What's new in Visual Studio docs

Welcome to what's new in Visual Studio docs. The following sections provide details on the previous three months of new and updated content.

October 2025

Azure

Updated articles

• Update Azure trial link
  • Add Application Insights with Visual Studio Connected Services
  • Add Azure Cache for Redis by using Visual Studio Connected Services
  • Add Azure Cosmos DB to your app by using Visual Studio Connected Services
  • Add Azure SignalR by using Visual Studio Connected Services
  • Add a connection to an Azure SQL Database
  • Adding Azure App Configuration by using Visual Studio Connected Services
  • Adding Azure Storage by using Visual Studio Connected Services

Containers

Updated articles

• Update Tools > Options procedures
  • Use the Containers window
  • Configure Visual Studio Container Tools
  • Customize containers in Visual Studio
• Update Azure trial link
  • Quickstart: Container Tools in Visual Studio
  • Deploy an app into a container in Azure or Docker Hub
  • Tutorial: Deploy a multi-container app to Azure Container Apps

Data tools

Updated articles

• Turn pluralization on and off (O/R Designer) - Update Tools > Options procedure.

Debugger

Updated articles

• Inspect variables and return values in the Visual Studio debugger - Add view inline values to variable inspection article
• Debug your app with GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio
  • Add view inline values to variable inspection article
  • Update unit testing for debugger agent
• Supported Code Changes (C++) - Update MSVC branding
• Debug .NET Apps in WSL with Visual Studio - Add info on debugging unit tests in WSL
• Project settings for C# debug configurations (.NET Core, .NET 5+, and ASP.NET Core) - Update information on accessing launch profile
• Configure Edit and Continue (C#, VB, C++) - Update for Hot Reload auto-restart and Razor
• Update port information for remote debugging
  • Configure Windows Firewall for remote debugging
  • Remote Debugger Port Assignments
  • Remote Debugging a C# or Visual Basic project in Visual Studio
• Update Tools > Options procedures
  • Display WPF trace information for data binding
  • Debug .NET Framework source
  • General debugging options
  • Get started with breakpoints in the Visual Studio debugger
  • Error: The target process exited with code 'code' while evaluating the function 'function'
  • Edit and Continue (Visual C#)
  • Error: Evaluating the function 'function' timed out and needed to be aborted in an unsafe way
  • Edit and Continue (C++)
  • Diagnose problems after deployment using IntelliTrace (C#, Visual Basic)
  • Generate source code from .NET assemblies while debugging
  • Debug using the Just-In-Time Debugger in Visual Studio
  • Debug multiple processes (C#, Visual Basic, C++)
  • Debugging Mixed-Mode Applications
  • Overview of the Visual Studio debugger
  • Create custom views of C++ objects in the debugger using the Natvis framework
  • C++ Dynamic Debugging (Preview)
  • A DCOM error occurred trying to contact the remote computer. Access is denied.

Deployment

Updated articles

• Get publish settings from IIS and import into Visual Studio - Clarify IIS settings

Extensibility

Updated articles

• Create an extension with a menu command - Clarify reset script instructions for Visual Studio versions
• Registering Single File Generators - Clarify registry location
• Language service and editor extension points - Clarify classification types description
• Create an extension with an editor item template - Revise extension creation instructions and update date
• Visual Studio C++ Project system extensibility and toolset integration - Update MSVC branding
• Update InstallationTarget values and associated docs
  • Update extensions for Visual Studio
  • Debug a Visual Studio extension
  • VSIX extension schema 2.0 reference

IDE

Updated articles

• Get started with GitHub Copilot agent mode - Updates for Planning in agent mode
• Problem Details window - Update MSVC branding
• Sign application and deployment manifests - Update article on signing deployment manifests
• JavaScript IntelliSense - Update JS IntelliSense article with TS JSDoc info
• View type and member definitions - Add image for updated Tools > Options setting
• Specify custom build events in Visual Studio - Clarify macros vs MSBuild properties

Install

Updated articles

• Install certificates required for Visual Studio offline installation - Add guidance for maintaining offline machines

JavaScript

Updated articles

• Add compatibility info for Angular 20 to Angular tutorial
  • Tutorial: Create an ASP.NET Core app with Angular in Visual Studio
  • Tutorial: Create an ASP.NET Core app with React in Visual Studio
  • Tutorial: Create an ASP.NET Core app with Vue in Visual Studio

MSBuild

Updated articles

• Update MSVC branding
  • MSB8006 diagnostic code
  • MSB8020 diagnostic code
  • Link task
  • MSBuild tasks specific to C++
• MSBuild properties
  • Fix filename reference and correct output result
• Run a target exactly once - Update with corrections
• Common MSBuild project items - Improve coverage of default values
• Select the files to build - Review and update

Profiling

New articles

• Inefficient immutable collection modifications
• Inefficient LinkedList traversal
• Inefficient List<T>.Find usage
• Inefficient string.Format or interpolation usage

Updated articles

• Profile your app with GitHub Copilot - Add content for Profiler Agent thread summarization
• Overview of the profiling tools (C#, Visual Basic, C++, F#) - Update port information for remote debugging

Python

Updated articles

• Create a C++ extension for Python in Visual Studio - Update MSVC branding

Test

Updated articles

• Debug and analyze unit tests by using Test Explorer - Update unit testing for debugger agent
• Add information about IntelliTest deprecation
  • Generate unit tests for fuzz testing by using IntelliTest
  • Overview of Microsoft IntelliTest

Community contributors

The following people contributed to the Visual Studio docs during this period. Thank you! Learn how to contribute by following the links under "Get involved" in the what's new landing page.

• PhilKang0704 - Phil
• crnzgm -
• devdny - ekko

September 2025

Containers

Updated articles

• Container tools updates for Visual Studio Insiders prerelease
  • Add support for containers
  • Build a container project from the command line
  • Customize containers in Visual Studio
  • Use SSL for containerized ASP.NET Core apps
  • Customize container images for debugging
  • Set the container entry point
  • Container Tools launch settings
  • Container Tools build properties
  • Configure Visual Studio Container Tools
  • Quickstart: Use Docker with a React Single-page application in Visual Studio
  • Quickstart: Container Tools in Visual Studio
  • Customize container volume mapping
  • Deploy an ASP.NET Core container to Azure App Service using Visual Studio
  • Deploy an app into a container in Azure or Docker Hub
  • Deploy to Docker Hub
  • Tutorial: Deploy a multi-container app to Azure Container Apps
  • Debug apps in a local container
  • Deploy an ASP.NET container to a container registry using Visual Studio
  • Launch a subset of Compose services
  • Configure HTTPS when deploying containerized applications to Azure
  • Visual Studio Container Tools
  • Tutorial: Create a multi-container app with Docker Compose
  • Use the Containers window

Data tools

Updated articles

• Entity Framework Tools in Visual Studio - Update Entity Framework Power Tools link

Debugger

New articles

• Protected mode for dump debugging

Updated articles

• Configure Windows Firewall for remote debugging
  • Update path for debugger
  • Update instructions for configuring firewall for remote debugging
• Using the IntelliTrace stand-alone collector (C#, Visual Basic) - Update paths for debugger
• Document Snappoint debugging deprecation
  • Debug live ASP.NET Azure apps using the Snapshot Debugger
  • Debug live ASP.NET Azure Kubernetes Services using the Snapshot Debugger
  • Use time travel debugging to record and replay ASP.NET apps on Azure VMs
  • Debug live ASP.NET apps on Azure virtual machines and Azure virtual machine scale sets using the Snapshot Debugger
• Debug your app with GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio
  • Add Copilot feature for breakpoints
  • Debugger updates for Copilot
• Inspect variables and return values in the Visual Studio debugger
  • Add content for viewing post-return values inline
  • Add new article on profiling with Copilot, debugger updates for Copilot
• Dump files in the Visual Studio debugger - Add documentation for protected mode debugging
• View strings in a string visualizer in Visual Studio - Add info for substring search in text visualizer
• Tutorial: Debug C++ code with Visual Studio - New topic about the command-line args dropdown
• Debug .NET Apps in WSL with Visual Studio - Add instructions for debugging WSL console app
• Error: Remote machine doesn't appear in a Remote Connections dialog - Update instructions for configuring firewall for remote debugging
• Debugger updates for Copilot
  • Use the right type of breakpoint
  • View threads and tasks in the Parallel Stacks window (C#, Visual Basic, C++)
  • Log info to the Output window using tracepoints in Visual Studio
  • Tabular visualizers in Visual Studio

Deployment

Updated articles

• Overview of Publish - Review and update

Extensibility

New articles

• Update extensions for Visual Studio

Get started

Updated articles

• Tutorial: Create your first Windows App SDK application in Visual Studio with XAML and C# - Update to latest workload for Windows App SDK in current Visual Studio
• What is Visual Studio? - Publish Visual Studio Insiders prerelease docs

IDE

New articles

• How Copilot Chat understands and uses context

Updated articles

• Add custom instructions example
  • Customize chat responses and set context
  • Get started with GitHub Copilot
  • Manage GitHub Copilot installation and state
• Find references in your code - Update date and enhance clarity in finding references
• Remove Unused References - Clarify version compatibility for remote tools
• Navigate code - Move or refactor some UI reference articles
• Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt and Developer PowerShell - Update paths for PowerShell
• Admin controls for GitHub Copilot - Updates for disabling agent mode
• Quick Actions - Add configuration info for Quick Actions
• Find file exclusions (new Visual Studio feature)
  • Find in Files
  • Find and replace text in Visual Studio
  • Use Visual Studio search
• User permissions and Visual Studio - Update channel name and date
• Visual Studio IDE documentation - Link updates for profiling with Copilot
• Edit pass for articles about the GitHub Copilot editor
  • Get started with GitHub Copilot agent mode
  • What is GitHub Copilot Edits?
  • Get started with GitHub Copilot Next Edit Suggestions
  • Get started with AI models in Copilot Chat
  • What is GitHub Copilot Completions in Visual Studio?
• Use MCP servers - User feedback fix + add new model
• Customize the Visual Studio IDE - Key install updates for Visual Studio
• What is the GitHub Copilot Chat experience for Visual Studio? - Publish Visual Studio Insiders prerelease docs
• Use regular expressions in Visual Studio - Add more common regular expression elements to table
• Create and edit configurations - Clarify configuration levels in docs
• Specify build events (C#) - Update build events examples
• Build and clean projects and solutions in Visual Studio - Mention that Build > Cancel only appears during build
• AI-assisted development in Visual Studio - Review and update
• Deploy GitHub Copilot to existing Visual Studio instances - Review and update
• Tour the Visual Studio IDE - Review and update
• Report a problem with the Visual Studio product or installer - Ad Blocker and Brave
• Developer Community guidelines - Add a way to get unbanned
• How to view errors and warnings - Convert to a How-to article with AI assistance

Install

Updated articles

• Administrative Templates (ADMX) - Updates for disabling agent mode
• Install Visual Studio
  • Key install updates for Visual Studio
• Publish Visual Studio Insiders prerelease docs
  • Install Visual Studio versions side-by-side
  • Uninstall or remove Visual Studio
  • Update Visual Studio
  • Use command-line parameters to install, update, and manage Visual Studio

JavaScript

Updated articles

• Unit testing JavaScript and TypeScript in Visual Studio - Update paths
• Create a React app in Visual Studio
  • Update code snippet in React app
  • Update React tutorial

MSBuild

Updated articles

• MSB3189 diagnostic code - Add description
• Item element (MSBuild) - Clarify child elements on items
• Tutorial: Use MSBuild
  • Publish Visual Studio Insiders prerelease docs
  • Update installation instructions and date in MSBuild tutorial

Profiling

New articles

• Profile your app with GitHub Copilot

Updated articles

• Measure application performance from the command line - Update paths
• Analyze BenchmarkDotNet data in Visual Studio - Add content for Benchmark project template
• Which performance tool should I use? (C#, Visual Basic, C++, F#) - Describe support for CMake projects in profiling
• Zero-length array allocations - Add Copilot content for Perf Profiler start screen
• Overview of the profiling tools (C#, Visual Basic, C++, F#) - Add Copilot content for Perf Profiler start screen
• Run profiling tools on release or debug builds (C#, Visual Basic, C++, F#) - Add Copilot content for Perf Profiler start screen
• Add new article on profiling with Copilot, debugger updates for Copilot
  • Analyze memory usage by using the .NET Object Allocation tool
  • Measure performance in Visual Studio
  • Instrument your .NET application in Visual Studio (C#, C++, Visual Basic, F#)

Test

Updated articles

• Update paths
  • Upgrade from .testsettings to .runsettings
  • Use code coverage to determine how much code is being tested
• Update code coverage information for VS Community, Professional
  • Customize code coverage analysis
  • Overview of testing tools in Visual Studio
  • Microsoft.CodeCoverage.Console tool
  • Run unit tests by using Test Explorer
  • Unit test basics
• Overview of Microsoft IntelliTest - Publish Visual Studio Insiders prerelease docs
• Get started with test-driven development using Test Explorer
  • Fix instructions for file encoding
  • Add Copilot content for Perf Profiler start screen
• Create and run unit tests for .NET
  • Fix instructions for file encoding
  • Add Copilot content for Perf Profiler start screen

XAML tools

Updated articles

• Configure XAML Designer options in Visual Studio - Move XAML Designer settings page to XAML Designer docs
• Use Design Time Data with the XAML Designer in Visual Studio - Publish Visual Studio Insiders prerelease docs

Version control

Updated articles

• Create a pull request in Visual Studio - Pull request comments feature updates
• Stage lines of code in Visual Studio - Update git line staging documentation

XML tools

New articles

• Configure formatting in the XML editor

August 2025

Code quality

Updated articles

• Clarify recommendations for use of rule set files
  • FAQ for code analysis in Visual Studio
  • Suppress code analysis violations
  • Code analysis using .NET compiler platform (Roslyn) analyzers

Debugger

Updated articles

• Debug a deadlock using the Threads view
  • Clarify content in article on debugging a deadlock
  • Add C++ code and information to article on debugging a deadlock
  • Improve guidance for multithreaded debugging tools
• Get started debugging multithreaded applications (C#, Visual Basic, C++)
  • Add C++ code and information to article on debugging a deadlock
  • Improve guidance for multithreaded debugging tools
• View threads and tasks in the Parallel Stacks window (C#, Visual Basic, C++)
  • Add C++ code and information to article on debugging a deadlock
  • Improve guidance for multithreaded debugging tools
• Using the Tasks Window (C#, Visual Basic)
  • Add C++ code and information to article on debugging a deadlock
  • Improve guidance for multithreaded debugging tools
• Debug an async application - Add C++ code and information to article on debugging a deadlock
• Debug multithreaded applications in Visual Studio - Improve guidance for multithreaded debugging tools
• View threads in the Visual Studio debugger (C#, Visual Basic, C++) - Improve guidance for multithreaded debugging tools

Designers

Updated articles

• Tutorial: Get started with Windows Forms Designer - Add Prerequisites section

Extensibility

Updated articles

• Devenv command-line switches for VSPackage development - Update and clarify /RootSuffix command-line switch description
• Create an Atom feed for a private gallery - Use approved GUID and remove extra period

Get started

Updated articles

• What is Visual Studio? - Review and update

IDE

New articles

• Get started with GitHub Copilot
• Using AI models in Copilot Chat
• Configure indent and tab settings in Visual Studio
• Set AutoRecover options

Updated articles

• Use Copilot agent mode - Document Agent mode file visibility and permissions
• Copilot Next Edit Suggestions - Add hide next edit suggestions
• Manage GitHub Copilot installation and state - Create new doc for Getting Started with Copilot
• What is GitHub Copilot Completions for Visual Studio? - Add a tips and tricks section for Copilot Completions
• Remove Unused References - Update refactoring article on removing unused references and overview for XAML Tools
• Use MCP servers
  • MCP GA updates
  • Enhance MCP server setup instructions in documentation
• Find, install, and manage extensions for Visual Studio
  • Add a section on security measures in place to protect extension users
  • Review and update
• Options dialog box: Text Editor > Advanced - Update UI reference articles
• Use the Immediate window - Update UI reference articles
• Paste JSON or XML as classes - Update UI reference articles
• Productivity guide for Visual Studio - Update UI reference articles
• Understand build configurations - Add details on predefined constants
• Work with miscellaneous files - Update UI reference articles
• Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt and Developer PowerShell - Review and update
• Use the Immediate window - Review and update
• Walkthrough: Create a code snippet in Visual Studio - Review and update
• Problem Details window - Fix bad metadata
• Manage references in a project - Add link to NuGet package info
• Customize window layouts and personalize tabs - Review and update
• Extend a trial version or update a license - Review and update
• Outlining - Review and update
• What are solutions and projects in Visual Studio? - Review and update

Install

Updated articles

• Modify Visual Studio workloads, components, and language packs - Review and update
• Uninstall or remove Visual Studio - Review and update
• Install Visual Studio versions side-by-side - Review and update
• Install Visual Studio - Review and update
• Visual Studio on Arm-powered devices - Review and update

JavaScript

Updated articles

• Unit testing JavaScript and TypeScript in Visual Studio
  • Add command line instructions for JavaScript/TypeScript unit testing with vstest.console
  • Update TypeScript unit testing for ASP.NET Core

MSBuild

Updated articles

• Property functions
  • Document out param in property function
• How MSBuild builds projects - General improvements
• MSBuild project file schema reference - Update MSBuild schema links
• Clean up old, unsupported .NET version references:
  • Configure tasks
  • GenerateBootstrapper task
  • Target multiple framework versions and platforms
  • MSBuild
  • Register extensions of the .NET Framework
  • Target element (MSBuild)
  • Tutorial: Generate a REST API client
• Use environment variables in a build
  • Document that environment variables are considered trusted by MSBuild
  • Review and update
• Customize a build to handle generated files - Improve based on user feedback

Profiling

Updated articles

• Troubleshoot profiling errors and fix issues - Add C++ code and information to article on debugging a deadlock

Test

Updated articles

• Tutorial: Test-driven development using Test Explorer - Update article on unit testing C#
• Run unit tests by using Test Explorer - Update article on unit testing C#
• Create and run unit tests for .NET - Update article on unit testing C#

XAML tools

Updated articles

• Overview of XAML - Update refactoring article on removing unused references and overview for XAML Tools

Version control

Updated articles

• Manage Git repositories in Visual Studio - Review and update version control articles with AI references

Community contributors

The following people contributed to the Visual Studio docs during this period. Thank you! Learn how to contribute by following the links under "Get involved" in the what's new landing page.

• changeworld - Takashi Takebayashi
• colejohnson66 - Cole Tobin
• nathlaroche - Nathalie Laroche
• PhilKang0704 - Phil
• Rageking8 -
• ZzZombo - ZzZombo