First time users can test and understand their arduino visual studio installation as follows:-

After you have installed arduino, installed this application and opened visual studio to set your "tools>options>visual micro>arduino application location" you can test arduino in visual studio these ways:-

Method A - Create new arduino sketch

Open visual studio. Fom the "File>New" menu select "Arduino project". When prompted, enter the name of a new arduino sketch such as "MyFirstSketch". Click OK

You should see a new arduino project is created containing an arduino sketch called MyFirstSketch.pde

Add your own arduino code to the void loop() {}

Select an arduino board from the list and click "Build Solution" from the "Project" menu

You should see a successful arduino compile in the "Sketch Build" output window


Method B - Open an existing sketch

In visual studio select "File>Open" then click "Arduino Project". You will be presented with an "Open File" window which will dusplay your arduino sketch folder. Selected a sketch and click OK.

A project will be automatically created for the sketch and the arduino source codes automatically added to the project.

Add your own arduino code to the void loop() {}

Select an arduino board from the drop down list of boards and click "Build" solution from the "Project" menu

You should see a successful arduino compile in the "Sketch Build" output window


Method C - Open an existing sketch

In Visual studio selected "File>Open>File". Navigate to an arduino sketch folder and select a .pde file. Click OK

You will be asked if you would like to Open or Create a project for the arduino sketch. Click OK.

Add your own arduino code to the void loop() {}

Select an arduino board from the drop down list of boards and click "Build" solution from the "Project" menu

You should see a successful arduino compile in the "Sketch Build" output window

Method D - Manual creation of a new arduino project

In Visual Studio create a new empty C++ project called "MySketch3" in a folder called "MySketch3"

Add a new text file to the project and call it "MySketch3.pde"

Add your own arduino code to the void loop() {}

Select an arduino board from the boards list

Select an arduino board from the drop down list of boards and click "Build" solution from the "Project" menu

You should see a successful arduino compile in the "Sketch Build" output window