobile development: Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, which includes native and hybrid app development. Emulators are included for convenience.
- Build for the Azure cloud and IoT (Internet of Things).
- The software can accept over 5000 extensions and products.
- Advanced debugging tools.
- Can be used to create free or paid apps.
Visual Studio Community isn’t new software and, in fact, we reported on it in 2014. However, Microsoft is continuously updating the software to keep it relevant. It is an exciting time for Visual Studio Community especially with its inclusion in Unity 3D. If Microsoft can capture even a fraction of that programming market, perhaps it would result in more apps being available for the Windows platform. If you’re thinking of creating a programming project you can’t get much better value than this.
