It accepts plug-ins that expand the functionality at almost every level-including adding support for source control systems (like Subversion and Git) and adding new toolsets like editors and visual designers for domain-specific languages or toolsets for other aspects of the software development lifecycle (like the Azure DevOps client: Team Explorer). Other built-in tools include a code profiler, designer for building GUI applications, web designer, class designer, and database schema designer. The integrated debugger works as both a source-level debugger and as a machine-level debugger. Visual Studio includes a code editor supporting IntelliSense (the code completion component) as well as code refactoring.

It can produce both native code and managed code. Visual Studio uses Microsoft software development platforms such as Windows API, Windows Forms, Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Store and Microsoft Silverlight. It is used to develop computer programs including websites, web apps, web services and mobile apps.

Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft.

Microsoft Visual Studio 6.Chinese, Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish and Turkish Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 Service Pack 5 (2001) (ISO) Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 Professional (1998) (ISO) Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 Enterprise (ISO) Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 Enterprise () Product type DevTool Vendor Microsoft Release date 1998 Minimum CPU Pentium-class Minimum RAM 48MB Minimum free disk space 500MB User interface GUI Platform Windows Download count 247 (228 for release) Downloads Download name

Microsoft free visual studio