![\"services](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WT-MAP.png?ssl=1\")
<\/a>They engineer and produce various automotive technologies such as engine and electronics systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and data measurement services.<\/p><\/div>\n
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Use case and challenges<\/b><\/h2>\n
We had the privilege of speaking with the lead developer and his team who create modeling and simulation software. We discussed their daily work and the challenges they face:<\/span><\/p>\n Visual Assist was introduced to the team many years ago and it has since been a staple tool used daily by the developer team. They use Visual Assist for a variety of use cases including:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n This non-exhaustive list is a testament to how Visual Assist can <\/span>save hundreds of hours of valuable productivity time<\/span><\/a> by providing smart suggestions, speedy features, and a satisfying experience for the Visual Studio IDE.<\/span><\/p>\n Interested in getting the same benefits you or your team? Visual Assist is free to try for thirty days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Whether you’re looking to boost your team’s productivity or optimizing your own development process, now’s the perfect time to upgrade your toolkit with one of the most trusted Visual Studio plugins. Click on the link below to learn more about Visual Assist.<\/span><\/p>\n Visual Assist is a productivity plugin designed to enhance C++ development inside Microsoft Visual Studio. It helps developers navigate large codebases, refactor legacy code, and work faster with intelligent code understanding, especially in complex and long-lived projects.<\/span><\/p>\n Automotive software demands high performance, precise control over memory, and deterministic behavior, which makes C++ a preferred language. In modeling and simulation environments, C++ enables close integration with hardware-level systems, real-time simulations, and high-volume data processing required for vehicle validation and testing.<\/span><\/p>\n Visual Assist simplifies modernizing legacy C++ code by automating refactoring tasks such as renaming variables, extracting methods, and improving code structure. This reduces the risk of human error while updating decades-old codebases to meet modern coding standards, safety requirements, and maintainability expectations.<\/span><\/p>\n Yes. Visual Assist is optimized for large-scale C++ projects with millions of lines of code. Its fast navigation, low memory footprint, and efficient parsing allow teams to move through complex solutions quickly without the performance slowdowns commonly experienced in standard IDE setups.<\/span><\/p>\n In simulation-heavy environments, developers frequently navigate repetitive code patterns and large datasets. Visual Assist reduces friction by enabling instant symbol searches, reference lookups, and faster code comprehension. Over time, these small time savings compound, significantly improving overall development productivity.<\/span><\/p>\n Yes. Visual Assist is particularly valuable for bespoke software projects where code is tailored for specific clients or systems. Its deep understanding of C++ syntax and project structure allows developers to work efficiently even in non-standard or highly customized code environments.<\/span><\/p>\n Visual Assist maintains fast response times even when working with data-intensive projects. Its optimized startup speed and intelligent indexing ensure developers can quickly access relevant code sections without delays, which is critical when simulation accuracy and performance are essential.<\/span><\/p>\nUse Cases:<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nChallenges:<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Solution<\/b><\/h2>\n
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\n<\/b>Because their toolchain was initially built sometime in the 60\u2019s<\/span>, they had a lot of code modernization and translation projects. Then they also had to integrate them with new tools and update them to the latest coding standards.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Visual Assist\u2019s refactoring<\/span><\/a> feature has been an indispensable asset in updating the outdated code structures, making them more readable, memory-safe, and maintainable. It takes the pain out of manually bringing legacy or deprecated code up to standard by automatically renaming variables or extracting methods, reducing the risk of introducing errors during manual updates. This includes refactoring to use modern, secure and safe coding styles. Effectively Visual Assist simplifies their C++ code maintenance so that they can focus on manufacturing and designing parts, not code.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
\n<\/span>Visual Assist greatly helps the team get around their huge legacy projects with smart navigation features. Finding and searching for certain sections of code is a cumbersome ordeal that VA just completely skips over with features like Find References, Find Symbols, the various Go To functions, and the like.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
\n<\/b>When it comes to handling large amounts of data, Visual Assist\u2019s optimized startup speed and low memory footprint provides the team snappy and accurate code assistance. Due to the repetitive nature of their projects, the few seconds that Visual Assist saves compounds over time and can boost productivity by as much as 20%.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nInterested?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Frequently Asked Questions: Visual Assist for Automotive C++ Development<\/b><\/h2>\n
1. What is Visual Assist and how does it help C++ developers?<\/b><\/h3>\n
2. Why do automotive software teams rely heavily on C++?<\/b><\/h3>\n
3. How does Visual Assist help with legacy C++ code modernization?<\/b><\/h3>\n
4. Can Visual Assist handle very large C++ projects?<\/b><\/h3>\n
5. How does Visual Assist improve productivity in simulation and modeling software?<\/b><\/h3>\n
6. Is Visual Assist suitable for highly specialized, custom-built software?<\/b><\/h3>\n
7. How does Visual Assist help teams working with large volumes of data?<\/b><\/h3>\n
8. Does Visual Assist reduce errors during refactoring?<\/b><\/h3>\n