I'll look for a book but the arduino functions make it so you don't need to know much about vs. 

I would like to make a video for first time users. Can you give me an idea of where you have found it difficult.

For example:-

Did you read the How to test a new install guide? Did that allow you to create and upload a sketch? 

Did you use "File>Open>Arduino Project" to open an existing sketch? Did you manage to upload it?

So sketch open, creation and upload should be very easy? Did you do this okay?

If so what sort of things are you trying to do that you feel unable to do? or find confusing?

Thanks

Okay that is some useful feedback thanks. I agree that the "tutorials" need a re-vamp!

You are actually almost there, ignore all of the error after "Analyze returns". You are seeing all those additional errors because the plugin isn't happy with the setting described below. In this case the plugin allows visual studio to take over which produces some meaningless errors. read on and you will see that I have a dev list suggestion that will prevent these errors for future new users.

What appears to be happening is that you have not selected the serial port that your usb/arduino is connected to.

I have just tested the arduino ide in the same scenario (first time use) and it prompts you for a serial port if you have not selected one. This is probably what happened when you clicked upload in the arduino ide? I can see that Visual Micro should do the same and will put that on the dev list.

However, in the Arduino IDE the normal way to work is to select the serial port using "Tools>Serial Port". You will see a tick by the port you select. Arduino remembers the port you select so now you have uploaded you will see a port with a tick by its side. This allows you to switch port should you have more than one arduino board or be using some advanced functions that you might learn about at a later date (if it becomes applicable to your project)

In Visual Studio it is the same except that the menu item is "Tools>Arduino>Serial Port". As you can see vm mimics this functionality from the Arduino IDE with the intention that if you read an arduino ide tutorial you should be able to work out how to use Visual Studio quite easily.

Visual Studio goes one step further by also providing a drop down combo box on a tool bar that enables you to select the serial port. Can you see the serial port list on the toolbar? It probably has just one entry? Please select it and then press F5 for upload.

Both the arduino ide and visual studio will remember your serial port setting. So you probably only need to set it once.

Please let me know if this makes sense or if I have missed the point. Please confirm you have been able to select a serial port and have uploaded without error.

You might also find it useful to note that in addition to pressing F5 to upload you can also use the little green right pointing arrow on the tool bar. You can also use any of the menu items called "Debug>Start.." to upload. 

In VS 2012 the text next to the little green arrow mentions "debug" and the menu items mention "debug". Ignore this word "debug", it is standard Visual Studio terminology to start a windows program. In all cases, for an arduino project, the plugin overrides and performs a normal arduino upload.