What are the advantages of VS2008 over VS2005 for C++ development?
c++, visual-studio-2005, visual-studio-2008
Solution
There are very little difference between 2005 and 2008 from native C++ developer point of view. However, if coming from 2003, it makes sense to upgrade directly to 2008 - the conversion process should be almost the same, and you will end up with a slightly better platform. Some new features which are available for 2008 only:
- /MP option for multicore compilation (a huge timesaver if you have a mutlicore computer)
- some improved debugging options for multithreaded applications
There are also some additional downloadable feature packs for 2008 only:
- TR1 libraries
- new MFC
Problem
We are considering switching from MS Visual Studio 2003 to MS Visual Studio 2005 for our C++ development. I think jumping to 2008 might be better. In what ways are VS2008 better than VS2005 for C++ development? Are there any disadvantages of VS2008 over VS2005?