Visual Studio Icon Visual Studio 2013 Update 4 Release Details

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Note

This is not the latest version of Visual Studio. To download the latest release, please visit the current release notes for Visual Studio 2019.

Visual Studio 2013 Releases

You can view release notes for all versions of Visual Studio 2013:

  • July 20, 2015 -- Visual Studio 2013 Update 5
  • November 12, 2014 -- Visual Studio 2013 Community
  • Nov 12, 2014 -- Visual Studio 2013 Update 4
  • Baronial four, 2014 -- Visual Studio 2013 Update iii
  • May 12, 2014 -- Visual Studio 2013 Update 2
  • April 2, 2014 -- Visual Studio 2013 Update 2
  • January 20, 2014 -- Visual Studio 2013 Update 1
  • October 17, 2013 -- Visual Studio 2013

Release Notes Icon Visual Studio 2013 Update 4

released on November 12, 2014

Download Visual Studio Community 2013

Y'all can download Visual Studio 2013 from My.VisualStudio.com. My.VisualStudio.com requires a free Dev Essentials subscription, or a Visual Studio Subscription.

What'due south New in the Release

  • CodeLens
  • C++ Diagnostics
  • JavaScript IntelliSense
  • Microsoft ASP.Internet and Web Tools
  • Application Insights
  • Developer License Renewal

Team Foundation Server updates:

  • Release Management
  • Test
  • Version control
  • Program and track work
  • Admission level name changes and feature access

Microsoft SQL Server Database Tooling updates:

  • Updates

Other changes:

  • Bug Fixes & Known Issues

In addition, several Visual Studio 2013 products are available for download with Update four, including:

  • Azure SDK for .Internet 2.5
  • Team Explorer Everywhere 2013 Update 2
  • Visual Studio Tools for Unity (VSTU) 2.0 Preview
  • Kinect for Windows ii.0 SDK RTW
  • Visual Studio Tools for Apache Cordova CTP3
  • Office Programmer Tools for Visual Studio 2013
  • TypeScript one.three
  • Visual Studio Community 2013

Note

To get more than details on these releases, go to the Related Releases section below.

Tip

Sentinel the Visual Studio 2013 Update 4 episode of Visual Studio Toolbox to learn about new features in this release:

CodeLens

With CodeLens indicators you can learn about your code while staying focused on your work. You can notice code references, changes to your code, related TFS items, and unit of measurement tests – all without looking away from the code. For more information about CodeLens, see Find code changes and other history with CodeLens.

Reduced data storage requirements for CodeLens with TFVC

We reduced the size of the CodeLens data stored in the TFS database. The data has been reformatted and duplicated data removed.

By default, CodeLens at present but processes changes from the last 12 months to calculate team indicators. You lot tin change this duration past using the TFSConfig CodeIndex command.

C++ Diagnostics

GPU Usage

A newGPU Usage tool in theOperation and Diagnostics hub helps you decide whether the CPU or the GPU is the performance bottleneck. This tool lets you collect and clarify GPU usage data for DirectX applications.

Performance and Diagnostics hub; GPU Usage tool

You tin can employ this tool for both Windows Desktop and Windows Store apps; support for Windows Telephone and remote diagnostics will ship in a later release. You can also audit the timing of each individual GPU event if a supported graphics card is present and latest drivers are installed.

Faster browsing

Visual Studio now scans or rescans big solutions and updates the symbol database more quickly. Browsing should be more responsive, and operations such asGo To Definition should not be blocked, even if the database has non been completely updated. A not-blocking message will warn y'all that your results may be inaccurate.

JavaScript IntelliSense

You tin can now go IntelliSense in JavaScript modules loaded with RequireJS. For more data about RequireJS, meet Crave JS – A JavaScript Module Loader.

Nosotros have fabricated improvements in the JSON and HTML editors.

JSON Editor Improvements

Nosotros fabricated a few improvements in the JSON editor, including loading the JSON schema asynchronously, caching kid schemas, and improving IntelliSense.  Nosotros added the following new features:

  • JSON Schema validation. Nosotros added a JSON schema validation feature, based on the schema selected in the drib-down list.
  • Un-minify the context carte button. Y'all can correct-click the JSON editor and selectUn-minify context menu button to un-minify any long arrays in the JSON file.
  • The Reload Schemas context card push button. Visual Studio caches the schema downloaded from internet, and uses the cache even afterward you restart Visual Studio. If y'all know the schema has changed, you can employ the context card to download the changed schema in the active JSON document and use it immediately.

HTML Editor Improvements

We improved the HTML editor with problems fixes, updated IntelliSense for web standards, and introduced the following new features:

  • Better customer template formatting. The HTML editor no longer parses or formats double-curly syntax {{…}}, therefore we do not flag the content every bit invalid HTML or endeavor to format it as HTML. This is nifty for Angular, Handlebars, Mustache and other double-curly template syntaxes.
  • Support for custom elements, polymer-elements and attributes.
    We no longer validate unknown attributes for custom elements, because there can be many custom-made tags in unlike frameworks. Unknown elements no longer take squiggles nether them.
  • HTML element tooltips. We now supply tooltips for HTML elements in the editor.
  • #region support. The HTML editor now supports region folding. You lot can apply a surrounding snippet to surroundings the current selection equally well.
  • Viewport fix for the LESS editor. In the LESS editor, @viewport no longer shows verification warnings.
  • More than snippets. We at present provide more snippets to make your developing feel easier.
  • CSS automobile-sync. Saving the CSS file or changing information technology externally (for example, with a LESS/SASS compiler) causes the whole CSS file to reload in the browser. If the file cannot car-sync, Ctrl+S causes an automatic reload without the need to refresh the linked browsers (Ctrl+Alt+Enter). You tin disable this feature in the toolbar.

Azure WebJobs

In Visual Studio 2013 Update iv, we released some new features that make information technology easier to build, deploy, and debug Azure WebJobs. Additionally, you can add background processing to Azure Websites. We now correspond WebJobs every bit nodes in the Visual Studio Server Explorer, therefore you tin can link directly to the WebJobs dashboards to view your active WebJobs. You lot can also use the Server Explorer to start and stop continuous jobs and run on-demand or scheduled jobs. We also enabled one-click remote debugging of continuous WebJobs. If yous need to run into how your continuous WebJob is processing incoming queues or blob messages, yous can pace through your code equally it runs live in the cloud.

Server Explorer WebJobs node

WebJobs SDK

The WebJobs SDK is pre-installed in the Azure WebJob project templates. As before, you can create a new WebJob projection using the Azure WebJob project template.

ASP.NET MVC 5.2.2

We accept updated template packages to use ASP.Cyberspace MVC 5.2.2. This release does not have any new features or problems fixes in MVC. We made a modify in Web Pages for a meaning performance improvement, and have updated all other dependent packages to depend on this new version of Web Pages.

ASP.Net Spider web API 5.2.two

In this release nosotros have made a dependency change for Json.Net half-dozen.0.4. This release does not have any other new features or bug fixes in Web API. We have subsequently updated all other dependent packages nosotros own to depend on this new version of Web API.

ASP.Net Spider web API OData 5.three.1 beta

For more data relating to the ASP.Net Spider web API OData 5.three.1 beta release, run into what's New in ASP.Internet Web API OData 5.3.

SignalR ii.1.2

We accept updated template packages to use SignalR ii.1.2. For more information, see SignalR 2.one.2.

Microsoft Owin iii.0 package

We have updated template packages to use Microsoft Owin three.0 NuGet packages. For more data, run into Katana 3.0 release notes.

Application Insights

With Update iv, Application Insights Tools for Visual Studio has more performance improvements and bug fixes. It is fully compatible with projects that had Application Insights added with Visual Studio 2013.iii. This update includes:

  • Seamless integration with the workflow to publish to an Azure website
  • Improved solution integration and projection detection. (For example, Application Insights is no longer included in unsupported projects like Python.)

For more information nearly changes to Application Insights data in the Azure Preview Portal, see Gear up Application Insights for your ASP.NET website

Developer License Renewal

When your developer license is inside 15 days of expiring, a new notification will appear in the notification hub. Click the notification when you lot are prepare to renew your license, and then clickI Agree on the renewal window. You must accept an internet connexion to renew your license. After your license expires, y'all will non be able to debug or deploy your Windows Store apps, or open the XAML or HTML designers.

Release Management

Amend the procedure of managing the release of your app. Deploy your app to a specific environment for each dissever phase. Manage the steps in the process with approvals for each footstep.

You tin create release templates that use deployment agents to deploy your app, or you can create release templates that use Windows PowerShell, Windows PowerShell Desired Land Configuration (DSC), or Chef. To assistance determine what blazon of release to gear up, terms have been added to the UI to make your choices clearer: agent-based or vNext (without agents). This helps y'all identify the correct environments and components for your release templates and release paths.

Use the Release Management service for Visual Studio Squad Services

Now y'all can setup a release pipeline from bank check-in through to deployment without having to install and maintain an on-bounds Release Direction server. Use the Release Management service for Visual Studio Squad Services to set upwardly your release. (This service is in preview.)

From your Release Management customer, connect to your Visual Studio Team Services business relationship. Create a release definition for your app from the RM client. When y'all release your app to each phase, the Release Management service is used.

Administration tab; Settings tab

Release to Azure from Visual Studio

You can now create a release definition direct from within the Visual Studio IDE using Release Management every bit a service with a Visual Studio Squad Services account. You must employ an Azure subscription to deploy to your Azure VMs with this release definition. For more information, see Deploy continuously to Azure.

From Visual Studio, create a release definition

Utilize tags when you deploy to an surround

You lot can now employ tags with the servers in your Azure or standard environments when you lot deploy without agents. For example, if you accept multiple web servers in your surround then you tin tag them all with WebServer. Set upwardly your deployment deportment for your tags. When a stage is deployed, these deportment are performed on any server with this tag. Therefore, y'all only have to create the set of deportment in one case for multiple servers.

Additionally, y'all can switch the deployment order from parallel to sequence using tags.

Admission to organization variables for your deployment sequences or scripts

By popular user demand, you lot can now admission system variables just like other configuration variables and use them in your release template if you deploy without agents. You do not have to hardcode these any more.

Supported variables:

  • Build directory
  • Build number (for component in the release)
  • Build definition (for component)
  • TFS URL (for component)
  • Team project (for component)
  • Tag (for the server that is running the activity)
  • Awarding path (destination path where component is copied)
  • Environment (for stage)
  • Stage
  • Release ID
  • Release name

Reduce the need for configuration files to deploy your builds

If you deploy without using agents, yous can at present set upwards configuration variables for your release at the following levels: global, server, component, action. This extra flexibility means y'all might no longer demand to maintain configuration files with your build. If variables have the same name, the value is determined based on this order of precedence: activity, component, server, global. (Activity has the highest precedence to override the other values).

Manual intervention for a release path

Now you lot can add transmission steps to a phase in any release path, even if you lot deploy without agents. Add a manual intervention activity into your deployment sequence. When the notification is triggered in that sequence, the deployment pauses and you tin run some manual steps before continuing with the residue of the automation for the release path.

Build drops stored on TFS servers

If yous have set your build definition to copy the build output to the server and not a UNC path, you tin can at present utilize these builds that are stored on the server if you deploy your app without agents.

Deploy from a build drib using a shared UNC path

Y'all can now apply Release Management to deploy to servers using build drops located on a shared UNC path. You can deploy only if both the target server and the Release Management server have access to the shared UNC path, and you deploy your app without deployment agents.

Usability improvements

Y'all can now select servers and components from the drop-down list in the activeness for all types of release templates. Additionally, you can give actions friendly names to make it easier to identify them.

Mix and match Azure and standard environments

Previously for a release path that deployed to servers without agents, each stage in the path could simply use either all Azure environments or all standard environments. At present yous can mix and lucifer your environments. For case, your test stage might deploy to an Azure environment, but your production stage deploys to on-premises production servers using standard environments.

Exam

Discover out chop-chop if a test case belongs to other exam suites

Every bit test cases tin belong to more ane test suite, you should check if there are whatsoever other associated test suites before you make changes to a test instance. Now y'all can quickly view all the test suites associated with a test example.

Select test case; view test details pane; select test suites

View recent test results for a examination instance

Quickly see the exam issue history for a test case to run across if it has passed or failed recently. Just select the test case, view the details pane, and choose examination results.

Existent-time lightweight charts to show testing status

At present you can create snapshot and trend charts for test cases from the Charts tab in the test hub. Y'all can as well create snapshot charts for examination results. Pin these charts to your home page and so your team can see the test status.

Test hub; open a test suite; Charts tab

For chart examples and more data, see Track your test results.

Filter by tags in the test hub

Tag examination cases in a suite with any tag that is of import to you. For example, tag all the tests related to login so that y'all can rerun these tests if a issues is fixed for the login page. So yous tin can filter on that tag from the test hub. You can add and edit tags when you edit a test case, or bulk edit tags in the grid view.

Choose a test suite; add Tags to the column list; click the filter icon to show tags

Version control

Review and merge code with Git pull requests

Pull requests are a critical component of the developer workflow in Git. Now developers tin can use pull requests to help review and merge their code. Pull requests enable developers working in branches to become feedback on their changes from other developers earlier adding their code into the mainline. Any developer participating in the review tin run across the code changes, go out comments in the code, and give a "thumbs up" approval.

Plan and track work

The many modest improvements to Team Foundation Server (TFS) with Update 4 help make it easier for you to use our tools to become your work done faster.

Query-based chart authoring now includes trend charts: Stacked Area, Expanse, and Line. You tin visualize trends beyond a one-calendar week, 2-week, or 4-week fourth dimension range. In addition to field counts, you can now sum a field value across work items returned in a apartment-list query. These new chart types tin also be pinned to your home pages.

Apace reorder backlog items

If you lot had a large excess, it was hard to drag and driblet items to a dissimilar position. The context carte for backlog items at present contains options to move an particular directly to the top or to a specific position in the backlog. Be aware that with this change, we removed the field that tracks excess priority from the work item forms in the default TFS process templates.

Full screen style back up for backlog views, boards, queries

If you run daily standup or view large backlogs, it is useful to be able to maximize the screen space and run into as many items at in one case. At present you tin can hide all the chrome in the UI and accept full-screen views of the excess and boards. The toggle to enter full screen style works for all the pages under the Backlogs and Queries tabs in the Piece of work hub. Printing ESC to return to the full work particular view.

Total screen mode support for all HTML/rich-text fields

You can now enter full screen mode for rich-text fields to help amend the readability and usability. For example, theSteps to Reproduce field can be maximized equally shown beneath. The button toggles the text expanse between total screen mode and the work particular view. Press ESC to return to the full work particular view.

Maximize button to expand the steps to reproduce text area

Better triage experience

To improve the triage feel when yous review query results, you can become back to the query past pressing Alt+Q. This keeps your position in the query.

Assign backlog items to iterations inside hierarchical views

From hierarchical views, you tin can now assign product backlog items to iterations with elevate and drop.

In-line search for area and iteration fields from the piece of work particular class

It is oft necessary to change the expanse and/or the iteration path when triaging or assigning work items. Finding the path yous want in big, deeply nested trees can be difficult. With inline search, values that match what you lot type are instantly highlighted. For example, type Team to highlight all path entries that incorporate the word Team in their name.

Area path search made easier

If you have a hyperlinks divers within an HTML field, press the CTRL key and click the link. Previously it was a two-stride procedure to click the link, and then click the "navigate to…" command at the top of the text expanse.

Teams can at present track bugs on their excess

Teams at present have greater flexibility in how they track bugs. While team projects created with the Scrum process template include bug tracking on the backlog, other procedure templates do not. Each team can either view the bugs with the product backlog or not include them.

Uncheck to remove bugs from the backlog and Kanban board

For more information about adding bugs to the task board, meet Add a work particular type to a backlog and board.

Work item form enhancements

Runway work and share information more hands using some of the new features listed below and highlighted in the piece of work item form pictured.

  • Transport a nicely formatted electronic mail directly from the work particular form using the new electronic mail icon.
  • Return directly to the query result you navigated from. If you like to use the keyboard, press ALT+Q. Alternatively, you can use the browser dorsum button to do the same thing. This keeps your position in the query.
  • Enter full screen mode from all queries and all work items. Just click the control in the toolbar to remove all the chrome and maximize your screen existent estate.
  • Open up a piece of work detail in a new browser tab with the context menu control for query results.
  • Copy and paste of query results now formats the results much meliorate for pasting into email or a certificate.

More items in your Kanban board

There is no longer a hard limit on the number of items in the first and final columns of the Kanban board. Now you can configure this limit to accept up to 999 items.

In Visual Studio, there has ever been a dialog box to observe a work item that y'all want to link to, merely with Team Spider web Access you could simply type the work particular ID to discover information technology. With Update 4, you lot get a like dialog box to find the work detail you lot desire to link to. Yous can run an existing query or observe the work item based past searching for its title.

Access level proper name changes and feature admission

With Update 4, all access levels have been renamed. The new names correspond to the aforementioned names used for Visual Studio Team Services licensing.

  • Stakeholder (previously was Express)
  • Basic (previously was Standard)
  • Advanced (previously was Total)

With this change, we take enhanced the feature set back up for the Stakeholder admission. Stakeholders have admission to the projection habitation page and most of the "work" related functionality. This includes, but is non limited to, the ability to view the backlog, add and edit items, and run work item queries.

Any number of users tin be assigned a stakeholder license at no accuse. See more details hither.

Microsoft SQL Server Database Tooling for Visual Studio has added the following features for Update four:

  • Back up for SQL Server 2014.
  • Schema compare supports MSBuild with text and XML output.
  • Support for token-based authentication for Azure SQL Database node in Server Explorer. This includes Microsoft accounts and organizational accounts.
  • From the Azure Preview Portal for Microsoft Azure SQL databases, you can now open the database schema direct in Visual Studio.
  • Extensibility for Static Code Analysis.
  • Filtering for the editable information grid.
  • Save your information compare settings to a file (.dcmp).
  • Additional actions are available when you connect to the TSQL editor.
  • PDW tools are at present office of Visual Studio Limited 2013 for Windows Desktop

Other Changes: Bug Fixes and Known Issues

For a consummate description of engineering science improvements, problems fixes, and known bug in this release, meet KB commodity for Visual Studio 2013 Update 4.

Azure SDK 2.5

This release provides new and enhanced tooling for Azure development with Visual Studio 2013 Update 4 and now Visual Studio 2015 Preview, including Azure Resource Manager Tools, HDInsight Tools, and the ability to manage Azure WebJobs from Server Explorer. For more than information nigh this release, meet Azure SDK 2.v release notes.

Download Azure SDK two.5 now.

Squad Explorer Everywhere 2013 Update ii

TEE 2013 Update ii improves how TEE stores credentials which makes signing in to Visual Studio Team Services much easier. In improver, this release adds the capability to browse Git repositories within TEE.

Download TEE 2013 Update two at present.

Visual Studio Tools for Unity (VSTU) 2.0 Preview

VSTU is Microsoft'south gratuitous Visual Studio add-on that enables a rich programming and debugging experience for working with the Unity gaming tools and platform. VSTU 2.0 Preview adds support for Visual Studio 2015 Preview. We additionally added meliorate visualization for objects in watch and local windows.

Contempo releases

2.0 VSTU - For more information about this release, run into VSTU news.

i.9.1 VSTU - For details nearly new features and bug fixes, see this blog post.

1.9.2 VSTU - For details nigh minor features and problems fixes, encounter this change log.

To get started with the latest version of VSTU, download the tools from the Visual Studio Gallery: VSTU for Visual Studio 2013, VSTU for Visual Studio 2012, and VSTU for Visual Studio 2010.

Kinect for Windows two.0 SDK RTW

Kinect for Windows 2.0 SDK RTW has the following details for this release:

  • Kinect for Windows software evolution kit 2.0 features over 200 improvements and updates to the preview version of the SDK. The SDK is a free download, and there are no fees for runtime licenses of commercial applications developed with the SDK.
  • Ability to develop Kinect apps for the Windows Store. With commercial availability of SDK 2.0, you can develop and deploy Kinect v2 apps in the Windows Store for the get-go fourth dimension. Access to the Windows Store enables you to reach millions of potential customers for your business concern and consumer solutions.
  • Availability of the Us$49.99 Kinect Adapter for Windows that enables y'all to connect a Kinect for Xbox One sensor to Windows viii.0 and eight.i PCs and tablets. Now developers can utilize their existing Kinect for Xbox One sensor to create Kinect v2 solutions, and consumers tin experience Kinect v2 apps on their computer by using the Kinect for Xbox One sensor they already ain. The adapter is available in over four dozen markets.

Download Kinect for Windows software evolution kit at present.

Visual Studio Tools for Apache Cordova CTP3

Formerly known as Multi-Device Hybrid Aps for Visual Studio, Visual Studio Tools for Apache Cordova makes it easy to build, debug, and test cross-platform apps that target Android, iOS, Windows, and Windows Telephone from one simple Visual Studio project.

CTP3 includes the following improvements over CTP2:

  • Update on relieve for Ripple – No need to rebuild!
  • The ability to debug an iOS version of your app correct from Visual Studio when deployed to the iOS Simulator or a continued device on a Mac
  • Improved security and simplified configuration for the included remote iOS build agent
  • An improved plugin management feel that includes support for adding in custom plugin to your projection from Git or the filesystem
  • Support for Apache Cordova iv.0.0

Part Programmer Tools for Visual Studio 2013 – Nov 2014 Update

This release includes the new Office 365 API Tools. The new tools brand it like shooting fish in a barrel to develop apps that connect to Office 365 APIs. Click Add->Continued Service on the project context menu and the dialog will guide you through the procedure of creating the app entry in Azure Agile Directory and adds the appropriate references and configuration in your solution. The tool supports most project types in Visual Studio 2013, ASP.NET MVC, ASP.Net Web Forms, WPF, Windows Forms, Universal Apps, Apache Cordova, and Xamarin.

Part Programmer Tools for Visual Studio 2013 at present.

TypeScript ane.three

TypeScript one.3, available as a split up download for Visual Studio 2013 Update 4, adds protected member admission and tuple types, that allows natural object-oriented patterns and more than precise array types.

To download and learn more about TypeScript 1.iii, see Announcing TypeScript 1.3.

Visual Studio Customs 2013

Visual Studio Community 2013 is a new edition that enables you lot to unleash the total power of Visual Studio to develop cross-platform solutions. Create apps in one unified IDE. Get Visual Studio extensions that contain new languages, features, and development tools into this IDE. Visual Studio extensions are bachelor from the Visual Studio Gallery. Learn more almost Visual Studio Community 2013.

Download Visual Studio Community 2013 at present.