Visual C++ Technical Preview Available via NuGet Package -- Visual Studio Magazine

Visual C++ Technical Preview Available via NuGet Package

Microsoft's Visual Studio Team is trying out a new process for delivering preview code via NuGet that will make the process of testing then unloading software in development a bit easier.

By Michael Domingo
02/16/2016

Microsoft's Visual Studio Team is trying out something different with the way it offers up trial software releases: Release via NuGet. It's doing this for the technical preview of its Visual C++ Build Toolset, which you can get here the old fashioned way or via NuGet at this link: http://vcppdogfooding.azurewebsites.net/nuget. The beauty in the process, of course, is that you don't have to go through complex machinations to install it and then uninstall it when done.

"Installing this NuGet package lays down a new copy of the VC++ compiler, header files, and libraries," writes Microsoft's Andrew Pardoe, via a blog post. "You can compile your code with this preview toolset and, once you're done checking out the new tools, you can just uninstall the package and get back to the supported toolset installed with Visual Studio."

Pardoe notes that the new version of the tools has support for new and upcoming features, including Python-like coroutines and C++ modules, as well as the sheer number of bug fixes that are fixed between each milestone build. Pardoe writes, "You shouldn't have to wait for the next VS Update if you're tracking our progress on new language features or have been waiting for a conformance fix."

The NuGet package installs all the necessary files except for special-purpose ATL or MFC libraries, says Pardoe. And he emphasizes that because this is experimental and not supported through the usual channels, you're likely to run into lots of issues. So, of course they're looking for feedback, which can be sent to [email protected].

About the Author

You Tell 'Em, Readers: If you've read this far, know that Michael Domingo, Visual Studio Magazine Editor in Chief, is here to serve you, dear readers, and wants to get you the information you so richly deserve. What news, content, topics, issues do you want to see covered in Visual Studio Magazine? He's listening at [email protected].

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