This documentation is archived and is not being maintained.

Introducing Visual Studio

Visual Studio 2008

Visual Studio is a complete set of development tools for building ASP.NET Web applications, XML Web Services, desktop applications, and mobile applications. Visual Basic, Visual C#, and Visual C++ all use the same integrated development environment (IDE), which enables tool sharing and eases the creation of mixed-language solutions. In addition, these languages use the functionality of the .NET Framework, which provides access to key technologies that simplify the development of ASP Web applications and XML Web Services.

In This Section

Getting Started with Visual Studio: Discover the best way to learn the basics about Visual Studio.
Visual Studio Guided Tour: Learn more about the technologies supported in Visual Studio and the kinds of applications that you can create by using it.
Samples and Walkthroughs (Visual Studio): Read through example code, sample applications, and enhanced project templates that illustrate the syntax, structure, and techniques that are used to solve various programming challenges.
Interacting with Other Developers: Learn about the various newsgroups, forums, and chats where you can post questions and ideas or just read about how other developers are using Visual Studio to create Windows and Web applications.
Security and User Permissions: Learn about the features and installation scenarios that require elevated permissions, and also learn about how to plan for security in applications that you create.

Related Sections

Overview of the .NET Framework: Provides conceptual overviews of the key features of the .NET Framework. These include the common language runtime (CLR), the .NET Framework class library, and cross-language interoperability.
Getting Started with Visual Basic: Provides information about new features and resources for learning Visual Basic, and also lists the features included in various editions.
Getting Started with Visual C#: Provides information about new features in Visual C#.
Getting Started with Visual C++: Provides information about new features and supported operating systems, and also provides basic information about the IDE.
Getting Started With JScript: Provides conceptual information about JScript, new features, and upgrading projects.
ASP.NET Overview: Provides background information about the elements and capabilities of ASP.NET.
Getting Started (Visual Studio Tools for Office): Provides information about new features, installation, and basic tasks in Visual Studio Tools for Office.
Getting Started with Smart Device Projects: Provides information about new features, and also provides overviews about how to develop applications for smart devices.