I come from a strong Java background and in recent years have been also developing in C#.
What I can never understand is how far behind (Personal Opinion) the Visual Studio IDE's are in compared with Intelli-J IDEA and Eclipse (Java).
There have been improvements by Microsoft from VS 2005 to VS 2008, but I feel they are not quite there in terms of taking the development experience to the next level.
What I want to know is, is VS 2010 any different?
Why is it that the tools and syntax editors are so much more "evolved" in the Java IDE's.
Just to name a few:
Code Completion (Much more advance in Java IDE's)
Ant Integration (Eclipse and IDEA) vs Visual Studio Build Events
Lack of Code Repository integration in VS (Subversion and CVS) out of the box.
Lack of Advance Re-factoring Tools in Visual Studio.
Thanks.
A few points…
People tend to like what they know.
It is quicker to get up-to-speed in C# as the IDE and most of the tools / docs come from a single source.
In the Java world you have a lot more chooses, this is great for expert that spend times learning about them all, but does also lead to its own problems.
Adding ReSharper or Refactor to Visual Studio may give you what you want.
The Visual Studio debugging is great.
Visual Studio tries to make life easy for you by trying to find missing dlls etc and then storing where they are in the registry. This may be great for a 1 man project, but can often lead to build problems across developer’s machines if you are not careful. In the Java world you have to edit more config file by hand, but at least you can put these files under source code control.
There is not a small command line tool that works well on a build server that will build all types of Visual Studio projects. However in day to day usage you don’t need to learn how to use command tools, as Visual Studio hides them form you.
I think these days most programmers
are just happier with the IDE they
know best.
Note I wrote this over 6 years ago, since then C#/.Net has got a lot more complex, with lots of open source projects. Microsoft has also open sourced a lot of the .net framework. For web and server side development I expect there is now little to choose between the Java world and the .Net world. For “smart clients” .net still have a lot to offer including the new support from cross device phone development.
For multi-threaded IO, I think c# is years ahead of Java, but that could change as C# and Java keeps learning from each other...
Visual Studio has definitely been coming on over the last few years - although many of the improvements have basically been things that Eclipse has had for ages (I haven't used IDEA myself).
You may well want to look at ReSharper, which brings more goodness to Visual Studio, along with the VS2010 Productivity PowerTools.
Also, have a look at Scott Guthrie's blog series about improvements in VS2010. Lots of goodies in there.
All tools have their strengths and weaknesses - these days I'm about as happy in Visual Studio as in Eclipse... although I'm much happier writing C# than Java :) One area where Visual Studio really shines is debugging though... I find things like the VS Watch window to be much better than Eclipse's equivalent.
Visual studio 2017 is still far far behind Intellij IDEA. I'm using both and i can say that even VS2017 with ReSharper is not comparable with IDEA.
Biggest problem for me is that VS still doesn't offer usable hot reload debugging experience. I'm crying every time i have to rebuild my .NET MVC project (it is +- fast, but IIS Express load time ~ 15s EVERY time you make even the smallest change in your code).
If you want to argue with "Edit and continue" so so hotreload function - it is absolutely useless, you can't do almost any change in code without rebuilding (and everytime you have to manually break code and close opened tab with useless information).
So i'm really looking forward for full version of IntelliJ Rider bringing all super user friendly possibilities of IntelliJ IDEA to the .NET world!
I don't agree with you. I think VS is much more easy to use.
For example, when i need to create a web application. I open VS and create a new project (Web Application). After the project created, i press f5 and tadda!...
But if want to create my web application with Java, i need to install a server or some frameworks. Still i don't know how can i create a web application?
Or, Windows Application.
At VS, you don't need do any thing to create a windows based application like web application. but if i want to create windows based application with Java, i had to do something.
I think VS IDE is more user friendly than Java IDE's.
With the general public release of Visual Studio 2010 Beta 2 today, this latest version has created a lot of hype and interest.
Indeed, the opinion I've gauged is that VS 2010 has resolved a great deal of the minor flaws left over from previous versions, as well as added some particularly useful new code editor and project development tools (in particular the Premium/Ultimate versions).
My question here is: what are you favourite new features in VS 2010 that have really got you excited? Or similarly, what are the flaws of VS 2008 that you are most glad to have resolved?
There is a wealth of changes in VS 2010, of course, but these are some of the ones that have interested me most (about which I know!).
Integrated support for F# (with multi-targeting for .NET 2.0 - 4.0)/
Much improved WPF designer. The VS 2008 was more than a bit buggy at times.
Great improvements to the code editor, such as call hierarchy viewing.
A decent add-in framework.
A greatly expanded testing framework (now capable of database testing, for example) in Premium/Ultimate.
Project planning and modelling features in Premium/Ultimate.
If I could request one point/feature per post, I think that would be best, so we could vote them individually.
Visual Studio 2010's true Multi-Monitor Support sounds pretty fantastic.
The feature I'm most looking forward to having a decent play with is actually more .net 4 than visual studio. Parallel Extensions looks like it will be very interesting.
The new, clean web.config should make my managers happy.
"Just change the option in the web.config"
"Where is it?"
"Under 'AppSettings.'"
"Ugh ... there's so much junk in that file."
The built in profiler and historical debugger!
The 'Navigate To' window (Ctrl+,) is fantastic. Eclipse has something similar, and I've always thought Visual Studio needed it. Now if they would just add a 'Collapse All' button to the Solution Explorer...
One-click web publishing will be handy.
Favorite feature? Requiring 4 gigs of RAM to run it's bloat.
I liked many features
Deployment
Gated checkin
Parallel Programming
Faster debugging
Separate debugger for x86 and x64
These are just few.... The more you explore VS2010 the more you will get. Try to go through the videos by microsoft.
Thanks,
Sunil Agarwal
As it currently stands, this question is not a good fit for our Q&A format. We expect answers to be supported by facts, references, or expertise, but this question will likely solicit debate, arguments, polling, or extended discussion. If you feel that this question can be improved and possibly reopened, visit the help center for guidance.
Closed 12 years ago.
In my admittedly somewhat short time as programmer, I have used many development environments on many platforms. Most notably, Eclipse/Linux, XCode/OSX, CLI/editor/Linux, VisualDSP/Blackfin/Windows and MSVC/Windows. (I used each one for several months)
There are neat features in pretty much all of them. But somehow, I just can't find any in MSVC. Then again, so many people really seem to like it, so I am probably missing something here. So please tell me: What is so great about Visual Studio?
Things I like:
Refactoring tools in Eclipse
Build error highlighting in XCode and Eclipse
Edit-all-in-Scope in XCode
Profiler in XCode
Flexibility of Eclipse and CLI/editor
Data plotting in VisualDSP
Things I don't like
Build error display in MSVC (not highlighted in code)
Honestly, this is not meant to be a rant. Of course I am a Mac-head and biased as hell, but I have to use MSVC on the job, so I really want to like it.
The best thing about visual studio is that it's the host application for Resharper ;)
It depends from programmer to programmer. I preferably like Visual Studio because:
(1) Development is much faster as compared to other IDEs.
(2) Intelli-Sense concept works best in Visual Studio. In some IDEs I noted that the menu opens when you pressed the . and moved ahead. And also the concept of Intelli-Sense started with Visual Studio. I am sorry for hurting if I am wrong.
(3) I use Aptana Studio for PHP development. It is a great IDE as it is built on Eclipse, but still I am able to work faster, specially while working on HTML files, using Visual Studio than in Aptana. But again, Aptana also has some very neat features.
(4) I find debugging a .NET application using Visual Studio much easier than working with other IDEs.
IMHO, Visual Studio has one of the best debuggers in the business. Much easier to use than the many graphical frontends to gdb out there.
Visual Studio is more integrated with its supported languages than anything I have ever experienced (I've been around the block--Aptana, Eclipse, Zend Studio, etc.).
Add ReSharper to the mix, and I'm in heaven.
What I like is the:
Intellisense (code-comletion features)
In-environment documentation
ReSharper is a plug-in which enhances these things and adds some more advanced features like large-scale refactoring, killer object discovery features, code validation against recommended standards (which you can change to fit your own needs).
After close to 10 years using and loving Visual Studio up to version 2008, I have been doing some Java development in Eclipse for a few months and I am quite surprised that, in my opinion, Eclipse is a much more advanced IDE. I just miss a lot of features when I go back to VS.
Perhaps the people that think VS is the best haven't used any other modern IDE lately.
I had the same question myself, since everyone seems to love Studio (and I personally think it's not even close to Eclipse's abilities).
After a lot of reading, I came to the (possibly wrong?) conclusion that: Visual Studio is great for .net languages, but Visual Studio for C/C++ is just not close to as good.
Almost everyone who speaks so highly of Visual Studio is coming from a .net background, and a lot of the wonderful things they keep talking about, I just couldn't find when working on C++.
This, btw, makes a lot of sense: the main effort of Microsoft is to push .net forward, and the tight integration with Studio makes it a very powerful IDE (the same way Eclipse is great for Java development).
If you are using Visual Studio for C or C++ programming, you should really look into Visual Assist X. It adds refactoring and better syntax highlighting and a few extra things.
If you are using Subversion for version-control, you should also look into VisualSVN (best) or AnkhSvn (free).
With those add-ons you might find Visual Studio more to your liking.
'Out of the box', I can write a program without having to go through all the hooplah of installing CDT (or whatever other tools). This is a real PITA for Ubuntu and not much better on windows. (The updates never seem to work right, there are always stupid package incompatibility problems, or special install steps).
The environment 'feels' natural to windows and non-clunky, and that lack of awkwardness counts a lot toward productivity. Shortcuts are common with other windows apps, window behavior is the same, etc.
VS is also not cluttered by a crapload of windows when you open a project. I'm sure that there are ways to save the perspectives in Eclipse so you don't have to do this every time, but it is an extra step.
Visual Studio isn't a great IDE at all - I discovered that when I started C# development.
With Resharper it's pretty nice, with features present in better IDEs like Eclipse andIntelliJ IDEA.
I have no idea why Microsoft doesn't just buy JetBrains and merges Resharper into Visual Studio.
Visual Studio Team System Data Base Edition - all the tools you need: code editor with designer, Source Control, Team View and , what's best - Data Base deployment!
Probably someone else already gave this answer, but:
DEBUGGING Tools
That's it. Simple as that. Point me to one tool that can debug code as fully as VS can, and I'd marry it (yes, I'm married to VS). When you are targeting .Net, things get even better.
Which one did you use first?
From someone who has been developing since...uhm...punching holes in cards and has seen IDEs evolve I actually like using Visual Studio, but I like other ones too. I find Visual Studio is best with Microsoft specific languages such as VB or C#, and it has many of the features comparable to the points you say you like in others.
I do find that I need time to get used to a new IDE because since I use VS a lot, I'm usually looking for the VS way to do something. So maybe it's just the case of giving it time. And if you don't like it try out the customisations to change it or turn it off.
I dare say that VS introduced some ideas that other IDEs adopted and vice versa.
My top favourite thing is the intelli-sense that never seemed too obtrusive compared to other IDEs, and for C# VS 2003 seemed to get a lot clever at predicting what I wanted to type.
It certainly is not an IDE to despise.
VS is getting better from version to version, with 3rd party tools like resharper it is as good as the other tools. (sames goes to profiling.. the 3rd parties are pretty good).
basically - if you coding dot net - this is the tool, and if you're coding java - you have the others...
so the real question - which framework you like better, and not which IDE....
.... and if you are only using good old c++ I think which ever tool you're used to...
I used to compile c++ on borland on dos and I was happy :-)
I use both Delphi and Visual Studio. While I prefer Delphi (for a lot of reasons), there are some things that Visual Studio does better.
The code editor works better, making writing code smoother, and therefore faster.
The help. It's faster, returns more relevant results and is better integrated into IDE.
It's more of a .Net thing than Visual Studio, but I'm really liking ASP.Net, so I'd have to call that another win for VS.
And for bonus points, I'm also a big fan of Delphi Prism, which is hosted in Visual Studio.
So, if you're writing code for Windows, there are a lot of things to like in the Visual Studio IDE.
The debugger (I primarily use C++). I make sure my projects work in Visual Studio all along, even if my team in my job isn't supporting it, because it always saves our hide in the end. Otherwise its non-standard solution/project system is somewhat annoying.
Also, for someone accustomed to using VS, Eclipse is far too sluggish. It's like an ice hockey fan trying to become a soccer fan. It can happen, but it's not easy.
I tried using VS2010 for working on a Great Plains / eConnect project, and it kept crashing on me.
I would like to like this IDE, but I can't even use it right now. VS2010 has the featureset I need to work on the above (with the newest versions).
I like VS because it is the more responsive one (runs circles around Eclipse for instance). I'm still using 2005 though and not looking forward to the upgrade to 2010 (we skip every other release, so not 2003 and no 2008 here).
OK, so see questions like this one and this one and the question I have is - does one have to use Expression Blend to do Silverlight development or can any of it be done with just Visual Studio? (2008, in this case)
I haven't gotten started using Silverlight yet and through my workplace's MSDN I can get Expression Blend without any issues, but for my side work, do I have to drop the $499 for Expression Blend 2? (I know there's a trial but I'm thinking beyond that)
Obviously I'm concerned that in order to get into Silverlight development there's a huge financial investment involved and I already own Visual Studio 2008 - is it possible to do development without Expression Blend or would that just be impossible?
You can do everything in Visual Studio. But then again you can do everything in Notepad as well... it all depends on how much the given tool will help you along in the process. Having Blend will be a great asset from a design point of view but wont really do much for you in terms of programming the application. Download the trial and see how it works... if it adds value and saves time then it's well worth the purchase.
I've heard rumours that since there is no Expression Blend Express or Expression Blend Light that there will at least for a while always be a version of Blend in a "Preview" state and the next one will come out before the previous one expires.
That being said, it would be hard to bet your business on something like that. There are third party tools like Kaxaml that can do some of the things Blend can do and I wouldn't be surprised to see more to fill this niche.
You can do it in Visual Studio 2008 and it will work. The issues that I have come across in trying to only do Visual Studio is that I find I can do things a lot quicker in Blend than I can in Visual Studio. The visual designers are different enough that, depending on what you are going to do, you may find yourself using both environments.
If you are doing just small projects, and not a lot of UI components, then you can get away with just Visual Studio. However if you are doing a lot of design work and UI is important to you, then I would recommend geting the entire expression studio as you will find yourself using Blend and Designer.
It quite is possible. If you don't care too much about the eye candy.
Blend is more of a designer's tool than a development tool.
You could try the Microsoft Action Pack Special edition for Web Solutions if you are at least a Microsoft Registered Partner.
And now you can even use Eclipse. :)