New IDE for C# (.NET): First Look at a Promising Tool

New IDE with support for C# (.NET): First Look

The world of development on the .NET platform continues to evolve. Following powerful but sometimes "heavy" solutions like Visual Studio and the rapid Roslyn, new tools are emerging on the market that aim to offer a fresh perspective on familiar processes. Today we will briefly review one such novelty — the development environment CodeFusion Studio (a conditional name reflecting its essence), which is positioned as a fast and modern IDE for C# and the entire .NET ecosystem.

What is it and who is it for?

CodeFusion Studio is a cross-platform development environment built on top of LSP (Language Server Protocol) and using the native .NET Runtime. Unlike bulky IDEs, it is aimed at:

• Microservices developers who need a lightweight yet functional tool.
• Students and beginners learning C# and .NET — the interface here is intuitive and not overloaded with unnecessary buttons.
• Teams working with Git — integration with version control systems is implemented at the "out of the box" level.

Key features of version 1.0

The developers have bet on three pillars: speed, intelligence, and visualization. Here is what stands out upon first acquaintance:

• ⚡ Instant startup and project handling. The IDE starts in 2-3 seconds even on machines with 8 GB of RAM. Opening a solution with 10 projects does not cause freezes.
• 🧠 Smart autocomplete (next-generation IntelliSense). The system analyzes not only types but also the context of variable usage, offering the most relevant methods and properties. Especially useful when working with LINQ and asynchronous queries.
• 🐞 Built-in debugger with hot reload. Supports breakpoints, call stack viewing, and importantly, Edit and Continue for ASP.NET Core and WinForms applications. Code changes are applied without restarting the process.
• 📊 Visual designer for XAML. Unlike a pure coder, there is a convenient drag-and-drop editor for WPF and UWP. This lowers the entry barrier for desktop application developers.
• 🔧 Support for the modern stack. Templates for Blazor, MAUI, gRPC, and, of course, classic ASP.NET Core MVC are available out of the box.

First impressions and comparison

At first glance, CodeFusion Studio resembles the "average" between Rider from JetBrains and Visual Studio Code with extensions. However, there are nuances:

• Pros: Excellent integration with testing (xUnit, NUnit) — tests can be run directly from the editor with color-coded result indicators. Built-in terminal with support for PowerShell and Bash.
• Cons: So far, weak support for refactoring (no advanced templates like "Extract Interface"). There are fewer plugins for third-party tools (e.g., for working with Docker) than competitors.

Conclusion

CodeFusion Studio is a breath of fresh air in the world of .NET IDEs. It does not try to replace Visual Studio for enterprise giants, but it is perfectly suited for rapid development, learning, and working on micro