Microsoft unveils a new collaboration experience in Visual Studio

Microsoft is introducing an exciting new way to enhance collaboration and productivity within Visual Studio. With a focus on streamlining workflows and improving team efficiency, this latest innovation brings a fresh approach to development.

Here’s what you’ll find:

• What’s new: Explore the latest Visual Studio updates and tailor your experience by selecting the categories and features that matter most to you.

• GitHub Copilot resources: Get started with AI-powered development! Learn how to use GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio for code completion, AI chat, and smart prompts.

• Key resources: Expand your knowledge, connect with the developer community, and share feedback with the engineering teams shaping the future of Visual Studio.

• Developer blogs: Stay ahead with insights from the Visual Studio Blog, featuring the four most recent posts at a glance.

• Community Engagement: Follow Visual Studio’s official channels, see the latest discussions, and connect with the team.

Microsoft makes IDE features accessible with GitHub Copilot and Search

Microsoft is making it easier for developers to navigate Visual Studio with AI-powered assistance. A new update enhances how users find IDE features, leveraging GitHub Copilot and improved search capabilities. This innovation aims to streamline workflows and boost productivity for developers of all levels.

Here’s how to use it:

• Use "Ask Copilot" – Click "Ask Copilot" to query GitHub Copilot Chat for detailed responses without leaving Visual Studio, while also searching documentation online.

• Get accurate answers – Copilot interprets your query, considers your Visual Studio version, and delivers precise recommendations.

• Use the @vs label for deeper insights – The @vs agent is equipped with in-depth knowledge of Visual Studio, ensuring accurate guidance on available features and their functionality.

• Invoke @vs anytime – Even outside Feature Search, you can call the @vs agent within GitHub Copilot Chat by simply adding @vs to your message.

Microsoft enhances pull request reviews with in-depth feedback in Visual Studio 2022

Microsoft is making it easier for developers to collaborate and improve code quality in Visual Studio. A new update enhances the way teams review pull requests, streamlining the feedback process for better efficiency. This improvement aims to create a more seamless and productive development experience.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Inline Commenting: Reviewers can now add comments directly within the IDE, streamlining feedback without switching interfaces.

• Feature Activation: Enable inline commenting via:

  • Tools > Options > Preview Features > Pull Request Comments

  • Tools > Options > Pull Request Add Comment

• Accessing Comments: After checking out a pull request branch, select "Show comments in files" from the InfoBar or navigate via Git > ADO/GitHub > Show Comments.

• Adding Comments: Click the "Add Comment" icon in the margin or right-click a line and choose Git > Add Comment.

• Ongoing Improvements: Visual Studio continues refining pull request reviews based on user feedback for a better workflow.

New Azure DevOps Boards to become permanent by early May

Microsoft is rolling out the latest update to Azure DevOps Boards, bringing enhancements designed to improve user experience and performance. This update reflects Microsoft's ongoing commitment to streamlining project management and collaboration for development teams. Stay tuned for what’s new in the Spring 2025 release.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Transition Goal: Azure aims to fully migrate all customers to New Boards, permanently disabling Old Boards for over 50% of organizations.

• Adoption So Far: 97% of users have already embraced New Boards without reverting.

• Migration Timeline: Transitions will occur in two phases—March 10–21 and April 14–May 5. By early May, Old Boards will be fully retired.

Microsoft Visual Studio now supports multiple GitHub accounts in Visual Studio

Microsoft Visual Studio now supports multiple GitHub accounts, making it easier to switch between personal and work repositories without signing in and out. This new feature streamlines development workflows, enhancing productivity for developers managing multiple accounts. Learn how to set up and maximize this capability in the latest Visual Studio update.

Here’s what’s new:

• Effortless Onboarding: Sign in with your GitHub account right from the first launch.

• Manage Multiple Accounts: Easily add and switch between multiple GitHub accounts with the "Add another account" option.

• Seamless Account Switching: Open your profile card, navigate to account options, and select "Set as active account" to switch effortlessly.

• GitHub Copilot Integration: Your active account will automatically enable GitHub Copilot if it has a valid entitlement.

• Smarter Version Control: Visual Studio remembers your preferences for each repository, making pull requests and issue tracking more intuitive.

Microsoft releases automatic documentation comment generation in Visual Studio

Microsoft continues to enhance developer productivity with the latest improvements in Visual Studio. The newest update introduces AI-powered capabilities designed to streamline coding workflows and reduce manual effort. These enhancements aim to make documentation easier and more efficient for developers.

Here’s how to use it:

• AI-Powered Documentation: Just type your preferred doc comment trigger, and Copilot will suggest a function description, including summaries, parameters, and return types.

• One-Tap Acceptance: Accept suggestions with a single Tab, just like regular code completions.

• Subscription Required: A GitHub Copilot subscription is needed to access this feature.

How to enable it:

• For C++: Go to Tools > Options > Code Style > General, select XML Doc Comments, and check all boxes.

• For C#: Navigate to Tools > Options > C# > Advanced and check all boxes under Comments.

Microsoft now converts large text fields into Markdown in Azure DevOps

Microsoft is making it easier for developers to work with large text fields in Azure DevOps. A new update, now in private preview, aims to enhance the way users format and manage extensive content. This improvement is set to streamline collaboration and readability within the platform.

Here’s how you can do it:

• Convert existing work items: Click Convert this field to transform large text fields from HTML to Markdown.

• Automatic conversion: Let the system seamlessly convert HTML to Markdown with a single click.

• Markdown editing: Once converted, the work item will display in Markdown whenever you edit it.

• Real-time preview: Toggle preview mode to see how your Markdown renders instantly.

• New work items: Start fresh with Markdown—no need for conversion.

• One-way conversion: Once converted, you cannot revert back to HTML.

Visual Studio makes debugging multithreaded applications easier with Parallel Stacks Window

Debugging multithreaded applications can be complex, but Visual Studio is making it easier than ever. A new update enhances the debugging experience, helping developers gain clearer insights into their code’s behavior. Stay ahead with tools designed to simplify multithreaded development.

Here’s how you can use these features:

- AI-Generated Thread Summaries: Instantly understand thread activity with AI-powered summaries, providing a high-level overview to help you quickly gain context.

- App Summarization with Copilot: Leverage Copilot Chat to explore and resolve debugging challenges interactively. Ask questions, get explanations, and receive AI-driven suggestions tailored to your debugging scenario.

February 2025 Copilot Studio updates

Microsoft has announced the latest updates to its Copilot Studio, enhancing customization and integration capabilities for users. These improvements aim to streamline workflows and bolster security measures within the platform.

Here are some of the updates:

• Publish to Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat: Seamlessly deploy custom agents directly into Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat.

• Expanded Microsoft Graph Connections: Connect your agents to data from Stack Overflow, Salesforce Knowledge, GitHub, and Unily, enabling richer, more informed responses.

• Effortless Import & Export of Agent Components: Use Component Collection to streamline workflows by eliminating the need for manual copying of messaging templates, content sources, and more.

• New Microsoft 365 Agents SDK for JavaScript: Empower developers with essential building blocks to create intelligent agents that handle user interactions efficiently.

• Enhanced Embedded Agent Builder: Makers can now ground agents on publicly available websites and collect valuable end-user feedback for continuous improvement.

• See the full list here.