---
schema_version: "1"
id: dc8cae5eb88a5aa09ebecaa37453c5ee62268f3bc4c46391cda8b3eee18409a7
title: Tools for Visualforce Development
collection: developer
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/developer/current/en-us/platform/salesforce-pages-developers-guide/guides/pages/tools/pages-tools-intro.md
canonical_url: https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/platform/salesforce-pages-developers-guide/guide/pages-tools-intro.html
source_site: developer.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 69c4d107dca8d0c8ffb162f6f9d2615ca32e082229e5946287170219ade82dd7
products:
  - Visualforce Developer Guide
  - Platform Developer Content
---

# Tools for Visualforce Development

Before you begin to develop Visualforce pages and components, familiarize yourself with the different places to create them.

-   Develop Visualforce pages with Visualforce development mode. Visualforce development mode is only available for users with the Customize Application permission. Development mode provides you with:


    -   A special development footer on every Visualforce page that includes the page’s view state, any associated controller, a link to the component reference documentation, and a page markup editor that offers highlighting, find-replace functionality, and auto-suggest for component tag and attribute names.
    -   The ability to define new Visualforce pages just by entering a unique URL.
    -   Error messages that include more detailed stack traces than what standard users receive.
    To enable Visualforce development mode:

    1.  From your personal settings, enter `Advanced User Details` in the Quick Find box, then select **Advanced User Details**. No results? Enter `Personal Information` in the Quick Find box, then select **Personal Information**.
    2.  Click **Edit**.
    3.  Select the `Development Mode` checkbox.
    4.  Optionally, select the `Show View State in Development Mode` checkbox to enable the View State tab on the development footer. This tab is useful for monitoring the performance of your Visualforce pages.
    5.  Click **Save**.
-   Develop Visualforce pages through the Salesforce user interface. From Setup, enter `Visualforce Pages` in the `Quick Find` box, then select **Visualforce Pages**. For Visualforce components, from Setup, enter `Components` in the `Quick Find` box, then select **Visualforce Components**.
-   Develop Visualforce pages with Visual Studio Code, a lightweight and extensible code editor. [Salesforce Extensions for Visual Studio Code](https://developer.salesforce.com/tools/vscode) includes tools for developing on the Salesforce platform. It provides features for working with development orgs (scratch orgs, sandboxes, and DE orgs), Apex, Aura components, and Visualforce.

-   **[Using the Development Mode Footer](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/platform/salesforce-pages-developers-guide/guide/pages-tools-edit-toolbar.md)**  

-   **[About the Visualforce Editor](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/platform/salesforce-pages-developers-guide/guide/pages-tools-editor-tips.md)**  

-   **[Accessing Metrics for Your Visualforce Pages](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/platform/salesforce-pages-developers-guide/guide/pages-tools-metrics.md)**  


    To query metrics on the Visualforce pages in your org, use the `VisualforceAccessMetrics` object in the Salesforce SOAP API.