Microsoft has recently released Visual Studio 2022 version 17.9, and a preview of version 17.10, both of which incorporate new functionalities from GitHub Copilot.

Visual Studio 17.9, made available on February 13, can now be downloaded from the Visual Studio website. This update introduces AI-generated Git commit messages through GitHub Copilot. Copilot analyzes changes made to files in a commit, offers a summary, and suggests descriptive messages for each change, giving users the option to accept or reject them. It’s worth noting that utilizing AI assistance in Visual Studio necessitates a subscription to GitHub Copilot.

In addition to AI-generated Git commits, Visual Studio 17.9 brings various productivity enhancements. Users can now open GitHub or Azure DevOps pull requests directly from Visual Studio or a web browser. They also have the flexibility to switch between single and multiple tab rows in Visual Studio’s document well, and open multiple types of debug visualizers simultaneously. Debug visualizers are now non-modal, enabling users to interact with the editor while the visualizer window is active.

Moreover, Managed Memory Insight tabs can now detect Event Handler Leaks, and the Instrumentation tool offers a new option for starting and pausing when profiling applications, allowing users to initiate the application under the profiler’s control without immediately collecting data.

For .NET and C# development, Visual Studio 17.9 introduces automatic deoptimization during debugging. By disabling the Just My Code option in the debugger settings, only the parts of the code where breakpoints are set and stepped through will be optimized, ensuring smoother application execution.

HTML snippets are now supported in Razor files, simplifying the process of writing common, repetitive code patterns. Additionally, support has been added for scaffolding views in Blazor projects, including CRUD operations using Entity Framework. The Live Property Explorer is now compatible with the .NET MAUI framework, enabling developers to inspect XAML properties while debugging.

Following the release of Visual Studio 17.9, Microsoft unveiled Visual Studio 17.10 Preview 1, which is also available for download from the Visual Studio website. This preview introduces GitHub Copilot Chat within the IDE, providing assistance with syntax, programming concepts, code suggestions, test cases, and debugging. Similarly, this feature requires a GitHub Copilot subscription.

Visual Studio 17.10 also simplifies debugging workflows by allowing users to create breakpoints and trace points directly from expressions using the Insert Conditional Breakpoint and Insert Tracepoint options. Additionally, it introduces a Hot Path to Root feature for improved memory analysis, supports targeted profiling for any executable (.exe) file, enhances the Attach to Process dialog, enables pinning CMake targets in C++ projects, and allows users to view template instantiation information using Build Insights.