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Microsoft Visual Studio Code tool is now part of the Anaconda Python distribution

Microsoft is continuing to bang the AI drum with its developer tools, with its latest announcement that VS Code is shipping as part of the Anaconda Python distribution.
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

Microsoft is continuing its push to make its developer tools relevant to data scientists.

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Starting today, February 15, Microsoft's light-weight Visual Studio (VS) Code editor is shipping as part of the Anaconda Python distribution.

Python is largely used as an artificial intelligence (AI) language now. And Anaconda is a leading Python distribution.

VS Code can be installed at the same time as Anaconda and includes special features expressly for Anaconda users.

This isn't Microsoft's first stab at catering to the Python community. There's already an official Python extension for VS Code and support for Python in Azure Machine Learning Studio and SQL Server.

Last year, Microsoft introduced Visual Studio Tools for AI and Visual Studio Code for AI -- both of which are part of its suite for machine learning which is codenamed "Open Mind Studio." In 2016, Microsoft officials described Open Mind Studio as "the 'visual Studio' for Machine Learning."

VS Code is Microsoft's cross-platform, light-weight editor that works on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Microsoft open-sourced VS Code in 2015.

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