Visual Studio Tools for Apache Cordova Update 9 Now Available -- Visual Studio Magazine

Visual Studio Tools for Apache Cordova Update 9 Now Available

Programmatic efficiency is a highlight of this release, with a command-line option for extensions and clearer information for starting new projects.

By Michael Domingo
05/04/2016

It might seem like a minor update, but this version of the Visual Studio Tools for Apache Cordova, a.k.a. TACO, is all about programmatic efficiency. To that end, the Tuesday release of TACO Update 9 has a new command-line option for extensions and clearer information for starting new projects.

Ricardo Minguez, a TACO Senior Program Manager, in a blog post highlights two new features: the command-line option and a redesigned start page for new projects.

"We've added a new option that lets you simply add a plugin by using its id," notes Minguez, in the post. In a dialog, that option, as well as the option to install locally or from Git, are available. With the Plug-in ID method, developers are given a text box in which the ID can be entered directly, or a developer can also just open a command prompt and type "cordova plugin add [ID number]". It still requires that the developer go back to the Configuration Designer dialog to enter the ID, but there are no other interim machinations for activating the needed plug-in. "We wanted to save you that trip over to the command line, so that you can stay focused on your code!" writes Minguez.

Minguez also notes that the start page for new projects has been redesigned to be simpler, so that developers can review the information or just skip to creating a project. Links are provided for quickly getting started using Ionic or TypeScript, adding cloud backends and authentication methods, as well as guides for developing Android and iOS builds.

Update 9 also rolls up a few bug fixes, as well as features in Update 8. To see the complete list of new TACO U9 features and fixes, view the release notes here.

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