How different is it from Visual Studio's default features and Intellisense?

Visual Assist and the built in Intellisense tooling share a few common features. Where we share features, VA frequently operate much faster and do a better job of giving you the correct results (e.g. finding more references that Visual Studio would miss). Also, the Visual Studio UI can arguably complicate some dialog boxes for simple tasks. An example is the Visual Studio unified search, which operates like the search bar in the operating system wherein everything is shown. In contrast, VA uses different search dialogs for each type of search, each with features specific to that kind of search and without displaying results you aren't interested in.

What support does Visual Assist provide?

Visual Assist (VA) is a coding productivity plugin for C++ and C# developers who work in Visual Studio. Visual Assist has its own code parser, separate from the built in Intellisense parser. This provides all of the features one would expect from a modern IDE and many more. These features include tools for Navigation, Refactoring, Debugging Assistance and Automatic Code Modernization with Code Inspections. VA also offer special support and tooling for Unreal Engine, Unity, Graphics Card "Shaders" and CUDA.

Are there special ways for students and teachers to use VA in education/academia?

Yes! We have special licenses for students and teachers. Visit this page to learn more .

How will the long-term benefits outweigh the initial cost?

As with any tool, how useful it is depends on how much you intend to use it. VA enhances productivity by improving Visual Studio's default features or by adding new ones absent from the IDE. Some users focus on a few features, while some take the time to try out all the features. There are many options available to you with all of them aimed at making you code faster, easier, and making the experience less frustrating. Read this blog to learn more about the value VA provides

What kind of developers benefit from using Visual Assist?

Developers using Microsoft's Visual Studio to develop and code using C, C# and C++ will benefit from using VA. There has been a focus on C++ game development (Unreal Engine) wherein the added support and tooling is most needed. Recent updates have also added support and tooling for Unity Engine, Graphics Card "Shaders" and CUDA development.

Tomato Soup - Visual Assist Team Blog

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