Microsoft has launched Arm native versions of two essential developer tools: Visual Studio and .NET. These tools have been optimized to maximize performance on Arm devices, enabling developers to accelerate their workflows and streamline the creation of Arm-compatible applications.

The latest iteration of Visual Studio, version 17.6, introduces support for MAUI (Multi-platform App UI) on Arm, allowing developers to create cross-platform applications with ease. Furthermore, Visual Studio 17.71 Preview 1 now offers Linux development support with C++, opening up new opportunities for developers to build applications targeting the Linux ecosystem.

To bolster the Arm development ecosystem, Microsoft has also collaborated with key partners and made significant contributions to popular middleware projects. LLVM v12.0 and onwards provides cross-compilation and native compilation options for Arm, enabling developers to optimize their code for Arm-based architectures. Node 20.0.0, which was made available in April, comes with native Arm support, empowering developers to leverage the full potential of Node.js on Arm devices.

The availability of WiX installer v4.0 further extends the Arm support landscape by allowing developers to create native installers specifically tailored for Arm-based systems. This simplifies the deployment process for Arm-compatible applications, enhancing the overall user experience.

In the past 12 months, several middleware projects have also released Arm64 native versions, showcasing the growing recognition of Arm’s value among developers. Notable releases include Qt 6.2, CMake 3.24, Bazel 5.1, OpenSSL 3.0, OpenBLAS 0.3.21, and Python 3.11. These updates enable developers to harness the power of these middleware solutions while maintaining seamless compatibility with the Arm architecture.

Moreover, the Unity Player, a popular game engine, has now become generally available for Windows on Arm natively. This means game developers can effortlessly target Arm devices, providing native performance and optimized experiences for their users across current and future titles.

Excitingly, Microsoft plans to introduce additional solutions in the near future, further enriching the Arm64 ecosystem. Among the upcoming offerings are GNU GCC, Flutter & Dart, PyTorch, and GIMP. These additions will empower developers to explore new possibilities, build advanced applications, and harness the unique capabilities of the Arm architecture.

While Microsoft continues to invest in the Arm platform, it’s worth noting that numerous independent developers have also recognized the value of Arm native support. As a result, they have released Arm64 native versions of their applications, ensuring that their customers receive the best possible experience on Arm-based devices.

Announcement of Microsoft Dev Box General Availability

The concept of Dev Box was conceived to address the common challenges faced by developers when transitioning between projects. It is not solely reliant on the power of an individual machine but also focuses on streamlining the setup process for developers to start coding quickly. With the increasing popularity of hybrid work arrangements, where flexibility and remote accessibility are crucial, the need for efficient onboarding and coding acceleration becomes even more essential.

Microsoft Dev Box aims to alleviate these challenges by offering self-service developer workstations with various specifications. These specifications range from 8 to 32 core vCPUs, up to 128 GB of memory, and 2 TB of storage. Additionally, project and role-specific images can be pre-built, encompassing all the necessary tools, configurations, source code, and binaries, enabling developers to dive straight into their projects.

The integration of Intune enrollment provides best-in-class device management for securing and monitoring dev boxes alongside other devices within an organization. Moreover, project-based virtual networks allow administrators to control access to sensitive resources, databases, or internal endpoints, ensuring that only approved team members on specific dev boxes can gain access.

Transitioning to Microsoft Dev Box has already yielded significant improvements for Microsoft employees. Previously, the onboarding process, which often took days, can now be completed in just 20 minutes. The creation of a dev box automatically includes all the required tools, source code, and binaries, greatly reducing the onboarding time for both partners and new team members. 

As a result, many Microsoft engineers, including over 9,500 individuals, have adopted Dev Box as a replacement for their primary development machines to isolate projects or explore new features. This transition has been highly successful, showcasing the potential of Microsoft Dev Box to enhance development workflows.

Throughout the private and public preview phases, Microsoft has actively collaborated with customers such as General Motors, National Instruments, and their internal platform engineering team, 1ES. The feedback received from these partners has been invaluable in refining and optimizing Dev Box to meet the diverse needs of developers. Notably, Microsoft has partnered with General Motors to assist in their cloud-based software development efforts, allowing them to accelerate their product development process significantly.

As the Group Product Manager for the Developer Division at Microsoft, Anthony Cangialosi expresses his pride in the widespread adoption of Dev Box within Microsoft and the positive impact it has had on development processes. The journey towards the general availability of Dev Box has been marked by fruitful collaborations and the continuous drive to deliver the best possible tool for developers.

With the imminent launch of Microsoft Dev Box in July 2023, developers worldwide can look forward to a streamlined and efficient coding experience, empowering them to focus on what they do best—building innovative solutions and driving technological advancements.

New Features in Microsoft Dev Box Public Preview Version

As Microsoft gears up for the general availability of Dev Box, they have unveiled several new features that are already available in the public preview version. These enhancements aim to further empower developers and streamline their coding experience. Let’s take a closer look at the notable additions:

1. 16 and 32 Core SKUs:

To cater to the most demanding workloads, Dev Box now offers higher-powered SKUs. Developers can configure their Dev Box deployments with 16 vCPUs and 64 GB of RAM, or opt for even more performance with 32 vCPUs and 128 GB of RAM. Additionally, a 2TB SSD storage option will also be available to meet storage-intensive requirements.

2. Hibernate for 8 and 16-core Dev Boxes:

Organizations often shut down idle VMs, including developers’ workstation VMs, to minimize costs. However, this can cause inconvenience as developers have to reopen their tools and apps when they return. To address this issue, 8 and 16-core Dev Boxes can now be hibernated. This means that when a dev box is resumed, the apps and work are in the same state as they were left. Administrators can schedule hibernations for the end of the day in specific regions, and by the time of general availability, they will also be able to configure dev boxes to hibernate after a user disconnects. Developers will also have the option to skip an upcoming hibernation if needed.

3. General Developer and Pre-built Visual Studio Starter Images:

To expedite the onboarding process for dev and dev infra teams, Microsoft has introduced developer-focused starter images for Dev Box on the Azure Marketplace. These images come preloaded with Windows optimizations, apps, and settings that enhance the overall developer experience. They can be used as-is or serve as a base image for further customization by development teams.

4. Config-as-Code Definitions for Dev Box (Private Preview):

Recognizing the challenges faced by dev infra teams when setting up multiple custom images for various dev teams, Microsoft has introduced config-as-code capabilities for Dev Box. This feature enables dev teams to customize the secure, base images provided by IT using YAML configuration files stored in a git repository. Central IT can provide developers with the necessary flexibility while setting up guardrails to curate scripts and software for customizing a dev box.

5. Visual Studio Optimized for Dev Box:

Microsoft understands the importance of a seamless experience for developers using Visual Studio. Therefore, they have introduced several new features in Visual Studio 2022 (starting with the 17.7 previews) to enhance onboarding and performance. These features include pre-built Visual Studio 2019 and 2022 images, automatic sign-in to Visual Studio using the dev box’s associated account, Git Credential Manager integration with the Web Account Manager in Windows, and faster performance through pre-generated caches deployed with the dev box.

With these new features, Microsoft Dev Box continues to evolve into a powerful and versatile tool for developers. The upcoming general availability promises to further revolutionize the development process, offering increased flexibility, efficiency, and improved performance. Developers can look forward to an enhanced coding experience and accelerated project delivery when utilizing Microsoft Dev Box.

Not attending Build 2023? Good news, both event attendees and the public can download the Build 2023 digital swag, which includes:

1. The Official Build 2023 Spotify playlist by Sassy Black, Microsoft’s musical director for the event.
2. Microsoft Teams backgrounds: Celebrate your developer pride with two Teams backgrounds to use to join your calls and meetings that are branded with the official Build 2023 logo.
3. Event Badges: Make a statement on social media by flaunting your official event badge (two different color options) with the hashtag #MSBuild.
4. Wallpapers: Create a captivating atmosphere for your upcoming event with an official Microsoft Build wallpaper; two wallpapers available for both desktop and mobile devices.
5. Animated GIFs: Prepare yourself to elevate your social media presence with these captivating GIFs that will truly make your posts shine.
6. I just registered: Inform your friends and followers that you will be honing your skills at Microsoft Build with a unique and shareable post designed by Microsoft to share specifically for your social media accounts.

How to download Microsoft Build 2023 digital swag?

To get started, you need to visit the official Microsoft Build 2023 website. Once you’re on the website, access the “digital swag” section by going to Support > Digital swag. Once you are on Microsoft’s Build 2023 Digital swag page, you can download all digital swag at once or pick the ones that interest you the most.

Even if you’re unable to attend Build 2023 in person, the good news is that both event attendees and the public can still enjoy the rewards of digital swag. From the official Spotify playlist to Microsoft Teams backgrounds, event badges, wallpapers, animated GIFs, and unique social media posts, there is something for everyone to enhance their digital presence and highlight their enthusiasm for the event. To access the Build 2023 digital swag, simply visit the official Microsoft Build 2023 website and navigate to the “digital swag” section. Choose your favorites, download them, and let the excitement of Build 2023 continue even after the event concludes. Let your passion for technology shine with Build 2023 digital swag!

Calling all devs!

Connect with product experts, industry disruptors, and cutting-edge partners to share ideas to build the future.

Digitally: May 23–24
In person in Seattle, WA: May 23–25

Register now for #MSBuild—made by and for developers: https://t.co/tqMCPTVe1C pic.twitter.com/EmTQkGZOAc

— Microsoft Developer (@msdev) March 14, 2023

WalkingCat Twitter has revealed that Microsoft’s Build developer conference might be taking place later this year on May 23-25.  Unlike the previous years, it seems Microsoft is handling things a bit differently this year by having an in-person event in Seattle alongside the global digital event.

pic.twitter.com/CqskvCljCA

— WalkingCat (@_h0x0d_) March 14, 2023

Ever since the pandemic hit, Microsoft started holding the event virtually, as is the case last year. It was also last year in July when Microsoft held its first in-person conference since the pandemic, Microsoft Ignite, though the spaces available were limited. Perhaps, the company will be taking up a similar approach this year with the Build conference.

The image shared doesn’t reveal much other than the date, but we do expect Microsoft to talk about AI and its plans for the future as far as Windows and other products are concerned given its recent extended partnership with OpenAI.

Last year’s event took place around the same time,  between May 24 and May 26, so the dates seem plausible.

The Microsoft leaker, WalkingCat also shared some of the first Microsoft Build 2022 Sessions which turned out to align with the event’s program. However, at this time, Microsoft is yet to make any official announcement disclosing when the event is supposed to take place.

via: WalkingCat