Visual Studio 2017 and Visual Studio Code are a bit more C++-friendly now that tools have improved support. Plus: Windows 10 evaulation VMs are now updated and available.
What do C and C++ developers use to write and manage code if they don't use Visual Studio? It seems like a simple idea, to be able to use the Visual Studio IDE to keep things in check from concept to delivery, but as I understand it, C++ developers are a picky lot. Some developers have told me they're more than willing to adapt to the environment dictated by the companies they work for, and those tools are rarely changed or updated. Likewise, lone-wolf developers prefer to maintain consistency in tools, and often never add to their toolboxes, with many opting for a simple text editor and a slew of tools to manage all the output.
The Visual Studio team is also making a case for Visual Studio Code as a capable code editor, with an update to the C/C++ extension for VSC that includes Error Squiggles, Quick Info, Go to Declaration, and Bash on Windows debugging capabilities. Details are here.
Error Squiggles and Quick Info are experimental features for now, and are enabled in a version of VSC accessible only to those participating in the Insider program. Error squiggles show up for any elements in a workspace that are missing information. Quick Info pops up when a mouse hovers over a variable or function, and reveals type information or a function's signature.
Go to Declaration is now included in a right-click menu that pops up on variables or functions. It allows navigation to declaration files for those objects. The Bash on Windows debugging support is new, and is part of the support that was integrate into the Windows 10 Creators Update that was released earlier this month.
On a related note, at the Windows Dev Center is virtual machine containing an evaluation build for the most recent Windows 10 OS. The VM is a 20GB download and contains Windows 10 Enterprise version 1703, VS 2017 version 15.1, the Windows Developer SDK Build 15063, Windows UWP samples from the March 2017 update, and Windows Subsystem for Linux. It will be available until July 7 here.
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