Microsoft has recently announced a significant decision that will have implications for macOS-based developers: the retirement of Visual Studio for Mac. This decision has sent ripples through the developer community, as many have grown accustomed to using Visual Studio for Mac as their preferred integrated development environment (IDE). In this article, we will explore the reasons behind this decision and what it means for developers moving forward.

Visual Studio for Mac

On August 31, 2024, Microsoft is scheduled to retire Visual Studio for Mac, bringing an end to its development and support. This decision marks a significant shift in Microsoft's strategy for macOS-based developers. Visual Studio for Mac was introduced in 2016 as a way to provide .NET developers with a robust development environment on macOS. However, several factors have contributed to the retirement of this IDE.

Visual Studio on Windows (via Virtualization)

If you're comfortable with using virtualization solutions like Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, or VirtualBox, you can run a Windows virtual machine (VM) on your macOS and install Visual Studio for Windows (The common version). This approach allows you to access the full capabilities of Visual Studio while still working on your macOS machine.

Key Features

• Access to the complete Visual Studio feature set.
• Ideal for .NET developers who require Windows-specific tools.
• Smooth integration with Windows-based libraries and frameworks.
• Seamless file sharing between macOS and Windows.
• No limitations for .NET based technologies

Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code, often referred to as VS Code, is a lightweight, open-source code editor developed by Microsoft. While it's not a full-fledged IDE like Visual Studio, it provides robust support for .NET development through extensions and plugins. VS Code is highly extensible, making it a versatile choice for .NET developers on macOS. To work with Visual Studio, you need to install the .NET SDK and use the commands to restore, compile, and run your projects.

Key Features

• Rich ecosystem of extensions for .NET development.
• Excellent support for C#, F#, and ASP.NET.
• Integrated terminal for executing commands.
• Git version control integration.
• Debugging capabilities with extensions like "C# for Visual Studio Code."

JetBrains Rider

JetBrains Rider is a cross-platform, full-featured IDE specifically designed for .NET development. Developed by JetBrains, Rider offers a wide range of tools and features tailored to .NET developers, making it a powerful alternative to Visual Studio for Mac. Rider is the best option for those who want to work with the macOS ecosystem without virtualization. Rider has a license, no option free option is available, but you can try the trial version.

Key Features

• Advanced code analysis and refactoring tools.
• Seamless integration with ReSharper for code inspections.
• Support for multiple .NET frameworks and languages.
• Built-in NuGet package manager.
• Excellent debugging and unit testing capabilities.