Microsoft Visual Studio
| Version | 2019(as of 4/13/2020) |
| Platform | Windows |
| License | Commercial |
| Category | Programming |
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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
.SLNVisual Studio Solution File
Supported File Types
| Extension | File Type |
|---|---|
| .SLN | Visual Studio Solution File |
| .ADDIN | Visual Studio Add-in Definition File |
| .APPX | Windows App Package |
| .APPXMANIFEST | Windows 10 App Manifest |
| .APPXSYM | Windows 8 App Package Symbols File |
| .APPXUPLOAD | Windows 8 App Upload Package |
| .ASAX | ASP.NET Server Application File |
| .ASCX | ASP.NET User Control File |
| .ASHX | ASP.NET Web Handler File |
| .ASM | Visual Studio Assembler Source Code File |
| .ASMX | ASP.NET Web Service File |
| .ASP | Active Server Page |
| .ASPX | Active Server Page Extended Webpage |
| .AXD | ASP.NET Web Handler File |
| .BSC | Visual Studio Source Browser Information File |
| .C | C/C++ Source Code File |
| .CC | C++ Source Code File |
| .CD | Visual Studio Class Diagram |
| .CLW | Visual C++ ClassWizard File |
| .COD | Compiled Source Code |
| .CONFIG | Configuration File |
| .CPP | C++ Source Code File |
| .CS | C# Source Code File |
| .CSHTML | ASP.NET Razor Webpage |
| .CSPROJ | Visual Studio C# Project |
| .CSS | Cascading Style Sheet |
| .CSX | Visual C# Script |
| .CXX | C++ Source Code File |
| .DBML | Visual Studio OR Design File |
| .DBPROJ | Visual Studio Database Project File |
| .DEF | Module-Definition File |
| .DGML | Visual Studio Directed Graph Document |
| .DGSL | Visual Shader Graph File |
| .DIAGSESSION | Diagnostics Session File |
| .DIB | Device-Independent Bitmap Image |
| .DISCO | DISCO Discovery Document |
| .DISCOMAP | DISCO Discovery Output File |
| .DTD | Document Type Definition File |
| .EDMX | ADO.NET Entity Data Model Designer File |
| .FEATURE | SharePoint Feature File |
| .FILTERS | Visual C++ Project Filters File |
| .FS | Visual F# Source File |
| .FSI | Visual F# Signature File |
| .FSPROJ | Visual F# Project File |
| .FSSCRIPT | Visual F# Script |
| .FSX | Visual F# Script File |
| .H | C/C++/Objective-C Header File |
| .HH | C++ Header File |
| .HLSL | High Level Shader Language File |
| .HPP | C++ Header File |
| .HTM | Hypertext Markup Language File |
| .HTML | Hypertext Markup Language File |
| .HXX | C++ Source Code Header File |
| .IDB | Visual Studio Intermediate Debug File |
| .IDL | Interface Definition Language File |
| .INC | Include File |
| .INL | C++ Inline File |
| .IPCH | Intellisense Precompiled Header File |
| .JS | JavaScript File |
| .LICENSES | Visual Studio Licensed Classes File |
| .LICX | Visual Studio License File |
| .LSPROJ | Visual Studio LightSwitch Project |
| .MASTER | ASP.NET Master Page |
| .MDF | SQL Server Database |
| .MDMP | Windows Minidump |
| .MFCRIBBON-MS | MFC Ribbon Definition XML File |
| .MSHA | Microsoft Help Asset File |
| .MSHI | Microsoft Help Index File |
| .MSIXBUNDLE | Windows 10 App Bundle |
| .MSIXUPLOAD | Windows 10 App Upload Bundle |
| .MYAPP | Visual Studio Application XML File |
| .NATVIS | Natvis VC++ Debugger Visualization File |
| .NCB | Visual C++ IntelliSense Database |
| .NUPKG | NuGet Package |
| .ODL | Object Description Language File |
| .ORDEREDTEST | Visual Studio Ordered Test File |
| .PROPS | Visual Studio Project Property File |
| .PSESS | Visual Studio Performance Session File |
| .RC | Resource Script |
| .RC2 | Visual Studio Resources File |
| .RCT | Visual Studio Resource Template |
| .RDLC | Visual Studio Client Report Definition File |
| .REFRESH | Visual Studio Refresh File |
| .RES | C++ Complied Resource Script |
| .RESJSON | Windows JavaScript Resources File |
| .RESOURCES | Visual Studio Resource File |
| .RESW | Windows Resources File |
| .RESX | .NET Managed Resources File |
| .RGS | Registry Script |
| .RULESET | Visual Studio Code Analysis Rule Set File |
| .SBR | Visual Studio Source Browser Intermediate File |
| .SDF | SQL Server Compact Database File |
| .SDL | Service Description Language File |
| .SETTINGS | Visual Studio Settings File |
| .SITEMAP | ASP.NET Site Map File |
| .SKIN | ASP.NET Skin File |
| .SNIPPET | Visual Studio IntelliSense Code Snippet |
| .SQL | Structured Query Language Data File |
| .SQLPROJ | Visual Studio SQL Server Project |
| .SRF | Server Response File |
| .SSC | SourceSafe Status File |
| .SUO | Visual Studio Solution User Options File |
| .SVC | WCF Web Service File |
| .TARGETS | MSBuild Targets File |
| .TESTRUNCONFIG | Visual Studio Test Run Configuration File |
| .TESTSETTINGS | Visual Studio Test Settings File |
| .TLH | Typelib Generated C/C++ Header File |
| .TLI | Typelib Generated C/C++ Inline File |
| .TRX | Visual Studio Test Results File |
| .TT | Visual Studio Text Template |
| .USER | Visual Studio Project User Options File |
| .VB | Visual Basic Project Item File |
| .VBHTML | ASP.NET Razor Web Page |
| .VBPROJ | Visual Studio Visual Basic.NET Project |
| .VBSCRIPT | Visual Basic Script |
| .VCP | eMbedded Visual C++ Project File |
| .VCPROJ | Visual Studio C++ Project (Legacy) |
| .VCW | eMbedded Visual C++ Workspace File |
| .VCXPROJ | Visual C++ Project |
| .VDP | Visual Studio Deployment Project |
| .VDPROJ | Visual Studio Setup and Deployment Project |
| .VSCONTENT | Visual Studio Content File |
| .VSDISCO | DISCO Dynamic Discovery Document |
| .VSHOST.EXE | Visual Studio Hosting Process File |
| .VSI | Visual Studio Content Installer File |
| .VSIX | Visual Studio Extension |
| .VSMACROS | Visual Studio Binary Macro Project |
| .VSMDI | Visual Studio Test Metadata File |
| .VSMPROJ | Visual Studio Text Macro Project |
| .VSP | Visual Studio Performance Report File |
| .VSPF | Visual Studio Performance Filter File |
| .VSPROPS | Visual Studio Project Property File |
| .VSPS | Visual Studio Serialized Performance Report |
| .VSPSCC | Visual Studio Project Source Control File |
| .VSPX | Visual Studio Performance Report Data File |
| .VSSETTINGS | Visual Studio Settings File |
| .VSSSCC | Visual Studio Solution Source Control File |
| .VSZ | Visual Studio Wizard File |
| .W32 | Win32 Makefile |
| .WEBTEST | Visual Studio Web Test File |
| .WID | Visual Studio Widget File |
| .WIQ | Visual Studio Work Item Query File |
| .WSDL | Web Services Description Language File |
| .WSF | Windows Script File |
| .WSP | SharePoint Solution Package |
| .XAML | XAML File |
| .XAMLX | Visual Studio Workflow Service File |
| .XHTML | Extensible Hypertext Markup Language File |
| .XML | XML File |
| .XSC | Visual Studio Dataset Internal Info File |
| .XSD | XML Schema Definition |
| .XSL | XML Stylesheet |
| .XSLT | Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations File |
| .XSS | XML Style Sheet |
Additional Related File Types
| Extension | File Type |
|---|---|
| .ACCDB | Access 2007 Database |
| .AIF | Audio Interchange File Format |
| .AIFF | Audio Interchange File Format |
| .APPLICATION | ClickOnce Deployment Manifest File |
| .APPREF-MS | Microsoft Application Reference File |
| .AU | Sun Microsystems Audio File |
| .AVI | Audio Video Interleave File |
| .BROWSER | ASP.NET Browser Definition File |
| .CLS | Program Class File |
| .COVERAGE | Visual Studio Code Coverage Report |
| .DLL | Dynamic Link Library |
| .DLX | Renamed DLL File |
| .DMP | Windows Memory Dump |
| .DSP | Visual C++ 6 Project |
| .DSW | Visual C++ 6 Workspace File |
| .EPS | Encapsulated PostScript File |
| .EXE | Windows Executable File |
| .GENERICTEST | Visual Studio Generic Test File |
| .GIF | Graphical Interchange Format File |
| .HDMP | Windows Heap Dump |
| .ILK | Incremental Linking File |
| .IPP | Inline Guard Macro File |
| .JPE | JPEG Image |
| .JPEG | JPEG Image |
| .JPG | JPEG Image |
| .LOADTEST | Visual Studio Load Test File |
| .MDB | Microsoft Access Database |
| .MDP | Visual C++ 5 Workspace File |
| .MOV | Apple QuickTime Movie |
| .MPE | MPEG Movie File |
| .MPEG | MPEG Video |
| .MPG | MPEG Video |
| .MSM | Windows Installer Merge Module |
| .OCX | ActiveX Control |
| .OLB | OLE Object Library |
| .PCX | Paintbrush Bitmap Image File |
| .PDB | Program Database |
| .PNG | Portable Network Graphic |
| .PRI | Package Resource Index File |
| .QT | Apple QuickTime Movie |
| .RA | RealAudio File |
| .RAM | Real Audio Metadata File |
| .RLL | Microsoft Resource Library |
| .RPT | Crystal Reports File |
| .SRC | Source Code File |
| .SVN-BASE | Subversion Base File |
| .TGA | Targa Graphic |
| .TIF | Tagged Image File |
| .TLB | OLE Type Library |
| .TXT | Plain Text File |
| .WAV | WAVE Audio |
| .WMF | Windows Metafile |
Updated 4/13/2020