Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 [upd] May 2026

cross-platform development

Visual Studio 2015 represented a pivotal shift for Microsoft, marking a transition toward and open-source integration . It introduced support for building applications for Windows, Android, iOS, and the cloud within a single environment. Core Versions & Licensing

• No .NET Core cross-platform IDE – Full cross-platform editing required VS Code or Project Rider.
• Installer bloat – Full install > 20 GB with all workloads.
• Slow startup on HDD drives (improved on SSDs).
• C++ Android/iOS tooling – Complex setup, required separate 3rd-party SDKs (Android NDK, JDK, etc.).
• Windows-only – No native macOS or Linux version (unlike later VS 2017+ and VS Code).

While previous versions had Edit and Continue, VS2015 made it work for 64-bit applications and improved it for async/await patterns. You could modify code in break mode and see the changes instantly—a massive productivity boost. microsoft visual studio 2015

Visual Studio Community 2015

One of the biggest impacts of this era was the introduction of . This replaced the limited "Express" editions with a fully-featured, extensible IDE that was completely free for students, open-source contributors, and small teams. It democratized professional-grade tools, allowing anyone to build for Android, iOS, and Windows under one roof. Key Features and Innovations While previous versions had Edit and Continue, VS2015

• Xamarin (acquired by Microsoft in 2016): Write C# code for Android, share up to 90% of code across iOS, Android, and Windows.
• Apache Cordova: Build mobile apps using HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript.
• C++ with Android NDK: Compile native C++ libraries for Android using the Clang toolchain.