Microsoft Visual Studio

Version2019(as of 4/13/2020)
PlatformWindows
LicenseCommercial
CategoryProgramming
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Rating:4.0  |  340 Votes

Main Features

  • Software editing, building, debugging, and unit testing tools
  • Support for C/C++, C#, Visual Basic, F#, SQL, CSS, JavaScript, and other languages
  • Program deployment to Windows, web, cloud, and SharePoint platforms
  • Live Unit Testing, Run to Click and Exception Helpers debugging and testing tools
  • Direct management of team projects hosted on providers such as GitHub and Team Foundation Server
  • Customizable environment

Software Overview

Visual Studio is a software development tool used for creating Windows programs and web applications. The development kit includes an integrated development environment (IDE) and testing tools for all stages of the software development process.

Visual Studio includes the following components:

  • Code Editor: Used for writing source code; supports syntax highlighting, bookmarks, background compilation, search functionality, and code completion using Microsoft’s IntelliSence technology.
  • Debugger: Used for locating and fixing program errors; includes source-level and machine-level debugging, as well as breakpoints and step-through execution.
  • Designer: Provides visual tools for creating GUI applications and connecting them to data sources; includes the Windows Forms Designer and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) Designer, as well as a web designer, class designer, data designer, and data mapping designer.
  • Extensions: Extends the functionality of Visual Studio; supports macros, add-ins, and extension packages.

The Visual Studio IDE includes multiple built-in perspectives for accomplishing different tasks. Unique interfaces are provided for source code programming, debugging, and creating visual forms. Developers can use one of these pre-built layouts or customize their own perspectives. The Visual Studio software package contains Microsoft Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual C#, Visual F#, Visual web Developer, and Team Foundation Server. The software supports a wide variety of programming languages, including C, C++, VB.NET, C#, F#, XML, HTML, JavaScript, and CSS.

Microsoft Visual Studio provides developers with a customizable IDE and supports a wide array of popular programming languages. It is a good tool for professional software developers looking to create commercial software programs. Microsoft Visual Studio is also useful for web developers who want to create dynamic websites and interactive web applications for the .NET framework.

Primary File Type

sln icon.SLNVisual Studio Solution File

Supported File Types

ExtensionFile Type
.SLNVisual Studio Solution File
.ADDINVisual Studio Add-in Definition File
.APPXWindows App Package
.APPXMANIFESTWindows 10 App Manifest
.APPXSYMWindows 8 App Package Symbols File
.APPXUPLOADWindows 8 App Upload Package
.ASAXASP.NET Server Application File
.ASCXASP.NET User Control File
.ASHXASP.NET Web Handler File
.ASMVisual Studio Assembler Source Code File
.ASMXASP.NET Web Service File
.ASPActive Server Page
.ASPXActive Server Page Extended Webpage
.AXDASP.NET Web Handler File
.BSCVisual Studio Source Browser Information File
.CC/C++ Source Code File
.CCC++ Source Code File
.CDVisual Studio Class Diagram
.CLWVisual C++ ClassWizard File
.CODCompiled Source Code
.CONFIGConfiguration File
.CPPC++ Source Code File
.CSC# Source Code File
.CSHTMLASP.NET Razor Webpage
.CSPROJVisual Studio C# Project
.CSSCascading Style Sheet
.CSXVisual C# Script
.CXXC++ Source Code File
.DBMLVisual Studio OR Design File
.DBPROJVisual Studio Database Project File
.DEFModule-Definition File
.DGMLVisual Studio Directed Graph Document
.DGSLVisual Shader Graph File
.DIAGSESSIONDiagnostics Session File
.DIBDevice-Independent Bitmap Image
.DISCODISCO Discovery Document
.DISCOMAPDISCO Discovery Output File
.DTDDocument Type Definition File
.EDMXADO.NET Entity Data Model Designer File
.FEATURESharePoint Feature File
.FILTERSVisual C++ Project Filters File
.FSVisual F# Source File
.FSIVisual F# Signature File
.FSPROJVisual F# Project File
.FSSCRIPTVisual F# Script
.FSXVisual F# Script File
.HC/C++/Objective-C Header File
.HHC++ Header File
.HLSLHigh Level Shader Language File
.HPPC++ Header File
.HTMHypertext Markup Language File
.HTMLHypertext Markup Language File
.HXXC++ Source Code Header File
.IDBVisual Studio Intermediate Debug File
.IDLInterface Definition Language File
.INCInclude File
.INLC++ Inline File
.IPCHIntellisense Precompiled Header File
.JSJavaScript File
.LICENSESVisual Studio Licensed Classes File
.LICXVisual Studio License File
.LSPROJVisual Studio LightSwitch Project
.MASTERASP.NET Master Page
.MDFSQL Server Database
.MDMPWindows Minidump
.MFCRIBBON-MSMFC Ribbon Definition XML File
.MSHAMicrosoft Help Asset File
.MSHIMicrosoft Help Index File
.MSIXBUNDLEWindows 10 App Bundle
.MSIXUPLOADWindows 10 App Upload Bundle
.MYAPPVisual Studio Application XML File
.NATVISNatvis VC++ Debugger Visualization File
.NCBVisual C++ IntelliSense Database
.NUPKGNuGet Package
.ODLObject Description Language File
.ORDEREDTESTVisual Studio Ordered Test File
.PROPSVisual Studio Project Property File
.PSESSVisual Studio Performance Session File
.RCResource Script
.RC2Visual Studio Resources File
.RCTVisual Studio Resource Template
.RDLCVisual Studio Client Report Definition File
.REFRESHVisual Studio Refresh File
.RESC++ Complied Resource Script
.RESJSONWindows JavaScript Resources File
.RESOURCESVisual Studio Resource File
.RESWWindows Resources File
.RESX.NET Managed Resources File
.RGSRegistry Script
.RULESETVisual Studio Code Analysis Rule Set File
.SBRVisual Studio Source Browser Intermediate File
.SDFSQL Server Compact Database File
.SDLService Description Language File
.SETTINGSVisual Studio Settings File
.SITEMAPASP.NET Site Map File
.SKINASP.NET Skin File
.SNIPPETVisual Studio IntelliSense Code Snippet
.SQLStructured Query Language Data File
.SQLPROJVisual Studio SQL Server Project
.SRFServer Response File
.SSCSourceSafe Status File
.SUOVisual Studio Solution User Options File
.SVCWCF Web Service File
.TARGETSMSBuild Targets File
.TESTRUNCONFIGVisual Studio Test Run Configuration File
.TESTSETTINGSVisual Studio Test Settings File
.TLHTypelib Generated C/C++ Header File
.TLITypelib Generated C/C++ Inline File
.TRXVisual Studio Test Results File
.TTVisual Studio Text Template
.USERVisual Studio Project User Options File
.VBVisual Basic Project Item File
.VBHTMLASP.NET Razor Web Page
.VBPROJVisual Studio Visual Basic.NET Project
.VBSCRIPTVisual Basic Script
.VCPeMbedded Visual C++ Project File
.VCPROJVisual Studio C++ Project (Legacy)
.VCWeMbedded Visual C++ Workspace File
.VCXPROJVisual C++ Project
.VDPVisual Studio Deployment Project
.VDPROJVisual Studio Setup and Deployment Project
.VSCONTENTVisual Studio Content File
.VSDISCODISCO Dynamic Discovery Document
.VSHOST.EXEVisual Studio Hosting Process File
.VSIVisual Studio Content Installer File
.VSIXVisual Studio Extension
.VSMACROSVisual Studio Binary Macro Project
.VSMDIVisual Studio Test Metadata File
.VSMPROJVisual Studio Text Macro Project
.VSPVisual Studio Performance Report File
.VSPFVisual Studio Performance Filter File
.VSPROPSVisual Studio Project Property File
.VSPSVisual Studio Serialized Performance Report
.VSPSCCVisual Studio Project Source Control File
.VSPXVisual Studio Performance Report Data File
.VSSETTINGSVisual Studio Settings File
.VSSSCCVisual Studio Solution Source Control File
.VSZVisual Studio Wizard File
.W32Win32 Makefile
.WEBTESTVisual Studio Web Test File
.WIDVisual Studio Widget File
.WIQVisual Studio Work Item Query File
.WSDLWeb Services Description Language File
.WSFWindows Script File
.WSPSharePoint Solution Package
.XAMLXAML File
.XAMLXVisual Studio Workflow Service File
.XHTMLExtensible Hypertext Markup Language File
.XMLXML File
.XSCVisual Studio Dataset Internal Info File
.XSDXML Schema Definition
.XSLXML Stylesheet
.XSLTExtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations File
.XSSXML Style Sheet

Additional Related File Types

ExtensionFile Type
.ACCDBAccess 2007 Database
.AIFAudio Interchange File Format
.AIFFAudio Interchange File Format
.APPLICATIONClickOnce Deployment Manifest File
.APPREF-MSMicrosoft Application Reference File
.AUSun Microsystems Audio File
.AVIAudio Video Interleave File
.BROWSERASP.NET Browser Definition File
.CLSProgram Class File
.COVERAGEVisual Studio Code Coverage Report
.DLLDynamic Link Library
.DLXRenamed DLL File
.DMPWindows Memory Dump
.DSPVisual C++ 6 Project
.DSWVisual C++ 6 Workspace File
.EPSEncapsulated PostScript File
.EXEWindows Executable File
.GENERICTESTVisual Studio Generic Test File
.GIFGraphical Interchange Format File
.HDMPWindows Heap Dump
.ILKIncremental Linking File
.IPPInline Guard Macro File
.JPEJPEG Image
.JPEGJPEG Image
.JPGJPEG Image
.LOADTESTVisual Studio Load Test File
.MDBMicrosoft Access Database
.MDPVisual C++ 5 Workspace File
.MOVApple QuickTime Movie
.MPEMPEG Movie File
.MPEGMPEG Video
.MPGMPEG Video
.MSMWindows Installer Merge Module
.OCXActiveX Control
.OLBOLE Object Library
.PCXPaintbrush Bitmap Image File
.PDBProgram Database
.PNGPortable Network Graphic
.PRIPackage Resource Index File
.QTApple QuickTime Movie
.RARealAudio File
.RAMReal Audio Metadata File
.RLLMicrosoft Resource Library
.RPTCrystal Reports File
.SRCSource Code File
.SVN-BASESubversion Base File
.TGATarga Graphic
.TIFTagged Image File
.TLBOLE Type Library
.TXTPlain Text File
.WAVWAVE Audio
.WMFWindows Metafile
Updated 4/13/2020