2nd may please see archive for visual studio 2010 intellisense ardupilot overview

The visual micro addin provides intellisense using visual studio for all arduino core, library and your own project files

If you add or link your own files to a visual micro project and the intellisense doesn't detect them. Just click compile on the tool bar (or rebuild the vs project)

Click CTRL+J in your code to see a master list of properties. See example...

When switching board, when adding an arduino library or when you add or link multiple existing files to a project you will see the background progress for the intellisense update

If your arduino intellisense stops working (somestimes happens with visual studio) then shutdown visual studio and delete the .ncb file of the project (it's in the projects folder). Important - Only delete the .ncb!

There are two settings to apply when configuring an arduino sketch to be recognized in visual studio as a c++ file. Both settings are accessed in visual studio via tools>options

Register pde (sketch) as a C++ file allowing both intellisense and code formatting to be displayed/applied

Beta released 11th April 2010. Free version for private or student use is due for release end April 2010

Intellisense for the arduino is provided by Visual Studio. The 'Visual Micro' add-in simply helps to ensure that the files of a .pde project, the arduino core and arduino libraries are registered (or known) to the Visual Studio intellisense system.

Add-in preferences are set using the "Visual Studio Tools Options" window. When set the add-in will extend the Visual Studio menus and toolbars with additional controls to help you build arduino projects. (Note: all visual studio extensions created by the add-in are temporary)

The add-in is also able to retain board and port settings for each sketch (project). In most cases this means you will select a board and serial port once for the life of each project. That you can work on multiple projects at the same time, each project with its own board and port settings.

The add-in provides many other useful features.
Here are just a few...

> Automatic create new project from sketch

> Automatic link of all project items to intellisense

> Two way sketch compatibility with Arduino IDE

> Option to open the Arduino IDE loading the active visual micro studio project sketch.

> Automatic code completion (Visual Studio Style!)

> One click include of an Arduino Library

> Automatic LINK to arduino cores and libraries.

> When the arduino cores are updated your projects will automatically update (on next use)

> Standard copy/paste, highlight short cut keys

> All short cut keys user-definable

> Multi-instance Serial monitor enabling, for example, the output from two xbees to be monitored easily with auto port close if using the upload tools (see warning notes below about this!)

> Simple one click create of .c;.h with #include added to active .pde;.c or .cpp window.

> Code example helper makes it easy to create your own code examples for your projects.

> Examples/snippets are stored in an xml file in the same location of the code file.

Whilst not supported by Arduino or ourselves, the add-in allows you to switch on, at your own risk, "Compile and Upload" features. We have tried to ensure that these features are correct for Arduino and have been using our own boards without problem. We have found the Compile and Upload so useful we decided to leave it in the product (at your own risk!).