It's no surprise that Microsoft has typically used its annual Ignite conference to announce the release of new product versions in varying forms, and the Visual Studio suite is no exception to that this year. The company has seized the opportunity to make available new previews of its popular IDE for both Windows and Mac.
On the PC side, Visual Studio 2019 version 16.4 Preview 3 has been released, and includes the following enhancements:
- Improvements to app development using containers
- CMakeproject guidance and code analysis using C++
- Vertical layout for document tabs
- General performance improvements and bug fixes
You can install the preview version of the IDE alongside an existing install so you can check out the new features and give it a test drive without upsetting your production instance. If you are interested, you can download it from here.
Meanwhile, Visual Studio for Mac version 8.4 Preview 2 has also made its appearance and includes "performance, accessibility and stability improvements to application development using .NET Core, as well as general bug fixes". If you're keen to check out the preview for Mac, you can follow these instructions:
- Go to Visual Studio > Check for Updates.
- In the Update channel combo box, select Preview.
- Select the Switch channel button to switch to the selected channel and start downloading any new updates.
- Select the Restart and Install Updates button to start installing the updates.
Of course, collaboration via the cloud is not forgotten, with Visual Studio Online picking up new previews for cloud-hosted environments and extension support for both Visual Studio Code and the web user interface. Meanwhile, support for Visual Studio 2019 is currently in private preview but you can apply for access via the Visual Studio Online portal.
