Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft. It is used to develop computer programs, as well as web sites, web apps, web services and mobile apps. Visual Studio uses Microsoft software development platforms such as Windows API, Windows Forms, Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Store and Microsoft Silverlight. It can produce both native code and managed code.
Visual Studio includes a code editor supporting IntelliSense (the code completion component) as well as code refactoring. The integrated debugger works both as a source-level debugger and a machine-level debugger. Other built-in tools include a code profiler, forms designer for building GUI applications, web designer, class designer, and database schema designer. It accepts plug-ins that enhance the functionality at almost every level—including adding support for source control systems (like Subversion and Git) and adding new toolsets like editors and visual designers for domain-specific languages or toolsets for other aspects of the software development lifecycle (like the Team Foundation Server client: Team Explorer).
Visual Studio supports 36 different programming languages and allows the code editor and debugger to support (to varying degrees) nearly any programming language, provided a language-specific service exists. Built-in languages include C, C++, C++/CLI, Visual Basic .NET, C#, F#, JavaScript, TypeScript, XML, XSLT, HTML and CSS. Support for other languages such as Python, Ruby, Node.js, and M among others is available via plug-ins. Java(and J#) were supported in the past.
The currently supported Visual Studio version is 2017. Microsoft announced 2019 on June 6, 2018.
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- Write your code fast
- Debug and diagnose with ease
- Test often, release with confidence
- Extend and customize to your liking
- Collaborate efficiently
Visual Studio IDE

Features Overview
Develop
Navigate, write, and fix your code fast
Visual Studio for Mac enables you to write code accurately and efficiently without losing the current file context. You can easily zoom into details such as call structure, related functions, check-ins, and test status. You can also leverage our functionality to refactor, identify, and fix code issues.
Debug
Debug, profile, and diagnose with ease
Use the Visual Studio debugger to quickly find and fix bugs across languages. Leverage the profiling tools to find and diagnose performance issues.
Test
Write high-quality code with testing tools
Visual Studio for Mac’s integrated test runner helps you run and debug unit tests and automated UI tests.
Collaborate
Use version control, be agile, collaborate efficiently
Manage your source code in Git repos hosted by any provider, including GitHub and Visual Studio Team Services.