Before 2015, the landscape for Windows developers was simple but expensive. You had the free, limited Express editions (which felt like eating a burger without the patty), or you shelled out thousands for Professional or Enterprise.
If you have an old VM lying around, fire up VS2015. Listen to the old startup sound. Write a "Hello World" in C#. It was a simpler time. visual studio 2015 community edition
It paved the way for VS Code, for WSL integration, and for the modern, open-source Microsoft we know today. Before 2015, the landscape for Windows developers was
If you started your coding journey between 2015 and 2017, there is a high chance you owe a debt of gratitude to one specific piece of software: . for WSL integration