Question - How to edit and debug Red Alert source code to make mods?

[TheMisanthrope01]

I want to be able to make mods for Red Alert, and I do know a bit of C++, but I do not have any idea of how to go about editing the code. It seems that Visual Studio is not recommended as a development tool. So here are my question that I required specific answer to in order to know what the procedure is.

1- If not Visual Studio, which development tool should I use?
2- Can that tool debug the same way Visual Studio can, like with Play/Stop and breakpoints?
3- Can the game run in debug mode?
4- Once I edit the code in an editor (dev tool), then what? How do I apply my changes to the game?