Microsoft Visio

Microsoft Visio (formerly Microsoft Office Visio) is a diagramming and vector graphics application and is part of the Microsoft Office suite. The product was first introduced in 1992, made by the Shapeware corporation. It was acquired by Microsoft in 2000.

Features
Microsoft Visio 2010 for Windows is available in three editions: Standard, Professional and Premium. The Standard and Professional editions share the same interface, but the latter has additional templates for more advanced diagrams and layouts, as well as unique capabilities intended to make it easy for users to connect their diagrams to data sources and display their data graphically. The Premium edition features three additional diagram types as well as intelligent rules, validation, and subprocess (diagram breakdown).

File format
Visio 2010 and earlier read and write drawings in VSD or VDX file formats. VSD is the proprietary binary file format used in all of the previous version of Visio. VDX is a well-documented XML Schema-based ("DatadiagramML") format. Visio 2013 drops support for writing VDX files in favor of the new VSDX and VSDM file formats. Created based on Open Packaging Conventions (OPC) standard (ISO 29500, Part 2), a VSDX or VSDM file consists of a group of XML files archived inside a Zip file. The only difference between VSDX and VSDM is that VSDM files may contain macros. Since these files are susceptible to macro virus infection, the program enforces strict security on them.

While VSD files use LZW-like lossless compression, VDX is not compressed. Hence, a VDX file is typically 3 to 5 times larger. VSDX and VSDM files use the same compression as Zip files. Visio 2010 and earlier use VSD by default. Visio 2013 default is VSDX.

History
Visio began as a standalone product produced by Shapeware Corporation; version 1.0 shipped in 1992. A pre-release, Version 0.92, was distributed free on a floppy disk along with a Microsoft Windows systems readiness evaluation utility. In 1995, Shapeware Corporation changed their name to Visio Corporation to take advantage of market recognition and related product equity. Microsoft acquired Visio in 2000, re-branding it as a Microsoft Office application, like Microsoft Project; however, it has never been included in any of the Office suites. Microsoft included a Visio for Enterprise Architects edition with some editions of Visual Studio .NET 2003 and Visual Studio 2005.

Along with Microsoft Visio 2002 Professional, Microsoft introduced Visio Enterprise Network Tools and Visio Network Center. Visio Enterprise Network Tools was an add-on product that enabled automated network and directory services diagramming. Visio Network Center was a subscription-based website where users could locate the latest network documentation content and exact-replica network equipment shapes from 500 leading manufacturers. The former has been discontinued, while the latter's shape-finding features are now integrated into the program itself. Visio 2007 was released on November 30, 2006.

Microsoft Visio first adopted ribbons in its user interface in Visio 2010. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Outlook (to some extents) adopted ribbon with the release of Microsoft Office 2007. Other applications like Visio and OneNote, however, did not complete the adoption until 2010.

Versions

 * Visio v1.0 (Standard, Lite, Home)
 * Visio v2.0
 * Visio v3.0
 * Visio v4.0 (Standard, Technical)
 * Visio v4.1 (Standard, Technical)
 * Visio v4.5 (Standard, Professional, Technical)
 * Visio v5.0 (Standard, Professional, Technical)
 * Visio 2000 (v6.0; Standard, Professional, Technical, Enterprise) – later updated to SP1 and Microsoft branding after Visio Corporation's acquisition
 * Visio 2002 (v10.0; Standard, Professional)
 * Visio for Enterprise Architects 2003 (VEA 2003) – based on Visio 2002 and included with Visual Studio .NET 2003 Enterprise Architect edition
 * Office Visio 2003 (v11.0; Standard, Professional)
 * Office Visio for Enterprise Architects 2005 (VEA 2005) – based on Visio 2003 and included with Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite and Team Architect editions
 * Office Visio 2007 (v12.0; Standard, Professional)
 * Visio 2010 (v14.0; Standard, Professional, Premium)
 * Visio 2013 (v15.0; Standard, Professional)

There are no Visio versions 7, 8, or 9, because after Microsoft acquired and branded Visio as a Microsoft Office product, the Visio version numbers followed the Office version numbers. Version 13 was skipped.

Visio does not have a Mac OS X version.

In 7 May 2001, Microsoft introduced Visio Enterprise Network Tools (VENT), an add-on for Visio 2002 scheduled for release on 1 July 2001, and Visio Network Center, a subscription-based web service for IT professionals who use Microsoft Visio for computer network diagramming. VENT was discontinued on 1 July 2002 because of very low customer demand.