Benefits of Updating Visual Studio

1. Faster compilation – If an edit-compile-test cycle is short, developers do not lose their train of thought and can stay focused on the problem at hand.
2. Better code browsing – Developers often spend more time navigating, reading and understanding existing code than writing new code. Modern IDEs can make that more efficient and thus help you get a task done in less time.
3. Better code authoring – Autocomplete, suggestions, refactoring tools, syntax check and static analysis while you write all help you to write better code faster and with fewer bugs.
4. Better debugging – Diagnosing bugs is a big part of every non-trivial software development. A good IDE integrated debugger can make that much easier.
5. Modern C++ – New language features allow more high-level constructs that lead to more elegant, more reusable and less error prone code.

All of these items help productivity and thus free up resources to increase the quality of your software or to add more functionality to it. The last three versions of Visual Studio have all brought numerous changes in each of these categories. Most of them integrate seamlessly into the workflow without having to first learn how to use them. The table below shows the highlights that we consider most valuable and that together form a good argument for updating.