Merge pull request #1599 from jasonrandrews/tool-installs

Review Visual Studio extension for WindowsPerf install guide

Author: jasonrandrews

content/install-guides/_images/vs-ext-install.png

@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 ---
 ### Title the install tools article with the name of the tool to be installed
 ### Include vendor name where appropriate
-title: WindowsPerf Visual Studio Extension
-draft: true
-cascade:
-    draft: true
+title: Visual Studio extension for WindowsPerf
 
 minutes_to_complete: 10
 
@@ -18,83 +15,110 @@ additional_search_terms:
   - profiling
   - profiler
   - windows
-  - woa
   - windows on arm
   - visual studio
+
 ### FIXED, DO NOT MODIFY
 weight: 1 # Defines page ordering. Must be 1 for first (or only) page.
 tool_install: true # Set to true to be listed in main selection page, else false
 multi_install: FALSE # Set to true if first page of multi-page article, else false
 multitool_install_part: false # Set to true if a sub-page of a multi-page article, else false
 layout: installtoolsall # DO NOT MODIFY. Always true for tool install articles
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-[WindowsPerf](/install-guides/wperf/) is a lightweight performance profiling tool inspired by Linux Perf, and specifically tailored for Windows on Arm. It leverages the AArch64 Performance Monitoring Unit (PMU) and its hardware counters to offer precise profiling capabilities. 
-
-Recognizing the complexities of command-line interaction, the WindowsPerf GUI is a Visual Studio 2022 extension created to provide a more intuitive, integrated experience within the Integrated Development Environment (IDE). This tool enables developers to interact with WindowsPerf, adjust settings, and visualize performance data seamlessly in Visual Studio.
-
-## Overview of key features
-
-The WindowsPerf GUI extension is composed of several key features, each designed to streamline the user experience:
-
-- **WindowsPerf Configuration**: Connect directly to `wperf.exe` for a seamless integration. Configuration is accessible by selecting **Tools > Options > Windows Perf > WindowsPerf Path**.
-- **Host Data**: Understand your environment by selecting **Tools** then **WindowsPerf Host Data**. This offers insights into tests run by WindowsPerf.
-- **Output Logging**: All commands executed through the GUI are logged, ensuring transparency and supporting performance analysis.
-- **Sampling UI**: Customize your sampling experience by selecting events, setting frequency and duration, choosing programs for sampling, and comprehensively analyzing results. See screenshot below.
-
-![Sampling preview #center](/install_guides/_images/wperf-vs-extension-sampling-preview.png "Sampling settings UI Overview")
-
 
-- **Counting Settings UI**: Build a `wperf stat` command from scratch using the configuration interface, then view the output in the IDE or open it with Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA). See screenshot below.
+WindowsPerf is a lightweight performance profiling tool inspired by Linux Perf, and specifically tailored for Windows on Arm. 
 
-
-![Counting preview #center](/install_guides/_images/wperf-vs-extension-counting-preview.png "Counting settings UI Overview")
+The WindowsPerf GUI is a Visual Studio 2022 extension created to provide a more intuitive experience within the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE). The extension enables developers to interact with WindowsPerf, adjust settings, and visualize performance data seamlessly in Visual Studio.
 
 ## Before you begin
 
-Before installing WindowsPerf Visual Studio Extension, check the following:
-1. Ensure Visual Studio 2022 is installed on your Windows on Arm device.
-2. Download and install WindowsPerf by following the [WindowsPerf install guide](/install-guides/wperf/).
-3. (Recommended) You can install the LLVM toolchain by following the [LLVM toolchain for Windows on Arm install guide](/install-guides/llvm-woa).
+Before installing the Visual Studio Extension for WindowsPerf, perform the following steps:
+
+1. Install [Visual Studio 2022](/install-guides/vs-woa/) on your Windows on Arm device.
+2. Install WindowsPerf using the [WindowsPerf install guide](/install-guides/wperf/).
+3. Install the LLVM toolchain using the [LLVM toolchain for Windows on Arm install guide](/install-guides/llvm-woa/).
 
 {{% notice llvm-objdump %}}
-The disassembly feature needs to have `llvm-objdump` available at `%PATH%` to work properly.
+The disassembly feature needs to have `llvm-objdump` available in the search path to work properly. Check your `%PATH%` variable to confirm it includes the location of `llvm-objdump`. 
 {{% /notice %}}
 
-### Installation from Visual Studio Extension Manager
+### Install using the Visual Studio Extension Manager
 
-To install the WindowsPerf Visual Studio Extension from Visual Studio:
+To install the Visual Studio extension for WindowsPerf from Visual Studio use the extension manager:
 
-1. Open Visual Studio 2022.
-2. Go to the **Extensions** menu and select **Manage Extensions**.
-4. Click on the search bar (Ctrl+L) and type `WindowsPerf`.
-5. Click on the **Install** button and restart Visual Studio.
+1. Open Visual Studio 2022
+2. Use the `Extensions` menu to select `Manage Extensions`
+3. Click on the `Search (Ctrl+L)` bar and type `WindowsPerf`
+4. Click on the `Install` button 
+5. Restart Visual Studio
 
-![WindowsPerf install page #center](/install_guides/_images/wperf-vs-extension-install-page.png)
+![Install #center](/install-guides/_images/wperf-vs-extension-install-page.png)
 
-### Installation from GitLab
+### Install from GitLab
 
 You can also install the WindowsPerf Visual Studio Extension from GitLab. 
 
-Download the installation file directly from the [release page](https://gitlab.com/Linaro/WindowsPerf/vs-extension/-/releases).
+Using a browser, visit the [Releases](https://gitlab.com/Linaro/WindowsPerf/vs-extension/-/releases) page and download the latest file. For example, `windowsperf-gui-3.1.3.zip`.
 
 Unzip the downloaded file and double click on the `WindowsPerfGUI.vsix` file.
 
+Follow the prompts to install the Visual Studio extension.
+
+![VSIX Install #center](/install-guides/_images/vs-ext-install.png)
+
 {{% notice Note %}}
 Make sure that any previous version of the extension is uninstalled and that Visual Studio is closed before installing the extension.
 {{% /notice %}}
 
-### Build from source
+### Build and install from source code
+
+Building the source is not required, but is an alternative installation method if you want to customize the extension. 
+
+To build the source code, clone [the repository](https://gitlab.com/Linaro/WindowsPerf/vs-extension.git) using Git. 
+
+```console
+git clone https://gitlab.com/Linaro/WindowsPerf/vs-extension.git
+```
 
-To build the source code, clone [the repository](https://gitlab.com/Linaro/WindowsPerf/vs-extension.git) and build the `WindowsPerfGUI` solution using the default configuration in Visual Studio. 
+Double click the `WindowsPerfGUI.sln` solution file to open the project Visual Studio. 
 
-Building the source is not required, but offered as an alternative installation method if you want to customize the extension. 
+{{% notice Note %}}
+Visual Studio may prompt you to install additional components required to build the project, install these components. 
+{{% /notice %}}
+
+Open the `Build` menu and select `Build Solution` to create `WindowsPerfGUI.dll` and `WindowsPerfGUI.vsix`. You can replace the currently installed files with these files to try any changes you have made.
 
 ### WindowsPerf Setup
 
-To get started, you must link the GUI with the executable file `wperf.exe` by navigating to **Tools > Options > WindowsPerf > WindowsPerf Path**. This step is crucial for utilizing the GUI, and the extension will not work if you don't do it.
+After the extension is installed, you must link the extension with the `wperf.exe` file by navigating to `Tools > Options > WindowsPerf > WindowsPerf Path` in Visual Studio.
+
+Use the `Select` button to navigate to your `wperf.exe` and the `Validate` button to confirm the executable is found. 
+
+![Validate #center](/install-guides/_images/wperf-validate.png)
+
+This step is crucial for utilizing the extension, and the extension will not work without this configuration.
+
+## Overview of key features
+
+The WindowsPerf extension is composed of several key features, each designed to streamline the user experience:
+
+- **WindowsPerf Configuration**: Connect directly to `wperf.exe` for a seamless integration. 
+- **Host Data**: Understand your environment by selecting `Tools` then `WindowsPerf Host Data`. 
+- **Output Logging**: All commands executed through the GUI are logged, ensuring transparency and aiding with performance analysis.
+- **Sampling UI**: Customize your sampling experience by selecting events, setting frequency and duration, choosing programs for sampling, and comprehensively analyzing results. 
+
+The sampling interface is shown below:
+
+![Sampling preview #center](/install-guides/_images/wperf-vs-extension-sampling-preview.png)
+
+- **Counting Settings UI**: Build a `wperf stat` command from scratch using the configuration interface, then view the output in VS Code or open it with Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA). 
+
+The interface to configure counting is shown below:
+
+![Counting preview #center](/install-guides/_images/wperf-vs-extension-counting-preview.png)
 
-## Uninstall the WindowsPerfGUI extension
+## Uninstall the WindowsPerf extension
 
-In Visual Studio go to **Extensions > Manage Extensions > Installed > All > WindowsPerfGUI** and select **Uninstall**. 
+To uninstall the extension in Visual Studio go to `Extensions > Manage Extensions > Installed > All > WindowsPerfGUI` and select `Uninstall`. 
 
-As this will be scheduled by Visual Studio, you might need to close the VS instance and follow the uninstall wizard to remove the extension.
+The uninstall will be scheduled by Visual Studio, so you need to close Visual Studio and follow the uninstall dialog to remove the extension.