General Release Build 2023.3 (2491)
Requires active software maintenance through general release date: 2023.05.24
NEW Added parser support for “is” operators in C#.
UPDATE Code inspection engine updated to LLVM/Clang version 16.
Summary:
VA 2023.3 is now available for download! This small release highlights the added support for “is” operators in C#. The is operator is used to check if the run-time type of an object is compatible with the given type or not.
This release also updates the underlying engine responsible for code inspections. As of VA 2023.3, the plugin now uses LLVM/Clang version 16.
There are other tweaks and additions tailored for new users. Overall, a compact release but hopefully helpful to the many users who requested it.
General Release Build 2023.2 (2488)
Requires active software maintenance through general release date: 2023.04.25
NEW Code Inspections support for enabling unevaluated Clang Tidy checkers as Code Inspections.
NEW Option to remove Extensions menu in VS 2019+ for a legacy style menu.
NEW Greater customization for shader file extensions with no hardcoded extensions.
NEW Implement Virtual Methods context menu option to check / uncheck all.
NEW Beta label removed from Code Inspection. Try it out!
NEW Added Code Inspection for bugprone-swapped-arguments clang checker.
NEW Added Code Inspection for bugprone-argument-comment clang checker.
NEW Code Inspections Clang engine updated to version 15.0.
Summary:
VA 2023.2 is now available for download! This release highlights broadening the scope of code inspections, giving it unrestricted access to the entire library of code checks from Clang. Several steps have also been taken to make code inspections more up-to-date and more accessible.
There are also a wealth of general improvements such as enhanced shader file recognition for more file types and a new option to revert to the legacy UI for the extension menu.
Some quality of life tweaks and bug fixes have also been made based on your requests—read on further in the blog for more details. Learn more about what we added and changed in this release in our release announcement blog post.
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed issue where installer exe could report errors after a successful install.
- Improved auto type deduction for const, pointers and chained function calls.
- Fixed issue where Code Inspections could fail with the latest MSVC includes.
- Fixed issue where shader coloring may not be applied to the correct file extensions.
- Fixed issue where shader coloring sometimes not applied to files opened automatically on solution load.
- Fixed issues which could lead to the VA Navigation Bar being drawn incorrectly.
- Fixed issues which could lead to missing icons.
- Improved tab completion in C# to interact better with build in tooling.
- Fixed minor visual theming issues in various VA dialogs.
Visual Assist has a wealth of features to enhance developer productivity. Improve virtually every Microsoft IDE you have with the multitude of features that comprise Visual Assist.
Navigation
Move about your code with newfound ease—to any file, method, symbol, or reference in your projects and solutions. Get anywhere from anywhere.
Refactoring
Reduce the complexity of your code, improve its readability, and make it extensible without changing its external behavior. Refactor legacy code, code you inherit, or the first version of your own work.
Code Generation
Generate code faster than you think possible, even if you use just a handful of the features in Visual Assist. As you become a proficient user, write and update code even faster.
Coding Assistance
Write code faster with assistance that doesn't get in your way, especially when you're on a roll. Visual Assist suggests completions only if they save you serious typing, and quietly fixes mistakes in your wake.
Code Understanding
Make sense of complex code, or code you haven't touched in a long time, with an assortment of tool windows, browsers, and fields that provide information where and when you need it.
Code Correction
Watch Visual Assist correct mistakes as you make them, especially errors in symbol case and pointer notation. Type entirely in lower case, and watch Visual Assist correct the case of all of your symbols. Save the shift key for your definitions.
Code Inspection
Inspect your code for specific quality issues as you edit. The Code Inspection feature of Visual Assist, based on LLVM/Clang, diagnoses and fixes typical programming errors, like style violations, interface misuse, and bugs that can be deduced via static analysis.
Code Snippets
Expand frequently typed segments of code with a more powerful version of the like-named feature in the IDE. Include symbols from the current context, prompt for user input, and edit snippets in a custom editor.
Debug Assistance
Use the VA Memory View and the VA Step Filter included with Visual Assist to shorten the time required to debug native C/C++.
Tool Windows
View code from 30,000 feet, and rearrange code so it's easier to understand and maintain. Tool windows in Visual Assist supply entirely new functionality to the IDE, and bring together oft-used built-in functionality to more efficient tool windows.
Source Links
Connect comment substrings to external applications and websites, such as bug trackers, case managers, documentation, and source code control systems.
Configuration
Adjust the multitude of features in Visual Assist to suit your programming environment and habits. Find your favorite features, and make them hum for maximum productivity.