{"id":4262,"date":"2025-07-03T15:19:45","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T19:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/?p=4262"},"modified":"2025-09-10T03:22:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T07:22:41","slug":"visual-assist-2025-3-release-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/visual-assist-2025-3-release-post\/","title":{"rendered":"Visual Assist 2025.3 release post"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visual Assist 2025.3 is now public and available to download.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This release improves developer experience by updating the feedback UI when using some of our added features from recent releases. We\u2019ve also updated our options dialog\u2019s look and feel alongside some of line highlighting options. We\u2019ve also fixed many of the bugs and issues based on user reports.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The highlight of this release is a new option when using VA\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">extract method<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> so you can now fine-tune the parameter list\u2014which includes selecting variables, excluding unnecessary ones, or arranging their order.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the visual feedback side, we\u2019ve enhanced the popup interface when using <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Replace Auto With Exact Type. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, macros expansion will also have its context revealed upon hovering. Learn more about these changes by going through our release blog post.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/downloads\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Download the release now<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by visiting our website download page.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enhanced <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Extract Method<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with parameter customization<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visual Assist&#8217;s Extract Method feature now offers full parameter customization through an intuitive dialog interface. When extracting code into a new method, developers can now:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Add, remove, or reorder parameters<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before the method is created<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Modify function signatures<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> using natural coding language syntax<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Make extracted methods more general<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by adding custom parameters<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This enhancement skips most of the post-extract method editing, instead, a smarter interface guides you to adjust the extracted method as Visual Assist creates the implementation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is unlike most rigid UI implementations found in other tools. Visual Assist uses its intelligent parsing to understand your code modifications, providing a more natural and flexible experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4281\" style=\"width: 887px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Extract-method-with-new-parameters.png?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4281\" data-attachment-id=\"4281\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/visual-assist-2025-3-release-post\/extract-method-with-new-parameters\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Extract-method-with-new-parameters.png?fit=877%2C437&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"877,437\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"VA 2025.3 Extract method with new parameters\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;#image_title&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;New editing options for extract method. Edit name, move, or reorder parameters.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Extract-method-with-new-parameters.png?fit=300%2C149&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Extract-method-with-new-parameters.png?fit=877%2C437&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4281\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Extract-method-with-new-parameters.png?resize=877%2C437&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"877\" height=\"437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Extract-method-with-new-parameters.png?w=877&amp;ssl=1 877w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Extract-method-with-new-parameters.png?resize=300%2C149&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Extract-method-with-new-parameters.png?resize=768%2C383&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Extract-method-with-new-parameters.png?resize=360%2C179&amp;ssl=1 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 877px) 100vw, 877px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4281\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">New editing options for extract method. Edit name, move, or reorder parameters.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><b><i>How it works<\/i><\/b><b>:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Select code you want to extract, choose <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Extract Method <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">under the quick actions menu, and customize the function declaration in the dialog using standard C++ syntax. Use VA\u2019s updated UI to create the optimized method accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Macro Expansions on Hover (Quick Info)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This was added based on a request from a user who was developing in Unreal Engine (UE) in Visual Studio. Many UE users turn off the built-in IntelliSense and just rely solely on VA&#8217;s features in order to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/kb\/d\/disable-or-pause-default-intellisense-for-cc\">maximize performance on large codebases<\/a>\u2014which is usually associated with the size of Unreal projects. Unfortunately, this also means that the macro expansion info provided by IntelliSense is also removed.<\/p>\n<p>With this new change, however, <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VA can now display macro expansions instantly when you hover over macro definitions, providing immediate insight into complex preprocessor directives without interrupting your workflow.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4296\" style=\"width: 758px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Macro-Expansion.png?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4296\" data-attachment-id=\"4296\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/visual-assist-2025-3-release-post\/macro-expansion\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Macro-Expansion.png?fit=1219%2C522&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1219,522\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"VA 2025.3 Macro Expansion\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Hover over macro definitions to show its expansion instantly.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Macro-Expansion.png?fit=300%2C128&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Macro-Expansion.png?fit=1024%2C438&amp;ssl=1\" class=\" wp-image-4296\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Macro-Expansion-1024x438.png?resize=748%2C320&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"748\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Macro-Expansion.png?resize=1024%2C438&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Macro-Expansion.png?resize=300%2C128&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Macro-Expansion.png?resize=768%2C329&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Macro-Expansion.png?resize=360%2C154&amp;ssl=1 360w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Macro-Expansion.png?w=1219&amp;ssl=1 1219w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 748px) 100vw, 748px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4296\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hover over macro definitions to show its expansion instantly.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improved dot to arrow conversion now supports for auto pointers<\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">VA&#8217;s dot-to-arrow conversion automatically changes <code class=\"bg-text-200\/5 border border-0.5 border-border-300 text-danger-000 whitespace-pre-wrap rounded-[0.4rem] px-1 py-px text-[0.9rem]\">.<\/code> to <code class=\"bg-text-200\/5 border border-0.5 border-border-300 text-danger-000 whitespace-pre-wrap rounded-[0.4rem] px-1 py-px text-[0.9rem]\">-&gt;<\/code> when accessing members through pointers, eliminating the need to manually switch between dot and arrow operators.<\/p>\n<p>With this update, however, the dot to arrow conversion feature now handle auto pointer declarations better. The plugin now recognizes explicit pointer hints in auto variable declarations, providing more accurate code completion and conversion.<br \/>\n<strong>Example<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<pre><code class=\"language-cpp\">\r\nint myInt = 1;\r\nint* myIntPtr = &amp;myInt;\r\n\r\n<strong>auto<\/strong> myAutoPtr = &amp;myInt;      \/\/ Implicit pointer\r\n<strong>auto<\/strong>* myExplicitAutoPtr = &amp;myInt;  \/\/ Explicit pointer - now detected!\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<p>In the above example, &#8220;myAutoPtr&#8221; and &#8220;myExplicitAutoPtr&#8221; variables have their auto type both resolved to &#8220;int *&#8221;, but with the second one the fact that it should be a pointer is made explicit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal break-words\">This enhancement makes the feature more reliable when working with modern C++ <code class=\"bg-text-200\/5 border border-0.5 border-border-300 text-danger-000 whitespace-pre-wrap rounded-[0.4rem] px-1 py-px text-[0.9rem]\">auto<\/code> declarations, reducing coding errors and improving developer productivity.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Modernized Options Dialog Interface<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Visual Assist Options dialog has been completely rebuilt with a modern UI framework, moving away from the legacy Win32 interface theme. This modernization represents the first step in a comprehensive UI refresh that will extend to other Visual Assist components in future releases.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4279\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VA-20253-New-options-dialog.png?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4279\" data-attachment-id=\"4279\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/visual-assist-2025-3-release-post\/va-2025-3-new-options-dialog\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VA-20253-New-options-dialog.png?fit=1573%2C1200&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1573,1200\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"VA 2025.3 New options dialog\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Visual Assist 2025.3 updates the look and feel of the options dialog.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VA-20253-New-options-dialog.png?fit=300%2C229&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VA-20253-New-options-dialog.png?fit=1024%2C781&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4279\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VA-20253-New-options-dialog.png?resize=1024%2C781&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"781\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VA-20253-New-options-dialog.png?resize=1024%2C781&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VA-20253-New-options-dialog.png?resize=300%2C229&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VA-20253-New-options-dialog.png?resize=768%2C586&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VA-20253-New-options-dialog.png?resize=1536%2C1172&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VA-20253-New-options-dialog.png?resize=360%2C275&amp;ssl=1 360w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/VA-20253-New-options-dialog.png?w=1573&amp;ssl=1 1573w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4279\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Visual Assist 2025.3 updates the look and feel of the options dialog.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improved Ray Line Highlighting Style<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of VA\u2019s ways to showcase the current active line is achieved by using the &#8220;ray lines&#8221; highlighting style. Ray lines provide a subtle, non-intrusive way to highlight the current line using minimal horizontal lines without left\/right borders.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4282\" style=\"width: 817px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ray-line-highlighting.png?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4282\" data-attachment-id=\"4282\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/visual-assist-2025-3-release-post\/ray-line-highlighting\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ray-line-highlighting.png?fit=807%2C71&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"807,71\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"VA 2025.3 Ray line highlighting\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;#image_title&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;New improved ray line highlighting style.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ray-line-highlighting.png?fit=300%2C26&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ray-line-highlighting.png?fit=807%2C71&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4282\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ray-line-highlighting.png?resize=807%2C71&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"807\" height=\"71\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ray-line-highlighting.png?w=807&amp;ssl=1 807w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ray-line-highlighting.png?resize=300%2C26&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ray-line-highlighting.png?resize=768%2C68&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Ray-line-highlighting.png?resize=360%2C32&amp;ssl=1 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4282\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">New improved ray line highlighting style.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This option has been refined with better vertical spacing, addressing user feedback about the previous tight layout.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you prefer using a different highlighting style, you can choose from the available options in the options dialog (Thin Frame, Background Color and Ray Lines). To choose your preferred highlighting style, navigate to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Extensions \u2014 VAssistX \u2014Visual Assist Options \u2014 Editor \u2014 Highlighting \u2014&#8221;Highlight current line with:&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enhanced Replace Auto With Exact Type Accessibility<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Building on the popular <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Replace Auto With Exact Type<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> feature in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/2023\/02\/15\/visual-assist-2023-1-released\/?preview_id=2978&amp;_gl=1*3riu2c*_gcl_au*ODIxNDA2OTcuMTc0Mjk5MTU3MQ..*_ga*MTUzNTA1MTcxOC4xNjY0OTc4MjI5*_ga_9RK57CBWEX*czE3NTA1NzU5MTYkbzMwNyRnMSR0MTc1MDU3NjI0MyRqMSRsMCRoMA..\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">previous releases<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Visual Assist now makes this functionality more accessible via the right click menu or automatically via typing\u00a0 the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">auto <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">keyword.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4280\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Auto-new-access-path.png?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4280\" data-attachment-id=\"4280\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/visual-assist-2025-3-release-post\/auto-new-access-path\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Auto-new-access-path.png?fit=510%2C316&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"510,316\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"VA 2025.3 Auto new access path\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;#image_title&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Use Quick Info menu or right click on Auto.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Auto-new-access-path.png?fit=300%2C186&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Auto-new-access-path.png?fit=510%2C316&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4280\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Auto-new-access-path.png?resize=510%2C316&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"510\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Auto-new-access-path.png?w=510&amp;ssl=1 510w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Auto-new-access-path.png?resize=300%2C186&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Auto-new-access-path.png?resize=360%2C223&amp;ssl=1 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-4280\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Use Quick Info menu or right click on <em>Auto<\/em>.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bug Fixes<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For bug fixes and general improvements, the most critical update is the restoration of shader syntax coloring support in Visual Studio 17.12.0 and newer versions, addressing multiple related issues with code formatting and syntax highlighting in shader files across VS 2019 and 2022. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, there are significant performance improvements for Unreal Engine projects, specifically enhanced responsiveness of quick actions and refactoring menus. The release also includes fixes for HLSL file formatting and improved navigation performance for MAUI base classes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The following list summarizes the most important bugs addressed in this release:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fix for code formatting not working in shader files in VS 2019+<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fix for syntax coloring not working in shader files in VS 2022<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Restored shader syntax coloring support in Visual Studio 17.12.0 and newer<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improved responsiveness of quick actions and refactoring menu in Unreal Engine projects<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fixed inconsistent filter control display in initial Find References results<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improved performance when navigating from MAUI base classes using Go To Related<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Resolved formatting issues in HLSL files when shader support is enabled in Visual Studio 2019 and 2022<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Availability &amp; Feedback<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This release was made generally available on<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> June 30th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and can be downloaded via the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/wholetomato.com\/downloads?utm_source=blogpost&amp;utm_medium=referral\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">downloads page<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. As always, we appreciate feedback, especially on recently introduced features and the UI changes we introduced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/purchase?utm_source=blogpost&amp;utm_medium=referral\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Update now to an active license <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to utilize all the features and fixes in this release. And if you have any questions or encounter any issues, feel free to reach out to <\/span><a href=\"mailto:support@ewholetomato.com\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">support@ewholetomato.com<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Visual Assist 2025.3 Release FAQs: Everything Developers Need to Know<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>What\u2019s new in the Visual Assist 2025.3 release?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visual Assist 2025.3 introduces parameter customization for Extract Method, macro expansions on hover, improved dot-to-arrow conversion for auto pointers, a modernized options dialog, refined ray line highlighting, and enhanced Replace Auto With Exact Type accessibility. It also includes critical bug fixes and performance improvements.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How do I use the new Extract Method parameter customization in Visual Assist?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you select code and choose <\/span><b>Extract Method<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under quick actions, a new dialog allows you to add, remove, or reorder parameters and modify the function signature using standard C++ syntax. This makes method extraction more flexible and saves post-editing time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Can Visual Assist 2025.3 show macro expansions in Unreal Engine projects?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes. With this update, hovering over macro definitions instantly reveals their expansions\u2014even when IntelliSense is disabled\u2014This gives Unreal Engine developers working on large projects immediate insights without performance slowdowns, and it also benefits anyone managing large-scale solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What improvements were made to the dot-to-arrow conversion feature?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The dot-to-arrow conversion now properly supports <\/span><b>auto pointers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Whether you declare implicit or explicit pointer types with <\/span><b>auto<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Visual Assist recognizes them and ensures the correct operator is used for member access.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How can I quickly replace <\/b><b>auto<\/b><b> with the exact type in Visual Assist?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can now access <\/span><b>Replace Auto With Exact Type<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> more easily through the right-click menu or by simply typing the <\/span><b>auto <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">keyword, which triggers Visual Assist to suggest the exact type.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Where can I download Visual Assist 2025.3?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can download the latest version directly from the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/downloads?utm_source=blogpost&amp;utm_medium=referral\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visual Assist downloads page <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with an active license to access all features and fixes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>How can I provide feedback on Visual Assist 2025.3?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feedback is welcome and can be shared via <\/span><a href=\"mailto:support@wholetomato.com\"><b>support@wholetomato.com<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. User suggestions often guide improvements like macro expansions on hover and Extract Method customization.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"actions\">\r\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/downloads?utm_source=blogpost&amp;utm_medium=referral?utm_content=blog-\" class=\"button primary\">Download latest version<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Visual Assist 2025.3 is now public and available to download.\u00a0 This release improves developer experience by updating the feedback UI when using some of our added features from recent releases. We\u2019ve also updated our options&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":213500340,"featured_media":4264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[10673833],"tags":[726360441,2426,726360326,726360437,726360439,726360435,726360443,12004844],"class_list":["post-4262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-build-announcements","tag-auto","tag-c","tag-extract-method","tag-macro-expansion","tag-parameters","tag-release","tag-type","tag-visual-assist"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/23_WT_VA-20253-Whats_Main-1080x1080-1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfpLS4-16K","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/213500340"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4262"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4495,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4262\/revisions\/4495"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wholetomato.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}