Application Development: Microsoft Visual Studio 2012: Tablet Emulator Among the New Features

Microsoft formally announced the launch of Visual Studio 2012 and .NET Framework 4.5 Sept. 12 via a globally live-streamed launch event from the Bell Harbor Conference Center in downtown Seattle. Microsoft made several updates to the product, to the tune of hundreds of enhancements, changes and new features. Microsoft has done of lot of work in the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE) because it is home to developers when they are building apps and Microsoft wants them to be as comfortable as possible. For instance, Microsoft tweaked the VS2012 UI following feedback from developers. "We've done a lot of work in the IDE so that developers will be able to focus on what they need to focus on," said Soma Somasegar, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Developer Division. For instance, Microsoft enhanced the product's search capabilities. "Developers want to be able to easily search for a particular piece of code, so search is deeply integrated into the Solution Explorer," Somasegar said. The Visual Studio team embraced the design language appearing across Microsoft's products to give users a more modern experience, and simplified graphics make for fewer distractions. They added productivity features such as debugging tools and a code clone analyzer, a tool that helps locate duplicated code sections. A comprehensive search capability enables developers to quickly find what they're looking for across commands and configuration options, tool windows and open files. Here, eWEEK looks at some of the new features in VS2012, from a tablet emulator for Windows Store apps to unit testing capabilities to team Web access.