Enabling developers to access software components of a software development set while the set is loading on to the computer. A user interface may provide a visual representation of the software set being loaded on to a computer, including displaying the contents of the software set. Contents of the software set may be displayed before the contents have been loaded on to the computer. A user may be enabled to select, from the visual representation, a software component of the loading set that has not yet been loaded on to the computer. In response, the selected component may be loaded on to the computer, for example, using a separate, higher-priority process or thread from the one loading the software set. The selected component may be loaded asynchronously, irrespective of the particular synchronous order in which the software components of the software set are being loaded.