Setting Up Development Environments

  • Article

Before you can begin coding features or addressing issues in the application, you must configure the development computer. If you must modify one or more databases in the application, you might have to perform additional steps before you begin.

Common Tasks

In the following table, you can find descriptions of common tasks that support this scenario and links to more information about how you can successfully complete those tasks.

Task

Supporting Content

Set up the local development environment: In most team development environments, you must obtain access to the correct version of the source code files. You then update your local computer with the source files for the components that you must update.

Set up for database development: If you have an existing database project that you use to manage changes to the database, you can obtain that project from version control. If the project was created by using an earlier version of Visual Studio, you might have to upgrade the project before you can begin. If you do not have an existing database project, you must create a database project and import your existing schema and database settings. Before you start to perform iterative development tasks, you should configure the database project for the target deployment environment. After you configure the database project, you can build and deploy the database to the isolated development environment to verify that the build and deployment settings are correct.

  • Reviewing Existing Architecture and Design
    In many cases, the development work that you must perform requires that you change an existing application. Before you begin, you might want to review the architecture and design of that application to better understand where your changes must be made.

  • Setting Up Development Environments
    Before you can create or modify code, you must set up your development and test environments with the appropriate source code. If you are working with databases, you must also have access to the offline representation of those databases.

  • Managing Development Schedules and Work
    The changes that you must make are typically defined in a task, a bug, or another work item. All of these tasks, bugs, and work items can be used to create and manage your development schedule.

  • Performing Common Development Tasks
    During a development cycle, you spend most of your time making code changes. This process includes selecting a task or bug, checking out the required files, modifying the code, and then verifying that your changes are correct before you check them in.