This document provides 7 reasons to move C++ code to Visual Studio 2017. It highlights improvements in performance, diagnostics, and features for editing, debugging, testing, and committing code. Specific enhancements mentioned include faster IntelliSense, new compiler warnings, improved error experience, and support for additional unit test frameworks and languages. Benchmark results show Visual Studio 2017 providing better performance than 2015 for SPEC CPU2017 tests.

2. 7

3. #1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7

4. 2017
https://aka.ms/cpp/build2017

8. https://aka.ms/msvcconformance

9. #1
reasonsto move yourC++ code to
Visual Studio7 2017

11. // BRK2146 // *recording coming soon

12. #2
reasonsto move yourC++ code to
Visual Studio7 2017

13. https://aka.ms/msvc
+8.9%
scalar replacement to sink stores out of loops
✔
✔
✔
e.g. /guard:cf, /GS, /Qspectre
Example New diagnostic
struct C { int x; int y;
C (int a): y(a), x(y) {}
};
warning C5038: data member 'C::y' will be initialized after
data member 'C::x'
SPEC 2017 2015 2017
602.gcc_s 521 443 15%
605.mcf_s 572 546 5%
620.omnetpp_s 402 393 2%
623.xalancbmk_s 163 157 4%
625.x264_s 269 204 24%
…

14. #3
reasonsto move yourC++ code to
Visual Studio7 2017

15. Side-by-side
https://aka.ms/vcinstaller

16. #4
reasonsto move yourC++ code to
Visual Studio7 2017

17. https://aka.ms/cpp/upgrade

18. #5
reasonsto move yourC++ code to
Visual Studio7 2017

20. https://aka.ms/vcpkg

22. https://aka.ms/openfolder/cpp
5/9 9:30AM // THR2046 //
Marc Goodner, Will Buik
“Bring your C++ Code to Visual Studio 2017 with
Open Folder”

23. https://aka.ms/cmake

24. https://aka.ms/vslinux

25. #6
reasonsto move yourC++ code to
Visual Studio7 2017

26. 2017 15.7
2017
2015
Solution load (cold) C++ IntelliSense population
17:30m
4:20m
2:50m
21m
22:55m
13:30m
38:30m
27:15m
16:20m
2.3x
2017 15.7
2017
2015 17:25m
1:08m
48s
21.9x
2017 15.7
2017
2015 2.23 GB
540 MB
540 MB
4.1X

27. 2017 15.7
2017
2015 3.32 GB
1.3 GB
774 MB
4.2X
2017 15.7
2017
2015
5.6s
15.6s
2017 15.7
2017 7:22m
3:31m
2017 15.7
2017
2015 7:38m
3:40m
2:45m
2.8X

28. 4.1X 2.4X
2015 2017 15.7
288.79s 68.83s*
2015 2017 15.7
82s 47s
34s*
2015 2017 15.7
2,223.48s 1,907.41s 14%
2015 2017 15.7
1,703s 1,433s 16%
https://aka.ms/vcthroughput

29. #7
reasonsto move yourC++ code to
Visual Studio7 2017

31. Read & Edit
New filters + Predictive IntelliSense
mode
Go To (ctrl + ,) with various filters
Find All References improvements
Code formatting enforcement
(via. .clang-format or .editorconfig)
Structure guidelines
Ctrl+Click to go-to-definition
(and coming in 15.8)
C++ Template IntelliSense
Code Analysis warnings as squiggles
Expand macro
Convert macro to constexpr
Diagnose
Improved
Error List results
Memory and CPU profiler
Debugging
std::function debugging
Run to Click
Reattach to process
Exception helper
Break-on-exception conditions
Compiler diagnostics via /diagnostics:caret
ImageWatch visualizer (VS Marketplace)
Test
CodeLens
New Unit Test Frameworks
Google Test
Boost.Test
Compile
/debug:fastlink
OSS libs from https://aka.ms/vcpkg
Commit
Force push your changes
SSH support for remotes
View Commit Diff

32. #0
reasonsto move yourC++ code to
Visual Studio7 2017

33. https://developercommunity.visualstudio.comhttps://visualstudio.uservoice.com/

34. #1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
https://aka.ms/vscpp

35. https://aka.ms/cppsurvey

39. 2017 15.7
2017
2015
Solution load (cold) C++ IntelliSense population Population min/max
17:30m
4:20m
2:50m
21m
22:55m
13:30m
38:30m
27:15m
16:20m
2.3x
2017 15.7
2017
2015 17:30m
1:08m
48s
21.9x
2017 15.7
2017
2015 2.23 GB
540 MB
540 MB
4.1X

40. Example New diagnostic under /permissive-
template<typename T>
void bar()
{
T::foo<int>();
// Should be T::template foo<T>();
}
test.cpp(5,8): error C7510: 'foo': use of dependent template name requires 'template' keyword
T::foo<int>();
^
template <typename T>
void bar() {
T::Type x;
// Should be typename T::Type x
}
test.cpp(5,5): error C7511: 'Type': use of dependent type name must be prefixed with 'typename'
T::Type x;
^
struct X {};
template <class T>
void bar() {
typename X x; // Should be "X x"
}
test.cpp(5,11): error C7511: 'X': 'typename' keyword must be followed by a qualified name
typename X x;
^

41. https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/vcblog/2017/12/13/broken-warnings-theory/
Example New diagnostic
struct C
{
C (int a): y(a), x(y) {}
int x;
int y;
};
warning C5038: data member 'C::y' will be initialized after data member 'C::x'

42. SPEC 2017
Benchmark
VS 2015
Update
3
VS
2017
15.5
602.gcc_s 521 443
605.mcf_s 572 546
620.omnetpp_s 402 393
623.xalancbmk_s 163 157
625.x264_s 269 204
631.deepsjeng_s 317 302
641.leela_s 450 431
657.xz_s 2247 2101
619.lbm_s 943 869
638.imagick_s 5721 4891
644.nab_s 1907 1637
508.namd_r 226 222
510.parest_r 287 280
511.povray_r 336 337
526.blender_r 278 239
Measurements in seconds
Lower is better

44. https://azure.microsoft.com/develop/iot/

45. https://developercommunity.visualstudio.comhttps://visualstudio.uservoice.com/