Praise for Microsoft

I am not Microsoft's biggest fan. I disliked their products and strategies in the 1990s, when they had a virtual monopoly on desktop operating systems, office software, and development tools. Yet I must give them credit for two recent products: OneDrive and Visual Studio Code.

OneDrive

OneDrive synchronizes files across multiple devices. I can store a file in OneDrive on computer A and later retrieve it on computer B. OneDrive stores data on Microsoft's servers and associates it with my account. If I log in to a Windows computer with my ID and password, I can see all of my files on OneDrive. The files are not copied to the local computer, they are simply available for me to view, change, or delete.

OneDrive also provides storage for online services such as Office Online. This lets me use any computer, even a public one in a library. (I think. I have yet to try this. But it makes sense for Microsoft to do things this way.)

Visual Studio Code

The other product that deserves credit is Visual Studio Code.

Microsoft advertises Visual Studio Code as an editor, yet it is much more. It edits, color-highlights, checks syntax, refactors, debugs (at least with Python), and integrates with git. It has an impressive array of features in a small package. What is significant is that the features are just the right set -- at least for me, and I suspect a large number of developers. It is not weighed down with all of the features of Microsoft's classic Visual Studio package. Visual Studio Code omits the templates and the auto-generation. It replaces the package manager with a series of lightweight plug-ins. It seems to ignore Team Foundation Server (and services), although I could be mistaken about that. (Perhaps there is an enterprise version of VS Code that connects to TFS.)

Beyond the feature set, Visual Studio Code... works. It's a competent product, one that feels good to use. It has just enough to get the job done, and it gets the job done well. I feel comfortable using it. (And that's a rare thing with me and Microsoft products.)

Visual Studio Code is a departure from the traditional Microsoft approach to software. The old Microsoft built software for Windows -- and Windows only. (A few exceptions were made for Mac OS.) Visual Studio Code breaks from that tradition: it is available for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. This is indeed a ground-breaking project.

OneDrive and Visual Studio Code make for a pleasant experience when developing code. Microsoft deserves credit for bold choices and good tools. If you have not tried them, I recommend that you do.

What have you got to lose?