News

Visual Studio 2022 v17.12 Ships with AI Enhancements and Streamlined Dev Tools

• By David Ramel
• 11/13/2024

Microsoft just shipped Visual Studio 2022 v17.12, focusing on enhancing developer experiences specifically for .NET 9 projects and introducing new AI productivity features. This update incorporates numerous developer-requested enhancements aimed at simplifying workflows and improving overall productivity.

Here's a summary of the key features and improvements in Visual Studio 2022 v17.12 across some different areas.

AI-Powered Features
A significant highlight of this release is the integration of AI capabilities through GitHub Copilot. Developers can now utilize AI smart variable inspection, which optimizes debugging workflows by providing intelligent insights into variable states. Additionally, the AI-powered IEnumerable visualizer enhances the creation of LINQ Editable Expressions, making it easier to work with complex queries. GitHub Copilot also assists in fixing code issues and offers improved AI completions for C#, drawing context from relevant source files to enhance accuracy. The ability to debug failed tests with GitHub Copilot further streamlines the debugging process.

Enhanced Debugging and Diagnostics
The debugger now displays inline return values, allowing developers to see function outcomes directly within their code. The update simplifies breakpoint management with features that enable easy export and import of breakpoint groups. For developers working with Blazor WebAssembly apps targeting .NET 9 or later, the debugging experience has been significantly improved. Additional tools, such as the Meter Histogram in the Profiler Counter Tool and enhanced memory analysis capabilities, provide deeper insights into application performance.

Productivity Improvements
This release also brings multiple productivity enhancements. Developers can now copy only the error description from the Error List, making error reporting more efficient. The Code Search functionality has been improved, allowing navigation to specific lines in documents and enabling docking and auto-hiding of the search window. Other features include customizable collapsed text indicators, refreshed search results, and a non-blocking code cleanup process on save, all designed to enhance the coding experience.

Git Tooling Enhancements
Visual Studio 2022 v17.12 improves Git tooling with new features such as notifications when renaming files, support for creating pull request drafts using templates, and guidance for creating internal GitHub repositories. Developers can also generate links to specific lines of code in GitHub or Azure DevOps for easier sharing among team members, while customizing AI-generated commit messages adds further flexibility.

IDE Updates
The IDE itself has received various updates, including the ability to preserve font settings across theme changes and support for multi-project launch configurations that streamline debugging across multiple projects. Copying files between instances of Visual Studio is now possible, along with support for multiple GitHub accounts to enhance version control workflows.

Cloud Development Features
In terms of cloud development, Visual Studio 2022 v17.12 includes security updates for publishing to Azure App Service and adds support for Azure WebJobs on Linux platforms. Developers can also publish to the Azure Flex Consumption hosting plan for Azure Functions, currently in preview.

Web Development Enhancements
Web developers will benefit from expanded support for HTTP files, including request variables that allow data sharing between requests and environments. The IDE now supports Vitest for JavaScript and TypeScript projects, along with Inlay Hints support for more languages such as Python and Razor.

Web developers will benefit from expanded support for HTTP files, including request variables that allow data sharing between requests and environments. The IDE now supports Vitest for JavaScript and TypeScript projects, along with Inlay Hints support for more languages such as Python and Razor.

Data and .NET
For data-oriented developers, Visual Studio now supports SDK-style SQL projects in SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT), a shift that aligns SQL projects with modern .NET project styles. As .NET 9 gains traction, this release supports cloud-native and AI-powered development, helping developers build more robust applications through improved package management, including auditing transitive NuGet packages by default.

Support for .NET 9
Finally, this release fully embraces .NET 9 development, emphasizing productivity enhancements and streamlined deployments while accelerating AI integration within applications. .NET 9, unveiled at this week's .NET Conf, introduces new features and improvements to the .NET ecosystem, including enhancements to .NET Aspire and AI capabilities. You can read about those in yesterday's article, "In .NET 9 Debut, Microsoft Focuses on .NET Aspire, AI"

All of the above are fleshed out in the release notes.

"Thanks to your continuous feature requests, we've incorporated many of them in this release," said Microsoft's Mads Kristensen, a principal program manager on the Visual Studio team, in announcing v17.12. "There's something new for every developer. We have added several new tools and enhancements that simplify your workflow and improve productivity. Whether you're looking for advanced debugging capabilities, more efficient code management, or enhanced security features, this update has it all."

That update can be grabbed here.

The .NET Conf ends tomorrow, but Microsoft might provide more information on some of this stuff at the upcoming Microsoft Ignite 2024 event for developers, IT professionals, and partners, presented online Nov. 19-21.