{
 "categories": [
  "developer-tools",
  "enterprise"
 ],
 "deployment": "desktop",
 "evidence": [
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "homepage",
   "note": "Microsoft presents Visual Studio as the Windows IDE with Community, Professional, Enterprise, and Insiders, plus GitHub Copilot agent mode. The page is not Visual Studio Code.",
   "source": "https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "license",
   "note": "The pricing page lists Visual Studio Community as a comprehensive IDE alongside paid Professional and Enterprise subscriptions. That is recorded as freemium.",
   "source": "https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/pricing/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "platforms",
   "note": "Visual Studio 2026 system requirements support 64-bit Windows 11 and Windows Server Standard/Datacenter 2025, 2022, and 2019, including ARM64 Windows 11. 32-bit and ARM32 OS families are not supported.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/releases/2026/vs-system-requirements",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "deployment",
   "note": "The opened requirements page is a locally installed Windows desktop IDE family (Enterprise, Professional, Community, Build Tools, Team Explorer), not a browser product.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/releases/2026/vs-system-requirements",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.api.exists",
   "note": "Microsoft documents EnvDTE.DTE as the top-level object in the Visual Studio automation object model, with ExecuteCommand, documents, solution, windows, and debugger members. The Interop package is Microsoft.VisualStudio.Interop v17.14.40260.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/envdte.dte?view=visualstudiosdk-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.api.kinds[0]",
   "note": "DTE is a COM-visible interface (Guid 04A72314-32E9-48E2-9B87-A63603454F3E, CoClass DTEClass) in EnvDTE.dll / Microsoft.VisualStudio.Interop.dll.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/envdte.dte?view=visualstudiosdk-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.api.coverage",
   "note": "Microsoft documents launching Visual Studio through DTE via Setup Configuration and the running-object table. Coverage is the running IDE process on Windows, not a remote product HTTP API, so it is partial of the product.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/extensibility/launch-visual-studio-dte?view=vs-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.api.docs",
   "note": "Opened as the current EnvDTE.DTE reference used as this record's API docs URL.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/envdte.dte?view=visualstudiosdk-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.sdk.exists",
   "note": "Microsoft documents the Visual Studio SDK as the official way to extend the IDE and distribute VSIX packages through the Visual Studio Marketplace.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/extensibility/visual-studio-sdk?view=vs-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.sdk.languages[0]",
   "note": "Official getting-started docs provide C# VSIX project templates for menu commands, tool windows, editor extensions, and VSPackages. The page states it applies to Visual Studio on Windows, not Visual Studio Code.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/extensibility/starting-to-develop-visual-studio-extensions?view=vs-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.sdk.official",
   "note": "The Visual Studio SDK is published on Microsoft Learn as the first-party extensibility SDK, including a Visual Studio SDK API reference.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/extensibility/visual-studio-sdk?view=vs-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.cli.exists",
   "note": "Microsoft documents devenv command-line switches. devenv.com delivers stdout/stderr. /Build, /Clean, /Rebuild, /Deploy, /Out, /Project, and /Upgrade do not display the IDE.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/reference/devenv-command-line-switches?view=vs-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.extensibility.scripting[0]",
   "note": "Extensions ship as VSIX packages that can be installed on another computer or published to the Visual Studio Marketplace.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/extensibility/starting-to-develop-visual-studio-extensions?view=vs-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.extensibility.scripting[1]",
   "note": "The EnvDTE automation object model is the in-process scripting surface for the running IDE, including ExecuteCommand.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/envdte.dte?view=visualstudiosdk-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.rpa.ui_stack[0]",
   "note": "Visual Studio is a locally installed Windows desktop application, so the UI stack in scope is Win32.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/releases/2026/vs-system-requirements",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "modalities.agent_docs.llms_txt",
   "note": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/llms.txt returned HTTP 404 on 2026-09-12.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/llms.txt",
   "tier": "scraped"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "verdict.scores.api",
   "note": "EnvDTE is a mature COM automation model over the running IDE. It is Windows-local, in-process, and not a remote HTTP contract, so the path is useful production IDE control with operational limits rather than 7\u20138 remote completeness.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/envdte.dte?view=visualstudiosdk-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "verdict.scores.cli",
   "note": "Official devenv covers unattended build, clean, rebuild, and deploy with /Out logs, plus IDE launch switches. Microsoft recommends MSBuild for build automation, so the path is useful rather than the primary build product.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/reference/devenv-command-line-switches?view=vs-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[0].url",
   "note": "Opened the current devenv switch reference, including non-IDE /Build /Clean /Rebuild /Deploy and the MSBuild recommendation.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/reference/devenv-command-line-switches?view=vs-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[1].url",
   "note": "Opened the current EnvDTE.DTE automation object reference for Visual Studio SDK 2022.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/envdte.dte?view=visualstudiosdk-2022",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[2].url",
   "note": "Opened Visual Studio MCP client docs. Visual Studio 2026 or 2022 17.14 hosts MCP servers for Copilot agent mode. The page does not document a first-party Visual Studio product MCP server.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/mcp-servers?view=visualstudio",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-12",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[3].url",
   "note": "Opened the current Visual Studio product page, including Community, Professional, Enterprise, and Copilot agent mode.",
   "source": "https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/",
   "tier": "declared"
  }
 ],
 "freshness": {
  "last_verified": "2026-09-12",
  "volatility": "high",
  "watch": [
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/reference/devenv-command-line-switches?view=vs-2022"
   },
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/envdte.dte?view=visualstudiosdk-2022"
   },
   {
    "type": "mcp",
    "url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/mcp-servers?view=visualstudio"
   },
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/"
   }
  ]
 },
 "homepage": "https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/",
 "id": "visual-studio",
 "license": "freemium",
 "modalities": {
  "agent_docs": {
   "llms_txt": false
  },
  "api": {
   "auth": [],
   "coverage": "partial",
   "docs": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/envdte.dte?view=visualstudiosdk-2022",
   "exists": true,
   "kinds": [
    "com"
   ]
  },
  "cli": {
   "exists": true
  },
  "computer_use": {
   "issues": [],
   "viability": "unknown"
  },
  "data_access": {
   "export": [],
   "import": []
  },
  "extensibility": {
   "scripting": [
    "vsix",
    "envdte"
   ],
   "webhooks": "unknown"
  },
  "integrations": {
   "make": "unknown",
   "n8n": "unknown",
   "power_automate": "unknown",
   "zapier": "unknown"
  },
  "mcp": {
   "first_party": "unknown",
   "third_party": [],
   "verdict": "unknown"
  },
  "rpa": {
   "drivability": "unknown",
   "notes": "No repeatable UI probe was run. Microsoft documents the EnvDTE COM automation object model, the official Visual Studio SDK, and devenv command-line switches as machine paths. This record is the Visual Studio Windows IDE. It is not Visual Studio Code, GitHub, or Azure DevOps as standalone products.\n",
   "ui_stack": [
    "win32"
   ],
   "vendor_support": []
  },
  "sdk": {
   "exists": true,
   "languages": [
    "csharp"
   ],
   "official": true
  }
 },
 "name": "Visual Studio",
 "platforms": [
  "windows"
 ],
 "related": {
  "alternatives": [
   "jetbrains-intellij"
  ],
  "our_products": []
 },
 "schema_version": 1,
 "score_version": 1,
 "status": "active",
 "vendor": "Microsoft",
 "verdict": {
  "best_path": "cli",
  "scores": {
   "api": 6,
   "cli": 6,
   "computer_use": null,
   "integrations": null,
   "mcp": null,
   "overall": 6,
   "rpa": null
  },
  "summary": "Visual Studio on Windows is automatable today through devenv and the EnvDTE COM object model, not through Visual Studio Code. This record is the current Visual Studio Windows IDE (2026 family, with Visual Studio 2022 version 17.14 still documented for MCP client features). It is not VS Code, not GitHub, and not another IDE. devenv.com accepts /Build, /Rebuild, /Clean, /Deploy, /Project, and /Out without displaying the IDE, plus /Command and /Edit when the IDE should start. Microsoft recommends MSBuild instead of devenv for build-related tasks. EnvDTE.DTE is the top-level Visual Studio automation object: solutions, documents, commands, windows, and ExecuteCommand. From Visual Studio 2017 onward, external launch uses the Setup Configuration APIs and the running-object table because side-by-side installs are supported. The official Visual Studio SDK builds VSIX extensions in C# (VSPackage and MEF). Community, Professional, Enterprise, Build Tools, and Team Explorer share the opened Windows system-requirements set. Visual Studio hosts MCP servers for GitHub Copilot agent mode; that is an MCP client, not a first-party server that exposes the IDE. A Visual Studio product MCP server is not established. iPaaS catalogs were not opened. Computer-use viability is unassessed. CLI and COM API both score 6. CLI is the best path because unattended /Build, /Clean, and /Rebuild do not require a visible IDE or a COM attach.\n"
 }
}