Chapter 3. Making Connections with Visual Studio
In This Chapter
Exploring the help features of Visual Studio 2010
Reaching out to the Windows developer community
Keeping up with certifications and Webcasts
When you use Visual Studio, you're not just using a development tool — you're joining a community. This statement is true, no matter what development tool you use. The technologies people use often cluster them into communities, such as Java, Linux and open source software, Mac, and .NET and other Windows developers.
That's not to say that people don't cross over — because they do. Many Windows developers are also closet Linux folks. Nevertheless, as a Windows developer, you're likely to run in the same circles as other Windows developers. This chapter shows you some of the ways you can use Visual Studio to keep in touch.
Getting Help
The help documentation is a combination of local offline and online resources, including
Online and offline Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) documentation for Visual Studio and .NET
Online content, such as community forums, from the Microsoft Web site
Online content from third parties approved by Microsoft to provide content
Book II, Chapter 1 explains configuring online and offline help for Visual Studio.
MSDN includes a library full of documentation, as well as a Knowledge Base. A paid subscription to MSDN allows you to download software for development purposes. For more information about MSDN subscriptions, see Book I, Chapter 5.
Opening and navigating ...
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