Table of Contents

Visual Studio IDE Overview

Personalizing the Visual Studio IDE
How to: Change Fonts and Colors in Visual Studio
How to: Customize Menus and Toolbars in Visual Studio
Customizing window layouts in Visual Studio
Customizing the Start Page for Visual Studio
Managing External Tools
Synchronized Settings in Visual Studio
Get Started Developing with Visual Studio
Getting Started with Visual C# and Visual Basic
Quickstart: Create your first ASP.NET Core web app
Walkthrough: Create a Simple Application with Visual C# or Visual Basic
Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer
Tutorial 2: Create a Timed Math Quiz
Tutorial 3: Create a Matching Game
Getting Started with C++ in Visual Studio
Getting Started with Debugging in Visual Studio
How to: Move Around in the Visual Studio IDE
Optimize Visual Studio Performance
Optimize Visual Studio Performance
Optimize Solution Loading
Visual Studio Performance Tips and Tricks
Connected environment
Signing in to Visual Studio
Work with multiple user accounts
How to unlock Visual Studio
Visual Studio notifications
Whitelisting URLs in a private network
Proxy authorization required error
Solutions and Projects in Visual Studio
Creating Solutions and Projects
Adding and Removing Project Items
Managing Project and Solution Properties
Managing references in a project
How to: Add or Remove References By Using the Reference Manager
Adding References Using NuGet Versus an Extension SDK
How to: Add or Remove Imported Namespaces (Visual Basic)
Troubleshooting Broken References
Application Properties
Managing Application Resources (.NET)
Managing Application Settings (.NET)
Managing Assembly and Manifest Signing
How to: Sign Application and Deployment Manifests
How to: Specify an Application Icon (Visual Basic, C#)
Targeting a Specific .NET Framework Version
Visual Studio Multi-Targeting Overview
How to: Target a Version of the .NET Framework
Creating Project and Item Templates
How to: Create Project Templates
How to: Create Multi-Project Templates
How to: Create Item Templates
How to: Create Multi-file Item Templates
How to: Manually Create Web Templates
How to: Create Starter Kits
How to: Locate and Organize Project and Item Templates
Customizing Project and Item Templates
Visual Studio Template Reference
Writing Code in the Code and Text Editor
Finding and Replacing Text
Using Regular Expressions in Visual Studio
Find-Command Box
 Find in Files
Replace in Files
Encodings and Line Breaks
Outlining
Refactoring, Code Generation and Quick Actions
Quick Actions
Preview Changes
Productivity Tips for Visual Studio
Tips and Tricks for Visual Studio
Identifying and Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts in Visual Studio
Using IntelliSense
Visual Basic-Specific IntelliSense
Visual C# IntelliSense
Walkthrough: Test-First Support with the Generate From Usage Feature
JavaScript IntelliSense
Visual C++ Intellisense
Supplying XML Code Comments
Navigating Your Code
Finding references in your code
Go To Definition and Peek Definition
How to: View and Edit Code by Using Peek Definition (Alt+F12)
Find code using Go To commands
Customizing the Editor
How to: Change Text Case in the Editor
How to: Manage Editor Modes
How to: Manage Editor Windows
Develop code in Visual Studio without projects or solutions
Create portable, custom editor settings with EditorConfig
How to: Track Your Code by Customizing the Scrollbar
Code Snippets
Walkthrough: Creating a Code Snippet
How to: Distribute Code Snippets
 Visual C# Code Snippets
Visual C++ Code Snippets
Code Snippet Functions
How to: Use Surround-with Code Snippets
Best Practices for Using Code Snippets
Troubleshooting Snippets
Code Snippets Schema Reference
Using the Toolbox
Viewing the Structure of Code
Class View and Object Browser Icons
Designing and Viewing Classes and Types
Setting Bookmarks in Code
Using the Task List
Find code changes and other history with CodeLens
CodeIndex Command
Compiling and Building in Visual Studio
Walkthrough: Building an Application
Building and Cleaning Projects and Solutions in Visual Studio
How to: Change the Build Output Directory
How to: Build to a Common Output Directory
Specifying Custom Build Events in Visual Studio
How to: Set Multiple Startup Projects
How to: Create and Remove Project Dependencies
How to: View, Save, and Configure Build Log Files
How to: Exclude Projects from a Build
How to: Suppress Compiler Warnings
Understanding Build Configurations
How to: Create and Edit Configurations
How to: Manage Build Configurations with Visual Basic Developer Settings Applied
How to: Build Multiple Configurations Simultaneously
Understanding Build Platforms
How to: Configure Projects to Target Platforms
 How to: Configure Projects to Target Multiple Platforms
How to: Specify Build Events (Visual Basic)
How to: Specify Build Events (C#)
Configuring Warnings in Visual Basic
How to: Disable the Hosting Process
Hosting Process (vshost.exe)
Walkthrough: Creating a Multiple-Computer Build Environment
Debugging
Deployment
Profiling
Finding and Using Visual Studio Extensions
Improve Code Quality
Designing User Interfaces
Architecture
Visual Studio IDE 64-Bit Support
Security in Visual Studio
Securing Applications
Maintaining Security
User Permissions and Visual Studio
Security Bibliography
Visual Studio Samples
Microsoft Help Viewer
Microsoft Help Viewer Installation
Help Viewer Administrator Guide
Command-Line Arguments for the Help Content Manager
Help Content Manager Overrides
Install and Manage Local Content
Locate Information
How to: Find Topics in the Index
How to: Find Topics in the Table of Contents
How to: Search for Topics
Manage the Help Viewer Window
 Retain Topics for Later Use
Customize the Help Viewer
Troubleshooting the Help Viewer
Accessibility Features of the Help Viewer
Shortcut Keys (Help Viewer)
Dotfuscator Community Edition (CE)
Capabilities of Dotfuscator
Install Dotfuscator CE
Upgrade Dotfuscator CE
Globalizing and Localizing Applications
Introduction to International Applications Based on the .NET Framework
Localizing Applications
Hierarchical Organization of Resources for Localization
Security and Localized Satellite Assemblies
Version Numbers for Main and Localized Satellite Assemblies
Neutral Resources Languages for Localization
Globalizing Applications
Culture-Specific Classes for Global Windows Forms and Web Forms
Creating Applications in Bi-directional Languages
How to: Save and Open Files with Encoding
Adding Visual Studio editor support for other languages
Using the IDE for C#
Visual Studio IDE Reference
 Visual Studio IDE overview
10/18/2017 • 14 min to read • Edit Online

The Visual Studio interactive development environment (IDE) is a creative launching pad that you can use to view
and edit nearly any kind of code, and then debug, build, and publish apps for Android, iOS, Windows, the web, and
the cloud. There are versions available for Mac and Windows. This topic introduces you to the features of the
Visual Studio IDE. We'll walk through some things you can do with Visual Studio and how to install and use it,
create a simple project, get pointers on debugging and deploying code, and take a tour of the various tool
windows.

What can you do with the Visual Studio IDE?

Do you want to create an app for an Android phone? You can do that. How about create a cutting edge game using
C++? You can do that too and much, much more. Visual Studio provides templates that help you make websites,
games, desktop apps, mobile apps, apps for Office, and more.

Or, you can simply open some code you get from almost anywhere and get working. See a project on GitHub that
you like? Just clone the repository, open it in Visual Studio, and start coding!
Create mobile apps
You can create native mobile apps for different platforms by using Visual C# and Xamarin, or Visual C++, or
hybrid apps using JavaScript with Apache Cordova. You can write mobile games for Unity, Unreal, DirectX, Cocos,
and more. Visual Studio includes an Android emulator to help you run and debug Android apps.
You can leverage the power of the cloud for your mobile apps by creating Azure app services. Azure app services
enable your apps to store data on the cloud, securely authenticate users, and automatically scale its resources up
or down to accommodate the needs of your app and your business. To learn more, see Mobile App Development.
Create cloud apps for Azure
Visual Studio offers a suite of tools that enable you to easily create cloud-enabled applications powered by
Microsoft Azure. You can configure, build, debug, package, and deploy applications and services on Microsoft
Azure directly from the IDE. Leverage Azure services for your apps using Connected Services. To get Azure Tools
for .NET, select the Azure development workload when you install Visual Studio. For more information, see
Visual Studio Tools for Azure.
Create apps for the web
The web drives our modern world, and Visual Studio can help you write apps for it. You can create web apps using
ASP.NET, Node.js, Python, JavaScript and TypeScript. Visual Studio understands web frameworks like Angular,
jQuery, Express, and more. ASP.NET Core and .NET Core run on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. For
more information, see Modern Web Tooling.
Write code in a world class editing environment
Visual Studio helps you write code quickly and easily through features such as syntax colorization, statement
completion, IntelliSense (pop-up descriptions of the selected code element), code outlining, setting breakpoints for
debugging, and much more.

To learn more, see Writing Code in the Code and Text Editor.
Visual Studio can do help you do many more things. For a more complete list, see Visual Studio IDE.

Install the Visual Studio IDE

To get started, download Visual Studio and install it on your system. You can download it at Visual Studio 2017.
Visual Studio is now more lightweight than ever! The new modular installer enables you to choose and install
workloads, which are groups of features needed for the programming language or platform you prefer. This
strategy helps keep the footprint of the Visual Studio installation smaller than ever before, which means it installs
and updates faster too.
In addition to improved installation performance, Visual Studio 2017 also has shorter IDE start-up and solution
load times. For example, selecting the new Lightweight Solution Load feature, located on the main menu under
Tools, Options, Projects and Solutions, enables larger solutions to load faster.
To learn more about setting up Visual Studio on your system, see Install Visual Studio 2017.

Sign in
When you start Visual Studio for the first time, you can optionally sign in using your Microsoft account, or your
work or school account. Being signed in lets you synchronize Visual Studio settings, such as window layouts,
across multiple devices. It also connects you automatically to the services you might need, such as Azure
subscriptions and Visual Studio Team Services.

Create a program
One good way to learn about something is to use it! Let's dive in and create a new, simple program.
1. Open Visual Studio. On the menu, choose File, New, Project.
 As an alternative, you can create a new project by using the Start Page. For more information, see Harness
the Power of the Redesigned Start Page (blog).
2. The New Project dialog box shows several project templates. Choose the Windows Universal category
under Visual C#, choose the Blank App (Universal Windows) template, and then choose the OK button.

This creates a new blank Universal Windows app project using Visual C# and XAML as the programming
languages. Wait for a bit while Visual Studio sets up the project for you. If you are prompted for any
information, just accept the default values for now.
3. In the New Universal Windows Project dialog box, accept the defaults by choosing OK.
4. Shortly, you should see something like the following screenshot. Your project files are listed on the right
side in a window called Solution Explorer.
5. In Solution Explorer, choose the little black triangle next to the MainPage.xaml file to expand it, and you
should see a MainPage.xaml.cs file underneath. Choose this file (which contains C# code) to open it.
The C# code in MainPage.xaml.cs appears in the code editor on the left side of the screen. Notice that the
code syntax is automatically colorized to indicate different types of code, such as statements or comments.
In addition, small, vertical dashed lines in the code indicate which braces match one another, and line
numbers help you locate code later. You can choose the small, boxed minus signs to collapse or expand
code. This code outlining feature lets you hide code you don't need, helping to minimize onscreen clutter.

There are other menus and tool windows available, but let's move on for now.
6. Add a button to the XAML form to give users a way to interact with your app. To do this, open the
 MainPage.xaml file. This shows a split view: a designer above, for visually placing controls, and a code view
below, which shows the XAML code behind the designer. When you run the program later, what you see in
the designer becomes a window that users will see, a "form", and the underlying XAML determines what
appears on the form.
7. On the left side of the screen, choose the Toolbox tab to open the Toolbox. The Toolbox contains a number
of visual controls that you can add to forms. For now, we'll just add a button control.
8. Expand the Common XAML Controls section and then drag the Button control out to about the middle of
the form. (The exact location doesn't matter.)

When you're done, you should see something similar to the following.
 The button is on the designer, and its underlying code (highlighted) is automatically added to the designer's
XAML code.
9. Let's change some of the XAML code. Rename the text in the button code from Button to Hello! .

10. Now, start the app. You can do this by choosing the Start ( ) button on the toolbar, or by choosing the F5
key, or on the menu, choosing Debug, Start Debugging.

The app begins its build process and status messages appear in the Output window. Soon, you should see
 the form appear with your button in it. You now have a running app!

Of course, it doesn't do much right now, but you can add more functionality to it later if you want.
11. When you're done running the program, choose the Stop ( ) button on the toolbar to stop it.
Let's recap what you did so far: you created a new C# Windows Universal project in Visual Studio, viewed its code,
added a control to the designer, changed some XAML code, and then ran the project. Although the process was
simplified for this example, this shows you some common parts of the Visual Studio IDE that you will use when
you develop your own apps. If you want further details about this example, see Create a "Hello, world" app (XAML).

Debug, test, and improve your code

Nothing runs perfectly all the time. When you write code, you need to run it and test it for bugs and performance.
Visual Studio's cutting edge debugging system enables you to debug code running in your local project, on a
remote device, or on an emulator such as the ones for Android or Windows Phone devices. You can step through
code one statement at a time and inspect variables as you go, you can step through multi-threaded applications,
and you can set breakpoints that are only hit when a specified condition is true. You can monitor the values of
variables as the code runs, and more. All of this can be managed in the code editor itself, so that you don't have to
leave your code.
For testing, Visual Studio offers unit testing, IntelliTest, load and performance testing, and more. To get more
details about the Visual Studio debugging process, see Debugger Feature Tour. To learn more about testing, see
Testing Tools. To learn more about improving the performance of your apps, see Profiling Feature Tour.

Deploy your finished application

When your application is ready to deploy to users or customers, Visual Studio provides the tools to do that,
whether you're deploying to the Windows Store, to a SharePoint site, or with InstallShield or Windows Installer
technologies. It's all accessible through the IDE. For more information, see Deploying Applications, Services, and
Components.

Quick tour of the IDE

To give you a high-level visual overview of Visual Studio, the following image shows Visual Studio with an open
project along with several key tool windows you will most likely use:
Solution Explorer lets you view, navigate, and manage your code files. Solution Explorer can help organize
your code by grouping the files into solutions and projects.
The Editor window, where you'll likely spend a majority of your time, shows your code and enables you to
edit source code and design a UI.
The Output window is where Visual Studio sends its notifications, such as debugging and error messages,
compiler warnings, publishing status messages, and more. Each message source has its own tab.
Team Explorer lets you track work items and share code with others using version control technologies
such as Git and Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC).
Cloud Explorer lets you view and manage your Azure resources, such as virtual machines, tables, SQL
databases, and more. If a particular operation requires the Azure portal, Cloud Explorer provides links that
take you to the place in the Azure portal you need to go.
Following are some other common productivity features in Visual Studio:
The Quick Launch search box is a great way to rapidly find what you need in Visual Studio. Just start
entering in the name of whatever you are looking for, and Visual Studio lists results that take you exactly
where you want to go. Quick Launch also shows links that start the Visual Studio Installer for any workload
or individual component.

Refactoring includes operations such as intelligent renaming of variables, moving selected lines of code into
a separate function, moving code to other locations, reordering function parameters, and more.
IntelliSense is an umbrella term for a set of popular features that display type information about your
code directly in the editor and, in some cases, write small bits of code for you. It's like having basic
documentation inline in the editor, which saves you from having to look up type information in a separate
help window. IntelliSense features vary by language. For more information, see Visual C# IntelliSense,
Visual C++ Intellisense, JavaScript IntelliSense, and Visual Basic-Specific IntelliSense. The following
illustration shows some IntelliSense features at work:

Squiggles are wavy red underlines that alert you to errors or potential problems in your code in real time
as you type. This enables you to fix them immediately without waiting for the error to be discovered during
compilation or run time. If you hover over the squiggle, you see additional information about the error. A
light bulb may also appear in the left margin with suggestions for how to fix the error. For more
information, see Perform quick actions with light bulbs.

The Call Hierarchy window can be opened on the text editor context menu to show the methods that call,
and are called by, the method under the caret (insertion point).

CodeLens enables you to find references and changes to your code, linked bugs, work items, code reviews,
and unit tests, all without leaving the editor.

The Peek to Definition window shows a method or type definition inline, without navigating away from
your current context.

The Go To Definition context menu option takes you directly to the place where the function or object is
defined. Other navigation commands are also available by right-clicking in the editor.

A related tool, the Object Browser, enables you to inspect .NET or Windows Runtime assemblies on your
system to see what types they contain and what members (properties, methods, events, etc.) those types
contain.
Manage your source code and collaborate with others
You can manage your source code in Git repos hosted by any provider, including GitHub. Or use Visual Studio
Team Services (VSTS) to manage code alongside bugs and work items for your whole project. See Get Started with
Git and Team Services to learn more about managing Git repos in Visual Studio using Team Explorer. Visual Studio
also has other built-in source control features. To learn more about them, see New Git Features in Visual Studio
2017 (blog).
Visual Studio Team Services is a cloud-based service for hosting software projects and enabling collaboration in
teams. VSTS supports both Git and Team Foundation Source Control systems, as well as Scrum, CMMI and Agile
development methodologies. Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC) uses a single, centralized server repository
to track and version files. Local changes are always checked in to the central server where other developers can get
the latest changes.
Team Foundation Server (TFS) is the application lifecycle management hub for Visual Studio. It enables everyone
involved with the development process to participate using a single solution. TFS is useful for managing
heterogeneous teams and projects, too.
If you have a Visual Studio Team Services account or a Team Foundation Server on your network, you connect to it
through the Team Explorer window in Visual Studio. From this window you can check code into or out of source
control, manage work items, start builds, and access team rooms and workspaces. You can open Team Explorer
from the Quick Launch box, or on the main menu from View, Team Explorer or from Team, Manage
Connections.
The following image shows the Team Explorer window for a solution that is hosted in VSTS.
For more information about Visual Studio Team Services, see Visual Studio Team Services. For more information
about Team Foundation Server, see Team Foundation Server.

Connect to services, databases, and cloud-based resources

The cloud is critical for today's online world, and Visual Studio provides you the means to leverage it. For example,
the Connected Services feature enables you to connect your app to services. Your apps can use it to store their
data on Azure storage, among other things.
Choosing a service on the Connected Services page starts a Connected Services Wizard that configures your
project and downloads the necessary NuGet packages to help get you started coding against the service.
You can view and manage your Azure-based cloud resources within Visual Studio using Cloud Explorer. Cloud
Explorer shows the Azure resources in all the accounts managed under the Azure subscription you are logged into.
You can get Cloud Explorer by selecting the Azure development workload in the Visual Studio installer.

Server Explorer helps you browse and manage SQL Server instances and assets locally, remotely, and on Azure,
Salesforce.com, Office 365, and websites. To open Server Explorer, on the main menu, choose View, Server
Explorer. See Add new connections for more information on using Server Explorer.
SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) is a powerful development environment for SQL Server, Azure SQL Database and
Azure SQL Data Warehouse. It enables you to build, debug, maintain, and refactor databases. You can work with a
database project, or directly with a connected database instance on- or off-premises.
SQL Server Object Explorer in Visual Studio provides a view of your database objects similar to SQL Server
Management Studio. SQL Server Object Explorer enables you to do light-duty database administration and design
work, including editing table data, comparing schemas, executing queries by using contextual menus right from
SQL Server Object Explorer, and more.
Extend Visual Studio
If Visual Studio doesn't have the exact functionality you need, you can add it! You can personalize the IDE based on
your workflow and style, add support for external tools not yet integrated with Visual Studio, and modify existing
functionality to increase your productivity. Visual Studio provides tools, controls, and templates from Microsoft,
our partners, and the community. To learn more about extending Visual Studio, see Extend Visual Studio IDE.

Learn more and find out what's new

If you've never used Visual Studio before, look at Get Started Developing with Visual Studio, or check out the free
Visual Studio courses available on Microsoft Virtual Academy. If you want to check out the new features in Visual
Studio 2017, see What's New in Visual Studio 2017.
Congratulations on completing the tour of the Visual Studio IDE! We hope you learned something useful about
some of its main features.

See also
Visual Studio IDE
Visual Studio Downloads
The Visual Studio Blog
Visual Studio Forums
Microsoft Virtual Academy
Channel 9
 Personalize the Visual Studio IDE
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can personalize Visual Studio in various ways to best support your own development style and
requirements. This topic briefly describes different personalizations and where to find more information.
Additional options are also exposed through the Environment Options Dialog Box. Furthermore, many of your
settings roam with you across Visual Studio instances. See Synchronized Settings.

Window layouts
You can define and save multiple window layouts and switch between them. For example, you can define a layout
for coding and one for debugging. To arrange window positions and behavior, and save custom layouts, see
Customizing window layouts.

General environment options

To customize many environment settings, type environment in QuickLaunch. When the property page appears,
you can press F1 for more help on the various settings on that page. See also Environment Options Dialog Box.

External tools
To customize which external tools appear in menus and toolbars, see Managing External Tools.

Start page
To create a custom start page for you and your team, see Customizing the Start Page.

Environment color themes

To change the color theme between light, dark and blue, type "environment" in QuickLaunch, choose
Environment > General, and change the Color theme option.
To change colorization options in the editor, type environment in QuickLaunch and choose Environment >
Fonts and Colors. See also How to: Change Fonts and Colors.
Menus and toolbars
To add or remove menu or toolbar items, see How to: Customize Menus and Toolbars.
Main menu casing
You can change the main menu casing between Title Case (such as "File") and ALL CAPS ("FILE"). Type
"environment" in QuickLaunch, select Environment > General, and change the Apply title case styling to
menu bar option.

See Also
Visual Studio IDE
 How to: Change Fonts and Colors in Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can customize the color of the IDE frame and tool windows in Visual Studio in several ways.

TIP
For information about how to change the colors of the code editor, see How to: Change Fonts and Colors in the Editor.

Change the Color Theme of the IDE

1. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Options.
2. In the options list, choose Environment, General.
3. In the Color theme list, choose either the default Blue theme, Dark or Light.

IMPORTANT
When you change a color theme, text in the IDE reverts to the default or previously customized fonts and sizes.
If you have Visual Studio Professional, Visual Studio Premium, or Visual Studio Ultimate, you can install additional
predefined color themes and create your own by downloading and installing the Visual Studio 2013 Color Theme
Editor.

Use Windows High Contrast Colors

Choose the Left Alt + Left Shift + Print Screen keys.

WARNING
This option sets high contrast for all applications and UI on the current computer.

Change IDE Fonts

You can change the font and text size for all windows and dialog boxes in the IDE. You can choose to customize
only certain windows and other text elements.
To change the font and size of all text in the IDE
1. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Options.
2. In the options list, choose Environment, Fonts and Colors.
3. In the Show settings for list, choose Environment Font.

TIP
If you want to change the font for tool windows only, in the Show settings for list, choose [All Text Tool
Windows].

4. In the Font list, choose a font.

5. In the Size list, choose a text size, and then choose the OK button.
See Also
Accessibility Features of Visual Studio
How to: Change Fonts and Colors in the Editor
 How to: Customize Menus and Toolbars in Visual
Studio
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

You can customize Visual Studio not only by adding and removing toolbars and menus on the menu bar but also
by adding and removing commands on any given toolbar or menu.

WARNING
After you customize a toolbar or menu, make sure that its check box remains selected in the Customize dialog box.
Otherwise, your changes won't persist after you close and reopen Visual Studio.

In this topic:
Adding, removing, or moving a menu on the menu bar
Adding, removing, or moving a toolbar
Customizing a menu or a toolbar
Resetting a menu or a toolbar

Adding, removing, or moving a menu on the menu bar

1. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Customize.
The Customize dialog box opens.
2. On the Commands tab, leave the Menu bar option button selected, leave Menu Bar selected in the list
next to that option, and then perform one of the following sets of steps:
To add a menu, choose the Add New Menu button, choose the Modify Selection button, and then
name the menu that you want to add.
 To remove a menu, choose it in the Controls list, and then choose the Delete button.
To move a menu within the menu bar, choose the menu in the Controls list, and then choose the
Move Up or Move Down button.

Adding, removing, or moving a toolbar

1. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Customize.
The Customize dialog box opens.
2. On the Toolbar tab, perform one of the following sets of steps:
To add a toolbar, choose the New button, specify a name for the toolbar that you want to add, and
then choose the OK button.

To remove a custom toolbar, choose it in the Toolbars list, and then choose the Delete button.

IMPORTANT
You can delete toolbars that you create but not default toolbars.
 To move a toolbar to a different docking location, choose it in the Toolbars list, choose the Modify
Selection button, and then choose a location in the list that appears.
You can also drag a toolbar by its left edge to move it anywhere in the main docking area.

NOTE
For more information about how to improve the usability and accessibility of toolbars, see How to: Set IDE
Accessibility Options.

Customizing a menu or a toolbar

1. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Customize.
The Customize dialog box opens.
2. On the Commands tab, choose the option button for the type of element that you want to customize.
3. In the list for that type of element, choose the menu or toolbar that you want to customize, and then
perform one of the following sets of steps:
To add a command, choose the Add Command button.
In the Add Command dialog box, choose an item in the Categories list, choose an item in the
Commands list, and then choose the OK button.

To delete a command, choose it in the Controls list, and then choose the Delete button.
To reorder commands, choose a command in the Controls list, and then choose the Move Up or
Move Down button.
To separate commands into groups, choose a command in the Controls list, choose the Modify
Selection button, and then choose Begin a Group in the menu that appears.

Resetting a menu or a toolbar

1. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Customize.
The Customize dialog box opens.
2. On the Commands tab, choose the option button for the type of element that you want to reset.
3. In the list for that type of element, choose the menu or toolbar that you want to reset.
4. Choose the Modify Selection button, and then choose Reset in the menu that appears.
You can also reset all menus and toolbars by choosing the Reset All button.
 Customize window layouts in Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 9 min to read • Edit Online

In Visual Studio you can customize the position, size and behavior of windows to create window layouts that work
best for various development workflows. When you customize the layout, the IDE remembers it. For example, if
you change the docking location of Solution Explorer and then close Visual Studio, the next time that you start,
even if you are working on another computer, Solution Explorer will be docked in that same location. You can
also give a custom layout a name and save it, and then switch between layouts with a single command. For
example you could create a layout for editing, and another for debugging, and switch between them by using the
Window | Apply Window Layout menu command.

Kinds of windows
Tool and document windows
The IDE has two basic window types, tool windows and document windows. Tool windows include Solution
Explorer, Server Explorer, Output Window, Error List, the designers, the debugger windows, and so on. Document
windows contain source code files, arbitrary text files, config files, and so on. Tool windows can be resized and
dragged by their title bar. Document windows can be dragged by their tab. Right-click on the tab or title bar to set
other options on the window.
The Window menu shows options for docking, floating and hiding windows in the IDE. Right click on a window
tab or title bar to see additional options for that specific window. You can display more than one instance of
certain tool windows at a time. For example, you can display more than one web browser window, and you can
create additional instances of some tool windows by choosing New Window on the Window menu.
Preview tab (document windows)
In the Preview tab, you can view files in the editor without opening them. You can preview files by choosing them
in Solution Explorer, during debugging when you step into files, with Go to Definition, and when you browse
through results of a search. Preview files appear in a tab on the right side of the document tab well. The file opens
for editing if you modify it or choose the Open.
Tab groups
Tab Groups extend your ability to manage limited workspace while you are working with two or more open
documents in the IDE. You can organize multiple document windows and tool windows into either vertical or
horizontal Tab Groups and shuffle documents from one Tab Group to another.
Split windows
When you have to view or edit two locations at once in a document, you can split windows. To divide your
document into two independently scrolling sections, click Split on the Window menu. Click Remove Split on the
Window menu to restore the single view.
Toolbars
Toolbars can be arranged by dragging, or by using the Customize dialog box. For more information about how to
position and customize toolbars, see How to: Customize Menus and Toolbars.

Arrange and dock Windows

Both document windows and tool windows can be docked, so that it has a position and size within the IDE window
frame, or floating as a separate window independent of the IDE. Tool windows can be docked anywhere inside the
IDE frame; some tool windows can be docked as tabbed windows in the editor frame. Document windows can be
docked within the editor frame, and they can be pinned to their current position in the tab order. You can dock
multiple windows to float together in a "raft" over or outside of the IDE. Tool windows can also be hidden or
minimized.
You can arrange windows in the following ways:
Pin document windows to the left of the tab well.
Tab-dock windows to the editing frame.
Dock tool windows to the edge of a frame in the IDE.
Float document or tool windows over or outside the IDE.
Hide tool windows along the edge of the IDE.
Display windows on different monitors.
Reset window placement to the default layout or to a saved custom layout.
Tool and document windows can be arranged by dragging, by using commands on the Window menu, and
by right-clicking the title bar of the window to be arranged.

NOTE
Your computer might show different names or locations for some of the Visual Studio user interface elements in the
following instructions. The Visual Studio edition that you have and the settings that you use determine these elements. For
more information, see Personalize the Visual Studio IDE.

Dock Windows
When you click and drag the title bar of a tool window, or the tab of document window, a guide diamond appears.
During the drag operation, when the mouse cursor is over one of the arrows in the diamond, a shaded area will
appear that shows you where the window will be docked if you release the mouse button now.
To move a dockable window without snapping it into place, choose the Ctrl key while you drag the window.
To return a tool window or document window to its most recent docked location, press CTRL while you double-
click the title bar or tab of the window.
The following illustration shows the guide diamond for document windows, which can only be docked within the
editing frame:

Tool windows can be fastened to one side of a frame in the IDE or within the editing frame. A guide diamond
appears when you drag a tool window to another location to help you to easily re-dock the window.
Guide diamond for tool windows
The following illustration shows Solution Explorer being docked in a new location, which is shown by the blue
shaded area:

Close and auto -hide tool windows

You can close a tool window by clicking the X in the upper right of the title bar; to reopen the window, use its
keyboard shortcut or menu command. Tool windows support a feature named Auto Hide, which causes a window
to slide out of the way when you use a different window. When a window is auto-hidden, its name appears on a
tab at the edge of the IDE. To use the window again, point to the tab so that the window slides back into view.

NOTE
To set whether Auto Hide operates on tool windows individually or as docked groups, select or clear Auto Hide button
affects active tool windows only in the Options dialog box. For more information, see General, Environment, Options
Dialog Box.
 NOTE
Tool windows that have Auto Hide enabled may temporarily slide into view when the window has focus. To hide the window
again, select an item outside of the current window. When the window loses focus, it slides back out of view.

Specifying a second monitor

If you have a second monitor and your operating system supports it, you can choose which monitor displays a
window. You can even group multiple windows together in "rafts" on other monitors.

TIP
You can create multiple instances of Solution Explorer and move them to another monitor. Right-click the window and
choose New Solution Explorer View. You can return all windows back to the original monitor by double-clicking while
choosing the Ctrl key.

Reset, name, and switch between window layouts

You can return the IDE to the original window layout for your settings collection by using the Reset Window
Layout command. When you run this command, the following actions occur:
All windows are moved to their default positions.
Windows that are closed in the default window layout are closed.
Windows that are open in the default window layout are opened.
Create and save custom layouts
Visual Studio enables you to save up to 10 custom window layouts and quickly switch between them. The
following steps show how to create, save, invoke, and manage custom layouts that take advantage of multiple
monitors with both docked and floating tool windows.
First, create a test solution that has two projects, each with a different optimal layout.
C r e a t e a U I p r o j e c t a n d c u st o m i z e t h e l a y o u t

1. In the New Project dialog, create a Visual C# WPF Desktop Application and call it whatever you like.
Pretend that this is the project where we'll be working on the user interface, so we want to maximize the
space for the designer window and move other tool windows out of the way.
2. If you have multiple monitors, pull the Solution Explorer window and the Properties window over to
your second monitor. On a single monitor system, try closing all the windows except the designer.
3. Press Ctrl + Alt + X to display the Toolbox. If the window is docked, drag it so that it floats somewhere
where you'd like to position it, on either monitor.
4. Press F5 to put Visual Studio into debugging mode. Adjust the position of the Autos, Call Stack and Output
debugging windows the way you want them. The layout you are about to create will apply to both editing
mode and debugging mode.
5. When your layouts in both debugging mode and editing mode are how you want them, from the main
menu choose Window > Save Window Layout. Call this layout "Designer."
Note that your new layout is assigned the next Keyboard shortcut from the reserved list of Ctrl + Alt + 1...0.
C r e a t e a d a t a b a se p r o j e c t a n d l a y o u t

1. Add a new SQL Server Database project to the solution.

2. Right-click on the new project in Solution Explorer and choose View in Object Explorer. This displays the
SQL Server Object Explorer window, which enables you to access tables, views and other objects in your
 database. You can either float this window or leave it docked. Adjust the other tool windows the way you
want them. For added realism, you can add an actual database, but it's not necessary for this walkthrough.
3. When your layout is how you want it, from the main menu choose Window > Save Window Layout. Call
this layout "DB Project." (We won't bother with a debug mode layout for this project.)
Sw i t c h b e t w e e n t h e l a y o u t s

1. To switch between layouts, use the Keyboard shortcuts, or from the main menu choose Window > Apply
Window Layout.

After applying the UI layout, note how the layout is preserved both in editing mode and in debug mode.
If you have a multi monitor setup at work and a single monitor laptop at home, you can create layouts that
are optimized for each machine.
Note: If you apply a multi-monitor layout on a single-monitor system, the floating windows that you placed
on the second monitor will now be hidden behind the Visual Studio window. You can bring these windows
to the front by pressing Alt + Tab. If you later open Visual Studio with multiple monitors, you can restore
the windows to their specified positions by re-applying the layout.
Man age an d roam you r layou t s

1. You can remove, rename or reorder your custom layout by choosing Window > Manage Window
Layouts. If you move a layout, the key binding is automatically adjusted to reflect the new position in the
list. The bindings cannot be otherwise modified, and so you can store a maximum of 10 layouts at a time.

To remind yourself which keyboard shortcut is assigned to which layout, choose Window > Apply
Window Layout.
These layouts automatically roam between Visual Studio editions, and also between Blend instances on
 separate machines, and from any Express edition to any other Express organization. However, layouts do
not roam across Visual Studio, Blend and Express.

Related Topics
How to: Move Around in the IDE
 Customize the start page for Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can customize the start page for Visual Studio in several default ways, such as showing the Open Project
dialog box or opening the solution that was loaded most recently. You can also show a custom start page, which is
a Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) XAML page that runs in a tool window and can run commands that are
internal to Visual Studio.

Customize the default start page

1. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Options.
2. Expand Environment, and then choose Startup.
3. In the At startup list, choose the item for the customization that you want.

Show a custom start page

1. Install a custom start page in one of the following ways:
Install it from the Visual Studio Gallery, another website, or a page on your local intranet.
Open a .vsix file that contains a custom start page, or copy and paste the start-page files into the
%USERPROFILE% \My Documents\Visual Studio 2017\StartPages folder on your computer.
Create your own start page if you've installed the Visual Studio SDK.
See Creating a Custom Start Page.
2. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Options.
3. Expand Environment, and then choose Startup.
4. In the Customize Start Page list, choose the page that you want.

NOTE
If an error in a custom start page causes Visual Studio to crash, you can start Visual Studio in safe mode and then set it to
use the default start page. See /SafeMode (devenv.exe).

See also
Personalize the Visual Studio IDE
 Manage external tools
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

You can call external tools from inside Visual Studio by using the Tools menu. A few default tools are available
from the Tools menu, but you can add other executables of your own.

Tools available on the Visual Studio Tools menu

The Tools menu contains several built-in commands, such as:
Extensions and Updates for managing Visual Studio Extensions
Code Snippets Manager... for organizing Code Snippets
PreEmptive Protection - Dotfuscator for launching Dotfuscator Community Edition (CE) if it is installed
Customize... for customizing menus and toolbars
Options... for setting a variety of different options for the Visual Studio IDE and other tools

Add new tools to the Tools menu

You can add an external tool to the Tools menu. Open the External Tools... dialog box and click Add, then fill in
the information. For example, the following entry causes Windows Explorer to open at the directory of the file you
currently have open in Visual Studio:
1. Title: Open File Location
2. Command: explorer.exe

3. Arguments: /root, "$(ItemDir)"

The following is a full list of arguments that can be used when defining an external tool.

NOTE
The IDE status bar displays the Current Line and Current Column variables to indicate where the insertion point is located in
the active Code Editor. The Current Text variable returns the text or code selected at that location.

NAME ARGUMENT DESCRIPTION

Item Path $(ItemPath) The complete file name of the current

file (drive + path + file name).

Item Directory $(ItemDir) The directory of the current file (drive +

path).

Item File Name $(ItemFilename) The file name of the current file (file
name).

Item Extension $(ItemExt) The file name extension of the current

file.

Current Line $(CurLine) The current line position of the cursor in

the code window.
 NAME ARGUMENT DESCRIPTION

Current Column $(CurCol) The current column position of the

cursor in the code window.

Current Text $(CurText) The selected text.

Target Path $(TargetPath) The complete file name of the item to

be built (drive + path + file name).

Target Directory $(TargetDir) The directory of the item to be built.

Target Name $(TargetName) The file name of the item to be built.

Target Extension $(TargetExt) The file name extension of the item to

be built.

Binary Directory $(BinDir) The final location of the binary that is

being built (defined as drive + path). For
example:\...\My Documents\Visual
Studio <Version>\
<ProjectName>\bin\debug

Project Directory $(ProjDir) The directory of the current project

(drive + path).

Project file name $(ProjFileName) The file name of the current project
(drive + path + file name).

Solution Directory $(SolutionDir) The directory of the current solution

(drive + path).

Solution file name $(SolutionFileName) The file name of the current solution
(drive + path + file name).

See also
C/C++ Build Tools
 Synchronize your settings in Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

When you sign in to Visual Studio on multiple computers using the same personalization account, by default your
settings are synchronized on all computers.

Synchronized settings
By default, the following settings are synchronized.
Development settings (You have to select a set of settings the first time you run Visual Studio, but you can
change the selection anytime. For more information, see Personalize the Visual Studio IDE.)
The following options in the Tools | Options pages:
Theme and menu bar casing settings, on the Environment, General options page
All settings on the Environment, Fonts and Colors options page
All keyboard shortcuts, on the Environment, Keyboard options page
All settings on the Environment, Tabs and Windows options page
All settings on the Environment, StartUp options page
All settings on the Text Editor options pages
All settings on the XAML Designer options pages
User-defined command aliases. For more information about how to define command aliases, see Visual
Studio Command Aliases.
User-defined window layouts in Window | Manage Window Layouts page

Turn off synchronized settings on a particular computer

Synchronized settings for Visual Studio are turned on by default. You can turn off synchronized settings on a
computer by going to the Tools | Options | Environment | Synchronized Settings page and unchecking the
checkbox. For example, if you decide not to synchronize Visual Studio's settings on Computer A, any setting
changes made on Computer A do not appear on Computer B or Computer C. Computer B and C will continue to
synchronize with each other, but not with Computer A.

Synchronize settings across Visual Studio family products and editions

Settings can be synchronized across any edition of Visual Studio, including the Community edition. Settings are
also synchronized across Visual Studio family products. However, each of these family products may have its own
settings that are not shared with Visual Studio. For example, settings specific to one product on Computer A will be
shared with another on Computer B, but not with Visual Studio on Computer A or B.

Side-by-side synchronized settings

In Visual Studio 15.3 and later, we've stopped sharing certain settings, like tool window layout, between different
side-by-side installations of Visual Studio 2017 by changing the location of CurrentSettings.vssettings file in
%userprofile%\Documents\Visual Studio 2017\Settings to an installation specific folder that is similar to
%localappdata%\Microsoft\VisualStudio\15.0_xxxxxxxx\Settings .
NOTE: To use the new installation specific settings, you must complete a fresh installation. When you perform an
upgrade of an existing Visual Studio 2017 installation to the most current update, it will use the existing shared
location. If you currently have side-by-side installations of Visual Studio 2017 and decide to upgrade, and want to
use the new installation specific settings file location, follow these steps:
1. After the upgrade, use the Import\Export settings wizard to export all our existing settings to some location
outside of %localappdata%\Microsoft\VisualStudio\15.0_xxxxxxxx folder.
2. Open the Developer Command Prompt for VS 2017 of the upgraded Visual Studio installation and run
devenv /resetuserdata from it.
3. Launch Visual Studio and import the saved settings from the exported settings file.

See also
Personalizing the IDE
 Get Started Developing with Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

Welcome to Visual Studio! After you have downloaded the product, these pages will help you get started coding.
Make web apps: Tools to create and deploy modern web applications.
Do a tutorial | Browse the docs | Watch a video
Make cross-platform mobile apps in HTML/Javascript (Apache Cordova) : Apache Cordova is an
open-source cross-platform environment that is based on HTML/CSS/Javascript. Your Javascript code
executes in a wrapper that targets a specific platform and enables access to all the hardware capabilities of
the device. Develop apps for the Apple Store, the Android store, and the Windows Store.
Load a sample | Do a tutorial | Browse the docs | Watch a video
Make cross-platform mobile apps in C# or Visual Basic (Xamarin) : Get started using Visual Studio and
Tools for Xamarin to create mobile apps that run on Android, iOS, and the Universal Windows Platform
from a shared code base.
Load a sample: Tasky Portable (native UI) or Xamarin Forms Todo sample (Xamarin.Forms shared UI) | Do a
tutorial | Browse the docs | Watch a video
Make native cross-platform apps and libraries in C++ Go here to get started creating C++ apps and
libraries that run on Android, iOS, and the Universal Windows Platform.
Load a sample | Do a tutorial | Browse the docs | Watch a video
Make games with DirectX : Get started creating Universal Windows Platform games using DirectX.
Load a sample | Do a tutorial | Browse the docs | Watch a video
Make games with Unity : Get started creating cross-platform games using Unity framework.
Load a sample | Do a tutorial | Browse the docs | Watch a video
Make Universal Windows Platform apps : Get started creating apps that run on the Universal Windows
Platform (XBox, PCs, tablets, Windows Phone, Surface Hub, and Internet of Things).
Load a sample | Do a tutorial | Browse the docs | Watch a video
Make desktop applications : Go here to get started creating traditional desktop applications that run on
Windows PCs.
Load a sample | Do a tutorial | Browse the docs
Make Office applications : Get started creating Office applications that extend and customize Word, Excel,
Outlook and Powerpoint with Office 365 services.
Load a sample | Do a tutorial | Browse the docs | Watch a video
Tour Visual Studio Team Services and Team Foundation Server Learn more about Visual Studio Team
Services and Team Foundation Server.

In this section
Getting Started with Visual C# and Visual Basic Writing JavaScript Code

Visual C++ for Cross-Platform Mobile Development Introduction to Functional Programming with F#

Getting Started with C++ Getting Started with Debugging in Visual Studio
 Getting Started with Visual C# and Visual Basic using
Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Whether you are new to Visual C# or Microsoft Visual Basic, this is the place to start. Getting Started Help is a
series of sequential lessons that introduces you to Visual C# and Visual Basic. Have fun, and write some great
software.
To learn about Visual C++, see Visual C++ resources.

In This Section
Walkthrough: Create a Simple Application
Identify the basic windows in the Visual Studio IDE, optimize your development experience by configuring a
setting, and then build a simple program.
Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer
Build a program that loads a picture from a file and displays it in a window. Learn how to drag controls like buttons
and picture boxes on your form, set their properties, and use containers to smoothly resize the form. Get started
writing code.
Tutorial 2: Create a Timed Math Quiz
Build a timed math quiz game, where the player must answer four random arithmetic problems within a specified
time. Learn how to generate random numbers using the Random class, trigger events using a Timer control,
control program flow using if else statements, and perform basic arithmetic operations.
Tutorial 3: Create a Matching Game
Build a matching game, where the player must match pairs of hidden icons. Learn how to hold objects using a
List object, use a foreach loop, keep track of a form's state using reference variables, build an event handler that
you can use with multiple objects, and make a timer fire exactly once when started.

Watch a video on how to create a simple Universal Windows

App in Visual Studio.

See also
Get started developing with Visual Studio
 Quickstart: use Visual Studio to create your first
ASP.NET Core web app
10/19/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

In this 5-10 minute introduction to the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE), you'll create a
simple C# ASP.NET Core web application. If you haven't already installed Visual Studio, install it for free here.

Create a project
First, you'll create an ASP.NET Core web application project. The project type comes with template files that
constitute a functional web application, before you've even added anything!
1. Open Visual Studio 2017.
2. From the top menu bar, choose File, New, Project....
3. In the New Project dialog box, in the left pane, expand Visual C#, then choose .NET Core. In the middle
pane, choose ASP.NET Core Web Application, then choose OK.
If you don't see the .NET Core project template, cancel out of the New Project dialog box and from the top
menu bar, choose Tools, Get Tools and Features.... The Visual Studio Installer launches. Choose the
ASP.NET and web development workload, then choose Modify.

4. In the New ASP.NET Core Web Application dialog box, select ASP.NET Core 2.0 from the top drop-down
menu. (If you don't see ASP.NET Core 2.0 in the list, install it by following the Download link that should
appear in a yellow bar near the top of the dialog box.) Choose OK.
Explore the IDE
1. In the Solution Explorer toolbar, expand the Pages folder, then choose About.cshtml to open it in the
editor. This file corresponds to a page called About in the web application.
2. In the editor, choose AboutModel and then press F12 or choose Go To Definition from the context (right-
click) menu. This command takes you to the definition of the AboutModel C# class.

3. Next we'll clean up the using directives at the top of the file using a simple shortcut. Choose any of the
 greyed-out using directives and a Quick Actions light bulb will appear just below the caret or in the left
margin. Choose the light bulb, and then choose Remove Unnecessary Usings.
The unnecessary usings are deleted from the file.
4. In the OnGet() method, change the body to the following code:

public void OnGet()

{
string directory = Environment.CurrentDirectory;
Message = String.Format("Your directory is {0}.", directory);
}

5. You'll see two wavy underlines appear under Environment and String, because these types are not in
scope. Open the Error List toolbar to see the same errors listed there. (If you don't see the Error List toolbar,
choose View, Error List from the top menu bar.)

6. In the editor window, place your cursor on either line that contains the error, then choose the Quick Actions
light bulb in the left margin. From the drop-down menu, choose using System; to add this directive to the
top of your file and resolve the errors.

Run the application

1. Press Ctrl+F5 to run the application and open it in a web browser.
2. At the top of the web site, choose About to see the directory message you added in the OnGet() method for
the About page.
3. Close the web browser.
Congratulations on completing this quickstart! We hope you learned a little bit about the Visual Studio IDE. If you'd
like to delve deeper into its capabilities, please continue with a tutorial in the Tutorials section of the table of
contents.

See also
Getting Started with C# and Visual Basic using Visual Studio Getting started with Razor Pages in ASP.NET Core
 Walkthrough: Create a Simple Application with Visual
C# or Visual Basic
10/18/2017 • 8 min to read • Edit Online

By completing this walkthrough, you'll become familiar with many of the tools, dialog boxes, and designers that
you can use when you develop applications with Visual Studio. You'll create a simple "Hello, World" application,
design the UI, add code, and debug errors, while you learn about working in the integrated development
environment (IDE).
This topic contains the following sections:
Configure the IDE
Create a simple application
Debug and test the application

Configure the IDE

When you start Visual Studio for the first time, you'll be prompted to sign in. This step is optional for this
walkthrough. Next you may be shown a dialog box that asks you to choose your development settings and color
theme. Keep the defaults and choose Start Visual Studio.

After Visual Studio launches, you'll see tool windows, the menus and toolbars, and the main window space. Tool
windows are docked on the left and right sides of the application window, with Quick Launch, the menu bar, and
the standard toolbar at the top. In the center of the application window is the Start Page. When you load a
solution or project, editors and designers appear in the space where the Start Page is. When you develop an
application, you'll spend most of your time in this central area.

Create a simple application

Create the project
When you create an application in Visual Studio, you first create a project and a solution. For this example, you'll
create a Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) project.
To create the WPF project
1. Create a new project. On the menu bar, choose File, New, Project....

2. Choose the Visual Basic or the Visual C# WPF App template by choosing in the left pane Installed, Visual
C#, Windows Classic Desktop, for example, and then choosing WPF App (.NET Framework) in the
middle pane. Name the project HelloWPFApp at the bottom of the New Project dialog.
 Visual Studio creates the HelloWPFApp project and solution, and Solution Explorer shows the various
files. The WPF Designer shows a design view and a XAML view of MainWindow.xaml in a split view. You can
slide the splitter to show more or less of either view. You can choose to see only the visual view or only the
XAML view. (For more information, see WPF Designer for Windows Forms Developers.) The following items
appear in Solution Explorer:

After you create the project, you can customize it. By using the Properties window (found on the View
menu), you can display and change options for project items, controls, and other items in an application.
To change the name of MainWindow.xaml
Let's give MainWindow a more specific name.
1. In Solution Explorer, select MainWindow.xaml. You should see the Properties window, but if you don't,
choose the View menu and then the Properties Window item.
2. Change the File Name property to Greetings.xaml .
 Solution Explorer shows that the name of the file is now Greetings.xaml, and the nested code file is now
named Greetings.xaml.vb or Greetings.xaml.cs. This code file is nested under the .xaml file node to show
they are closely related to each other.
Design the user interface (UI )
We will add three types of controls to this application: a TextBlock control, two RadioButton controls, and a Button
control.
To add a TextBlock control
1. Open the Toolbox window by choosing the View menu and the Toolbox item.
2. In the Toolbox, expand the Common WPF Controls node to see the TextBlock control.

3. Add a TextBlock control to the design surface by choosing the TextBlock item and dragging it to the
window on the design surface. Center the control near the top of the window.
Your window should resemble the following illustration:

The XAML markup should look something like the following:

 <TextBlock HorizontalAlignment="Center" TextWrapping="Wrap" VerticalAlignment="Center"
RenderTransformOrigin="4.08,2.312" Margin="237,57,221,238"><Run Text="TextBlock"/><InlineUIContainer>
<TextBlock TextWrapping="Wrap" Text="TextBlock"/>

To customize the text in the text block

1. In the XAML view, locate the markup for TextBlock and change the Text attribute:

Text="Select a message option and then choose the Display button."

2. Re-center the TextBlock if necessary, and save your changes by pressing Ctrl-s or using the File menu item.
Next, you'll add two RadioButton controls to the form.
To add radio buttons
1. In the Toolbox, find the RadioButton control.

2. Add two RadioButton controls to the design surface by choosing the RadioButton item and dragging it to
the window on the design surface. Move the buttons (by selecting them and using the arrow keys) so that
the buttons appear side by side under the TextBlock control.
Your window should look like this:

3. In the Properties window for the left RadioButton control, change the Name property (the property at the
top of the Properties window) to HelloButton.
4. In the Properties window for the right RadioButton control, change the Name property to
GoodbyeButton, and then save your changes.
You can now add display text for each RadioButton control. The following procedure updates the Content
property for a RadioButton control.
To add display text for each radio button
1. On the design surface, open the shortcut menu for HelloButton by pressing the right mouse button on
HelloButton, choose Edit Text, and then enter 'Hello'.
2. Open the shortcut menu for GoodbyeButton by pressing the right mouse button on GoodbyeButton, choose
Edit Text, and then enter 'Goodbye'.
To set a radio button to be checked by default
In this step we'll set HelloButton to be checked by default so that one of the two radio buttons is always selected.
In the XAML view, locate the markup for HelloButton and add an IsChecked attribute:

IsChecked="True"

The final UI element that you'll add is a Button control.

To add the button control
1. In the Toolbox, find the Button control, and then add it to the design surface under the RadioButton
controls by dragging it to the form in the design view.
2. In the XAML view, change the value of Content for the Button control from Content="Button" to
Content="Display" , and then save the changes.

The markup should resemble the following example:

<Button Content="Display" HorizontalAlignment="Left" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="75"
Margin="215,204,0,0"/>

Your window should resemble the following illustration.

Add code to the Display Button
When this application runs, a message box appears after a user chooses a radio button and then chooses the
Display button. One message box will appear for Hello, and another will appear for Goodbye. To create this
behavior, you'll add code to the Button_Click event in Greetings.xaml.vb or Greetings.xaml.cs.
Add code to display message boxes
1. On the design surface, double-click the Display button.
Greetings.xaml.vb or Greetings.xaml.cs opens, with the cursor in the Button_Click event.

Private Sub Button_Click_1(sender As Object, e As RoutedEventArgs)

End Sub

private void Button_Click_1(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)

{

2. Enter the following code:

If HelloButton.IsChecked = True Then

MessageBox.Show("Hello.")
ElseIf GoodbyeButton.IsChecked = True Then
MessageBox.Show("Goodbye.")
End If

if (HelloButton.IsChecked == true)
{
MessageBox.Show("Hello.");
}
else if (GoodbyeButton.IsChecked == true)
{
MessageBox.Show("Goodbye.");
}

3. Save the application.

Debug and test the application
Next, you'll debug the application to look for errors and test that both message boxes appear correctly. The
following instructions tell you how to build and launch the debugger, but later you might read Building a WPF
Application (WPF) and Debugging WPF for more information.
Find and fix errors
In this step, you'll find the error that we caused earlier by changing the name of the MainWindow.xaml file.
To start debugging and find the error
1. Start the debugger by selecting Debug, then Start Debugging.

A Break Mode window appears, and the Output window indicates that an IOException has occurred:
Cannot locate resource 'mainwindow.xaml'.
2. Stop the debugger by choosing Debug, Stop Debugging.

We renamed MainWindow.xaml to Greetings.xaml at the start of this walkthrough, but the code still refers
to mainwindow.xaml as the startup URI for the application, so the project can't start.
To specify Greetings.xaml as the startup URI
1. In Solution Explorer, open the App.xaml file (in the C# project) or the Application.xaml file (in the Visual
Basic project).
2. Change StartupUri="MainWindow.xaml" to StartupUri="Greetings.xaml" , and then save the changes.

Start the debugger again (press F5). You should see the Greetings window of the application. Now close the
application window to stop debugging.
To debug with breakpoints
 You can test the code during debugging by adding some breakpoints. You can add breakpoints by choosing
Debug, Toggle Breakpoint, by clicking in the left margin of the editor next to the line of code where you want
the break to occur, or by pressing F9.
To add breakpoints
1. Open Greetings.xaml.vb or Greetings.xaml.cs, and select the following line: MessageBox.Show("Hello.")

2. Add a breakpoint from the menu by selecting Debug, then Toggle Breakpoint.

A red circle appears next to the line of code in the far left margin of the editor window.
3. Select the following line: MessageBox.Show("Goodbye.") .
4. Press the F9 key to add a breakpoint, and then press F5 to start debugging.
5. In the Greetings window, choose the Hello radio button, and then choose the Display button.
The line MessageBox.Show("Hello.") is highlighted in yellow. At the bottom of the IDE, the Autos, Locals, and
Watch windows are docked together on the left side, and the Call Stack, Breakpoints, Command, Immediate,
and Output windows are docked together on the right side.
6. On the menu bar, choose Debug, Step Out.
The application resumes execution, and a message box with the word "Hello" appears.
7. Choose the OK button on the message box to close it.
8. In the Greetings window, choose the Goodbye radio button, and then choose the Display button.
The line MessageBox.Show("Goodbye.") is highlighted in yellow.
9. Choose the F5 key to continue debugging. When the message box appears, choose the OK button on the
message box to close it.
10. Close the application window to stop debugging.
11. On the menu bar, choose Debug, Disable All Breakpoints.
Build a release version of the application
Now that you've verified that everything works, you can prepare a release build of the application.
To clean the solution files and build a release version
1. On the main menu, select Build, Clean solution to delete intermediate files and output files that were
created during previous builds. This is not necessary, but it cleans up the debug build outputs.

2. Change the build configuration for HelloWPFApp from Debug to Release by using the dropdown control
on the toolbar (it says "Debug" currently).

3. Build the solution by choosing Build, then Build Solution.

Congratulations on completing this walkthrough! You can find the .exe you built under your solution and project
directory (...\HelloWPFApp\HelloWPFApp\bin\Release\). If you want to explore more examples, see Visual Studio
Samples.

See Also
What's New in Visual Studio 2017
Get Started Developing with Visual Studio
Productivity Tips
 Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

In this tutorial, you build a program that loads a picture from a file and displays it in a window. You learn how to
drag controls like buttons and picture boxes on your form, set their properties, and use containers to smoothly
resize the form. You also get started writing code. You learn how to:
Create a new project.
Test (debug) an application.
Add basic controls like check boxes and buttons to a form.
Position controls on a form using layouts.
Add Open File and Color dialog boxes to a form.
Write code using IntelliSense and code snippets.
Write event handler methods.
When you finish, your program will look like the following picture.

Picture that you create in this tutorial

To download a completed version of the sample, see Complete Picture Viewer tutorial sample.
For a video version of this topic, see How Do I: Create a Picture Viewer in Visual Basic? or How Do I:
Create a Picture Viewer in C#?.

NOTE
These videos use an earlier version of Visual Studio, so there are slight differences in some menu commands and other user
interface elements. However, the concepts and procedures work similarly in the current version of Visual Studio. Visual C#
and Visual Basic are both covered in this tutorial, so focus on information specific to the programming language that you're
using.
To see code for Visual Basic, choose the VB tab at the top of code blocks, and to see code for Visual C#, choose the C# tab. If
you're interested in learning about Visual C++, see Getting Started and C++ Language Tutorial.
If you're interested in learning how to write Visual C# or Visual Basic apps for the Windows Store, see Create your first
Windows Store app using C# or Visual Basic. For information about creating JavaScript apps for the Windows Store, see
Create your first Windows Store app using JavaScript.

Related Topics
TITLE DESCRIPTION

Step 1: Create a Windows Forms Application Project Begin by creating a Windows Forms application project.

Step 2: Run Your Program Run the Windows Forms application program that you created
in the previous step.

Step 3: Set Your Form Properties Change the way your form looks using the Properties
window.

Step 4: Lay Out Your Form with a TableLayoutPanel Control Add a TableLayoutPanel control to your form.

Step 5: Add Controls to Your Form Add controls, such as a PictureBox control and a
CheckBox control, to your form. Add buttons to your form.

Step 6: Name Your Button Controls Rename your buttons to something more meaningful.

Step 7: Add Dialog Components to Your Form Add an OpenFileDialog component and a ColorDialog
component to your form.

Step 8: Write Code for the Show a Picture Button Event Write code using the IntelliSense tool.
Handler

Step 9: Review, Comment, and Test Your Code Review and test your code. Add comments as needed.

Step 10: Write Code for Additional Buttons and a Check Box Write code to make other buttons and a check box work using
IntelliSense.

Step 11: Run Your Program and Try Other Features Run your program and set the background color. Try other
features, such as changing colors, fonts, and borders.
 Step 1: Create a Windows Forms Application Project
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

When you create a picture viewer, the first step is to create a Windows Forms Application project.
For a video version of this topic, see Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer in Visual Basic - Video 1 or Tutorial 1:
Create a Picture Viewer in C# - Video 1. These videos use an earlier version of Visual Studio, so there are slight
differences in some menu commands and other user interface elements. However, the concepts and procedures
work similarly in the current version of Visual Studio.
To create a Windows Forms Application project
1. On the menu bar, choose File, New, Project. The dialog box should look like this.

New project dialog box

2. Choose either Visual C# or Visual Basic in the Installed Templates list.
3. In the templates list, choose the Windows Forms Application icon. Name the new form PictureViewer,
and then choose the OK button.
Visual Studio creates a solution for your program. A solution acts as a container for all of the projects and
files needed by your program. These terms will be explained in more detail later in this tutorial.
4. The following illustration shows what you should now see in the Visual Studio interface.

NOTE
Your window layout may not look exactly like this illustration. The precise window layout depends on the version of
Visual Studio, the programming language you are using, and other factors. However, you should verify that all three
windows appear.
 IDE window
The interface contains three windows: a main window, Solution Explorer, and the Properties window.
If any of these windows are missing, restore the default window layout by, on the menu bar, choosing
Window, Reset Window Layout. You can also display windows by using menu commands. On the menu
bar, choose View, Properties Window or Solution Explorer. If any other windows are open, close them
by choosing the Close (x) button in their upper-right corners.
5. The illustration shows the following windows (going clockwise from the upper-left corner):
Main window In this window, you'll do most of your work, such as working with forms and editing
code. In the illustration, the window shows a form in the Form Editor. At the top of the window, the
Start Page tab and the Form1.cs [Design] tab appear. (In Visual Basic, the tab name ends with .vb
instead of .cs.)
Solution Explorer window In this window, you can view and navigate to all items in your solution. If
you choose a file, the contents of the Properties window changes. If you open a code file (which ends
in .cs in Visual C# and .vb in Visual Basic), the code file or a designer for the code file appears. A
designer is a visual surface onto which you can add controls such as buttons and lists. For Visual
Studio forms, the designer is called the Windows Forms Designer.
Properties window In this window, you can change the properties of items that you choose in the
other windows. For example, if you choose Form1, you can change its title by setting the Text
property, and you can change the background color by setting the Backcolor property.

NOTE
The top line in Solution Explorer shows Solution 'PictureViewer' (1 project), which means that Visual Studio
created a solution for you. A solution can contain more than one project, but for now, you'll work with solutions that
contain only one project.

6. On the menu bar, choose File, Save All.

As an alternative, choose the Save All button on the toolbar, which the following illustration shows.

Save All toolbar button

Visual Studio automatically fills in the folder name and the project name and then saves the project in your
projects folder.
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 2: Run Your Program.
To return to the overview topic, see Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer.
 Step 2: Run Your Program
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

When you created a new solution, you actually built a program that runs. It doesn't do much yet—it just displays
an empty window that shows Form1 in the title bar. But it does run, as you're about to find out.
For a video version of this topic, see Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer in Visual Basic - Video 1 or Tutorial 1:
Create a Picture Viewer in C# - Video 1. These videos use an earlier version of Visual Studio, so there are slight
differences in some menu commands and other user interface elements. However, the concepts and procedures
work similarly in the current version of Visual Studio.
To run your program
1. Use one of the following methods to run your program.
Choose the F5 key.
On the menu bar, choose Debug, Start Debugging.
On the toolbar, choose the Start Debugging button, which appears as follows.

Start Debugging toolbar button

2. Visual Studio runs your program, and a window called Form1 appears. The following diagram shows the
program you just built. The program is running, and you will soon add to it.

Windows Form Application program running

3. Go back to the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE), and look at the new toolbar.
Additional buttons appear on the toolbar when you run a program. These buttons let you do things like stop
and start your program, and help you track down any errors (bugs) it may have. For this example, we're just
using it to start and stop the program.

Debugging toolbar
4. Use one of the following methods to stop your program.
On the toolbar, choose the Stop Debugging button.
On the menu bar, choose Debug, Stop Debugging.
Choose the X button in the upper corner of the Form1 window.
 NOTE
When you run your program from inside the IDE, it's called debugging because you typically do it to locate and fix
bugs (errors) in the program. Although this program is small and doesn't really do anything yet, it's still a real
program. You follow the same procedure to run and debug other programs. To learn more about debugging, see
Debugger Basics.

To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 3: Set Your Form Properties.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 1: Create a Windows Forms Application Project.
 Step 3: Set Your Form Properties
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

Next, you use the Properties window to change the way your form looks.
For a video version of this topic, see Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer in Visual Basic - Video 1 or Tutorial 1:
Create a Picture Viewer in C# - Video 1. These videos use an earlier version of Visual Studio, so there are slight
differences in some menu commands and other user interface elements. However, the concepts and procedures
work similarly in the current version of Visual Studio.
To set your form properties
1. Be sure you're looking at Windows Forms Designer. In the Visual Studio integrated development
environment (IDE), choose the Form1.cs [Design] tab (or the Form1.vb [Design] tab in Visual Basic).
2. Choose anywhere inside the form Form1 to select it. Look at the Properties window, which should now be
showing the properties for the form. Forms have various properties. For example, you can set the
foreground and background color, title text that appears at the top of the form, size of the form, and other
properties.

NOTE
If the Properties window doesn't appear, stop your program by choosing the square Stop Debugging button on
the toolbar, or just close the window. If the program is stopped and you still don't see the Properties window, on
the menu bar, choose View, Properties Window.

3. After the form is selected, find the Text property in the Properties window. Depending on how the list is
sorted, you might need to scroll down. Choose Text, type Picture Viewer, and then choose ENTER. Your
form should now have the text Picture Viewer in its title bar, and the Properties window should look
similar to the following picture.

Properties window

NOTE
Properties can be ordered by a Categorized or Alphabetical view. You can switch between these two views by using
the buttons on the Properties window. In this tutorial, it's easier to find properties through the Alphabetical view.

4. Go back to Windows Forms Designer. Choose the form's lower-right drag handle, which is the small white
 square in the lower-right of the form and appears as follows.

Drag handle
Drag the handle to resize the form so the form is wider and a bit taller.
5. Look at the Properties window, and notice that the Size property has changed. The Size property changes
each time you resize the form. Try dragging the form's handle to resize it to a form size of approximately
550, 350 (no need to be exact), which should work well for this project. As an alternative, you can enter the
values directly in the Size property and then choose the ENTER key.
6. Run your program again. Remember, you can use any of the following methods to run your program.
Choose the F5 key.
On the menu bar, choose Debug, Start Debugging.
On the toolbar, choose the Start Debugging button, which appears as follows.

Start Debugging toolbar button

Just like before, the IDE builds and runs your program, and a window appears.
7. Before going to the next step, stop your program, because the IDE won't let you change your program while
it's running. Remember, you can use any of the following methods to stop your program.
On the toolbar, choose the Stop Debugging button.
On the menu bar, choose Debug, Stop Debugging.
Choose the X button in the upper corner of the Form1 window.
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 4: Lay Out Your Form with a TableLayoutPanel Control.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 2: Run Your Program.
 Step 4: Lay Out Your Form with a TableLayoutPanel
Control
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

In this step, you add a TableLayoutPanel control to your form. The TableLayoutPanel helps properly align controls
in the form that you will add later.
For a video version of this topic, see Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer in Visual Basic - Video 2 or Tutorial 1:
Create a Picture Viewer in C# - Video 2. These videos use an earlier version of Visual Studio, so there are slight
differences in some menu commands and other user interface elements. However, the concepts and procedures
work similarly in the current version of Visual Studio.
To lay out your form with a TableLayoutPanel control
1. On the left side of the Visual Studio IDE, locate the Toolbox tab. Choose the Toolbox tab, and the Toolbox
appears. (Or, on the menu bar, choose View, Toolbox.)
2. Choose the small triangle symbol next to the Containers group to open it, as shown in the following
picture.

Containers group
3. You can add controls like buttons, check boxes, and labels to your form. Double-click the TableLayoutPanel
control in the Toolbox. (Or, you can drag the control from the toolbox onto the form.) When you do this, the
IDE adds a TableLayoutPanel control to your form, as shown in the following picture.
 TableLayoutPanel control

NOTE
After you add your TableLayoutPanel, if a window appears inside your form with the title TableLayoutPanel Tasks,
choose anywhere inside the form to close it. You will learn more about this window later in the tutorial.

Notice how the Toolbox expands to cover your form when you choose its tab, and closes after you choose
anywhere outside of it. That's the IDE auto-hide feature. You can turn it on or off for any of the windows by
choosing the pushpin icon in the upper-right corner of the window to toggle auto-hide and lock it in place.
The pushpin icon appears as follows.

Pushpin icon
4. Be sure TableLayoutPanel is selected by choosing it. You can verify what control is selected by looking at
the drop-down list at the top of the Properties window, as shown in the following picture.

Properties window showing TableLayoutPanel control

5. Choose the Alphabetical button on the toolbar in the Properties window. This causes the list of properties
in the Properties window to display in alphabetical order, which will make it easier to locate properties in
this tutorial.
6. The control selector is a drop-down list at the top of the Properties window. In this example, it shows that a
control called tableLayoutPanel1 is selected. You can select controls either by choosing an area in Windows
Forms Designer or by choosing from the control selector. Now that TableLayoutPanel is selected, find the
Dock property and choose Dock, which should be set to None. Notice that a drop-down arrow appears
next to the value. Choose the arrow, and then select the Fill button (the large button in the middle), as
shown in the following picture.
 Properties window with Fill selected
Docking in Visual Studio refers to when a window is attached to another window or area in the IDE. For
example, the Properties window can be undocked - that is, unattached and free-floating within Visual Studio
- or it can be docked against Solution Explorer.
7. After you set the TableLayoutPanel Dock property to Fill, the panel fills the entire form. If you resize the
form again, the TableLayoutPanel stays docked, and resizes itself to fit.

NOTE
A TableLayoutPanel works like a table in Microsoft Office Word: It has rows and columns, and an individual cell can
span multiple rows and columns. Each cell can hold one control (like a button, a check box, or a label). Your
TableLayoutPanel will have a PictureBox control spanning its entire top row, a CheckBox control in its lower-left
cell, and four Button controls in its lower-right cell.

8. Currently, the TableLayoutPanel has two equal-size rows and two equal-size columns. You need to resize
them so the top row and right column are both much bigger. In Windows Forms Designer, select the
TableLayoutPanel. In the upper-right corner, there is a small black triangle button, which appears as follows.

Triangle button
This button indicates that the control has tasks that help you set its properties automatically.
9. Choose the triangle to display the control's task list, as shown in the following picture.

TableLayoutPanel tasks
10. Choose the Edit Rows and Columns task to display the Column and Row Styles window. Choose
 Column1, and set its size to 15 percent by being sure the Percent button is selected and entering 15 in
the Percent box. (That's a NumericUpDown control, which you will use in a later tutorial.) Choose Column2
and set it to 85 percent. Don't choose the OK button yet, because the window will close. (But if you do, you
can reopen it using the task list.)

TableLayoutPanel column and row styles

11. From the Show drop-down list at the top of the window, choose Rows. Set Row1 to 90 percent and Row2
to 10 percent.
12. Choose the OK button. Your TableLayoutPanel should now have a large top row, a small bottom row, a
small left column, and a large right column. You can resize the rows and columns in the TableLayoutPanel
by choosing tableLayoutPanel1 in the form and then dragging its row and column borders.

Form1 with resized TableLayoutPanel

To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 5: Add Controls to Your Form.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 3: Set Your Form Properties.
 Step 5: Add Controls to Your Form
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

In this step, you add controls, such as a PictureBox control and a CheckBox control, to your form. You then add
buttons to your form.
For a video version of this topic, see Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer in Visual Basic - Video 2 or Tutorial 1:
Create a Picture Viewer in C# - Video 2. These videos use an earlier version of Visual Studio, so there are slight
differences in some menu commands and other user interface elements. However, the concepts and procedures
work similarly in the current version of Visual Studio.
To add controls to your form
1. Go to the Toolbox tab (located on the left side of the Visual Studio IDE) and expand the Common Controls
group. This shows the most common controls that you see on forms.
2. Choose the TableLayoutPanel control on the form. To verify that the TableLayoutPanel is selected, make sure
that its name appears in the dropdown list box at the top of the Properties window. You can also choose
form controls by using the dropdown list box at the top of the Properties window. Choosing a control this
way can often be easier than choosing a tiny control with a mouse.
3. Double-click the PictureBox item to add a PictureBox control to your form. Because the TableLayoutPanel is
docked to fill your form, the IDE adds the PictureBox control to the first empty cell (the upper left corner).
4. Choose the new PictureBox control to select it, and then choose the black triangle on the new PictureBox
control to display its task list, as shown in the following picture.

PictureBox tasks

NOTE
If you accidentally add the wrong type of control to your TableLayoutPanel, you can delete it. Right-click the control,
and then choose Delete on its context menu. You can also remove controls from the form by using the menu bar.
On the menu bar, choose Edit, Undo, or Edit, Delete.

5. Choose the Dock in parent container link. This automatically sets the PictureBox Dock property to Fill. To
see this, choose the PictureBox control to select it, go to the Properties window, and be sure that the Dock
property is set to Fill.
6. Make the PictureBox span both columns by changing its ColumnSpan property. Choose the PictureBox
control and set its ColumnSpan property to 2. Also, when the PictureBox is empty, you want to show an
empty frame. Set its BorderStyle property to Fixed3D.
 NOTE
If you don't see a ColumnSpan property for your PictureBox, then it's likely that the PictureBox was added to the
form rather than the TableLayoutPanel. To fix this, choose the PictureBox, delete it, choose the TableLayoutPanel, and
then add a new PictureBox.

7. Choose the TableLayoutPanel on the form and then add a CheckBox control to the form. Double-click the
CheckBox item in the Toolbox to add a new CheckBox control to the next free cell in your table. Because a
PictureBox takes up the first two cells in the TableLayoutPanel, the CheckBox control is added to the lower-
left cell. Choose the Text property and type in the word Stretch, as shown in the following picture.

TextBox control with Stretch property

8. Choose the TableLayoutPanel on the form, and then go to the Containers group in the Toolbox (where you
got your TableLayoutPanel control) and double-click the FlowLayoutPanel item to add a new control to the
last cell in the PictureBox (bottom right). Then dock the FlowLayoutPanel in the TableLayoutPanel (either by
choosing Dock in parent container on the FlowLayoutPanel's black triangle task list, or by setting the
FlowLayoutPanel's Dock property to Fill).

NOTE
A FlowLayoutPanel is a container that arranges other controls in neat rows in order. When you resize a
FlowLayoutPanel, if it has room to lay out all of its controls in a single row, it does that. Otherwise, it arranges them
in lines, one on top of the other. You will use a FlowLayoutPanel to hold four buttons. If the buttons arrange one on
top another when added, be sure that the FlowLayoutPanel is selected before adding the buttons. Although it was
stated earlier that each cell can hold only one control, the lower-right cell of the TableLayoutPanel has four button
controls. This is because you can put a control in a cell that holds other controls. That kind of control is called a
container, and the FlowLayoutPanel is a container.

To add buttons
1. Choose the new FlowLayoutPanel that you added. Go to Common Controls in the Toolbox and double-
click the Button item to add a button control called button1 to your FlowLayoutPanel. Repeat to add
another button. The IDE determines that there's already a button called button1 and calls the next one
button2.
2. Typically, you add the other buttons using the Toolbox. This time, choose button2, and then on the menu
bar, choose Edit, Copy (or press Ctrl+C). On the menu bar, choose Edit, Paste (or press Ctrl+V) to paste a
copy of your button. Now paste it again. The IDE has now added button3 and button4 to the
FlowLayoutPanel.
 NOTE
You can copy and paste any control. The IDE names and places the new controls in a logical manner. If you paste a
control into a container, the IDE chooses the next logical space for placement.

3. Choose the first button and set its Text property to Show a picture. Then set the Text properties of the
next three buttons to Clear the picture, Set the background color, and Close.
4. The next step is to size the buttons and arrange them so they align to the right side of the panel. Choose the
FlowLayoutPanel and look at its FlowDirection property. Change it so it's set to RightToLeft. As soon as
you do, the buttons should align themselves to the right side of the cell, and reverse their order so that the
Show a picture button is on the right.

NOTE
If the buttons are still in the wrong order, you can drag the buttons around the FlowLayoutPanel to rearrange them
in any order. You can choose a button and drag it left or right.

5. Choose the Close button to select it. Hold down the CTRL key and choose the other three buttons, so that
they are all selected. While all the buttons are selected, go to the Properties window and scroll up to the
AutoSize property. This property tells the button to automatically resize itself to fit all of its text. Set it to
true. Your buttons should now be sized properly and be in the right order. (As long as all four buttons are
selected, you can change all four AutoSize properties at the same time.) The following picture shows the
four buttons.

Picture Viewer with four buttons

6. Now run your program again to see your newly laid out form. Choosing the buttons and the check box
doesn't do anything yet, but it will work soon.
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 6: Name Your Button Controls.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 4: Lay Out Your Form with a TableLayoutPanel Control.
 Step 6: Name Your Button Controls
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

There's only one PictureBox on your form. When you added it, the IDE automatically named it pictureBox1.
There's only one CheckBox, which is named checkBox1. Soon, you will write some code, and that code will refer to
the CheckBox and PictureBox. Because there's only one of each of these controls, you will know what it means
when you see pictureBox1 or checkBox1 in your code.

NOTE
In Visual Basic, the default first letter of any control name is initial cap, so the names are PictureBox1, CheckBox1, and so
on.

There are four buttons on your form, and the IDE named them button1, button2, button3, and button4. By just
looking at their current names, you don't know which button is the Close button and which one is the Show a
picture button. That's why giving your button controls more informative names is helpful.
For a video version of this topic, see Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer in Visual Basic - Video 3 or Tutorial 1:
Create a Picture Viewer in C# - Video 3. These videos use an earlier version of Visual Studio, so there are slight
differences in some menu commands and other user interface elements. However, the concepts and procedures
work similarly in the current version of Visual Studio.
To name your button controls
1. On the form, choose the Close button. (If you still have all the buttons selected, choose the ESC key to cancel
the selection.) Scroll in the Properties window until you see the (Name) property. (The (Name) property is
near the top when the properties are alphabetical.) Change the name to closeButton, as shown in the
following picture.

Properties window with closeButton name

NOTE
If you try changing the name of your button to closeButton, with a space between the words close and Button, the
IDE displays an error message: "Property value is not valid." Spaces (and a few other characters) are not allowed in
control names.

2. Rename the other three buttons to backgroundButton, clearButton, and showButton. You can verify the
 names by choosing the control selector drop-down list in the Properties window. The new button names
appear.
3. Double-click the Show a picture button on the form. As an alternative, choose the Show a picture button
on the form, and then choose the ENTER key. When you do, the IDE opens an additional tab in the main
window called Form1.cs (Form1.vb if you're using Visual Basic). This tab shows the code file behind the
form, as shown in the following picture.

Form1.cs tab with Visual C# code

4. Focus on this part of the code. (Choose the VB tab below if you're using Visual Basic to view the Visual Basic
version of the code.)

Private Sub showButton_Click() Handles showButton.Click

End Sub

private void showButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
}

You are looking at code called showButton_Click() . The IDE added this to the form's code when you opened
the code file for the showButton button. At design-time, when you open the code file for a control in a
form, code is generated for the control if it doesn't already exist. This code, known as a method, runs when
you run your program and choose the control - in this case, the Show a picture button.

NOTE
In this tutorial, the Visual Basic code that's automatically generated has been simplified by removing everything
between the parentheses, (). Whenever this occurs, you can remove the same code. Your program will work either
way. For the remainder of the tutorials, any automatically generated code is simplified whenever possible.
5. Choose the Windows Forms Designer tab again (Form1.cs [Design] in Visual C#, Form1.vb [Design] in
Visual Basic) and then open the code file for the Clear the picture button to create a method for it in the
form's code. Repeat this for the remaining two buttons. Each time, the IDE adds a new method to the form's
code file.
6. To add one more method, open the code file for the CheckBox control in Windows Forms Designer to make
the IDE add a checkBox1_CheckedChanged() method. That method is called whenever the user selects or clears
the check box.

NOTE
When working on a program, you often move between the code editor and Windows Forms Designer. The IDE
makes it easy to navigate in your project. Use Solution Explorer to open Windows Forms Designer by double-
clicking Form1.cs in Visual C# or Form1.vb in Visual Basic, or on the menu bar, choose View, Designer.

The following shows the new code that you see in the code editor.

Private Sub clearButton_Click() Handles clearButton.Click

End Sub

Private Sub backgroundButton_Click() Handles backgroundButton.Click

End Sub

Private Sub closeButton_Click() Handles closeButton.Click

End Sub

Private Sub CheckBox1_CheckedChanged() Handles CheckBox1.CheckedChanged

End Sub

private void clearButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
}

private void backgroundButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
}

private void closeButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
}

private void checkBox1_CheckedChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
}

The five methods that you added are called event handlers, because your program calls them whenever an
event (like a user choosing a button or selecting a box) happens.
When you view the code for a control in the IDE at design time, Visual Studio adds an event handler method
for the control if one isn't there. For example, when you double-click a button, the IDE adds an event handler
for its Click event (which is called whenever the user chooses the button). When you double-click a check
box, the IDE adds an event handler for its CheckedChanged event (which is called whenever the user selects
or clears the box).
After you add an event handler for a control, you can return to it at any time from Windows Forms Designer
 by double-clicking the control, or on the menu bar, choosing View, Code.
Names are important when you build programs, and methods (including event handlers) can have any
name that you want. When you add an event handler with the IDE, it creates a name based on the control's
name and the event being handled. For example, the Click event for a button named showButton is called
the showButton_Click() event handler method. Also, opening and closing parentheses () are usually added
after the method name to indicate that methods are being discussed. If you decide you want to change a
code variable name, right-click the variable in the code and then choose Refactor, Rename. All instances of
that variable in the code are renamed. See Rename Refactoring (C#) or Rename Refactoring (Visual Basic)
for more information.
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 7: Add Dialog Components to Your Form.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 5: Add Controls to Your Form.
 Step 7: Add Dialog Components to Your Form
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

To enable your program to open picture files and choose a background color, in this step, you add an
OpenFileDialog component and a ColorDialog component to your form.
A component is like a control in some ways. You use the Toolbox to add a component to your form, and you set its
properties using the Properties window. But unlike a control, adding a component to your form doesn't add a
visible item that the user can see on the form. Instead, it provides certain behaviors that you can trigger with code.
It's a component that opens an Open File dialog box.
For a video version of this topic, see Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer in Visual Basic - Video 3 or Tutorial 1:
Create a Picture Viewer in C# - Video 3. These videos use an earlier version of Visual Studio, so there are slight
differences in some menu commands and other user interface elements. However, the concepts and procedures
work similarly in the current version of Visual Studio.
To add dialog components to your form
1. Choose the Windows Forms Designer (Form1.cs [Design] or Form1.vb [Design]) and then open the Dialogs
group in the Toolbox.

NOTE
The Dialogs group in the Toolbox has components that open many useful dialog boxes for you, which can be used
for opening and saving files, browsing folders, and choosing fonts and colors. You use two dialog components in this
project: OpenFileDialog and ColorDialog.

2. To add a component called openFileDialog1 to your form, double-click OpenFileDialog. To add a

component called colorDialog1 to your form, double-click ColorDialog in the Toolbox. (You use that one
in the next tutorial step.) You should see an area at the bottom of Windows Forms Designer (beneath the
Picture Viewer form) that has an icon for each of the two dialog components that you added, as shown in
the following picture.

Dialog components
3. Choose the openFileDialog1 icon in the area at the bottom of the Windows Forms Designer. Set two
properties:
Set the Filter property to the following (you can copy and paste it):

JPEG Files (*.jpg)|*.jpg|PNG Files (*.png)|*.png|BMP Files (*.bmp)|*.bmp|All files (*.*)|*.*

Set the Title property to the following: Select a picture file

The Filter property settings specify the kinds of file types that will display in the Select a picture file
dialog box.
 NOTE
To see an example of the Open File dialog box in a different application, open Notepad or Paint, and on the menu
bar, choose File, Open. Notice how there's a Files of type drop-down list at the bottom. You just used the Filter
property in the OpenFileDialog component to set that up. Also, notice how the Title and Filter properties are bold
in the Properties window. The IDE does that to show you any properties that have been changed from their default
values.

To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 8: Write Code for the Show a Picture Button Event Handler.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 6: Name Your Button Controls.
 Step 8: Write Code for the Show a Picture Button
Event Handler
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

In this step, you make the Show a picture button work like this:
When a user chooses that button, the program opens an Open File dialog box.
If a user opens a picture file, the program shows that picture in the PictureBox.
The IDE has a powerful tool called IntelliSense that helps you write code. As you enter code, the IDE opens a
box with suggested completions for partial words that you enter. It tries to determine what you want to do
next, and automatically jumps to the last item you choose from the list. You can use the up or down arrows
to move in the list, or you can keep typing letters to narrow the choices. When you see the choice you want,
choose the TAB key to select it. Or, you can ignore the suggestions, if not needed.
For a video version of this topic, see Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer in Visual Basic - Video 4 or
Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer in C# - Video 4. These videos use an earlier version of Visual Studio, so
there are slight differences in some menu commands and other user interface elements. However, the
concepts and procedures work similarly in the current version of Visual Studio.
To write code for the Show a picture button event handler
1. Go to Windows Forms Designer and double-click the Show a picture button. The IDE immediately goes to
the code designer and moves your cursor so it's inside the showButton_Click() method that you added
previously.
2. Type an i on the empty line between the two braces { }. (In Visual Basic, type on the empty line between
Private Sub... and End Sub.) An IntelliSense window opens, as shown in the following picture.

IntelliSense with Visual C# code

3. The IntelliSense window should be highlighting the word if. (If not, enter a lowercase f , and it will.)
Notice how a little tooltip box next to the IntelliSense window appears with the description, Code snippet
for if statement. (In Visual Basic, the tooltip also states that this is a snippet, but with slightly different
wording.) You want to use that snippet, so choose the TAB key to insert if into your code. Then choose the
TAB key again to use the if snippet. (If you chose somewhere else and your IntelliSense window
disappeared, backspace over the i and retype it, and the IntelliSense window opens again.)
 Visual C# code
4. Next, you use IntelliSense to enter more code to open an Open File dialog box. If the user chose the OK
button, the PictureBox loads the file that the user selected. The following steps show how to enter the code,
and although it's numerous steps, it's just a few keystrokes:
a. Start with the selected text true in the snippet. Type op to overwrite it. (In Visual Basic, you start with
an initial cap, so type Op .)
b. The IntelliSense window opens and displays openFileDialog1. Choose the TAB key to select it. (In
Visual Basic, it starts with an initial cap, so you see OpenFileDialog1. Ensure that OpenFileDialog1
is selected.)
To learn more about OpenFileDialog , see OpenFileDialog.
c. Type a period ( . ) (Many programmers call this a dot.) Because you typed a dot right after
openFileDialog1, an IntelliSense window opens, filled in with all of the OpenFileDialog
component's properties and methods. These are the same properties that appear in the Properties
window when you choose it in Windows Forms Designer. You can also choose methods that tell the
component to do things (like open a dialog box).

NOTE
The IntelliSense window can show you both properties and methods. To determine what is being shown,
look at the icon on the left side of each item in the IntelliSense window. You see a picture of a block next to
each method, and a picture of a wrench (or spanner) next to each property. There's also a lightning bolt icon
next to each event. These pictures display as follows.

Method icon

Property icon

Event icon
d. Start to type ShowDialog (capitalization is unimportant to IntelliSense). The ShowDialog() method
will show the Open File dialog box. After the window has highlighted ShowDialog, choose the TAB
key. You can also highlight "ShowDialog" and choose the F1 key to get help for it.
To learn more about the ShowDialog() method, see ShowDialog Method.
e. When you use a method on a control or a component (referred to as calling a method), you need to
add parentheses. So enter opening and closing parentheses immediately after the "g" in ShowDialog :
() It should now look like "openFileDialog1.ShowDialog()".
 NOTE
Methods are an important part of any program, and this tutorial has shown several ways to use methods.
You can call a component's method to tell it to do something, like how you called the OpenFileDialog
component's ShowDialog() method. You can create your own methods to make your program do things,
like the one you're building now, called the showButton_Click() method, which opens a dialog box and a
picture when a user chooses a button.

f. For Visual C#, add a space, and then add two equal signs ( == ). For Visual Basic, add a space, and
then use a single equal sign ( = ). (Visual C# and Visual Basic use different equality operators.)
g. Add another space. As soon as you do, another IntelliSense window opens. Start to type
DialogResult and choose the TAB key to add it.

NOTE
When you write code to call a method, sometimes it returns a value. In this case, the OpenFileDialog
component's ShowDialog() method returns a DialogResult value. DialogResult is a special value that tells
you what happened in a dialog box. An OpenFileDialog component can result in the user choosing OK or
Cancel, so its ShowDialog() method returns either DialogResult.OK or DialogResult.Cancel.

h. Type a dot to open the DialogResult value IntelliSense window. Enter the letter O and choose the
TAB key to insert OK.
To learn more about DialogResult , see DialogResult.

NOTE
The first line of code should be complete. For Visual C#, it should be the following.
if (openFileDialog1.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)

For Visual Basic, it should be the following.

If OpenFileDialog1.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK Then

i. Now add one more line of code. You can type it (or copy and paste it), but consider using IntelliSense
to add it. The more familiar you are with IntelliSense, the more quickly you can write your own code.
Your final showButton_Click() method looks like the following. (Choose the VB tab to view the Visual
Basic version of the code.)

private void showButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
if (openFileDialog1.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
{
pictureBox1.Load(openFileDialog1.FileName);
}
}

Private Sub showButton_Click() Handles showButton.Click

If OpenFileDialog1.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK Then
PictureBox1.Load(OpenFileDialog1.FileName)
End If

End Sub
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 9: Review, Comment, and Test Your Code.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 7: Add Dialog Components to Your Form.
 Step 9: Review, Comment, and Test Your Code
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

You next add a comment to your code. A comment is a note that doesn't change the way the program behaves. It
makes it easier for someone who is reading your code to understand what it does. Adding comments to your code
is a good habit to get into. In Visual C#, two forward slashes (//) mark a line as a comment. In Visual Basic, a single
quotation mark (') is used to mark a line as a comment. After you add a comment, you test your program. It's good
practice to run and test your code frequently while you're working on your projects, so you can catch and fix any
problems early, before the code gets more complicated. This is called iterative testing.
You just built something that works, and although it's not done yet, it can already load a picture. Before you add a
comment to your code and test it, take time to review the code concepts, because you will use these concepts
frequently:
When you double-clicked the Show a picture button in Windows Forms Designer, the IDE automatically
added a method to your program's code.
Methods are how you organize your code: It's how your code is grouped together.
Most of the time, a method does a small number of things in a specific order, like how your
showButton_Click() method shows a dialog box and then loads a picture.

A method is made up of code statements, or lines of code. Think of a method as a way to bundle code
statements together.
When a method is executed, or called, the statements in the method are executed in order, one after
another, starting with the first one.
The following is an example of a statement.

pictureBox1.Load(openFileDialog1.FileName);

pictureBox1.Load(openFileDialog1.FileName)

Statements are what make your programs do things. In Visual C#, a statement always ends in a semicolon.
In Visual Basic, the end of a line is the end of a statement. (No semicolon is needed in Visual Basic.) The
preceding statement tells your PictureBox control to load the file that the user selected with the
OpenFileDialog component.
For a video version of this topic, see Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer in Visual Basic - Video 5 or
Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer in C# - Video 5. These videos use an earlier version of Visual Studio, so
there are slight differences in some menu commands and other user interface elements. However, the
concepts and procedures work similarly in the current version of Visual Studio.
To add comments
1. Add the following comment to your code.
 Private Sub showButton_Click() Handles showButton.Click

' Show the Open File dialog. If the user clicks OK, load the
' picture that the user chose.
If OpenFileDialog1.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK Then
PictureBox1.Load(OpenFileDialog1.FileName)
End If

End Sub

private void showButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
// Show the Open File dialog. If the user clicks OK, load the
// picture that the user chose.
if (openFileDialog1.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
{
pictureBox1.Load(openFileDialog1.FileName);
}
}

NOTE
Your showButton button's Click event handler is now finished, and it works. You have started writing code, starting
with an if statement. An if statement is how you tell your program, "Check this one thing, and if it's true, do
these actions." In this case, you tell your program to open the Open File dialog box, and if the user selects a file and
chooses the OK button, load that file in the PictureBox.

TIP
The IDE is built to make it easy for you to write code, and code snippets are one way it does that. A snippet is a
shortcut that gets expanded into a small block of code.
You can see all of the snippets available. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Code Snippets Manager. For Visual C#,
the if snippet is in Visual C# . For Visual Basic, the if snippets are in Conditionals and Loops, Code Patterns.
You can use this manager to browse existing snippets or add your own snippets.
To activate a snippet when typing code, type it and choose the TAB key. Many snippets appear in the IntelliSense
window, which is why you choose the TAB key twice: first to select the snippet from the IntelliSense window, and
then to tell the IDE to use the snippet. (IntelliSense supports the if snippet, but not the ifelse snippet.)

2. Before you run your program, save your program by choosing the Save All toolbar button, which appears
as follows.

Save All button

Alternatively, to save your program, on the menu bar, choose File, Save All. It's a best practice to save early
and often.
When it's running, your program should look like the following picture.
 Picture Viewer
To test your program
1. Choose the F5 key or choose the Start Debugging toolbar button.
2. Choose the Show a picture button to run the code you just wrote. First, the program opens an Open File
dialog box. Verify that your filters appear in the Files of type drop-down list at the bottom of the dialog
box. Then navigate to a picture and open it. You can usually find sample pictures that ship with the Windows
operating system in your My Documents folder, inside the My Pictures\Sample Pictures folder.

NOTE
If you don't see any images in the Select a picture file dialog box, be sure that the "All files (*.*)" filter is selected in
the drop-down list on the lower right side of the dialog box.

3. Load a picture, and it appears in your PictureBox. Then try resizing your form by dragging its borders.
Because you have your PictureBox docked inside a TableLayoutPanel, which itself is docked inside the form,
your picture area will resize itself so that it's as wide as the form, and fills the top 90 percent of the form.
That's why you used the TableLayoutPanel and FlowLayoutPanel containers: They keep your form sized
correctly when the user resizes it.
Right now, larger pictures go beyond the borders of your picture viewer. In the next step, you'll add code to
make pictures fit in the window.
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 10: Write Code for Additional Buttons and a Check Box.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 8: Write Code for the Show a Picture Button Event Handler.
 Step 10: Write Code for Additional Buttons and a
Check Box
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

Now you're ready to complete the other four methods. You could copy and paste this code, but if you want to learn
the most from this tutorial, type the code and use IntelliSense.
This code adds functionality to the buttons you added earlier. Without this code, the buttons don't do anything. The
buttons use code in their Click events (and the check box uses the CheckChanged event) to do different things
when you activate the controls. For example, the clearButton_Click event, which activates when you choose the
Clear the picture button, erases the current image by setting its Image property to null (or, nothing ). Each
event in the code includes comments that explain what the code does.
For a video version of this topic, see Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer in Visual Basic - Video 5 or Tutorial 1:
Create a Picture Viewer in C# - Video 5. These videos use an earlier version of Visual Studio, so there are slight
differences in some menu commands and other user interface elements. However, the concepts and procedures
work similarly in the current version of Visual Studio.

NOTE
As a best practice: Always comment your code. Comments are information for a person to read, and it's worth the time to
make your code understandable. Everything on a comment line is ignored by the program. In Visual C#, you comment a line
by typing two forward slashes at the beginning (//), and in Visual Basic you comment a line by starting with a single
quotation mark (').

To write code for additional buttons and a check box

Add the following code to your Form1 code file (Form1.cs or Form1.vb). Choose the VB tab to view Visual
Basic code.
 Private Sub clearButton_Click() Handles clearButton.Click
' Clear the picture.
PictureBox1.Image = Nothing
End Sub

Private Sub backgroundButton_Click() Handles backgroundButton.Click

' Show the color dialog box. If the user clicks OK, change the
' PictureBox control's background to the color the user chose.
If ColorDialog1.ShowDialog() = DialogResult.OK Then
PictureBox1.BackColor = ColorDialog1.Color
End If
End Sub

Private Sub closeButton_Click() Handles closeButton.Click

' Close the form.
Close()
End Sub

Private Sub CheckBox1_CheckedChanged() Handles CheckBox1.CheckedChanged

' If the user selects the Stretch check box, change
' the PictureBox's SizeMode property to "Stretch". If the user
' clears the check box, change it to "Normal".
If CheckBox1.Checked Then
PictureBox1.SizeMode = PictureBoxSizeMode.StretchImage
Else
PictureBox1.SizeMode = PictureBoxSizeMode.Normal
End If
End Sub

private void clearButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
// Clear the picture.
pictureBox1.Image = null;
}

private void backgroundButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
// Show the color dialog box. If the user clicks OK, change the
// PictureBox control's background to the color the user chose.
if (colorDialog1.ShowDialog() == DialogResult.OK)
pictureBox1.BackColor = colorDialog1.Color;
}

private void closeButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
// Close the form.
this.Close();
}

private void checkBox1_CheckedChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
// If the user selects the Stretch check box,
// change the PictureBox's
// SizeMode property to "Stretch". If the user clears
// the check box, change it to "Normal".
if (checkBox1.Checked)
pictureBox1.SizeMode = PictureBoxSizeMode.StretchImage;
else
pictureBox1.SizeMode = PictureBoxSizeMode.Normal;
}

To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 11: Run Your Program and Try Other Features.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 9: Review, Comment, and Test Your Code.
 Step 11: Run Your Program and Try Other Features
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

Your program is finished and ready to run. You can run your program and set the background color of the
PictureBox. To learn more, try to improve the program by changing the color of the form, customizing the buttons
and check box, and changing the properties of the form.
To download a completed version of the sample, see Complete Picture Viewer tutorial sample.
For a video version of this topic, see Tutorial 1: Create a Picture Viewer in Visual Basic - Video 5 or Tutorial 1:
Create a Picture Viewer in C# - Video 5. These videos use an earlier version of Visual Studio, so there are slight
differences in some menu commands and other user interface elements. However, the concepts and procedures
work similarly in the current version of Visual Studio.
To run your program and set the background color
1. Choose F5, or on the menu bar, choose Debug, Start Debugging.
2. Before you open a picture, choose the Set the background color button. The Color dialog box opens.

Color dialog box

3. Choose a color to set the PictureBox background color. Look closely at the backgroundButton_Click()
method to understand how it works.

NOTE
You can load a picture from the Internet by pasting its URL into the Open File dialog box. Try to find an image with a
transparent background, so your background color shows.

4. Choose the Clear the picture button to make sure it clears. Then, exit the program by choosing the Close
button.
To try other features
Change the color of the form and the buttons by using the BackColor property.
Customize your buttons and check box using the Font and ForeColor properties.
Change your form's FormBorderStyle and ControlBox properties.
 Use your form's AcceptButton and CancelButton properties so that buttons are automatically chosen
when the user chooses the ENTER or ESC key. Make the program open the Open File dialog box when the
user chooses ENTER and close the box when the user chooses ESC.
To continue or review
To learn more about programming in Visual Studio, see Programming Concepts.
To learn more about Visual Basic, see Developing Applications with Visual Basic.
To learn more about Visual C#, see Introduction to the C# Language and the .NET Framework.
To go to the next tutorial, see Tutorial 2: Create a Timed Math Quiz.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 10: Write Code for Additional Buttons and a Check Box.
 Tutorial 2: Create a Timed Math Quiz
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

In this tutorial, you build a quiz in which the quiz taker must answer four random arithmetic problems within a
specified time. You learn how to:
Generate random numbers by using the Random class.
Trigger events to occur at a specific time by using a Timer control.
Control program flow by using if else statements.
Perform basic arithmetic operations in code.
When you finish, your quiz will look like the following picture, except with different numbers.

Quiz that you create in this tutorial

To download a completed version of the quiz, see Complete Math Quiz tutorial sample.

NOTE
This tutorial covers both Visual C# and Visual Basic, so focus on the information that's specific to the programming
language that you're using.

Related Topics
TITLE DESCRIPTION

Step 1: Create a Project and Add Labels to Your Form Start by creating the project, changing properties, and adding
Label controls.

Step 2: Create a Random Addition Problem Create an addition problem, and use the Random class to
generate random numbers.

Step 3: Add a Countdown Timer Add a countdown timer so that the quiz can be timed.

Step 4: Add the CheckTheAnswer() Method Add a method to check whether the quiz taker entered a
correct answer for the problem.
TITLE DESCRIPTION

Step 5: Add Enter Event Handlers for the NumericUpDown Add event handlers that make your quiz easier to take.
Controls

Step 6: Add a Subtraction Problem Add a subtraction problem that generates random numbers,
uses the timer, and checks for correct answers.

Step 7: Add Multiplication and Division Problems Add multiplication and division problems that generate
random numbers, use the timer, and check for correct
answers.

Step 8: Customize the Quiz Try other features, such as changing colors and adding a hint.
 Step 1: Create a Project and Add Labels to Your Form
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

As the first steps in developing this quiz, you create the project, and you add labels, a button, and other controls to
a form. You also set properties for each control that you add. The project will contain the form, the controls, and
(later in the tutorial) code. The button starts the quiz, the labels show the quiz problems, and the other controls
show the quiz answers and the time that remains to finish the quiz.

NOTE
This topic is part of a tutorial series about basic coding concepts. For an overview of the tutorial, see Tutorial 2: Create a
Timed Math Quiz.

To create a project and and set properties for a form

1. On the menu bar, choose File, New, Project.
2. In the Installed Templates list, choose either C# or Visual Basic.
3. In the list of templates, choose the Windows Forms Application template, name it Math Quiz, and then
choose the OK button.
A form that's named Form1.cs or Form1.vb appears, depending on the programming language that you
chose.
4. Choose the form, and then change its Text property to Math Quiz.
The Properties window contains properties for the form.
5. Change the size of the form to 500 pixels wide by 400 pixels tall.
You can resize the form by dragging its edges until the correct size appears in the lower-left corner of the
integrated development environment (IDE). As an alternative, you can change the values of the Size
property.
6. Change the value of the FormBorderStyle property to Fixed3D, and set the MaximizeBox property to
False.
These values prevent quiz takers from resizing the form.
To create the Time Remaining box
1. Add a Label control from the Toolbox, and then set the value of its (Name) property to timeLabel .
This label will become a box in the upper-right corner that shows the number of seconds that remain in the
quiz.
2. Change the AutoSize property to False so that you can resize the box.
3. Change the BorderStyle property to FixedSingle to draw a line around the box.
4. Set the Size property to 200, 30.
5. Move the label to the upper-right corner of the form, where blue spacer lines will appear.
These lines help you align controls on the form.
 6. In the Properties window, choose the Text property, and then choose the Backspace key to clear its value.
7. Choose the plus sign (+) next to the Font property, and then change the value of the Size property to 15.75.
You can change several font properties, as the following picture shows.

Properties window showing font size

8. Add another Label control from the Toolbox, and then set its font size to 15.75.
9. Set the Text property to Time Left.
10. Move the label so that it lines up just to the left of the timeLabel label.
To add controls for the addition problems
1. Add a Label control from the Toolbox, and then set its Text property to ? (question mark).
2. Set the AutoSize property to False.
3. Set the Size property to 60, 50.
4. Set the font size to 18.
5. Set the TextAlign property to MiddleCenter.
6. Set the Location property to 50, 75 to position the control on the form.
7. Set the (Name) property to plusLeftLabel.
8. Choose the plusLeftLabel label, and then choose either the Ctrl+C keys or Copy on the Edit menu.
9. Paste the label three times by choosing either the Ctrl+V keys or Paste on the Edit menu.
10. Arrange the three new labels so that they are in a row to the right of the plusLeftLabel label.
You can use the spacer lines to space them out and line them up.
11. Set the value of the second label's Text property to + (plus sign).
12. Set the value of the third label's (Name) property to plusRightLabel.
13. Set the value of the fourth label's Text property to = (equal sign).
14. Add a NumericUpDown control from the Toolbox, set its font size to 18, and set its width to 100.
You'll learn more about this kind of control later.
15. Line up the NumericUpDown control with the label controls for the addition problem.
16. Change the value of the (Name) property for the NumericUpDown control to sum.
 You've created the first row, as the following picture shows.

First row of math quiz

To add controls for the subtraction, multiplication, and division problems
1. Copy all five controls for the addition problem (the four Label controls and the NumericUpDown control),
and then paste them.
The form contains five new controls, which are still selected.
2. Move all of the controls into place so that they line up below the addition controls.
You can use the spacer lines to give enough distance between the two rows.
3. Change the value of the Text property for the second label to - (minus sign).
4. Name the first question-mark label minusLeftLabel.
5. Name the second question-mark label minusRightLabel.
6. Name the NumericUpDown control difference.
7. Paste the five controls two more times.
8. For the third row, name the first label timesLeftLabel, change the second label's Text property to ×
(multiplication sign), name the third label timesRightLabel, and name the NumericUpDown control
product.
9. For the fourth row, name the first label dividedLeftLabel, change the second label's Text property to ÷
(division sign), name the third label dividedRightLabel, and name the NumericUpDown control quotient.

NOTE
You can copy the multiplication sign × and the division sign ÷ from this tutorial and paste them onto the form.

To add a start button and set the tab-index order

1. Add a Button control from the Toolbox, and then set its (Name) property to startButton.
2. Set the Text property to Start the quiz.
3. Set the font size to 14.
4. Set the AutoSize property to True, which causes the button to automatically resize to fit the text.
5. Center the button near the bottom of the form.
6. Set the value of the TabIndex property for the startButton control to 1.
 NOTE
The TabIndex property sets the order of the controls when the quiz taker chooses the Tab key. To see how it works,
open any dialog box (for example, on the menu bar, choose File, Open), and then choose the Tab key a few times.
Watch how your cursor moves from control to control each time that you choose the Tab key. A programmer
decided the order when creating that form.

7. Set the value of the TabIndex property for the NumericUpDown sum control to 2, for the difference control
to 3, for the product control to 4, and for the quotient control to 5.
The form should look like the following illustration.

Initial math quiz form

8. To verify whether the TabIndex property works as you expect, save and run your program by choosing the
F5 key, or by choosing Debug, Start Debugging on the menu bar, and then choose the Tab key a few
times.
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 2: Create a Random Addition Problem.
To return to the overview topic, see Tutorial 2: Create a Timed Math Quiz.
 Step 2: Create a Random Addition Problem
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

In the second part of this tutorial, you make the quiz challenging by adding math problems that are based on
random numbers. You also create a method that's named StartTheQuiz() and that fills in the problems and starts
the countdown timer. Later in this tutorial, you'll add the subtraction, multiplication, and division problems.

NOTE
This topic is part of a tutorial series about basic coding concepts. For an overview of the tutorial, see Tutorial 2: Create a
Timed Math Quiz.

To create a random addition problem

1. In the form designer, choose the form (Form1).
2. On the menu bar, choose View, Code.
Form1.cs or Form1.vb appears, depending on the programming language that you're using, so that you can
view the code behind the form.
3. Create a Random object by adding a new statement near the top of the code, like the following.

public partial class Form1 : Form

{
// Create a Random object called randomizer
// to generate random numbers.
Random randomizer = new Random();

Public Class Form1

' Create a Random object called randomizer

' to generate random numbers.
Private randomizer As New Random

You've added a Random object to your form and named the object randomizer.
Random is known as an object. You've probably heard that word before, and you learn more about what it
means for programming in the next tutorial. For now, just remember that you can use new statements to
create buttons, labels, panels, OpenFileDialogs, ColorDialogs, SoundPlayers, Randoms, and even forms, and
those items are referred to as objects. When you run your program, the form is started, and the code behind
it creates a Random object and names it randomizer.
Soon you'll build a method to check the answers, so your quiz must use variables to store the random
numbers that it generates for each problem. See Variables or Types. To properly use variables, you must
declare them, which means listing their names and data types.
4. Add two integer variables to the form, and name them addend1 and addend2.
 NOTE
An integer variable is known as an int in C# or an Integer in Visual Basic. This kind of variable stores a positive or
negative number from -2147483648 through 2147483647 and can store only whole numbers, not decimals.

You use a similar syntax to add an integer variable as you did to add the Random object, as the following
code shows.

// Create a Random object called randomizer

// to generate random numbers.
Random randomizer = new Random();

// These integer variables store the numbers

// for the addition problem.
int addend1;
int addend2;

' Create a Random object called randomizer

' to generate random numbers.
Private randomizer As New Random

' These integer variables store the numbers

' for the addition problem.
Private addend1 As Integer
Private addend2 As Integer

5. Add a method that's named StartTheQuiz() and that uses the Random object's Next() method to show the
random numbers in the labels. StartTheQuiz() will eventually fill in all of the problems and then start the
timer, so add a comment. The function should look like the following.

/// <summary>
/// Start the quiz by filling in all of the problems
/// and starting the timer.
/// </summary>
public void StartTheQuiz()
{
// Fill in the addition problem.
// Generate two random numbers to add.
// Store the values in the variables 'addend1' and 'addend2'.
addend1 = randomizer.Next(51);
addend2 = randomizer.Next(51);

// Convert the two randomly generated numbers

// into strings so that they can be displayed
// in the label controls.
plusLeftLabel.Text = addend1.ToString();
plusRightLabel.Text = addend2.ToString();

// 'sum' is the name of the NumericUpDown control.

// This step makes sure its value is zero before
// adding any values to it.
sum.Value = 0;
}
 ''' <summary>
''' Start the quiz by filling in all of the problems
''' and starting the timer.
''' </summary>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Sub StartTheQuiz()
' Fill in the addition problem.
' Generate two random numbers to add.
' Store the values in the variables 'addend1' and 'addend2'.
addend1 = randomizer.Next(51)
addend2 = randomizer.Next(51)

' Convert the two randomly generated numbers

' into strings so that they can be displayed
' in the label controls.
plusLeftLabel.Text = addend1.ToString()
plusRightLabel.Text = addend2.ToString()

' 'sum' is the name of the NumericUpDown control.

' This step makes sure its value is zero before
' adding any values to it.
sum.Value = 0
End Sub

Notice that when you enter the dot (.) after randomizer in the code, an IntelliSense window opens and
shows you all of the Random object's methods that you can call. For example, Intellisense lists the Next()
method, as follows.

Next method
When you enter a dot after an object, IntelliSense shows a list of the object's members, such as properties,
methods, and events.

NOTE
When you use the Next() method with the Random object, such as when you call randomizer.Next(50) , you get
a random number that's less than 50 (from 0 through 49). In this example, you called randomizer.Next(51) . You
used 51 and not 50 so that the two random numbers will add up to an answer that's from 0 through 100. If you
pass 50 to the Next() method, it chooses a number from 0 through 49, so the highest possible answer is 98, not
100. After the first two statements in the method run, each of the two integer variables, addend1 and addend2 ,
hold a random number from 0 through 50. This screenshot shows Visual C# code, but IntelliSense works the same
way for Visual Basic.

Take a closer look at these statements.

plusLeftLabel.Text = addend1.ToString();
plusRightLabel.Text = addend2.ToString();
 ' Convert the two randomly generated numbers
' into strings so that they can be displayed
' in the label controls.
plusLeftLabel.Text = addend1.ToString()
plusRightLabel.Text = addend2.ToString()

The statements set the Text properties of plusLeftLabel and plusRightLabel so that they display the two
random numbers. You must use the integer's ToString() method to convert the numbers to text. (In
programming, string means text. Label controls display only text, not numbers.
6. In the design window, either double-click the Start button, or choose it and then choose the Enter key.
When a quiz taker chooses this button, the quiz should start, and you've just added a Click event handler to
implement that behavior.
7. Add the following two statements.

private void startButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
StartTheQuiz();
startButton.Enabled = false;
}

' Call the StartTheQuiz() method and enable

' the Start button.
Private Sub startButton_Click() Handles startButton.Click
StartTheQuiz()
startButton.Enabled = False
End Sub

The first statement calls the new StartTheQuiz() method. The second statement sets the Enabled property
of the startButton control to False so that the quiz taker can't choose the button during a quiz.
8. Save your code, run it, and then choose the Start button.
A random addition problem appears, as the following illustration shows.

Random addition problem

In the next step of the tutorial, you'll add the sum.
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 3: Add a Countdown Timer.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 1: Create a Project and Add Labels to Your Form.
 Step 3: Add a Countdown Timer
10/18/2017 • 6 min to read • Edit Online

In the third part of this tutorial, you'll add a countdown timer to track the number of seconds that remain for the
quiz taker to finish.

NOTE
This topic is part of a tutorial series about basic coding concepts. For an overview of the tutorial, see Tutorial 2: Create a
Timed Math Quiz.

To add a countdown timer

1. Add an integer variable that's named timeLeft, just like you did in the previous procedure. Your code
should look like the following.

Public Class Form1

' Create a Random object called randomizer

' to generate random numbers.
Private randomizer As New Random

' These integer variables store the numbers

' for the addition problem.
Private addend1 As Integer
Private addend2 As Integer

' This integer variable keeps track of the

' remaining time.
Private timeLeft As Integer

public partial class Form1 : Form

{
// Create a Random object called randomizer
// to generate random numbers.
Random randomizer = new Random();

// These integer variables store the numbers

// for the addition problem.
int addend1;
int addend2;

// This integer variable keeps track of the

// remaining time.
int timeLeft;

Now you need a method that actually counts the seconds, such as a timer, which raises an event after the
amount of time that you specify.
2. In the design window, move a Timer control from the Components category of the Toolbox to your form.
The control appears in the gray area at the bottom of the design window.
3. On the form, choose the timer1 icon that you just added, and set its Interval property to 1000.
Because the interval value is milliseconds, a value of 1000 causes the Tick event to fire every second.
4. On the form, double-click the Timer control, or choose it and then choose the Enter key.
The code editor appears and displays the method for the Tick event handler that you just added.
5. Add the following statements to the new event handler method.

Private Sub Timer1_Tick() Handles Timer1.Tick

If timeLeft > 0 Then

' Display the new time left
' by updating the Time Left label.
timeLeft -= 1
timeLabel.Text = timeLeft & " seconds"
Else
' If the user ran out of time, stop the timer, show
' a MessageBox, and fill in the answers.
Timer1.Stop()
timeLabel.Text = "Time's up!"
MessageBox.Show("You didn't finish in time.", "Sorry!")
sum.Value = addend1 + addend2
startButton.Enabled = True
End If

End Sub

private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
if (timeLeft > 0)
{
// Display the new time left
// by updating the Time Left label.
timeLeft = timeLeft - 1;
timeLabel.Text = timeLeft + " seconds";
}
else
{
// If the user ran out of time, stop the timer, show
// a MessageBox, and fill in the answers.
timer1.Stop();
timeLabel.Text = "Time's up!";
MessageBox.Show("You didn't finish in time.", "Sorry!");
sum.Value = addend1 + addend2;
startButton.Enabled = true;
}
}

Based on what you added, the timer checks each second whether time has run out by determining whether
the timeLeft integer variable is greater than 0. If it is, time still remains. The timer first subtracts 1 from
timeLeft and then updates the Text property of the timeLabel control to show the quiz taker how many
seconds remain.
If no time remains, the timer stops and changes the text of the timeLabel control so that it shows Time's
up! A message box announces that the quiz is over, and the answer is revealed—in this case, by adding
addend1 and addend2. The Enabled property of the startButton control is set to true so that the quiz
taker can start another quiz.
You just added an if else statement, which is how you tell programs to make decisions. An if else
statement looks like the following.
 NOTE
The following example is for illustration only-don't add it to your project.

If (something that your program will check) Then

' One or more statements that will run
' if what the program checked is true.
Else
' One or more statements that will run
' if what the program checked is false.
End If

if (something that your program will check)

{
// One or more statements that will run
// if what the program checked is true.
}
else
{
// One or more statements that will run
// if what the program checked is false.
}

Look closely at the statement that you added in the else block to show the answer to the addition problem.

sum.Value = addend1 + addend2

sum.Value = addend1 + addend2;

The statement addend1 + addend2 adds the values in the two variables together. The first part ( sum.Value )
uses the Value property of the sum NumericUpDown control to display the correct answer. You use the same
property later to check the answers for the quiz.
Quiz takers can enter numbers more easily by using a NumericUpDown control, which is why you use one for
the answers to the math problems. All of the potential answers are whole numbers from 0 through 100. By
leaving the default values of the Minimum, Maximum, and DecimalPlaces properties, you ensure that
quiz takers can't enter decimals, negative numbers, or numbers that are too high. (If you wanted to allow
quiz takers to enter 3.141 but not 3.1415, you could set the DecimalPlaces property to 3.)
6. Add three lines to the end of the StartTheQuiz() method, so the code looks like the following.
 ''' <summary>
''' Start the quiz by filling in all of the problem
''' values and starting the timer.
''' </summary>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Sub StartTheQuiz()

' Fill in the addition problem.

' Generate two random numbers to add.
' Store the values in the variables 'addend1' and 'addend2'.
addend1 = randomizer.Next(51)
addend2 = randomizer.Next(51)

' Convert the two randomly generated numbers

' into strings so that they can be displayed
' in the label controls.
plusLeftLabel.Text = addend1.ToString()
plusRightLabel.Text = addend2.ToString()

' 'sum' is the name of the NumericUpDown control.

' This step makes sure its value is zero before
' adding any values to it.
sum.Value = 0

' Start the timer.

timeLeft = 30
timeLabel.Text = "30 seconds"
Timer1.Start()

End Sub

/// <summary>
/// Start the quiz by filling in all of the problem
/// values and starting the timer.
/// </summary>
public void StartTheQuiz()
{
// Fill in the addition problem.
// Generate two random numbers to add.
// Store the values in the variables 'addend1' and 'addend2'.
addend1 = randomizer.Next(51);
addend2 = randomizer.Next(51);

// Convert the two randomly generated numbers

// into strings so that they can be displayed
// in the label controls.
plusLeftLabel.Text = addend1.ToString();
plusRightLabel.Text = addend2.ToString();

// 'sum' is the name of the NumericUpDown control.

// This step makes sure its value is zero before
// adding any values to it.
sum.Value = 0;

// Start the timer.

timeLeft = 30;
timeLabel.Text = "30 seconds";
timer1.Start();
}

Now, when your quiz starts, the timeLeft variable is set to 30 and the Text property of the timeLabel
control is set to 30 seconds. Then the Start() method of the Timer control starts the countdown. (The quiz
doesn't check the answer yet—that comes next.)
7. Save your program, run it, and then choose the Start button on the form.
The timer starts to count down. When time runs out, the quiz ends, and the answer appears. The following
illustration shows the quiz in progress.

Math quiz in progress

To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 4: Add the CheckTheAnswer() Method.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 2: Create a Random Addition Problem.
 Step 4: Add the CheckTheAnswer() Method
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

In the fourth part of this tutorial, you'll write a method, CheckTheAnswer() , that determines whether the answers to
the math problems are correct. This topic is part of a tutorial series about basic coding concepts. For an overview of
the tutorial, see Tutorial 2: Create a Timed Math Quiz.

NOTE
If you're following along in Visual Basic, you'll use the Function keyword instead of the usual Sub keyword because this
method returns a value. It's really that simple: a sub doesn't return a value, but a function does.

To verify whether the answers are correct

1. Add the CheckTheAnswer() method.
When this method is called, it adds the values of addend1 and addend2 and compares the result to the
value in the sum NumericUpDown control. If the values are equal, the method returns a value of true .
Otherwise, the method returns a value of false . Your code should look like the following.

''' <summary>
''' Check the answer to see if the user got everything right.
''' </summary>
''' <returns>True if the answer's correct, false otherwise.</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Function CheckTheAnswer() As Boolean

If addend1 + addend2 = sum.Value Then

Return True
Else
Return False
End If

End Function

/// <summary>
/// Check the answer to see if the user got everything right.
/// </summary>
/// <returns>True if the answer's correct, false otherwise.</returns>
private bool CheckTheAnswer()
{
if (addend1 + addend2 == sum.Value)
return true;
else
return false;
}

Next, you'll check the answer by updating the code in the method for the timer's Tick event handler to call
the new CheckTheAnswer() method.
2. Add the following code to the if else statement.
 Private Sub Timer1_Tick() Handles Timer1.Tick

If CheckTheAnswer() Then
' If CheckTheAnswer() returns true, then the user
' got the answer right. Stop the timer
' and show a MessageBox.
Timer1.Stop()
MessageBox.Show("You got all of the answers right!", "Congratulations!")
startButton.Enabled = True
ElseIf timeLeft > 0 Then
' If CheckTheAnswer() return false, keep counting
' down. Decrease the time left by one second and
' display the new time left by updating the
' Time Left label.
timeLeft -= 1
timeLabel.Text = timeLeft & " seconds"
Else
' If the user ran out of time, stop the timer, show
' a MessageBox, and fill in the answers.
Timer1.Stop()
timeLabel.Text = "Time's up!"
MessageBox.Show("You didn't finish in time.", "Sorry!")
sum.Value = addend1 + addend2
startButton.Enabled = True
End If

End Sub

private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
if (CheckTheAnswer())
{
// If CheckTheAnswer() returns true, then the user
// got the answer right. Stop the timer
// and show a MessageBox.
timer1.Stop();
MessageBox.Show("You got all the answers right!",
"Congratulations!");
startButton.Enabled = true;
}
else if (timeLeft > 0)
{
// If CheckTheAnswer() return false, keep counting
// down. Decrease the time left by one second and
// display the new time left by updating the
// Time Left label.
timeLeft--;
timeLabel.Text = timeLeft + " seconds";
}
else
{
// If the user ran out of time, stop the timer, show
// a MessageBox, and fill in the answers.
timer1.Stop();
timeLabel.Text = "Time's up!";
MessageBox.Show("You didn't finish in time.", "Sorry!");
sum.Value = addend1 + addend2;
startButton.Enabled = true;
}
}

If the answer is correct, CheckTheAnswer() returns true . The event handler stops the timer, shows a
congratulatory message, and then makes the Start button available again. Otherwise, the quiz continues.
3. Save your program, run it, start a quiz, and provide a correct answer to the addition problem.

NOTE
When you enter your answer, you must either select the default value before you start to enter your answer, or you
must delete the zero manually. You'll correct this behavior later in this tutorial.

When you provide a correct answer, a message box opens, the Start button becomes available, and the
timer stops.
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 5: Add Enter Event Handlers for the NumericUpDown Controls.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 3: Add a Countdown Timer.
 Step 5: Add Enter Event Handlers for the
NumericUpDown Controls
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

In the fifth part of this tutorial, you'll add Enter event handlers to make entering answers for quiz problems a little
easier. This code will select and clear the current value in each NumericUpDown control as soon as the quiz taker
chooses it and starts to enter a different value.

NOTE
This topic is part of a tutorial series about basic coding concepts. For an overview of the tutorial, see Tutorial 2: Create a
Timed Math Quiz.

To verify the default behavior

1. Run your program, and start the quiz.
In the NumericUpDown control for the addition problem, the cursor flashes next to 0 (zero).
2. Enter 3 , and note that the control shows 30.
3. Enter 5 , and note that 350 appears but changes to 100 after a second.
Before you fix this problem, think about what's happening. Consider why the 0 didn't disappear when you
entered 3 and why 350 changed to 100 but not immediately.
This behavior may seem odd, but it makes sense given the logic of the code. When you choose the Start
button, its Enabled property is set to False, and the button appears dimmed and is unavailable. Your
program changes the current selection (focus) to the control that has the next lowest TabIndex value, which
is the NumericUpDown control for the addition problem. When you use the Tab key to go to a
NumericUpDown control, the cursor is automatically positioned at the start of the control, which is why the
numbers that you enter appear from the left side and not the right side. When you specify a number that's
higher than the value of the MaximumValue property, which is set to 100, the number that you enter is
replaced with the value of that property.
To add an Enter event handler for a NumericUpDown control
1. Choose the first NumericUpDown control (named "sum") on the form, and then, in the Properties dialog
box, choose the Events icon on the toolbar.
The Events tab in the Properties dialog box displays all of the events that you can respond to (handle) for
the item that you choose on the form. Because you chose the NumericUpDown control, all of the events
listed pertain to it.
2. Choose the Enter event, enter answer_Enter , and then choose the Enter key.
 Properties dialog box
You've just added an Enter event handler for the sum NumericUpDown control, and you've named the
handler answer_Enter.
3. In the method for the answer_Enter event handler, add the following code.

''' <summary>
''' Modify the behavior of the NumericUpDown control
''' to make it easier to enter numeric values for
''' the quiz.
''' </summary>
Private Sub answer_Enter(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles sum.Enter

' Select the whole answer in the NumericUpDown control.

Dim answerBox = TryCast(sender, NumericUpDown)

If answerBox IsNot Nothing Then

Dim lengthOfAnswer = answerBox.Value.ToString().Length
answerBox.Select(0, lengthOfAnswer)
End If

End Sub

private void answer_Enter(object sender, EventArgs e)

{
// Select the whole answer in the NumericUpDown control.
NumericUpDown answerBox = sender as NumericUpDown;

if (answerBox != null)
{
int lengthOfAnswer = answerBox.Value.ToString().Length;
answerBox.Select(0, lengthOfAnswer);
}
}

This code may look complex, but you can understand it if you look at it step by step. First, look at the top of
the method: object sender in C# or sender As System.Object in Visual Basic. This parameter refers to the
object whose event is firing, which is known as the sender. In this case, the sender object is the
NumericUpDown control. So, in the first line of the method, you specify that the sender isn't just any generic
object but specifically a NumericUpDown control. (Every NumericUpDown control is an object, but not every
object is a NumericUpDown control.) The NumericUpDown control is named answerBox in this method,
 because it will be used for all of the NumericUpDown controls on the form, not just the sum
NumericUpDown control. Because you declare the answerBox variable in this method, its scope applies only
to this method. In other words, the variable can be used only within this method.
The next line verifies whether answerBox was successfully converted (cast) from an object to a
NumericUpDown control. If the conversion was unsuccessful, the variable would have a value of null (C#)
or Nothing (Visual Basic). The third line gets the length of the answer that appears in the NumericUpDown
control, and the fourth line selects the current value in the control based on this length. Now, when the quiz
taker chooses the control, Visual Studio fires this event, which causes the current answer to be selected. As
soon as the quiz taker starts to enter a different answer, the previous answer is cleared and replaced with
the new answer.
4. In Windows Forms Designer, choose the difference NumericUpDown control.
5. In the Events page of the Properties dialog box, scroll down to the Enter event, choose the drop-down
arrow at the end of the row, and then choose the answer_Enter event handler that you just added.
6. Repeat the previous step for the product and quotient NumericUpDown controls.
7. Save your program, and then run it.
When you choose a NumericUpDown control, the existing value is automatically selected and then cleared
when you start to enter a different value.
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 6: Add a Subtraction Problem.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 4: Add the CheckTheAnswer() Method.
 Step 6: Add a Subtraction Problem
10/18/2017 • 6 min to read • Edit Online

In the sixth part of this tutorial, you'll add a subtraction problem and learn how to perform the following tasks:
Store the subtraction values.
Generate random numbers for the problem (and be sure that the answer is between 0 and 100).
Update the method that checks the answers so that it checks the new subtraction problem too.
Update your timer's Tick event handler so that the event handler fills in the correct answer when time runs
out.
To add a subtraction problem
1. Add two integer variables for the subtraction problem to your form, between the integer variables for the
addition problem and the timer. The code should look like the following.

Public Class Form1

' Create a Random object called randomizer

' to generate random numbers.
Private randomizer As New Random

' These integer variables store the numbers

' for the addition problem.
Private addend1 As Integer
Private addend2 As Integer

' These integer variables store the numbers

' for the subtraction problem.
Private minuend As Integer
Private subtrahend As Integer

' This integer variable keeps track of the

' remaining time.
Private timeLeft As Integer

public partial class Form1 : Form

{
// Create a Random object called randomizer
// to generate random numbers.
Random randomizer = new Random();

// These integer variables store the numbers

// for the addition problem.
int addend1;
int addend2;

// These integer variables store the numbers

// for the subtraction problem.
int minuend;
int subtrahend;

// This integer variable keeps track of the

// remaining time.
int timeLeft;
 The names of the new integer variables—minuend and subtrahend—aren't programming terms. They're
the traditional names in arithmetic for the number that's being subtracted (the subtrahend) and the number
from which the subtrahend is being subtracted (the minuend). The difference is the minuend minus the
subtrahend. You could use other names, because your program doesn't require specific names for variables,
controls, components, or methods. You must follow rules such as not starting names with digits, but you can
generally use names such as x1, x2, x3, and x4. However, generic names make code difficult to read and
problems nearly impossible to track down. To keep variable names unique and helpful, you'll use the
traditional names for multiplication (multiplicand × multiplier = product) and division (dividend ÷ divisor =
quotient) later in this tutorial.
Next, you'll modify the StartTheQuiz() method to provide random values for the subtraction problem.
2. Add the following code after the "Fill in the subtraction problem" comment.

''' <summary>
''' Start the quiz by filling in all of the problem
''' values and starting the timer.
''' </summary>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Sub StartTheQuiz()

' Fill in the addition problem.

' Generate two random numbers to add.
' Store the values in the variables 'addend1' and 'addend2'.
addend1 = randomizer.Next(51)
addend2 = randomizer.Next(51)

' Convert the two randomly generated numbers

' into strings so that they can be displayed
' in the label controls.
plusLeftLabel.Text = addend1.ToString()
plusRightLabel.Text = addend2.ToString()

' 'sum' is the name of the NumericUpDown control.

' This step makes sure its value is zero before
' adding any values to it.
sum.Value = 0

' Fill in the subtraction problem.

minuend = randomizer.Next(1, 101)
subtrahend = randomizer.Next(1, minuend)
minusLeftLabel.Text = minuend.ToString()
minusRightLabel.Text = subtrahend.ToString()
difference.Value = 0

' Start the timer.

timeLeft = 30
timeLabel.Text = "30 seconds"
Timer1.Start()

End Sub
 /// <summary>
/// Start the quiz by filling in all of the problem
/// values and starting the timer.
/// </summary>
public void StartTheQuiz()
{
// Fill in the addition problem.
// Generate two random numbers to add.
// Store the values in the variables 'addend1' and 'addend2'.
addend1 = randomizer.Next(51);
addend2 = randomizer.Next(51);

// Convert the two randomly generated numbers

// into strings so that they can be displayed
// in the label controls.
plusLeftLabel.Text = addend1.ToString();
plusRightLabel.Text = addend2.ToString();

// 'sum' is the name of the NumericUpDown control.

// This step makes sure its value is zero before
// adding any values to it.
sum.Value = 0;

// Fill in the subtraction problem.

minuend = randomizer.Next(1, 101);
subtrahend = randomizer.Next(1, minuend);
minusLeftLabel.Text = minuend.ToString();
minusRightLabel.Text = subtrahend.ToString();
difference.Value = 0;

// Start the timer.

timeLeft = 30;
timeLabel.Text = "30 seconds";
timer1.Start();
}

To prevent negative answers for the subtraction problem, this code uses the Next() method of the Random
class a little differently from how the addition problem does. When you give the Next() method two values,
it picks a random number that's greater than or equal to the first value and less than the second one. The
following code chooses a random number from 1 through 100 and stores it in the minuend variable.

minuend = randomizer.Next(1, 101)

minuend = randomizer.Next(1, 101);

You can call the Next() method of the Random class, which you named "randomizer" earlier in this tutorial,
in multiple ways. Methods that you can call in more than one way are referred to as overloaded, and you
can use IntelliSense to explore them. Look again at the tooltip of the IntelliSense window for the Next()
method.
 Intellisense window tooltip
The tooltip shows (+ 2 overload(s)), which means that you can call the Next() method in two other ways.
Overloads contain different numbers or types of arguments, so that they work slightly differently from one
another. For example, a method might take a single integer argument, whereas one of its overloads might
take an integer and a string. You choose the correct overload based on what you want it to do. When you
add the code to the StartTheQuiz() method, more information appears in the Intellisense window as soon
as you enter randomizer.Next( . Choose the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys to cycle through the overloads,
as the following illustration shows.

Overload for Next() method in IntelliSense

In this case, you want to choose the last overload, because you can specify minimum and maximum values.
3. Modify the CheckTheAnswer() method to check for the correct subtraction answer.

''' <summary>
''' Check the answers to see if the user got everything right.
''' </summary>
''' <returns>True if the answer's correct, false otherwise.</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Function CheckTheAnswer() As Boolean

If addend1 + addend2 = sum.Value AndAlso

minuend - subtrahend = difference.Value Then

Return True
Else
Return False
End If

End Function

/// <summary>
/// Check the answers to see if the user got everything right.
/// </summary>
/// <returns>True if the answer's correct, false otherwise.</returns>
private bool CheckTheAnswer()
{
if ((addend1 + addend2 == sum.Value)
&& (minuend - subtrahend == difference.Value))
return true;
else
return false;
}

In Visual C#, && is the logical and operator. In Visual Basic, the equivalent operator is AndAlso . These
operators indicate "If the sum of addend1 and addend2 equals the value of the sum NumericUpDown and if
minuend minus subtrahend equals the value of the difference NumericUpDown." The CheckTheAnswer()
method returns true only if the answers to the addition and the subtraction problems are both correct.
4. Replace the last part of the timer's Tick event handler with the following code so that it fills in the correct
answer when time runs out.
 Else
' If the user ran out of time, stop the timer, show
' a MessageBox, and fill in the answers.
Timer1.Stop()
timeLabel.Text = "Time's up!"
MessageBox.Show("You didn't finish in time.", "Sorry!")
sum.Value = addend1 + addend2
difference.Value = minuend - subtrahend
startButton.Enabled = True
End If

else
{
// If the user ran out of time, stop the timer, show
// a MessageBox, and fill in the answers.
timer1.Stop();
timeLabel.Text = "Time's up!";
MessageBox.Show("You didn't finish in time.", "Sorry!");
sum.Value = addend1 + addend2;
difference.Value = minuend - subtrahend;
startButton.Enabled = true;
}

5. Save and run your code.

Your program includes a subtraction problem, as the following illustration shows.

Math quiz with subtraction problem

To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 7: Add Multiplication and Division Problems.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 5: Add Enter Event Handlers for the NumericUpDown
Controls.
 Step 7: Add Multiplication and Division Problems
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

In the seventh part of this tutorial, you'll add multiplication and division problems, but first think about how to
make that change. Consider the initial step, which involves storing values.
To add multiplication and division problems
1. Add four more integer variables to the form.

Public Class Form1

' Create a Random object called randomizer

' to generate random numbers.
Private randomizer As New Random

' These integer variables store the numbers

' for the addition problem.
Private addend1 As Integer
Private addend2 As Integer

' These integer variables store the numbers

' for the subtraction problem.
Private minuend As Integer
Private subtrahend As Integer

' These integer variables store the numbers

' for the multiplication problem.
Private multiplicand As Integer
Private multiplier As Integer

' These integer variables store the numbers

' for the division problem.
Private dividend As Integer
Private divisor As Integer

' This integer variable keeps track of the

' remaining time.
Private timeLeft As Integer
 public partial class Form1 : Form
{
// Create a Random object called randomizer
// to generate random numbers.
Random randomizer = new Random();

// These integer variables store the numbers

// for the addition problem.
int addend1;
int addend2;

// These integer variables store the numbers

// for the subtraction problem.
int minuend;
int subtrahend;

// These integer variables store the numbers

// for the multiplication problem.
int multiplicand;
int multiplier;

// These integer variables store the numbers

// for the division problem.
int dividend;
int divisor;

// This integer variable keeps track of the

// remaining time.
int timeLeft;

2. As you did before, modify the StartTheQuiz() method to fill in random numbers for the multiplication and
division problems.
''' <summary>
''' Start the quiz by filling in all of the problem
''' values and starting the timer.
''' </summary>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Sub StartTheQuiz()

' Fill in the addition problem.

' Generate two random numbers to add.
' Store the values in the variables 'addend1' and 'addend2'.
addend1 = randomizer.Next(51)
addend2 = randomizer.Next(51)

' Convert the two randomly generated numbers

' into strings so that they can be displayed
' in the label controls.
plusLeftLabel.Text = addend1.ToString()
plusRightLabel.Text = addend2.ToString()

' 'sum' is the name of the NumericUpDown control.

' This step makes sure its value is zero before
' adding any values to it.
sum.Value = 0

' Fill in the subtraction problem.

minuend = randomizer.Next(1, 101)
subtrahend = randomizer.Next(1, minuend)
minusLeftLabel.Text = minuend.ToString()
minusRightLabel.Text = subtrahend.ToString()
difference.Value = 0

' Fill in the multiplication problem.

multiplicand = randomizer.Next(2, 11)
multiplier = randomizer.Next(2, 11)
timesLeftLabel.Text = multiplicand.ToString()
timesRightLabel.Text = multiplier.ToString()
product.Value = 0

' Fill in the division problem.

divisor = randomizer.Next(2, 11)
Dim temporaryQuotient As Integer = randomizer.Next(2, 11)
dividend = divisor * temporaryQuotient
dividedLeftLabel.Text = dividend.ToString()
dividedRightLabel.Text = divisor.ToString()
quotient.Value = 0

' Start the timer.

timeLeft = 30
timeLabel.Text = "30 seconds"
Timer1.Start()

End Sub
 /// <summary>
/// Start the quiz by filling in all of the problem
/// values and starting the timer.
/// </summary>
public void StartTheQuiz()
{
// Fill in the addition problem.
// Generate two random numbers to add.
// Store the values in the variables 'addend1' and 'addend2'.
addend1 = randomizer.Next(51);
addend2 = randomizer.Next(51);

// Convert the two randomly generated numbers

// into strings so that they can be displayed
// in the label controls.
plusLeftLabel.Text = addend1.ToString();
plusRightLabel.Text = addend2.ToString();

// 'sum' is the name of the NumericUpDown control.

// This step makes sure its value is zero before
// adding any values to it.
sum.Value = 0;

// Fill in the subtraction problem.

minuend = randomizer.Next(1, 101);
subtrahend = randomizer.Next(1, minuend);
minusLeftLabel.Text = minuend.ToString();
minusRightLabel.Text = subtrahend.ToString();
difference.Value = 0;

// Fill in the multiplication problem.

multiplicand = randomizer.Next(2, 11);
multiplier = randomizer.Next(2, 11);
timesLeftLabel.Text = multiplicand.ToString();
timesRightLabel.Text = multiplier.ToString();
product.Value = 0;

// Fill in the division problem.

divisor = randomizer.Next(2, 11);
int temporaryQuotient = randomizer.Next(2, 11);
dividend = divisor * temporaryQuotient;
dividedLeftLabel.Text = dividend.ToString();
dividedRightLabel.Text = divisor.ToString();
quotient.Value = 0;

// Start the timer.

timeLeft = 30;
timeLabel.Text = "30 seconds";
timer1.Start();
}

3. Modify the CheckTheAnswer() method so that it also checks the multiplication and division problems.
 ''' <summary>
''' Check the answers to see if the user got everything right.
''' </summary>
''' <returns>True if the answer's correct, false otherwise.</returns>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Public Function CheckTheAnswer() As Boolean

If addend1 + addend2 = sum.Value AndAlso

minuend - subtrahend = difference.Value AndAlso
multiplicand * multiplier = product.Value AndAlso
dividend / divisor = quotient.Value Then

Return True
Else
Return False
End If

End Function

/// <summary>
/// Check the answers to see if the user got everything right.
/// </summary>
/// <returns>True if the answer's correct, false otherwise.</returns>
private bool CheckTheAnswer()
{
if ((addend1 + addend2 == sum.Value)
&& (minuend - subtrahend == difference.Value)
&& (multiplicand * multiplier == product.Value)
&& (dividend / divisor == quotient.Value))
return true;
else
return false;
}

You can't easily enter the multiplication sign (×) and the division sign (÷) using the keyboard, so Visual C#
and Visual Basic accept an asterisk (*) for multiplication and a slash mark (/) for division.
4. Change the last part of the timer's Tick event handler so that it fills in the correct answer when time runs
out.

Else
' If the user ran out of time, stop the timer, show
' a MessageBox, and fill in the answers.
Timer1.Stop()
timeLabel.Text = "Time's up!"
MessageBox.Show("You didn't finish in time.", "Sorry!")
sum.Value = addend1 + addend2
difference.Value = minuend - subtrahend
product.Value = multiplicand * multiplier
quotient.Value = dividend / divisor
startButton.Enabled = True
End If
 else
{
// If the user ran out of time, stop the timer, show
// a MessageBox, and fill in the answers.
timer1.Stop();
timeLabel.Text = "Time's up!";
MessageBox.Show("You didn't finish in time.", "Sorry");
sum.Value = addend1 + addend2;
difference.Value = minuend - subtrahend;
product.Value = multiplicand * multiplier;
quotient.Value = dividend / divisor;
startButton.Enabled = true;
}

5. Save and run your program.

Quiz takers must answer four problems to complete the quiz, as the following illustration shows.

Math quiz with four problems

To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 8: Customize the Quiz.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 6: Add a Subtraction Problem.
 Step 8: Customize the Quiz
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

In the last part of the tutorial, you'll explore some ways to customize the quiz and expand on what you've already
learned. For example, think about how the program creates random division problems for which the answer is
never a fraction. To learn more, turn the timeLabel control a different color, and give the quiz taker a hint.
To customize the quiz
When only five seconds remain in a quiz, turn the timeLabel control red by setting its BackColor property (
timeLabel.BackColor = Color.Red; ). Reset the color when the quiz is over.

Give the quiz taker a hint by playing a sound when the correct answer is entered into a NumericUpDown
control. (You must write an event handler for each control's ValueChanged() event, which fires whenever the
quiz taker changes the control's value.)
To continue or review
To download a completed version of the quiz, see Complete Math Quiz tutorial sample.
To go to the next tutorial, see Tutorial 3: Create a Matching Game.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 7: Add Multiplication and Division Problems.
 Tutorial 3: Create a Matching Game
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

In this tutorial, you build a matching game, where the player must match pairs of hidden icons. You learn how to:
Store objects, such as icons, in a List object.
Use a foreach loop in Visual C# or a For Each loop in Visual Basic to iterate through items in a list.
Keep track of a form's state by using reference variables.
Build an event handler to respond to events that you can use with multiple objects.
Make a timer that counts down and then fires an event exactly once after being started.
When you finish this tutorial, your program will look like the following picture.

Game that you create in this tutorial

To download a completed version of the sample, see Complete Matching Game tutorial sample.

NOTE
In this tutorial, both Visual C# and Visual Basic are covered, so focus on information specific to the programming language
that you're using.

If you get stuck or have programming questions, try posting your question on one of the MSDN forums. See
Visual Basic Forum and Visual C# Forum. Also, there are great, free video learning resources available to you. To
learn more about programming in Visual Basic, see Visual Basic Fundamentals: Development for Absolute
Beginners. To learn more about programming in Visual C#, see C# Fundamentals: Development for Absolute
Beginners.

Related Topics
TITLE DESCRIPTION

Step 1: Create a Project and Add a Table to Your Form Begin by creating the project and adding a
TableLayoutPanel control to keep the controls aligned
properly.

Step 2: Add a Random Object and a List of Icons Add a Random object and a List object, to create a list of
icons.

Step 3: Assign a Random Icon to Each Label Assign the icons randomly to the Label controls, so that
each game is different.

Step 4: Add a Click Event Handler to Each Label Add a Click event handler that changes the color of the label
that is clicked.

Step 5: Add Label References Add reference variables to keep track of which labels are
clicked.

Step 6: Add a Timer Add a timer to the form to keep track of the time that has
passed in the game.

Step 7: Keep Pairs Visible Keep pairs of icons visible, if a matching pair is selected.

Step 8: Add a Method to Verify Whether the Player Won Add a CheckForWinner() method to verify whether the
player won.

Step 9: Try Other Features Try other features, such as changing icons and colors, adding
a grid, and adding sounds. Try making the board bigger and
adjusting the timer.
 Step 1: Create a Project and Add a Table to Your
Form
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

The first step in creating a matching game is to create the project and add a table to your form. The table helps
align the icons into an orderly 4x4 grid. You also set several properties to enhance the appearance of the game
board.
To create a project and add a table to your form
1. On the menu bar, choose File, New, Project.
2. If you're not using Visual Studio Express, you need to select a programming language first. From the
Installed Templates list, choose either Visual C# or Visual Basic.
3. In the list of project templates, choose Windows Forms Application, name the project MatchingGame,
and then choose the OK button.
4. In the Properties window, set the following form properties.
a. Change the form's Text property from Form1 to Matching Game. This text appears at the top of the
game window.
b. Set the size of the form to 550 pixels wide by 550 tall. You can do this either by setting the Size
property to 550, 550, or by dragging the corner of the form until you see the correct size in the
lower-right corner of the integrated development environment (IDE).
5. Display the toolbox by choosing the Toolbox tab on the left side of the IDE.
6. Drag a TableLayoutPanel control from the Containers category in the toolbox, and then set the following
properties for it.
a. Set the BackColor property to CornflowerBlue. To do this, open the BackColor dialog box by
choosing the drop-down arrow next to the BackColor property in the Properties window. Then,
choose the Web tab in the BackColor dialog box to view a list of available color names.

NOTE
The colors are not in alphabetical order, and CornflowerBlue is near the bottom of the list.

b. Set the Dock property to Fill by choosing the drop-down button next to the property and choosing
the large middle button. This spreads the table out so that it covers the entire form.
c. Set the CellBorderStyle property to Inset. This provides visual borders between each cell on the
board.
d. Choose the triangle button in the upper-right corner of the TableLayoutPanel to display its task menu.
e. On the task menu, choose Add Row twice to add two more rows, and then choose Add Column
twice to add two more columns.
f. On the task menu, choose Edit Rows and Columns to open the Column and Row Styles window.
Choose each of the columns, choose the Percent option button, and then set each column's width to
25 percent of the total width. Then select Rows from the drop-down box at the top of the window,
 and set each row's height to 25 percent. When you're done, choose the OK button.
Your TableLayoutPanel should now be a 4x4 grid, with sixteen equally sized square cells. These rows
and columns are where the icon images will appear later.
7. Be certain that the TableLayoutPanel is selected in the form editor. To verify this, you should see
tableLayoutPanel1 at the top of the Properties window. If it is not selected, choose the TableLayoutPanel
on the form, or choose it in the dropdown control at the top of the Properties window.
While the TableLayoutPanel is selected, open the toolbox and add a Label control (located in the Common
Controls category) to the upper-left cell of the TableLayoutPanel. The Label control should now be selected
in the IDE. Set the following properties for it.
a. Be sure that the label's BackColor property is set to CornflowerBlue.
b. Set the AutoSize property to False.
c. Set the Dock property to Fill.
d. Set the TextAlign property to MiddleCenter by choosing the drop-down button next to the
property, and then choosing the middle button. This ensures the icon appears in the middle of the
cell.
e. Choose the Font property. An ellipsis (...) button should appear.
f. Choose the ellipsis button, and set the Font value to Webdings, the Font Style to Bold, and the Size
to 72.
g. Set the Text property of the label to the letter c.
The upper-left cell in the TableLayoutPanel should now contain a black box centered on a blue
background.

NOTE
The Webdings font is a font of icons that ships with the Windows operating system. In your matching game,
the player needs to match pairs of icons, so you use this font to display the icons to match. Instead of putting
c in the Text property, try entering different letters to see what icons are displayed. An exclamation point is a
spider, an uppercase N is an eye, and a comma is a chili pepper.

8. Choose your label control and copy it to the next cell in the TableLayoutPanel. (Choose the Ctrl+C keys, or
on the menu bar, choose Edit, Copy.) Then paste it. (Choose the Ctrl+V keys, or on the menu bar, choose
Edit, Paste.) A copy of the first label appears in the second cell of the TableLayoutPanel. Paste it again, and
another label appears in the third cell. Keep pasting Label controls until all of the cells are filled.

NOTE
If you paste too many times, the IDE adds a new row to the TableLayoutPanel so that it has a place to add your new
label control. You can undo it. To remove the new cell, choose the Ctrl+Z keys, or on the menu bar, choose Edit,
Undo.

Now your form is laid out. It should look like the following picture.
 Initial matching game form
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 2: Add a Random Object and a List of Icons.
To return to the overview topic, see Tutorial 3: Create a Matching Game.
 Step 2: Add a Random Object and a List of Icons
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

In this step, you create a set of matching symbols for the game. Each symbol is added to two random cells in the
TableLayoutPanel on the form. To do this, you use two new statements to create two objects. The first is a Random
object, like the one you used in the math quiz game. It is used in this code to randomly choose cells in the
TableLayoutPanel. The second object, which may be new to you, is a List object which is used to store the
randomly-chosen symbols.
To add a Random object and a list of icons
1. In Solution Explorer, choose Form1.cs if you're using Visual C#, or Form1.vb if you're using Visual Basic,
and then on the menu bar, choose View, Code. As an alternative, you can choose the F7 key or double-click
Form1 in Solution Explorer.
This displays the code module behind Form1.
2. In the existing code, add the following code.

public partial class Form1 : Form

{
// Use this Random object to choose random icons for the squares
Random random = new Random();

// Each of these letters is an interesting icon

// in the Webdings font,
// and each icon appears twice in this list
List<string> icons = new List<string>()
{
"!", "!", "N", "N", ",", ",", "k", "k",
"b", "b", "v", "v", "w", "w", "z", "z"
};

Public Class Form1

' Use this Random object to choose random icons for the squares
Private random As New Random

' Each of these letters is an interesting icon

' in the Webdings font,
' and each icon appears twice in this list
Private icons =
New List(Of String) From {"!", "!", "N", "N", ",", ",", "k", "k",
"b", "b", "v", "v", "w", "w", "z", "z"}

If you're using Visual C#, be sure you put the code after the opening curly brace and just after the class
declaration ( public partial class Form1 : Form ). If you're using Visual Basic, put the code right after the
class declaration ( Public Class Form1 ).
3. When adding the List object, notice the IntelliSense window that opens. The following is a Visual C#
example, but similar text appears when you add a list in Visual Basic.
 IntelliSense window

NOTE
The Intellisense window appears only when you enter code manually. If you copy and paste the code, it doesn't
appear.

If you look at the code (and remarks) in small sections, it's easier to understand. Your programs can use
List objects to keep track of many different types of items. A list can hold numbers, true/false values, text,
or other objects. You can even have a List object that holds other List objects. The items in a list are
called elements, and each list only holds one type of element. So, a list of numbers can only hold numbers—
you can't add text to that list. Similarly, you can't add numbers to a list of true/false values.
When you create a List object using a new statement, you need to specify the kind of data you want to
store in it. That's why the tooltip at the top of the IntelliSense window shows the types of elements in the
list. Also, that's what List<string> (in Visual C#) and List(Of String) (in Visual Basic) means: It's a List
object that holds elements of string data type. A string is what your program uses to store text, which is
what the tooltip to the right of the IntelliSense window is telling you.
4. Consider why in Visual Basic a temporary array must be created first, but in Visual C#, the list can be created
with one statement. This is because the Visual C# language has collection initializers, which prepare the list
to accept values. In Visual Basic, you can use a collection initializer. However, for compatibility with the
previous version of Visual Basic, we recommend using the preceding code.
When you use a collection initializer with a new statement, after the new List object is created, the
program fills it with the data you provided inside the curly braces. In this case, you get a list of strings
named icons, and that list will be initialized so that it contains sixteen strings. Each of those strings is a
single letter, and they all correspond to the icons that will be in the labels. So, the game will have a pair of
exclamation points, a pair of uppercase N letters, a pair of commas, and so on. (When these characters are
set to the Webdings font, they will appear as symbols, such as a bus, a bike, a spider, and so forth.) Your
List object will have sixteen strings in all, one for each cell in the TableLayoutPanel panel.

NOTE
In Visual Basic, you get the same result, but first the strings are put into a temporary array, which is then converted
into a List object. An array is similar to a list, except, for example, arrays are created with a fixed size. Lists can
shrink and grow as needed, which is important in this program.

To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 3: Assign a Random Icon to Each Label.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 1: Create a Project and Add a Table to Your Form.
 Step 3: Assign a Random Icon to Each Label
10/18/2017 • 6 min to read • Edit Online

If the icons show up in the same cells every game, it's not very challenging. To avoid this, assign the icons
randomly to the label controls on your form by using an AssignIconsToSquares() method.
To assign a random icon to each label
1. Before adding the following code, consider how the method works. There's a new keyword: foreach in
Visual C# and For Each in Visual Basic. (One of the lines is commented out on purpose, which is explained
at the end of this procedure.)

/// <summary>
/// Assign each icon from the list of icons to a random square
/// </summary>
private void AssignIconsToSquares()
{
// The TableLayoutPanel has 16 labels,
// and the icon list has 16 icons,
// so an icon is pulled at random from the list
// and added to each label
foreach (Control control in tableLayoutPanel1.Controls)
{
Label iconLabel = control as Label;
if (iconLabel != null)
{
int randomNumber = random.Next(icons.Count);
iconLabel.Text = icons[randomNumber];
// iconLabel.ForeColor = iconLabel.BackColor;
icons.RemoveAt(randomNumber);
}
}
}

''' <summary>
''' Assign each icon from the list of icons to a random square
''' </summary>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Private Sub AssignIconsToSquares()

' The TableLayoutPanel has 16 labels,

' and the icon list has 16 icons,
' so an icon is pulled at random from the list
' and added to each label
For Each control In TableLayoutPanel1.Controls
Dim iconLabel = TryCast(control, Label)
If iconLabel IsNot Nothing Then
Dim randomNumber = random.Next(icons.Count)
iconLabel.Text = icons(randomNumber)
' iconLabel.ForeColor = iconLabel.BackColor
icons.RemoveAt(randomNumber)
End If
Next

End Sub

2. Add the AssignIconsToSquares() method as shown in the previous step. You can put it just below the code
you added in Step 2: Add a Random Object and a List of Icons.
As mentioned earlier, there's something new in your AssignIconsToSquares() method: a foreach loop in
Visual C# and For Each in Visual Basic. You can use a For Each loop any time you want to do the same
action multiple times. In this case, you want to execute the same statements for every label on your
TableLayoutPanel, as explained by the following code. The first line creates a variable named control that
stores each control one at a time while that control has the statements in the loop executed on it.

foreach (Control control in tableLayoutPanel1.Controls)

{
// The statements you want to execute
// for each label go here
// The statements use iconLabel to access
// each label's properties and methods
}

For Each control In TableLayoutPanel1.Controls

' The statements you want to execute
' for each label go here
' The statements use iconLabel to access
' each label's properties and methods
Next

NOTE
The names "iconLabel" and "control" are used because they are descriptive. You can replace these names with any
names, and the code will work exactly the same as long as you change the name in each statement inside the loop.

The AssignIconsToSquares() method iterates through each label control in the TableLayoutPanel and
executes the same statements for each of them. Those statements pull a random icon from the list that you
added in Step 2: Add a Random Object and a List of Icons. (That's why you included two of each icon in the
list, so there would be a pair of icons assigned to random label controls.)
Look more closely at the code that runs inside the foreach or For Each loop. This code is reproduced here.

Label iconLabel = control as Label;

if (iconLabel != null)
{
int randomNumber = random.Next(icons.Count);
iconLabel.Text = icons[randomNumber];
// iconLabel.ForeColor = iconLabel.BackColor;
icons.RemoveAt(randomNumber);
}

Dim iconLabel = TryCast(control, Label)

If iconLabel IsNot Nothing Then
Dim randomNumber = random.Next(icons.Count)
iconLabel.Text = icons(randomNumber)
' iconLabel.ForeColor = iconLabel.BackColor
icons.RemoveAt(randomNumber)
End If

The first line converts the control variable to a label named iconLabel . The line after that is an if
statement that checks to make sure the conversion worked. If the conversion does work, the statements in
the if statement run. (As you may recall from the previous tutorials, the if statement is used to evaluate
whatever condition you specify.) The first line in the if statement creates a variable named randomNumber
that contains a random number that corresponds to one of the items in the icons list. To do this, it uses the
 Next method of the Random object that you created earlier. The Next method returns the random number.
This line also uses the Count property of the icons list to determine the range from which to choose the
random number. The next line assigns one of the icon list items to the Text property of the label. The
commented-out line is explained later in this topic. Finally, the last line in the if statement removes from
the list the icon that has been added to the form.
Remember, if you're not sure about what some part of the code does, you can position the mouse pointer
over a code element and review the resulting tooltip. You can also step through each line of code while the
program is running by using the Visual Studio debugger. See How Do I: Step with The Debugger in Visual
Studio? or Navigating through Code with the Debugger for more information.
3. To fill up the game board with icons, you need to call the AssignIconsToSquares() method as soon as the
program starts. If you're using Visual C#, add a statement just below the call to the InitializeComponent()
method in the Form1 constructor, so your form calls your new method to set itself up before it's shown.
Constructors are called when you create a new object, such as a class or struct. See Constructors (C#
Programming Guide) or Using Constructors and Destructors in Visual Basic for more information.

public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();

AssignIconsToSquares();
}

For Visual Basic, add the AssignIconsToSquares() method call to the Form1_Load method so that the code
looks like the following.

Private Sub Form1_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load

AssignIconsToSquares()
End Sub

4. Save your program and run it. It should show a form with random icons assigned to each label.
5. Close your program, and then run it again. Notice that different icons are assigned to each label, as shown in
the following picture.

Matching game with random icons

 The icons are visible now because you haven't hidden them. To hide them from the player, you can set each
label's Forecolor property to the same color as its BackColor property.

TIP
Another way to hide controls like labels is to set their Visible property to False .

6. To hide the icons, stop the program and remove the comment marks for the commented line of code inside
the For Each loop.

iconLabel.ForeColor = iconLabel.BackColor;

iconLabel.ForeColor = iconLabel.BackColor

7. On the menu bar, choose the Save All button to save your program, and then run it. The icons seem to have
disappeared—only a blue background appears. However, the icons are randomly assigned and are still
there. Because the icons are the same color as the background, it hides them from the player. After all, it
wouldn't be a very challenging game if the player could see all of the icons right away!
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 4: Add a Click Event Handler to Each Label.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 2: Add a Random Object and a List of Icons.
 Step 4: Add a Click Event Handler to Each Label
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

The matching game works as follows:

1. When a player chooses one of the squares with a hidden icon, the program shows the icon to the player by
changing the icon color to black.
2. Then the player chooses another hidden icon.
3. If the icons match, they stay visible. If not, both icons are hidden again.
To get your program to work that way, you add a Click event handler that changes the color of the label that
is chosen.
To add a Click event handler to each label
1. Open the form in the Windows Forms Designer. In Solution Explorer, choose Form1.cs or Form1.vb. On the
menu bar, choose View, Designer.
2. Choose the first label control to select it. Then, hold down the CTRL key while you choose each of the other
labels to select them. Be sure that every label is selected.
3. Choose the Events button on the tool bar in the Properties window to view the Events page in the
Properties window. Scroll down to the Click event, and enter label_Click in the box, as shown in the
following picture.

Properties window showing Click event

4. Choose the ENTER key. The IDE adds a Click event handler called label_Click() to the code, and hooks it to
each of the labels on the form.
5. Fill in the rest of the code, as follows:
 /// <summary>
/// Every label's Click event is handled by this event handler
/// </summary>
/// <param name="sender">The label that was clicked</param>
/// <param name="e"></param>
private void label_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Label clickedLabel = sender as Label;

if (clickedLabel != null)
{
// If the clicked label is black, the player clicked
// an icon that's already been revealed --
// ignore the click
if (clickedLabel.ForeColor == Color.Black)
return;

clickedLabel.ForeColor = Color.Black;
}
}

''' <summary>
''' Every label's Click event is handled by this event handler
''' </summary>
''' <param name="sender">The label that was clicked</param>
''' <param name="e"></param>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Private Sub label_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object,
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Label9.Click,
Label8.Click, Label7.Click, Label6.Click, Label5.Click, Label4.Click,
Label3.Click, Label2.Click, Label16.Click, Label15.Click, Label14.Click,
Label13.Click, Label12.Click, Label11.Click, Label10.Click, Label1.Click

Dim clickedLabel = TryCast(sender, Label)

If clickedLabel IsNot Nothing Then

' If the clicked label is black, the player clicked

' an icon that's already been revealed --
' ignore the click
If clickedLabel.ForeColor = Color.Black Then Exit Sub

clickedLabel.ForeColor = Color.Black
End If
End Sub

NOTE
If you copy and paste the label_Click() code block rather than entering the code manually, be sure to replace the
existing label_Click() code. Otherwise, you'll end up with a duplicate code block.

NOTE
You may recognize object sender at the top of the event handler as the same one used in the Tutorial 2: Create a
Timed Math Quiz tutorial. Because you hooked up different label control Click event to a single event handler
method, the same method is called no matter which label the user chooses. The event handler method needs to
know which label was chosen, so it uses the name sender to identify the label control. The first line of the method
tells the program that it's not just a generic object, but specifically a label control, and that it uses the name
clickedLabel to access the label's properties and methods.
 This method first checks whether clickedLabel was successfully converted (cast) from an object to a label
control. If unsuccessful, it has a value of null (C#) or Nothing (Visual Basic), and you don't want to execute
the remainder of the code in the method. Next, the method checks the chosen label's text color by using the
label's ForeColor property. If the label's text color is black, then that means the icon's already been chosen
and the method is done. (That's what the return statement does: It tells the program to stop executing the
method.) Otherwise, the icon hasn't been chosen, so the program changes the label's text color to black.
6. On the menu bar, choose File, Save All to save your progress, and then, on the menu bar, choose Debug,
Start Debugging to run your program. You should see an empty form with a blue background. Choose any
of the cells in the form, and one of the icons should become visible. Continue choosing different places in
the form. As you choose the icons, they should appear.
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 5: Add Label References.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 3: Assign a Random Icon to Each Label.
 Step 5: Add Label References
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

The program needs to track which label controls the player chooses. Right now, the program shows all labels
chosen by the player. But we're going to change that. After the first label is chosen, the program should show the
label's icon. After the second label is chosen, the program should display both icons for a brief time, and then hide
both icons again. Your program will now keep track of which label control is chosen first and which is chosen
second by using reference variables.
To add label references
1. Add label references to your form by using the following code.

Public Class Form1

' firstClicked points to the first Label control

' that the player clicks, but it will be Nothing
' if the player hasn't clicked a label yet
Private firstClicked As Label = Nothing

' secondClicked points to the second Label control

' that the player clicks
Private secondClicked As Label = Nothing

public partial class Form1 : Form

{
// firstClicked points to the first Label control
// that the player clicks, but it will be null
// if the player hasn't clicked a label yet
Label firstClicked = null;

// secondClicked points to the second Label control

// that the player clicks
Label secondClicked = null;

These reference variables look similar to the statements you used earlier to add objects (like Timer objects,
List objects, and Random objects) to your form. However, these statements don't cause two extra label
controls to appear on the form because there's no new keyword used in either of the two statements.
Without the new keyword, no object is created. That's why firstClicked and secondClicked are called
reference variables: They just keep track (or, refer to) Label objects.
When a variable isn't keeping track of an object, it's set to a special reserved value: null in Visual C# and
Nothing in Visual Basic. So, when the program starts, both firstClicked and secondClicked are set to
null or Nothing , which means that the variables aren't keeping track of anything.

2. Modify your Click event handler to use the new firstClicked reference variable. Remove the last statement
in the label_Click() event handler method ( clickedLabel.ForeColor = Color.Black; ) and replace it with the
if statement that follows. (Be sure you include the comment, and the whole if statement.)
''' <summary>
''' Every label's Click event is handled by this event handler
''' </summary>
''' <param name="sender">The label that was clicked</param>
''' <param name="e"></param>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Private Sub label_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object,
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Label9.Click,
Label8.Click, Label7.Click, Label6.Click, Label5.Click, Label4.Click,
Label3.Click, Label2.Click, Label16.Click, Label15.Click, Label14.Click,
Label13.Click, Label12.Click, Label11.Click, Label10.Click, Label1.Click

Dim clickedLabel = TryCast(sender, Label)

If clickedLabel IsNot Nothing Then

' If the clicked label is black, the player clicked

' an icon that's already been revealed --
' ignore the click
If clickedLabel.ForeColor = Color.Black Then Exit Sub

' If firstClicked is Nothing, this is the first icon

' in the pair that the player clicked,
' so set firstClicked to the label that the player
' clicked, change its color to black, and return
If firstClicked Is Nothing Then
firstClicked = clickedLabel
firstClicked.ForeColor = Color.Black
Exit Sub
End If
End If

End Sub

/// <summary>
/// Every label's Click event is handled by this event handler
/// </summary>
/// <param name="sender">The label that was clicked</param>
/// <param name="e"></param>
private void label_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
Label clickedLabel = sender as Label;

if (clickedLabel != null)
{
// If the clicked label is black, the player clicked
// an icon that's already been revealed --
// ignore the click
if (clickedLabel.ForeColor == Color.Black)
return;

// If firstClicked is null, this is the first icon

// in the pair that the player clicked,
// so set firstClicked to the label that the player
// clicked, change its color to black, and return
if (firstClicked == null)
{
firstClicked = clickedLabel;
firstClicked.ForeColor = Color.Black;

return;
}
}
}
3. Save and run your program. Choose one of the label controls, and its icon appears.
4. Choose the next label control, and notice that nothing happens. The program is already keeping track of the
first label that the player chose, so firstClicked isn't equal to null in Visual C# or Nothing in Visual Basic.
When your if statement checks firstClicked to determine if it's equal to null or Nothing , it finds that it
isn't, and it doesn't execute the statements in the if statement. So, only the first icon that's chosen turns
black, and the other icons are invisible, as shown in the following picture.

Matching game showing one icon

You'll fix this situation in the next step of the tutorial by adding a Timer control.
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 6: Add a Timer.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 4: Add a Click Event Handler to Each Label.
 Step 6: Add a Timer
10/18/2017 • 7 min to read • Edit Online

Next, you add a Timer control to the matching game. A timer waits a specified number of milliseconds, and then
fires an event, referred to as a tick. This is useful for starting an action, or repeating an action on a regular basis. In
this case, you'll use a timer to enable players to choose two icons, and if the icons don't match, hide the two icons
again after a short period of time.
To add a timer
1. From the toolbox in Windows Forms Designer, choose Timer (in the Components category) and then
choose the ENTER key, or double-click the timer to add a timer control to the form. The timer's icon, called
Timer1, should appear in a space below the form, as shown in the following picture.

Timer

NOTE
If the toolbox is empty, be sure to select the form designer, and not the code behind the form, before opening the
toolbox.

2. Choose the Timer1 icon to select the timer. In the Properties window, switch from viewing events to
viewing properties. Then, set the timer's Interval property to 750, but leave its Enabled property set to
False. The Interval property tells the timer how long to wait between ticks, or when it triggers its Tick event.
A value of 750 tells the timer to wait three quarters of a second (750 milliseconds) before it fires its Tick
event. You'll call the Start() method to start the timer only after the player chooses the second label.
3. Choose the timer control icon in Windows Forms Designer and then choose the ENTER key, or double-click
the timer, to add an empty Tick event handler. Either replace the code with the following code, or manually
enter the following code into the event handler.
 /// <summary>
/// This timer is started when the player clicks
/// two icons that don't match,
/// so it counts three quarters of a second
/// and then turns itself off and hides both icons
/// </summary>
/// <param name="sender"></param>
/// <param name="e"></param>
private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
// Stop the timer
timer1.Stop();

// Hide both icons

firstClicked.ForeColor = firstClicked.BackColor;
secondClicked.ForeColor = secondClicked.BackColor;

// Reset firstClicked and secondClicked

// so the next time a label is
// clicked, the program knows it's the first click
firstClicked = null;
secondClicked = null;
}

''' <summary>
''' This timer is started when the player clicks
''' two icons that don't match,
''' so it counts three quarters of a second
''' and then turns itself off and hides both icons
''' </summary>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Private Sub Timer1_Tick() Handles Timer1.Tick

' Stop the timer

Timer1.Stop()

' Hide both icons

firstClicked.ForeColor = firstClicked.BackColor
secondClicked.ForeColor = secondClicked.BackColor

' Reset firstClicked and secondClicked

' so the next time a label is
' clicked, the program knows it's the first click
firstClicked = Nothing
secondClicked = Nothing

End Sub

The Tick event handler does three things: First, it makes sure the timer isn't running by calling the Stop()
method. Then it uses two reference variables, firstClicked and secondClicked , to make the icons of the
two labels that the player chose invisible again. Finally, it resets the firstClicked and secondClicked
reference variables to null in Visual C# and Nothing in Visual Basic. This step is important because it's
how the program resets itself. Now it's not keeping track of any Label controls, and it's ready for the player
to choose a label again.
 NOTE
A Timer object has a Start() method that starts the timer, and a Stop() method that stops it. When you set
the timer's Enabled property to True in the Properties window, it starts ticking as soon as the program begins. But
when you leave it set to False, it doesn't start ticking until its Start() method is called. Normally, a timer fires its
Tick event over and over again, using the Interval property to determine how many milliseconds to wait between
ticks. You may have noticed how the timer's Stop() method is called inside the Tick event. That puts the timer into
one shot mode, meaning that when the Start() method is called, it waits for the specified interval, triggers a single
Tick event, and then stops.

4. To see the new timer in action, go to the code editor and add the following code to the top and bottom of
the label_Click() event handler method. (You're adding an if statement to the top, and three statements
to the bottom; the rest of the method stays the same.)

/// <summary>
/// Every label's Click event is handled by this event handler
/// </summary>
/// <param name="sender">The label that was clicked</param>
/// <param name="e"></param>
private void label_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
// The timer is only on after two non-matching
// icons have been shown to the player,
// so ignore any clicks if the timer is running
if (timer1.Enabled == true)
return;

Label clickedLabel = sender as Label;

if (clickedLabel != null)
{
// If the clicked label is black, the player clicked
// an icon that's already been revealed --
// ignore the click
if (clickedLabel.ForeColor == Color.Black)
return;

// If firstClicked is null, this is the first icon

// in the pair that the player clicked,
// so set firstClicked to the label that the player
// clicked, change its color to black, and return
if (firstClicked == null)
{
firstClicked = clickedLabel;
firstClicked.ForeColor = Color.Black;
return;
}

// If the player gets this far, the timer isn't

// running and firstClicked isn't null,
// so this must be the second icon the player clicked
// Set its color to black
secondClicked = clickedLabel;
secondClicked.ForeColor = Color.Black;

// If the player gets this far, the player

// clicked two different icons, so start the
// timer (which will wait three quarters of
// a second, and then hide the icons)
timer1.Start();
}
}
 ''' <summary>
''' Every label's Click event is handled by this event handler
''' </summary>
''' <param name="sender">The label that was clicked</param>
''' <param name="e"></param>
''' <remarks></remarks>
Private Sub label_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object,
ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Label9.Click,
Label8.Click, Label7.Click, Label6.Click, Label5.Click, Label4.Click,
Label3.Click, Label2.Click, Label16.Click, Label15.Click, Label14.Click,
Label13.Click, Label12.Click, Label11.Click, Label10.Click, Label1.Click

' The timer is only on after two non-matching

' icons have been shown to the player,
' so ignore any clicks if the timer is running
If Timer1.Enabled Then Exit Sub

Dim clickedLabel = TryCast(sender, Label)

If clickedLabel IsNot Nothing Then

' If the clicked label is black, the player clicked
' an icon that's already been revealed --
' ignore the click
If clickedLabel.ForeColor = Color.Black Then Exit Sub

' If firstClicked is Nothing, this is the first icon

' in the pair that the player clicked,
' so set firstClicked to the label that the player
' clicked, change its color to black, and return
If firstClicked Is Nothing Then
firstClicked = clickedLabel
firstClicked.ForeColor = Color.Black
Exit Sub
End If

' If the player gets this far, the timer isn't

' running and firstClicked isn't Nothing,
' so this must be the second icon the player clicked
' Set its color to black
secondClicked = clickedLabel
secondClicked.ForeColor = Color.Black

' If the player gets this far, the player

' clicked two different icons, so start the
' timer (which will wait three quarters of
' a second, and then hide the icons)
Timer1.Start()
End If

End Sub

The code at the top of the method checks whether the timer was started by checking the value of the
Enabled property. That way, if the player chooses the first and second Label controls and the timer starts,
choosing a third label won't do anything.
The code at the bottom of the method sets the secondClicked reference variable to track the second Label
control that the player chose, and then it sets that label's icon color to black to make it visible. Then, it starts
the timer in one shot mode, so that it waits 750 milliseconds and then fires a single Tick event. The timer's
Tick event handler hides the two icons and resets the firstClicked and secondClicked reference variables
so the form is ready for the player to choose another pair of icons.
5. Save and run your program. Choose an icon, and it becomes visible.
6. Choose another icon. It appears briefly, and then both icons disappear. Repeat this numerous times. The
 form now keeps track of the first and second icons that you choose, and uses the timer to pause before
making the icons disappear.
To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 7: Keep Pairs Visible.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 5: Add Label References.
 Step 7: Keep Pairs Visible
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

The game works well, as long as the player only chooses pairs of icons that don't match. But consider what should
happen when the player chooses a matching pair. Instead of making the icons disappear by turning on the timer
(using the Start() method), the game should reset itself so that it's no longer keeping track of any labels using
the firstClicked and secondClicked reference variables, without resetting the colors for the two labels that were
chosen.
To keep pairs visible
1. Add the following if statement to the label_Click() event handler method, near the end of the code just
above the statement where you start the timer. Take a close look at the code while adding it to the program.
Consider how the code works.

// If the player gets this far, the timer isn't

// running and firstClicked isn't null,
// so this must be the second icon the player clicked
// Set its color to black
secondClicked = clickedLabel;
secondClicked.ForeColor = Color.Black;

// If the player clicked two matching icons, keep them

// black and reset firstClicked and secondClicked
// so the player can click another icon
if (firstClicked.Text == secondClicked.Text)
{
firstClicked = null;
secondClicked = null;
return;
}

// If the player gets this far, the player

// clicked two different icons, so start the
// timer (which will wait three quarters of
// a second, and then hide the icons)
timer1.Start();
}
}
 ' If the player gets this far, the timer isn't
' running and firstClicked isn't Nothing,
' so this must be the second icon the player clicked
' Set its color to black
secondClicked = clickedLabel
secondClicked.ForeColor = Color.Black

' If the player clicked two matching icons, keep them

' black and reset firstClicked and secondClicked
' so the player can click another icon
If firstClicked.Text = secondClicked.Text Then
firstClicked = Nothing
secondClicked = Nothing
Exit Sub
End If

' If the player gets this far, the player

' clicked two different icons, so start the
' timer (which will wait three quarters of
' a second, and then hide the icons)
Timer1.Start()
End If
End Sub

The first line of the if statement you just added checks whether the icon in the first label that the player
chooses is the same as the icon in the second label. If the icons are identical, the program executes the three
statements between the curly braces in C# or the three statements within the if statement in Visual Basic.
The first two statements reset the firstClicked and secondClicked reference variables so that they no
longer keep track of any of the labels. (You may recognize those two statements from the timer's Tick event
handler.) The third statement is a return statement, which tells the program to skip the rest of the
statements in the method without executing them.
If programming in Visual C#, you may have noticed that some of the code uses a single equal sign ( = ),
while other statements use two equal signs ( == ). Consider why = is used in some places but == is used in
other places.
This is a good example that shows the difference. Take a careful look at the code between the parentheses in
the if statement.

firstClicked.Text = secondClicked.Text

firstClicked.Text == secondClicked.Text

Then look closely at the first statement in the block of code after the if statement.

firstClicked = Nothing

firstClicked = null;

The first of those two statements checks whether two icons are the same. Because two values are being
compared, the Visual C# program uses the == equality operator. The second statement actually changes
the value (called assignment), setting the firstClicked reference variable equal to null to reset it. That's
why it uses the = assignment operator instead. Visual C# uses = to set values, and == to compare them.
Visual Basic uses = for both variable assignment and comparison.
2. Save and run the program, and then start choosing icons on the form. If you choose a pair that doesn't
match, the timer's Tick event triggers, and both icons disappear. If you choose a matching pair, the new if
statement executes, and the return statement causes the method to skip the code that starts the timer, so the
icons stay visible, as shown in the following picture.

Matching game with visible icon pairs

To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 8: Add a Method to Verify Whether the Player Won.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 6: Add a Timer.
 Step 8: Add a Method to Verify Whether the Player
Won
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

You've created a fun game, but it needs an additional item to finish it. The game should end when the player wins,
so you need to add a CheckForWinner() method to verify whether the player won.
To add a method to verify whether the player won
1. Add a CheckForWinner() method to the bottom of your code, below the timer1_Tick() event handler, as
shown in the following code.

/// <summary>
/// Check every icon to see if it is matched, by
/// comparing its foreground color to its background color.
/// If all of the icons are matched, the player wins
/// </summary>
private void CheckForWinner()
{
// Go through all of the labels in the TableLayoutPanel,
// checking each one to see if its icon is matched
foreach (Control control in tableLayoutPanel1.Controls)
{
Label iconLabel = control as Label;

if (iconLabel != null)
{
if (iconLabel.ForeColor == iconLabel.BackColor)
return;
}
}

// If the loop didn't return, it didn't find

// any unmatched icons
// That means the user won. Show a message and close the form
MessageBox.Show("You matched all the icons!", "Congratulations");
Close();
}
 ''' <summary>
''' Check every icon to see if it is matched, by
''' comparing its foreground color to its background color.
''' If all of the icons are matched, the player wins
''' </summary>
Private Sub CheckForWinner()

' Go through all of the labels in the TableLayoutPanel,

' checking each one to see if its icon is matched
For Each control In TableLayoutPanel1.Controls
Dim iconLabel = TryCast(control, Label)
If iconLabel IsNot Nothing AndAlso
iconLabel.ForeColor = iconLabel.BackColor Then Exit Sub
Next

' If the loop didn't return, it didn't find

' any unmatched icons
' That means the user won. Show a message and close the form
MessageBox.Show("You matched all the icons!", "Congratulations")
Close()

End Sub

The method uses another foreach loop in Visual C# or For Each loop in Visual Basic to go through each
label in the TableLayoutPanel. It uses the equality operator ( == in Visual C# and = in Visual Basic) to check
each label's icon color to verify whether it matches the background. If the colors match, the icon remains
invisible, and the player hasn't matched all of the icons remaining. In that case, the program uses a return
statement to skip the rest of the method. If the loop gets through all of the labels without executing the
return statement, that means that all of the icons on the form were matched. The program shows a
MessageBox to congratulate the player on winning, and then calls the form's Close() method to end the
game.
2. Next, have the label's Click event handler call the new CheckForWinner() method. Be sure that your program
checks for a winner immediately after it shows the second icon that the player chooses. Look for the line
where you set the second chosen icon's color, and then call the CheckForWinner() method right after that, as
shown in the following code.

// If the player gets this far, the timer isn't

// running and firstClicked isn't null,
// so this must be the second icon the player clicked
// Set its color to black
secondClicked = clickedLabel;
secondClicked.ForeColor = Color.Black;

// Check to see if the player won

CheckForWinner();

// If the player clicked two matching icons, keep them

// black and reset firstClicked and secondClicked
// so the player can click another icon
if (firstClicked.Text == secondClicked.Text)
{
firstClicked = null;
secondClicked = null;
return;
}
 ' If the player gets this far, the timer isn't
' running and firstClicked isn't Nothing,
' so this must be the second icon the player clicked
' Set its color to black
secondClicked = clickedLabel
secondClicked.ForeColor = Color.Black

' Check to see if the player won

CheckForWinner()

' If the player clicked two matching icons, keep them

' black and reset firstClicked and secondClicked
' so the player can click another icon
If firstClicked.Text = secondClicked.Text Then
firstClicked = Nothing
secondClicked = Nothing
Exit Sub
End If

3. Save and run the program. Play the game and match all of the icons. When you win, the program displays a
congratulatory MessageBox (as shown in the following picture), and then closes the box.

Matching game with MessageBox

To continue or review
To go to the next tutorial step, see Step 9: Try Other Features.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 7: Keep Pairs Visible.
 Step 9: Try Other Features
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

To learn more, try changing icons and colors, adding a game timer, and adding sounds. To make the game more
challenging, try making the board bigger and adjusting the timer.
To download a completed version of the sample, see Complete Matching Game tutorial sample.
To try other features
Replace the icons and colors with ones you choose.

TIP
Try looking at the label's Forecolor property.

Add a game timer that tracks how long it takes for the player to win.

TIP
To do this, you can add a label to display the elapsed time on the form above the TableLayoutPanel, and add another
timer to the form to track the time. Use code to start the timer when the player starts the game, and stop the timer
after they match the last two icons.

Add a sound when the player finds a match, another sound when the player uncovers two icons that don't
match, and a third sound when the program hides the icons again.

TIP
To play sounds, you can use the System.media namespace. See Play Sounds in Windows Forms App (C# .NET) or How
To Play Audio In Visual Basic for more information.

Make the game more difficult by making the board bigger.

TIP
You'll need to do more than just add rows and columns to the TableLayoutPanel - you'll also need to consider the
number of icons you create.

Make the game more challenging by hiding the first icon if the player is too slow to respond and doesn't
choose the second icon before a certain amount of time.
To continue or review
If you get stuck or have programming questions, try posting your question on one of the MSDN forums. See
Visual Basic Forum and Visual C# Forum.
There are great, free video learning resources available to you. To learn more about programming in Visual
Basic, see Visual Basic Fundamentals: Development for Absolute Beginners. To learn more about
programming in Visual C#, see C# Fundamentals: Development for Absolute Beginners.
To return to the previous tutorial step, see Step 8: Add a Method to Verify Whether the Player Won.
 Getting Started with C++ in Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

By completing this walkthrough, you'll become familiar with many of the tools and dialog boxes that you can use
when you develop applications with Visual Studio. You'll create a simple "Hello, World"-style application while you
learn more about working in the integrated development environment (IDE).
This topic contains the following sections:
Sign In to Visual Studio
Create a simple application
Add Code to the Application
Debug and Test the application
Build a release version of the app

Sign In to Visual Studio

When you start Visual Studio for the first time, you are given the chance to sign in using a Microsoft account such
as Live or Outlook. Signing in allows your settings to be synchronized across all your devices. For more
information, see Signing in to Visual Studio
Figure 1: Visual Studio IDE

After you open Visual Studio, you can see the three basic parts of the IDE: tool windows, menus and toolbars, and
the main window space. Tool windows are docked on the left and right sides of the app window, with Quick
Launch, the menu bar, and the standard toolbar at the top. The center of the application window contains the Start
Page. When you open a solution or project, editors and designers appear in this space. When you develop an
application, you'll spend most of your time in this central area.

Create a simple application

When you create an app in Visual Studio, you first create a project and a solution. For this example, you'll create a
Windows console application.
To create a console app
1. On the menu bar, choose File, New, Project.

2. In the Visual C++ category, choose the Win32 Console Application template, and then name the project
GreetingsConsoleApp .

Your dialog box may have different choices, depending on what you've installed. If you don't see Visual C++
project templates, you need to go back to the installer and install a C++ workload.
3. When the Win32 Application Wizard appears, choose the Finish button.
 The GreetingsConsoleApp project and solution, with the basic files for a Win32 console app, are created and
automatically loaded into Solution Explorer. The GreetingsConsoleApp.cpp file is opened in the code
editor. The following items appear in Solution Explorer:
Figure 4: Project items

Add Code to the Application

Next, you'll add code to display the word "Hello" in the console window.
To display "Hello" in the console window
1. In the GreetingsConsoleApp.cpp file, enter a blank line before the line return 0; and then enter the
following code:

cout << "Hello\n";

A red squiggly line appears under cout . An error message appears if you point to it.
 The error message also appears in the Error List window. You can display the window by choosing View,
Error List on the menu bar.
cout is included in the <iostream> header file.
2. To include the iostream header, enter the following code after #include "stdafx.h" :

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

You probably noticed that a box appeared as you entered code, providing suggestions for the characters
that you entered. This box is part of C++ IntelliSense, which provides coding prompts, including listing class
or interface members and parameter information. You can also use code snippets, which are pre-defined
blocks of code. For more information, see Using IntelliSense and Code Snippets.
The red squiggly line under cout disappears when you fix the error.
3. Save the changes to the file.

Debug and Test the application

You can debug GreetingsConsoleApp to see whether the word "Hello" appears in the console window.
To debug the application
Start the debugger.
 The debugger starts and runs the code. The console window (a separate window that looks like a command
prompt) appears for a few seconds but closes quickly when the debugger stops running. To see the text, you
need to set a breakpoint to stop program execution.
To add a breakpoint
1. Add a breakpoint from the menu bar at the line return 0; . You can also just click in the left margin to set a
breakpoint.

A red circle appears next to the line of code in the far left margin of the editor window.
2. Choose the F5 key to start debugging.
The debugger starts, and a console window appears showing the word Hello.
3. Press SHIFT + F5 to stop debugging.
For more information, see Console Projects.

Build a release version of the app

Now that you've verified that everything works, you can prepare a release build of the application.
To clean the solution files and build a release version
1. From the menu bar, delete intermediate files and output files that were created during previous builds.

2. Change the build configuration for GreetingsConsoleApp from Debug to Release.

3. Build the solution.

 Congratulations on completing this walkthrough! If you want to explore more examples, see Visual Studio
Samples.

See Also
Using the Visual Studio IDE for C++ Desktop Development
Walkthrough: Create a Simple Application with Visual C# or Visual Basic
Productivity Tips for Visual Studio
Visual Studio Samples
Get Started Developing with Visual Studio
 Getting Started with Debugging in Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 11 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio provides a powerful integrated set of project build and debugging tools. In this topic, find out how to
start using the most basic set of debugging UI features.
Note: Links to more advanced features and platform- or feature-specific topics are at the bottom of this page.

My code doesn't work. Help me, Visual Studio!

So you've figured out the editor and you've created some code. Now, you want to start debugging that code. In
Visual Studio, as with most IDEs, there are two phases to debugging: building the code to catch and resolve project
and compiler errors; and running that code in the environment to catch and resolve run-time and dynamic errors.
Configuring a Build
There are two basic types of build configuration: Debug and Release. The first configuration produces a slower,
larger executable that allows for a richer interactive run-time debugging experience, but should never be shipped.
The second builds a faster, more optimized executable that's appropriate to ship (at least from the perspective of
the compiler).
The default build configuration is Debug.

You can also specify a specific build platform to target, such as x86 (32-bit Intel CPUs), x64 (64-bit Intel CPUs), and
ARM (ARM CPUs, only supported for certain app types). The default is x86 for managed and native projects. To
change it, click on build platform dropdown and select a different platform or Configuration Manager...

You can specify a targeted build configuration using the Configuration Manager. Launch it, click the
Configuration or the CPU dropdown, and select New... to create a new build or platform.
Starting out, just use Debug and x86 as your build configuration and platform, respectively. When you're done
coding and debugging, change the configuration to Release and target a specific platform. (Older versions of
Visual Studio provided an AnyCPU default platform for .Net code projects.)
Note: When you build your project, the configuration and platform values are also used to determine what project
directory path is created to store the executable. Typically, this is <path-to-project>\\<configuration>\
<platform>. For example, a project with a configuration of Debug and a platform of x86 would be found under
Projects\MyProjectNameHere\MyProjectNameHere\bin\Debug\x86 . This can be useful if you have your own tools or
scripts that manage these built executables.
Building your Code
With your build configured, it's time to actually build your project. The easiest way to do it to press F7, but you can
also start the build by selecting Build->Build Solution from the main menu.

You can observe the build process in the Output status window at the bottom of the Visual Studio UI. Errors,
warnings, and build operations are displayed here. If you have errors (or if you have a warnings above a configured
level), your build will fail. You can click on the errors and warnings to go to the line where they occurred. Rebuild
your project by pressing either F7 again (to recompile only the files with errors) or Ctrl+Alt+F7 (for a clean and
complete rebuild).
There are two build tabbed windows in the results window below the editor: the Output window, which contains
the raw compiler output (including error messages); and the Error List window, which provides a sortable and
filterable list of all errors and warnings.
When successful, you will see results like this in the Output window.

Reviewing the Error List

Unless you've made no modifications to code you've previously and successfully compiled, you probably have an
error. If you're new to coding, you probably have lots of them. Errors are sometimes obvious, such a simple syntax
error or incorrect variable name, and sometimes they are difficult to understand, with only a cryptic code to guide
you. For a cleaner view of the issues, navigate to the bottom of the build Output window, and click the Error List
tab. This takes you to a more organized view of the errors and warnings for your project, and gives you some extra
options as well.
Click on the error line in the Error List window and jump to the line the error occurs in. (Or turn on line numbers
by clicking in the Quick Launch bar in the upper-right, typing "line numbers" into it, and pressing Enter. This is the
fastest way to get to Options window entry where you can turn on line numbers. Learn to use the Quick Launch
bar and save yourself a lot of UI clicks!)

Use Ctrl+G to quickly jump to the line number where the error occurred.
The error is identified by a red "squiggle" underscore. Hover over it for additional details. Make the fix and it will go
away, although you may introduce a new error with the correction. (This is called a "regression".)

Walk through the error list and address all the errors in your code.
Reviewing Errors in Detail
Many errors may make no sense to you, phrased as they are in the terms of the compiler. In those cases, you will
need additional information. From the Error List window, you can do an automatic Bing search for more
information on the error (or warning) by right-clicking on the corresponding entry line and selecting Show Error
Help from the context menu.

This launches a tab inside Visual Studio that hosts the results of a Bing search for the error code and text. The
results are from many different sources on the Internet, and not all may be helpful.
Alternatively, you can click on the hyperlinked error code value in the Code column of the Error List. This will
launch a Bing search for just the error code.
Performing Static Code Analysis
"Static code analysis" is a fancy way of saying "automatically check my code for common problems that can lead to
run-time errors or problems in code management". Get in the habit of running it once you've cleaned up the
obvious errors preventing build, and take some time to address the warnings it may produce. You'll save yourself
some headaches down the road, as well as learn a few code style techniques.
Press Alt+F11 (or select Analyze->Run Code Analysis on Solution from the top menu) to start static code
analysis. This may take some time if you have a lot of code.

Any new or updated warnings will appear in the Error List tab at the bottom of the IDE. Click on the warnings to
jump to them.
The warnings will be identified with a bright yellow-green squiggle instead of a red one. Hover over them for more
detail, and right-click on them to get a context menu to assist in fixes or refactoring options.

Using Light Bulbs to Fix or Refactor Code

Light Bulbs are a new feature for Visual Studio that let you refactor code inline. They are an easy way to fix
common warnings quickly and effectively. To access them, right-click on a warning squiggle (or press Ctrl+. while
hovering over the squiggle), and then select Quick Actions.

You will see a list of possible fixes or refactors you can apply to that line of code.

Light Bulbs can be used wherever the code analyzers determine there is an opportunity to fix, refactor, or improve
your code. Click on any line of code, right-click to open the context menu, and select Quick Options (or, again, if
you prefer efficiency, press Ctrl+.). If there is area refactoring or improvement options available, they will be
displayed; otherwise, the message No quick options available here will be displayed in the lower-left corner bezel
of the IDE.
With experience, you can quickly use the arrow keys and Ctrl+. to check for Quick Option refactoring opportunities
and clean up your code!
For more information on Light Bulbs, read Perform quick actions with light bulbs.
Debugging Your Running Code
Now that you've successfully built your code and performed a little clean up, run it by pressing F5 or selecting
Debug->Start Debugging. This will start your app in a debug environment so you can observe its behavior in
detail. The Visual Studio IDE changes while your app is running: the Output window is replaced by two new ones
(in the default window configuration), the Autos/Locals/Modules/Watch tabbed window and the Call
Stack/Breakpoints/Exception Settings/Output tabbed window. These windows have multiple tabs which allow
you to inspect and evaluate your app's variables, threads, call stacks, and various other behaviors as it runs.

Try various actions with your app and observe the changes. If something appears abnormal, pause the app by
pressing Ctrl+Alt+Break (or click on the Pause button).

Press F5 to continue running the app (or click the Continue button).

You can stop your app by pressing Shift+F5 or by clicking the Stop button. Or, you can simply close the app's main
window (or command line dialog).
If your code ran perfectly and exactly as expected, congratulations! Change the build configuration to Release and
rebuild it for deployment! (Professionals may want to jump to the bit on Unit Testing at the end, though.) However,
if it hung, or crashed, or gave you some strange results, you'll need to find the source of those problems and fix the
bugs.
Setting Simple Breakpoints
Breakpoints are the most basic and essential feature of reliable debugging. A breakpoint indicates where Visual
Studio should suspend your running code so you can take a look at the values of variables, or the behavior of
memory, or whether or not a branch of code is getting run. You do NOT need to rebuild a project after setting and
removing breakpoints.
Set a breakpoint by clicking in the far margin of the line where you want the break to occur, or select the line of
code and press F9. When you run your code, it will stop before the instructions for this line of code are executed.

When the code breaks, the marked line of code has not executed yet. At this point, you may want to execute the
instructions for the line of code marked by the breakpoint and inspect the changed values. This is called "stepping
into" the code. If the marked code is a method call, you can step into it by pressing F11. You can also "step over"
the line of code by pressing F10. For more details on code stepping, read Navigating through Code with the
Debugger.
Common uses for breakpoints include:
1. To narrow down the source of a crash or hang, scatter them throughout and around the code of the method
call you think is causing the failure. As you step through the code, remove and then reset the breakpoints
closer together until you find the offending line of code.
2. When you introduce new code, set a breakpoint at the beginning of it and step through the code to make
sure it is behaving as expected.
3. If you have implemented a complicated behavior, set breakpoint(s) for the algorithmic code so you can
inspect the values of the variables and data when the program breaks.
4. If you are writing C or C++ code, use breakpoints to stop the code so you can inspect address values (look
for NULL) and reference counts when debugging for memory-related failures.
For more information on using breakpoints, read Using Breakpoints
Setting Conditional Breakpoints
If you have a breakpoint in a loop or recursion, or if you have a lot of breakpoints which you frequently step
through, use a conditional breakpoint to ensure that your code is suspended ONLY when specific conditions are
met. Otherwise, you'll be pressing F11 an awful lot.
To set a conditional breakpoint and suspend your code when a variable is set to a certain value or passes a certain
threshold, click in the margin to set a breakpoint, and then select the "cog" from the hover menu that appears.

You will see a dialog that looks like this where you can set specific conditions for the break to occur.
For more detail on how to declare the expressions used to evaluate conditional breakpoints, check out the
Channel9 video Breakpoint Configuration Experience in Visual Studio.
Inspecting Your Code at Run-time
When your running code hits a breakpoint and halts, you can inspect your variables and call stacks to determine
what is going on. Are the values in the ranges you expect to see? Are calls being made in the right order?

Hover over a variable to see the value(s) and reference(s) it currently contains. If you see a value you didn't expect,
you probably have a bug in the preceding or calling lines of code. Move breakpoints up or add conditions to the
existing breakpoints to narrow your search further.
Additionally, Visual Studio displays the Diagnostic Tools window, where you can observe your app's CPU and
memory usage over time. Use them to look for unanticipated heavy CPU usage or memory allocation. Use it in
conjunction with the Watch window and breakpoints to determine what's causing unexpected heavy usage or
unreleased resources.
Running Unit Tests
Unit tests are programs that exercise code paths in your app or service. Visual Studio installs the Microsoft unit
testing frameworks for both managed and native code. Use a unit testing framework to create unit tests, run them,
and report the results of these tests. Rerun unit tests when you make changes to test that your code is still working
correctly. When you use Visual Studio Enterprise edition, you can run tests automatically after every build.
To get started, read Generate unit tests for your code with IntelliTest.
To learn more about unit tests in Visual Studio and how they can help you create better quality code, read Unit Test
Basics.

See Also
Debugger Feature Tour
Debugger Settings and Preparation
Debug 64-Bit Applications
Debugger Basics
 How to: Move Around in the Visual Studio IDE
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

The integrated development environment (IDE) has been designed to allow you to move from window to window
and file to file in several different ways, depending on your preference or project requirements. You can choose to
cycle through open files in the editor, or cycle through all active tool windows in the IDE. You also can switch
directly to any file open in the editor, regardless of the order in which it was last accessed. These features can help
increase your productivity when working in the IDE.

NOTE
The options available in dialog boxes, and the names and locations of menu commands you see, might differ from what is
described in Help depending on your active settings or edition. This Help page was written with General Development
Settings in mind. To change your settings, choose Import and Export Settings on the Tools menu. For more information,
see Personalize the Visual Studio IDE.

Keyboard Shortcuts
Almost every menu command in Visual Studio has a keyboard shortcut. You can also create your own custom
shortcuts. For more information, see Identifying and Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts.

Navigating Among Files in the Editor

You can use several methods to move through the files open in the editor. You can move among files based on the
order in which you access them, use the IDE Navigator to quickly find any file currently open, or pin favorite files to
the tab well so that they are always visible.
Navigate Backward and Navigate Forward cycle through the open files in the editor based on the order in which
they were accessed, much like Back and Forward do for your viewing history in Microsoft Internet Explorer.
To move through open files in order of use
To activate open documents in the order they were most recently touched, press CTRL + MINUS SIGN.
To activate open documents in the reverse order, press CTRL + SHIFT + MINUS SIGN.

NOTE
Navigate Backward and Navigate Forward also can be found on the View menu.

You also can switch to a specific file open in the editor, regardless of when you last accessed the file, using
the IDE Navigator, the Active Files list in the editor, or the Windows dialog box.
The IDE Navigator works much like the Windows application switcher. It is not available from menus and
can be accessed only using shortcut keys. You can use either of two commands to access the IDE Navigator
(shown below) to cycle through files, depending on the order in which you want to cycle through.
 Window.PreviousDocumentWindowNavallows you to move to the file most recently accessed and
Window.NextDocumentWindowNav allows you to move in the reverse order. General Development Settings
assigns CTRL + SHIFT + TAB to Window.PreviousDocumentWindowNav and CTRL + TAB to
Window.NextDocumentWindowNav .

NOTE
If the settings combination you are using does not already have a shortcut key combination assigned to this command, you
can assign your own custom command using the Keyboard page of the Options dialog box. For more information, see
Identifying and Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts.

To switch to specific files in the editor

Press CTRL + TAB to display the IDE Navigator. Hold down the CTRL key and press TAB repeatedly until
you select the file you intend to switch to.

TIP
To reverse the order in which you go through the Active Files list, hold down the CTRL + SHIFT keys and press TAB.

- or -
In the upper right corner of the editor, choose the Active Files button, and then select a file from the list to
switch to.
- or -
On the menu bar, choose Window, Windows.
In the list, select the file you want to view and then choose Activate.

Navigating Among Tool Windows in the IDE

The IDE Navigator also lets you cycle through the tool windows you have open in the IDE. You can use either of
two commands to access the IDE Navigator to cycle through tool windows, depending on the order in which you
want to cycle through. Window.PreviousToolWindowNav allows you to move to the file most recently accessed and
Window.NextToolWindowNav allows you to move in the reverse order. General Development Settings assigns SHIFT +
ALT + F7 to Window.PreviousDocumentWindowNav and ALT + F7 to Window.NextDocumentWindowNav .
 NOTE
If the settings combination you are using does not already have a shortcut key combination assigned to this command, you
can assign your own custom command using the Keyboard page of the Options dialog box. For more information, see
Identifying and Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts.

To switch to a specific tool window in the IDE

Press ALT+F7 to display the IDE Navigator. Hold down the ALT key and press F7 repeatedly until you select
the window you intend to switch to.

TIP
To reverse the order in which you go through the Active Tool Windows list, hold down the SHIFT + ALT keys and
press F7.

See Also
Customizing window layouts
Default Keyboard Shortcuts
 Optimize Visual Studio performance
10/24/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio is designed to start up as quickly and efficiently as possible. However, certain Visual Studio extensions
and tool windows can adversely affect startup time when they are loaded. You can control the behavior of slow
extensions and tool windows in the the Manage Visual Studio Performance dialog box. For more general tips on
improving performance, see Visual Studio Performance Tips and Tricks.

Startup behavior
To avoid extending startup time, Visual Studio 2017 loads extensions using an on demand approach. This behavior
means that extensions don't open immediately after Visual Studio starts, but on an as-needed basis. Also, because
tool windows left open in a prior Visual Studio session can slow startup time, Visual Studio opens tool windows in a
more intelligent way to avoid impacting startup time.
If Visual Studio detects slow startup, a pop-up message appears, alerting you to the extension or tool window that's
causing the slowdown. The message provides a link to the Manage Visual Studio Performance dialog box. You
can also access this dialog box by choosing Help, Manage Visual Studio Performance from the menu bar.

The dialog box lists the extensions and tools windows that are affecting startup performance. You can change
extension and tool window settings to improve startup performance.

To change extension settings to improve startup, solution load, and

typing performance
1. Open the Manage Visual Studio Performance dialog box by choosing Help, Manage Visual Studio
Performance from the menu bar.
If an extension is slowing down Visual Studio startup, solution loading, or typing, the extension appears in
the Manage Visual Studio Performance dialog box under Extensions, Startup (or Solution Load or
Typing).
2. Choose the extension you want to disable, then choose the Disable button.
You can always re-enable the extension for future sessions by using the Extension Manager or the Manage Visual
Studio Performance dialog box.

To change tool window settings to improve startup time

1. Open the Manage Visual Studio Performance dialog box by choosing Help, Manage Visual Studio
Performance from the menu bar.
If a tool window is slowing down Visual Studio startup, the tool window appears in the Manage Visual
Studio Performance dialog box under Tool Windows, Startup.
2. Choose the tool window you want to change the behavior for.
3. Choose one of the following three options:
Use default behavior: The default behavior for the tool window. Keeping this option selected will
not improve startup performance.
Do not show window at startup: The specified tool window is always closed when you open Visual
Studio, even if you left it open in a previous session. You can open the tool window from the
appropriate menu when you need it.
Auto hide window at startup: If a tool window was left open in a previous session, this option
collapses the tool window's group at startup to avoid initializing the tool window. This option is a
good choice if you use a tool window often. The tool window is still available, but no longer negatively
affects Visual Studio startup time.
Load large solutions faster in Visual Studio 2017
Visual Studio 2017 introduces a new feature called lightweight solution load that reduces the amount of time and
memory required to load large solutions in the IDE. If you have a large solution containing many C#, VB, or C++
projects, you are likely to see a substantial performance benefit if you enable lightweight solution load. For detailed
information on how you might benefit by using this feature, see Optimize solution loading.
Enable or disable lightweight solution load
You can right-click the solution name in Solution Explorer, and select Enable Lightweight Solution Load. After
selecting the option, you need to close and reopen the solution to activate lightweight solution load.

To configure global settings for lightweight solution load, see Optimize solution loading.

See Also
Visual Studio Performance Tips and Tricks
 Optimize Solution Loading in Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 7 min to read • Edit Online

Many solutions contain a large number of projects, which affects the time taken to load those solutions. However,
in team environments, developers typically work on a different subset of those projects and don’t need to load all
of the individual projects.
Visual Studio 2017 supports lightweight solution load. When lightweight solution load (LSL) mode is enabled,
Visual Studio 2017 loads a small subset of projects instead of loading all the projects in a large solution. Most of
the commonly used IDE features work under LSL mode, and it provides the ability for you to build, search, and
debug on the entire solution. (The main unsupported feature in LSL mode is edit and continue).

NOTE
This content applies to Visual Studio 2017 Update 3

For large solutions with more than 30 projects, LSL typically loads solutions twice as fast (on average). While most
of the IDE features work in LSL mode, some IDE features might require all the projects to be loaded. In these cases,
Visual Studio automatically loads the entire solution so that you can use the feature. In the worst-case scenario,
you end up loading all the projects in the lightweight mode.
If you use an IDE feature on a project that is not currently loaded, Visual Studio loads the appropriate project(s) for
you. For example, if you are trying to create or open a class diagram for an unopened project, Visual Studio
automatically loads the appropriate projects. The detailed feature list is referenced in the sections following.
The following sections show how to enable lightweight solution load and also help you decide whether or not to
enable the feature.

Enable or disable lightweight solution load

You can right-click the solution name in Solution Explorer, and select Enable Lightweight Solution Load. After
selecting the option, you need to close and reopen the solution to activate lightweight solution load.

NOTE
Similar steps apply for disabling LSL. To disable lightweight solution load, select Disable Lightweight Solution Load, then
close and reopen the solution.
Configure global settings for lightweight solution load
You can globally disable or configure LSL for all the solutions by choosing Tools > Options > Projects and
Solutions.

How does lightweight solution load work behind the scenes?

When you load your solution, Visual Studio remembers which projects you previously opened and loads only
those projects. All other projects are visible in Solution Explorer but not loaded. As soon as you expand a project or
right click on a project, Visual Studio auto-loads that project. Auto-loading of projects usually takes less than a
second but can take longer for some projects. However, Visual Studio enables IDE features like search, debug,
build, and source control that operate across the entire solution. For example, you can search across an entire
solution even though only a few projects are loaded in the lightweight mode.
As you expand more projects, Visual Studio remembers the list of expanded projects. When a solution is reopened,
Visual Studio auto-loads projects that you previously expanded.
Visual Studio prompts developers likely to see significant performance
gains
From Visual Studio telemetry, large solutions with over 30 projects significantly benefit from LSL mode.
Consequently, we prompt developers with large solutions to try out LSL mode. The majority of developers who try
LSL for the first time end up using it on regular basis.
We are constantly reviewing Visual Studio usage telemetry to improve heuristics for offering LSL mode to
developers who would benefit the most.

Visual Studio makes recommendations to turn on lightweight solution

load based on heuristics
By default, Visual Studio turns on LSL for users who are most likely to benefit. If you have multiple solutions, Visual
Studio offers LSL mode for solutions that are most likely to see significant performance gains. If you select the
lightweight mode option Let Visual Studio decide (default option), Visual Studio may open the solution in
lightweight mode based on heuristics. A message bar indicates whether the solution is in lightweight mode. When
the message bar shows, you have the option to learn more, or update settings.

IDE Features fully supported in Lightweight mode

FEATURE SUPPORTED IN LIGHTWEIGHT MODE?

IntelliSense Yes

Search Yes

Debugging Yes

Build Yes

Code Navigation (Go To Definition & Find All References) Yes

Code Lens Yes

Static Code analysis Yes

Deploy and Publish Yes

Adding & removing references Yes

Multi-targeting Yes
 FEATURE SUPPORTED IN LIGHTWEIGHT MODE?

IntelliTrace Yes

Live Unit Testing Yes

IntelliTest Yes

Microsoft Fakes Yes

Edit and Continue Not supported

Unit Testing Requires loading of test projects followed by a solution build

Scenarios in which Lightweight solution loads the appropriate

project(s) to complete the operation
If you are not working on a project in the solution, the project is not loaded in lightweight mode. For some features,
additional projects are automatically loaded to support the feature scenario. (We intend to minimize this list of
scenarios. ) For these scenarios, Visual Studio either loads the project(s) itself, or prompts you to load the project(s)
as needed.

CATEGORY ISSUE

Unit test Projects that are not currently loaded do not show up in the
list of test projects for both the “Create IntelliTest” and “Create
Unit Test” wizards.
You need to load the projects for which you want to create
tests (you can expand the project node to load the project).

Class Diagrams If you create or open a Class Diagram of a project, Visual

Studio automatically loads the projects that are direct
dependencies of that project.
If the entire solution is not loaded, we turn off the validation
of obsolete artifacts referenced by a dependency validation
diagram.

Scenarios in which lightweight solution loads the entire solution

For some features, Visual Studio automatically loads the entire solution to support the scenario. This action ensures
that you always get full functionality. For example, some TFS operations may require the entire solution to be
loaded. To provide full functionality, Visual Studio loads the entire solution.

CATEGORY SCENARIO

TFS SCC command on solution node If an SCC command is triggered on the solution node (within
Solution Explorer), Visual Studio automatically loads the entire
solution before completing the command.

Project load If your solution contains .NET Core projects and Shared
projects, Visual Studio always automatically loads these
projects during initial solution load itself. These projects do not
currently support lightweight mode.
 CATEGORY SCENARIO

Solution configuration manager If you use solution configuration manager or batch build,
Visual Studio automatically loads the entire solution to
provide a full experience.

NuGet package manager If you open NuGet package manager’s user interface, or the
NuGet package manager console, Visual Studio automatically
loads the entire solution to provide a full experience.

Known issues
There are some scenarios that may not work in LSL mode, and require the loading of additional projects or the
entire solution. We are actively working on addressing these cases.

CATEGORY ISSUE WORKAROUND

IntelliSense IntelliSense may not get updated after a Reload solution after changing the
configuration change (for example, configuration.
changing a release build to debug and
vice versa). The impact depends on
code differences due to configuration
change.

Refactoring limitations for C#/VB Code fixes that change project files may Load projects if you need to make code
projects fail silently the first time. fixes to files of these projects.
Lightweight mode does not make fixes
to projects that are not loaded.

Unit Test Discovery Tests discovered on deferred projects Rebuild the project to rediscover tests
do not run when a project is loaded and run selected tests again.
manually.

Live unit testing (LUT) In LSL mode, you may see that LUT is Load any test project to activate live
not activated. It is not activated unit testing for the solution.
because LUT needs one of the test
projects to get loaded.

Solution Explorer Search 1. Solution Explorer search in LSL mode Load the entire solution in non-LSL
does not search within the files and mode to get traditional Solution
there are no progression results (that is, Explorer search.
only files are shown under the search You can also use Visual Studio IDE
tree, but not classes, methods, etc.). search.
2. All files belonging to a project are
shown as a flat list instead of a tree
view. When files belong to a folder of a
project, we show the relative path of
the file, instead of just the file name on
the search view.
There are no context menus for the file
items in the search view.

Object Browser for C++ Projects Object Browser shows Load projects for which you want to see
assembly/WinMD references for only information in the Object browser.
loaded projects.
 NOTE
Thanks to our partners, popular extensions including Resharper also work well with lightweight solution load.

We are excited about innovations to optimize solution load time performance for developers. Since this is a new
feature, we are actively looking at customer feedback, and addressing known issues. We look forward to hearing
your feedback. You can email Visual Studio solution load optimization team at lslsupport@microsoft.com

See Also
Visual Studio Performance Tips and Tricks
 Visual Studio Performance Tips and Tricks
10/24/2017 • 6 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio performance recommendations are intended for low memory situations, which may occur in rare
cases. In these situations, you can optimize certain Visual Studio features that you may not be using. The following
tips are not intended as general recommendations.

NOTE
If you’re having difficulty using the product because of memory issues, let us know through the feedback tool.

Optimize your environment

Use a 64bit OS
If you upgrade your system from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version, you expand the amount
of virtual memory available to Visual Studio from 2 GB to 4 GB. This enables Visual Studio to handle
significantly larger workloads even though it is 32-bit process.
For more information, see Memory limits and Using /LARGEADDRESSAWARE on 64-bit Windows.

Configure solution and projects

If you have a very large solution with many projects, you may benefit by making the following optimizations:
Enable Lightweight Solution Load
Using Lightweight Solution Load may improve memory and CPU performance by deferring the load of
some projects within your solution. You can also enable this feature per-solution. This option is off by
default.
To enable Lightweight Solution Load, choose Tools > Options > Projects and Solutions >
Lightweight Solution Load.
Some IDE features are not enabled in this mode. To determine whether this choice may help, see Shorter
solution load time and Optimize solution loading.
Unload Projects
You can manually unload rarely used individual projects from Solution Explorer using the right-click context
menu.
Refactor the solution
You can split your solution into several smaller solution files with commonly used projects. This refactoring
should significantly reduce memory usage for your workflow. Smaller solutions also load faster.

Configure debugging options

If you are typically running low on memory during debugging sessions, you can optimize performance by making
one or more configuration changes.
Enable Just My Code
 The simplest optimization is to enable the Just My Code feature, which only loads symbols for your
project. Enabling this feature can result in a significant memory saving for debugging managed applications
(.NET). This option is already enabled by default in some project types.
To enable Just My Code, choose Tools > Options > Debugging > General, and then select Enable Just
My Code.
Specify symbols to load
For native debugging, loading symbol files (.pdb) is expensive in terms of memory resources. You can
configure your debugger symbol settings to conserve memory. Typically, you configure the solution to only
load modules from your project.
To specify symbol loading, choose Tools > Options > Debugging > Symbols.
Set the options to Only specified modules instead of All modules and then specify which modules you
care to load. While debugging, you can also right-click specific modules in the Modules window to
explicitly include a module in the symbol load. (To open the window while debugging, choose Debug >
Windows > Modules.)
For more information, see Understanding symbol files.
Disable Diagnostic Tools
It is recommended that you disable CPU profiling after use. This feature can consume large amounts of
resources. Once CPU profiling is enabled, this state is persisted across subsequent debug sessions, so it’s
worth explicitly turning it off when done. You may save some resources by disabling the diagnostic tools
while debugging if you do not need the provided features.
To disable the Diagnostic Tools, start a debugging session, choose Tools > Options > Enable Diagnostic
Tools, and deselect the option.
For more information, see Profiling Tools.

Disable tools and extensions

Some tools or extensions may to turned off to improve performance.

TIP
You can often isolate performance issues by turning off extensions one at a time and rechecking performance.

Managed Language Services (Roslyn)

For information about Roslyn performance considerations, see Performance considerations for large solutions.
Disable Full Solution Analysis
Visual Studio performs analysis on your entire solution in order to provide a rich experience about errors
before invoking a build. This feature is useful to identify errors as soon as possible. However, for very large
solutions, this feature can consume significant memory resources. If you’re experiencing memory pressure
or similar issues, you can disable this experience to free up these resources. By default, this option is
enabled for Visual Basic and disabled for C#.
To disable Full Solution Analysis, choose Tools > Options > Text Editor > <Visual Basic or C#>. Then
choose Advanced and deselect Enable full solution analysis.
Disable CodeLens
 Visual Studio performs a Find All References task on each method as it is displayed. CodeLens provides
features such as the inline display of the number of references. The work is performed in a separate process
(for example, ServiceHub.RoslynCodeAnalysisService32). In very large solutions or on resource constrained
systems, this feature can have significant impact on performance even though it is run at a low priority. If
you’re experiencing high CPU in this process, or memory issues (for example, when loading a large solution
on a 4-GB machine), you can try disabling this feature to free up resources.
To disable CodeLens, choose Tools > Options > Text Editor > All Languages > CodeLens, and deselect
the feature.
This feature is available in Visual Studio Professional and Visual Studio Enterprise.
Other tools and extensions
Disable Extensions
Extensions are additional software components added to Visual Studio that provide new functionality or
extend existing functionality. Extensions can often be a source of memory resource issues. If you’re
experiencing memory resource problems, try disabling extensions one at a time to see how it impacts the
scenario or workflow.
To disable extensions, go to Tools | Extensions and Updates, and disable a particular extension.
Disable XAML Designer
The XAML designer is enabled by default, but only consumes resources if you open a .XAML file. If you work
with XAML files but do not wish to use the designer functionality, disable this feature to free up some
memory.
To disable XAML Designer, go to Tools > Options > XAML Designer > Enable XAML Designer, and
deselect the option.
Remove workloads
You can use the Visual Studio Installer to remove workloads that are no longer used. This action can
streamline the startup and runtime cost by skipping packages and assemblies that aren’t needed anymore.

Force a garbage collection

The CLR uses a garbage collection memory management system. In this system, sometimes memory is used by
objects that are no longer needed. This state is temporary; the garbage collector will release this memory based on
its performance and resource usage heuristics. You can force the CLR to collect any unused memory by using a
hotkey in Visual Studio. If there is a significant amount of garbage waiting for collection and you force a garbage
collection, you should see the memory usage of the devenv.exe process drop in Task Manager. It’s rarely necessary
to use this method. However, after an expensive operation has completed (such as a full build, debug session, or a
solution open event), it can help you determine how much memory is really being used by the process. Because
Visual Studio is mixed (managed & native), it’s occasionally possible for the native allocator and the garbage
collector to compete for limited memory resources. Under conditions of high memory usage, it may help to force
the garbage collector to run.
To force a garbage collection, use the hotkey: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F12, Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F12 (press it twice).
If forcing garbage collection reliably makes your scenario work, file a report through the Visual Studio feedback
tool as this behavior is likely to be a bug.
For a detailed description of the CLR garbage collector, see Fundamental of Garbage Collection.

See Also
Visual Studio IDE
 Connected environment
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio is a connected environment:

You can sign in to Visual Studio to enable access to all the services associated with your user account, as well as
all the accounts that are linked to that account. Your account settings roam with you wherever you use Visual
Studio.
Visual Studio informs you when any component of your installation, such as an SDK, had an update available.
You can download NuGet packages and extensions.
And more...

In this section

Signing in to Visual Studio Describes how and why to sign in to Visual Studio.

Work with multiple user accounts Describes how to associate multiple Microsoft accounts
and/or work or school accounts to enable access to resources
and services from all your accounts.

How to Unlock Visual Studio Describes how to unlock Visual Studio in various scenarios.

Notifications Describes how Visual Studio notifies you when Visual Studio
or components such as SDKs have an update available.

Whitelisting URLs in a private network Describes which URLs to whitelist for Visual Studio
functionality if you're in a private network that has a firewall.

Proxy authorization required error Describes which URLs to whitelist for Visual Studio
functionality when you're connected to the internet through a
proxy server.

See also
Visual Studio IDE
Install Visual Studio behind a firewall or proxy server
 Sign in to Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

You can personalize and optimize your development experience in Visual Studio if you set your Personalization
account by signing in to the IDE.

Why should I sign in to Visual Studio?

You gain the following benefits by signing in to Visual Studio:
Grants access to a broad range of benefits from the Visual Studio Dev Essentials program, including free
software, training, support, and more. See Visual Studio Dev Essentials for more information.
Synchronizes your Visual Studio settings - Settings that you customize, such as key bindings, window
layout, and color theme, apply immediately when you sign in to Visual Studio on any device. See
Synchronized Settings in Visual Studio.
Unlocks the Visual Studio Community edition - If your Community edition installation prompts you for
a license, sign in to the IDE to unblock yourself.
Extends the Visual Studio trial period - You can use Visual Studio Professional or Visual Studio
Enterprise for an additional 90 days, instead of being limited to the trial period of 30 days.
Unlocks Visual Studio if you use an account that's associated with an MSDN or Visual Studio
Team Services subscription. See How to Unlock Visual Studio.
Automatically connects to services such as Azure and Visual Studio Team Services in the IDE
without prompting again for credentials for the same account.

How to sign in to Visual Studio

When you start Visual studio for the first time, you're asked to sign in and provide some basic registration
information. You should choose a Microsoft account or a work or school account that best represents you. If you
don't have any of these accounts, you can create a Microsoft account for free. See How do I sign up for a Microsoft
account?
Next, choose the UI settings and color theme that you want to use in Visual Studio. Visual Studio remembers these
settings and synchronizes them across all Visual Studio environments you have signed in to. For a list of the
settings that are synchronized, see Synchronized Settings. You can change the settings later if you open the Tools,
Options menu in Visual Studio.
After you provide the settings, Visual Studio starts, and you're signed in and ready to get started. To verify whether
you're signed in, look for your name in the upper-right corner of the Visual Studio environment.

Unless you sign out, you're automatically signed in to Visual Studio whenever you start it, and any changes to
synchronized settings are automatically applied. To sign out, choose the down arrow next to your profile name in
the upper-right corner of the Visual Studio environment, choose the Account settings command, and then
choose the Sign out link. To sign in again, choose the Sign in command in the upper-right corner of the Visual
Studio environment.

To change your profile information

1. Go to File, Account Settings and choose the Manage Visual Studio profile link.
2. In the browser window, choose Edit profile and change the settings that you want.
3. When you're done, choose Save changes.

See also
Connected environment
 Work with multiple user accounts
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

If you have multiple Microsoft accounts and/or work or school accounts, you can add them all to Visual Studio so
that you can access the resources from any account without having to sign in to it separately. Currently, Azure,
Application Insights, Team Foundation Server, and Office 365 services support the streamlined sign-in experience.
Additional services may become available as time goes by.
After you add multiple accounts on one machine, that set of accounts will roam with you if you sign in to Visual
Studio on another machine. It is important to note that, although the account names roam, the credentials do not.
Therefore, you will be prompted to enter credentials for those other accounts the first time you attempt to use their
resources on the new machine.
This walkthrough shows how to add multiple accounts to Visual Studio, and how to see that the resources
accessible from those accounts are reflected in places such as the Add Connected Service dialog, Server
Explorer, and Team Explorer.

Sign in to Visual Studio

Sign into Visual Studio with a Microsoft account or an organizational account. You should see your user
name appear in the upper corner of the window, similar to this:

Access your Azure account in Server Explorer

Press Ctrl + Alt + S to open Server Explorer. Choose the Azure icon and when it expands you should see the
resources available in the Azure account that is associated with the ID that you used to log in to Visual Studio. It
should appear something like the following (except that you will see your own resources).

The first time you use Visual Studio on any specific device, the dialog will only show the subscriptions registered
under the ID that you signed in to the IDE with. You can access resources for any of your other accounts directly
from Server Explorer by right-clicking on the Azure node and choosing Manage and Filter Subscriptions and
adding your accounts from the account picker control. You can then choose another account, if desired, by clicking
the down arrow and choosing from the list of accounts. After choosing the account, you can choose which
subscriptions under that account you want to display in Server Explorer.

The next time you open Server Explorer, the resources for that subscription(s) are displayed.
Access your Azure account via Add Connected Service dialog
1. Create a Universal App project in C#.
2. Choose the project node in Solution Explorer and then choose Add, Connected Service. The Add
Connected Service wizard appears and shows you the list of services in the Azure account that is
associated with your Visual Studio login ID. Note that you do not have to sign in separately to Azure.
However, you do need to sign in to the other accounts the first time you attempt to access their resources
from a given computer.

WARNING
If this is the first time you are creating a Store app in Visual Studio on a specific computer, you will be prompted to
enable your device for development mode by going to Settings | Updates and Security | For Developers on your
computer. For more information, see Enable Your Device for Development.

Access Azure Active Directory in a Web project

Azure AD enables support for end-user single Sign-In in ASP.NET MVC web applications, or AD Authentication in
Web API services. Domain authentication is different from individual user account authentication; users that have
access to your Active Directory domain can use their existing Azure AD accounts to connect to your web
applications. Office 365 apps can also use domain authentication. To see this in action, create a web application
(File, New Project, C#, Cloud, ASP.NET Web Application). In the New ASP.NET Project dialog choose Change
Authentication. The authentication wizard appears and enables you to choose what kind of authentication to use
in your application.
For more information about the different kinds of authentication in ASP.NET, see Creating ASP.NET Web Projects in
Visual Studio 2013 (the information about authentication is still relevant for current versions of Visual Studio).
Access your Visual Studio Team Services account
From the main menu, choose Team, Connect to Team Foundation Server to bring up the Team Explorer
window. Click on Select Team Projects, and then in the list box under Select a Team Foundation Server, you
should see the URL for your Visual Studio Team Services account. When you select the URL you will be logged in
without having to re-enter your credentials.

Add a second user account to Visual Studio

Click on the down arrow next to your user name in the upper corner of Visual Studio. Then choose the Account
Settings menu item. The Account Manager dialog appears and displays the account you signed in with. Choose
the Add an account link in the lower corner of the dialog to add a new Microsoft account or a new work or school
account.

Follow the prompts to enter the new account credentials. The following illustration shows the Account Manager
after a user has added his Contoso.com work account.

Revisit the Add Connected Services Wizard and Server Explorer

Now go to Server Explorer again, right-click on the Azure node and choose Manage and filter subscriptions.
Choose the new account by clicking the drop down arrow next to the current account, and then choose which
subscriptions you want to display in Server Explorer. You should see all the services associated with the specified
subscription.Even though you are not currently signed in to the Visual Studio IDE with the second account, you are
signed in to that account's services and resources. The same is true for Project, Add Connected Service and
Team, Connect to Team Foundation Server.

See also
Connected environment
 How to: unlock Visual Studio
10/19/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

You can evaluate Visual Studio for free up to 30 days. Signing into the IDE extends the trial period to 90 days. To
continue using Visual Studio, unlock the IDE by either:
using an online subscription
entering a product key

To unlock Visual Studio using an online subscription

To unlock Visual Studio using an MSDN or Visual Studio Team Service subscription associated with a Microsoft
account, or a work or school account:
1. Click on the "Sign in" button in the upper right corner of the IDE (or go to File > Account Settings to open
the Account Settings dialog and click on the "Sign in" button).
2. Enter the credentials for either a Microsoft account or a work or school account. Visual Studio finds a Visual
Studio subscription or Visual Studio Team Services subscription associated with your account.

IMPORTANT
Visual Studio automatically looks for associated online subscriptions when you connect to a Visual Studio Team Services
account from the Team Explorer tool window. When you connect to a Visual Studio Team Services account, you can sign in
using both Microsoft and work or school accounts. If an online subscription exists for that user account, Visual Studio will
automatically unlock the IDE for you.

To unlock Visual Studio with a product key

1. Select File, Account Settings to open the Account Settings dialog and click on the License with a Product
Key link.
2. Enter the product key in the space provided.

TIP
Pre-release versions of Visual Studio do not have product keys. You must sign in to the IDE to use pre-release versions.

Address license problem states

Update stale licenses
You may have seen the below message that your license is going stale in Visual Studio, which reads, "Your license
has gone stale and must be updated."

This message indicates that while your subscription may still be valid, the license token Visual Studio uses to keep
your subscription up to date hasn't been refreshed and has gone stale due to one of the following reasons:
 You have not used Visual Studio or have had no internet connection for an extended period of time.
You signed out of Visual Studio.
Before the license token goes stale, Visual Studio first shows a warning message asking you to reenter your
credentials.
If you do not reenter your credentials, the token starts to go stale and the Account Settings dialog tells you how
many days you have left before your token will fully expire. After your token expires, you will need to reenter your
credentials for this account or license with another method above before you can continue using Visual Studio.

IMPORTANT
If you are using Visual Studio for extended periods in environments with limited or no internet access, you should use a
product key to unlock Visual Studio in order to avoid interruption.

Update expired licenses

If your subscription has expired completely and you no longer have access rights to Visual Studio, you must renew
your subscription or add another account that has a subsription. To see more information about the license you
are using, go to File, Account Settings and look at the license information on the right side of the dialog. If you
have another subscription associated with a different account, add that account to the All Accounts list on the left
side of the dialog box by selecting the Add an account... link.

See also
Signing in to Visual Studio
Connected environment
 Visual Studio notifications
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio has a notification system that alerts you to various events, such as the following:
An update is available for Visual Studio or a component in Visual Studio.
An environment event that you might be interested in occurred.
Visual Studio notifies you when an update is available for Visual Studio itself or for any of the components that
have been installed. It also provides notifications about certain kinds of events that occur in the Visual Studio
environment. The notification icon is a flag in the upper right of the Visual Studio title bar; when the icon is red, it
means that there is a problem with your license. When it's yellow there is a Visual Studio Product Update available
for you to install. When it is "normal" or black you'll see messages that are informational or optional, such as
crashes for which you might want to find a workaround. You can click on the icon to open the Notifications Hub
and choose which ones to act on. You can choose to do a one-time dismiss on a notification, or always ignore a
notification (by hovering over it) and Visual Studio will never show you that message again.
If you choose to always ignore a notification, Visual Studio will stop showing it. You can reset the list of ignored
notifications in the Notifications, Environment, Options Dialog Box.

See also
Connected environment
Visual Studio IDE
 Whitelisting URLs in a private network
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

If you are using Visual Studio in a private network that uses a security appliance such as a firewall, Visual Studio
might not be able to connect to some network resources. These resources include Visual Studio Team Services
(VSTS) for sign-in and licensing, NuGet, and Azure services. If Visual Studio fails to connect to one of these
resources, you'll see the following error message:
The underlying connection was closed: An unexpected error occurred on send
Visual Studio uses Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2 protocol to connect to network resources. Security appliances
on some private networks block certain server connections when Visual Studio uses TLS 1.2. To fix the error, enable
connections for the following URLs:
https://management.core.windows.net
https://app.vssps.visualstudio.com
https://login.microsoftonline.com
https://login.live.com
https://go.microsoft.com
https://graph.windows.net
https://app.vsspsext.visualstudio.com
*.azurewebsites.net (for Azure connections)
*.nuget.org (for NuGet connections)
*.visualstudio.com
cdn.vsassets.io (hosts content delivery network, or CDN, content)
*.gallerycdn.vsassets.io (hosts VSTS extensions)
static2.sharepointonline.com (hosts resources that Visual Studio uses in the office fabric UI kit, such as fonts)

NOTE
Privately owned NuGet server URLs may not be included in the list above. You can check the NuGet servers you are using by
opening up %APPData%\Nuget\NuGet.Config.

See also
Proxy authorization required error
Connected environment
Install Visual Studio behind a firewall or proxy server
 Proxy Authorization Required
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

This error generally occurs when users are connected to the internet through a proxy server, and the proxy server
blocks the calls that Visual Studio makes to some network resources.

To correct this error

Restart Visual Studio. A proxy authentication dialog box should appear. Enter your credentials in the dialog.
If the above step does not solve the problem, this may be because your proxy server does not prompt for
credentials for http://go.microsoft.com addresses but does so for *.visualStudio.com addresses. For these
servers, you need to whitelist the following list of URLs to unblock all sign-in scenarios in Visual Studio:
*.windows.net
*.microsoftonline.com
*.visualstudio.com
*.microsoft.com
*.live.com
You can otherwise remove the http://go.microsoft.com address from the whitelist so that the proxy
authentication dialog shows up for both the http://go.microsoft.com address and the server endpoints when
Visual Studio is restarted.
OR
If you want to use your default credentials with your proxy, you can do the following:
1. Find devenv.exe.config (the devenv.exe configuration file) in: %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual
Studio\2017\Enterprise\Common7\IDE or %ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft Visual
Studio\2017\Enterprise\Common7\IDE.
2. In the configuration file, find the <system.net> block, and add this code:

<defaultProxy enabled="true" useDefaultCredentials="true">

<proxy bypassonlocal="True" proxyaddress=" HYPERLINK "http://<yourproxy:port#"
http://<yourproxy:port#>"/>
</defaultProxy>

You must insert the correct proxy address for your network in
proxyaddress="<http://<yourproxy:port#> .

OR
You can also follow the instructions in this post to add code that will allow you to use the proxy.

See also
Connected environment
 Solutions and Projects in Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

When you create an app, website, plug-in, etc. in Visual Studio, you start with a project. In a logical sense, a project
contains of all the source code files, icons, images, data files and anything else that will be compiled into an
executable program or web site, or else is needed in order to perform the compilation. A project also contains all
the compiler settings and other configuration files that might be needed by various services or components that
your program will communicate with.

NOTE
You don't have to use solutions or projects if you don't want to. You can simply open the files into Visual Studio and start
editing your code. See Develop code in Visual Studio without projects or solutions for more information.

A project file (.vbproj, .csproj, .vcxproj) is an XML file that defines a virtual folder hierarchy along with paths to all
the items in the project. It also contains the build settings. To see the contents of a project file, you can select the
project name in Solution Explorer, then choose Unload Project from the context (right-click) menu. Then, open
the context menu again and choose Edit <projectname>.
In Visual Studio, the project file is used by Solution Explorer to display the project contents and settings. When you
compile your project, the MSBuild engine consumes the project file to create the executable. You can also
customize projects to produce other kinds of output.
A project is contained, in a logical sense and in the file system, within a solution, which may contain one or more
related projects, along with build information, Visual Studio window settings, and any miscellaneous files that
aren't associated with a particular project. A solution is described by a text file (.sln) with its own unique format; it
is generally not intended to be edited by hand.
A solution has an associated .suo file that stores settings, preferences and configuration information for each user
that has worked on the project.
The following diagram shows the relationship between projects and solutions, and the items they logically contain.

Creating new projects

The easiest way to create a new project is to start from a project template, which consists of a basic set of pre-
generated code files, config files, assets, and settings that get you started creating a particular type of application
or website in a particular programming language. These templates are what you see in the New Project or New
Web Site dialog box when you choose File, New, Project or File, New, Web Site. For more information, see
Creating Solutions and Projects.
You can also create custom project and item templates. For more information, see Creating Project and Item
Templates.

Managing projects in Solution Explorer

After you create a new project, you use Solution Explorer to view and manage projects and solutions and their
associated items. The following illustration shows Solution Explorer with a C# solution that contains two projects.

In This Section
Creating solutions and projects
Adding and removing project items
Managing project and solution properties
Managing references in a project
Application properties
Managing assembly and manifest signing
How to: specify an application Iicon (Visual Basic, C#)
Targeting a specific .NET Framework version
Creating project and item templates
See Also
Visual Studio IDE
 Create solutions and projects
10/18/2017 • 6 min to read • Edit Online

Projects are logical containers in Visual Studio that hold the items needed to build your app, such as source code
files, bitmaps, icons, and component and service references. When you create a new project, Visual Studio creates
a solution to contain the projects. You can then add new or existing projects to the solution if you want. Solutions
can also contain files not connected to any specific project.

You can view your solutions and projects in a tool window called Solution Explorer. The following screenshot
shows an example solution in Solution Explorer (BikeSharing.Xamarin-UWP) that contains two projects:
BikeSharing.Clients.Core and BikeSharing.Clients.Windows. Each project contains multiple files, folders, and
references. The project name in bold is the startup project; that is, the project that starts when you run the app. You
can specify which project is the startup project.

While you can construct a project yourself by adding the necessary files to it, Visual Studio offers a selection of
project templates to give you a head start. Creating a new project from a template gives you a project with the
essentials for that project type, and you can rename the files or add new or existing code and other resources to it
as needed.
That being said, solutions and projects are not required to develop apps in Visual Studio. You can also just open
code that you have cloned from Git or downloaded elsewhere. For more information, see Develop code in Visual
Studio without projects or solutions.

NOTE
The descriptions in this topic are based on the Visual Studio Community edition. The dialog boxes and menu commands you
see might differ from those described here, depending on your settings or Visual Studio edition. To change your settings,
choose Tools, Import and Export Settings. For more information, see Personalize the Visual Studio IDE.

To create a project from a project template

1. There are multiple ways to create a new project in Visual Studio. On the Start Page, enter the name of a
project template in the Search project templates box, or choose the Create new project link to open the
New Project dialog box. You can also choose File, New, Project... on the menu, or choose the New
Project button on the toolbar.

In the New Project dialog box, available project templates appear in a list under the Templates category.
Templates are organized by programming language and project type, such as Visual C#, JavaScript, and
Azure Data Lake.
 NOTE
The list of available languages and project templates that appears depends on the version of Visual Studio you are
running and the workloads that are installed. To learn about how to install additional workloads, see Modify Visual
Studio 2017 by adding or removing workloads and components.

2. Show the list of templates for the programming language you want to use by choosing the triangle next to
the language name, and then choose a project type. The following example shows the project templates
available for Visual C# web projects.

3. Enter a name for the new project in the Name box. You can choose to save the project in the default
location on your system, or choose the Browse button to find another location.
 You can also optionally choose to change the solution name, or add the new project to a Git repository by
choosing Add to Source Control.
4. Choose the OK button to create the solution and project.
5. If you want to add an additional project to a solution, choose the solution node in Solution Explorer, and
then on the menu, choose Project, Add New Item.

Create a project from existing code files

If you have a collection of code source files, you can easily add them to a project.
1. On the menu, choose File, New, Project From Existing Code.
2. In the Create Project from Existing Code Files wizard, choose the project type you want in the What
type of project would you like to create? drop-down list box, and then choose the Next button.
3. In the wizard, browse to the location of the files and then enter a name for the new project in the Name
box. When you are done, choose the Finish button.

NOTE
This option works best for a relatively simple collections of files. Currently, only Visual C++, Apache Cordova, Visual Basic,
and Visual C# project types are supported.

Add files to a solution

If you have a file that applies to multiple projects, such as a readme file for the solution, or other files that logically
belong at the solution level rather than under a specific project, then you can add them to the solution itself. To
add an item to a solution, on the context (right-click) menu of the solution node in Solution Explorer, choose
Add, New Item, or Add, Existing Item.

Create a .NET project that targets a specific version of the .NET

Framework
When you create a project, you can specify a specific version of the .NET Framework that you want the project to
use. To specify a .NET framework version, choose the .NET Framework version drop-down menu in the New
Project dialog box. If you are creating a project from a .NET Core template, the .NET Framework version you select
in the drop-down is ignored.
 TIP
If you set the .NET Framework version before selecting a project template, then Visual Studio will only show templates that
are compatible with that .NET Framework version.

You must have .NET Framework 3.5 installed on your system to access .NET Framework versions earlier than .NET
Framework 4.

Create empty solutions

You can also create empty solutions that have no projects. This might be preferable in cases where you want to
construct your solution and projects from scratch.
To create an empty solution
1. On the menu, choose File, New, Project.
2. In the left (Templates) pane, choose Other Project Types, Visual Studio Solutions in the expanded list.
3. In the middle pane, choose Blank Solution.
4. Enter Name and Location values for your solution, then choose OK.
After you create an empty solution, you can add new or existing projects or items to it by choosing Add New Item
or Add Existing Item on the Project menu.
As mentioned earlier, you can also open code projects without needing a solution. To learn about opening code
without requiring a solution, see Develop code in Visual Studio without projects or solutions.

Create a temporary project (C# and Visual Basic)

If you create a .NET-based project without specifying a disk location, it is a temporary project. Temporary projects
enable you to experiment with .NET projects. At any time while you are working with a temporary project, you can
choose to save it or discard it.
To create a temporary project, first go to Tools, Options, Projects and Solutions, General, and uncheck the
Save new projects when created checkbox. Then open the New Project dialog box as usual.
Delete a solution, project, or item
You can delete solutions and their contents permanently, but not by using the Visual Studio IDE. Deleting items
within Visual Studio only removes them from the current solution or project. To permanently delete a solution or
other component from your system, use File Explorer to delete the folder that contains the .sln and .suo solution
files. However, before permanently deleting a solution, it's recommended that you back up any projects or files in
case you need them again.

NOTE
The .suo file is a hidden file that is not displayed under the default File Explorer settings. To show hidden files, on the View
menu in File Explorer, select the Hidden Items checkbox.

To permanently delete a solution

1. In Solution Explorer, on the context menu of the solution you want to delete, choose Open folder in File
Explorer.
2. In File Explorer, navigate up one level.
3. Choose the folder containing the solution and then choose the DELETE key.

See Also
Solutions and Projects
Microsoft's open source repositories on GitHub
Visual Studio Samples
Developer code samples
 Adding and Removing Project Items
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can add or remove projects and project items by right-clicking on the project or solution node in Solution
Explorer, and choosing Add or Remove. Removing a project from a solution, or an item from a project, does not
delete it from disk or source control unless you select the option to delete it permanently.

See Also
Solutions and Projects
Managing Project and Solution Properties
 Managing Project and Solution Properties
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Projects have properties that govern many aspects of compilation, debugging, testing and deploying. Some
properties are common among all project types, and some are unique to specific languages or platforms. You
access project properties by right-clicking the project node in Solution Explorer and choosing Properties, or by
typing properties into the QuickLaunch search box in the menu bar.

.NET projects might also have a properties node in the project tree itself.

TIP
Solutions have a few properties, and so do project items; these properties are accessed in the Properties Window, not
Project Designer.

Project Properties
Project Properties are organized into groups and each group has its own property page, and the pages might be
different for different languages and project types.
C#, Visual Basic and F# projects
In C#, Visual Basic and F# projects, properties are exposed in the Project Designer. The following illustration
shows the Build property page for a WPF project in C#:
For information about each of the property pages in Project Designer, see Project Properties Reference.
C++ and JavaScript projects
C++ and JavaScript projects have a different user interface for managing project properties. This illustration
shows a C++ project property page (JavaScript pages are similar):

For information about C++ project properties, see Working with Project Properties. For more information about
JavaScript properties, see Property Pages, JavaScript.

Solution Properties
To access properties on the solution, right click the solution node in Solution Explorer and choose Properties. In
the dialog, you can set project configurations for Debug or Release builds, choose which projects should be the
startup project when F5 is pressed, and set code analysis options.

See Also
Solutions and Projects in Visual Studio
 Managing references in a project
10/18/2017 • 6 min to read • Edit Online

Before you write code against an external component or connected service, your project must first contain a
reference to it. A reference is essentially an entry in a project file that contains the information that Visual Studio
needs to locate the component or the service.
To add a reference, right click on the References node in Solution Explorer and choose Add Reference. For more
information, see How to: Add or Remove References By Using the Reference Manager.

You can make a reference to the following types of components/services:

Windows Store app references
.NET Framework class libraries or assemblies
COM components
Other assemblies or class libraries of projects in the same solution
XML Web services

Windows Store App References

Project References
Universal Windows Platform (UWP) projects that target Windows 10 can create references to other UWP projects
in the solution, or to Windows Store projects or binaries that target Windows 8.1, provided that these projects do
not use APIs that have been deprecated in Windows 10. For more information, see Move from Windows Runtime
8 to UWP.
If you choose to retarget Windows 8.1 projects to Windows 10, see Port, Migrate, and Upgrade Visual Studio
Projects
Extension SDK References
Visual Basic, C#, C++ and JavaScript Windows Store projects that target the Universal Windows Platform (UWP)
can reference Extension SDKs that target Windows 8.1, as long as these Extension SDKs do not use APIs that have
been deprecated in Windows 10. Please check the Extension SDK vendor site to find out whether it can be
referenced by Windows Store projects that target UWP.
If you determine that the Extension SDK being referenced by your app is not supported, then you need to perform
the following steps:
1. Look at the name of the project that is causing the error. The platform your project is targeting is noted in
parentheses next to the project name. For example, MyProjectName (Windows 8.1) means that your
project MyProjectName is targeting platform version Windows 8.1.
2. Go to the site of the vendor who owns the unsupported Extension SDK and install the version of the
Extension SDK with dependencies that are compatible with the version of the platform your project is
targeting.

NOTE
One way to find out whether an Extension SDK has dependencies on other Extension SDKs is to restart Visual
Studio, create a new C# Windows Store project, right-click on the project and choose Add Reference, go to the
Windows tab, go to the Extensions sub-tab, select the Extension SDK and look at the right pane in the Reference
Manager. If it has dependencies, they will be listed there.

IMPORTANT
If your project is targeting Windows 10, and the Extension SDK installed in the previous step has a dependency on
the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Package, the version of Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Package that is
compatible with Windows 10 is v14.0 and is installed with Visual Studio.

3. If the Extension SDK you installed in the previous step has dependencies on other Extension SDKs, go to the
site(s) of the vendor(s) who own the dependencies and install the versions of these dependencies that are
compatible with the version of the platform your project is targeting.
4. Restart Visual Studio and open your app.
5. Right-click on the References node in the project that caused the error and choose Add Reference
6. Click the Windows tab and then the Extensions sub-tab, then uncheck the checkboxes for the old
Extension SDKs and check the checkboxes for the new Extension SDKs. Click OK.

Adding a Reference at Design Time

When you make a reference to an assembly in your project, Visual Studio searches for the assembly in the
following locations:
The current project directory. (You can find these assemblies by using the Browse tab.)
Other project directories in the same solution. (You can find these assemblies on the Projects tab.)

NOTE
All projects contain an implied reference to mscorlib. Visual Basic projects contain an implied reference to
Microsoft.VisualBasic .

All projects in Visual Studio contain an implied reference to System.Core , even if System.Core is removed from the list of
references.

References to Shared Components at Run Time

At run time, components must be either in the output path of the project or in the Global Assembly Cache (GAC). If
the project contains a reference to an object that is not in one of these locations, you must copy the reference to
the output path of the project when you build the project. The CopyLocal property indicates whether this copy has
to be made. If the value is True, the reference is copied to the project directory when you build the project. If the
value is False, the reference is not copied.
If you deploy an application that contains a reference to a custom component that is registered in the GAC, the
component will not be deployed with the application, regardless of the CopyLocal setting. In earlier versions of
Visual Studio, you could set the CopyLocal property on a reference to ensure that the assembly was deployed.
Now, you must manually add the assembly to the \Bin folder. This puts all custom code under scrutiny, reducing
the risk of publishing custom code with which you are not familiar.
By default, the CopyLocal property is set to False if the assembly or component is in the global assembly cache or
is a framework component. Otherwise, the value is set to True. Project-to-project references are always set to
True.

Referencing a Project or Assembly That Targets a Different Version of

the .NET Framework
You can create applications that reference projects or assemblies that target a different version of the .NET
Framework. For example, you could create an application that targets the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile that
references an assembly that targets .NET Framework 2.0. If you create a project that targets an earlier version of
the .NET Framework, you cannot set a reference in that project to a project or assembly that targets the .NET
Framework 4 Client Profile or .NET Framework version 4.
For more information, see Targeting a Specific .NET Framework Version.

Project-to-Project References
Project-to-project references are references to projects that contain assemblies; you create them by using the
Project tab. Visual Studio can find an assembly when given a path to the project.
When you have a project that produces an assembly, you should reference the project and not use a file reference
(see below). The advantage of a project-to-project reference is that it creates a dependency between the projects
in the build system. The dependent project will be built if it has changed since the last time the referencing project
was built. A file reference does not create a build dependency, so it is possible to build the referencing project
without building the dependent project, and the reference can become obsolete. (That is, the project can reference
a previously built version of the project.) This can result in several versions of a single DLL being required in the
bin directory, which is not possible. When this conflict occurs, you will see a message such as "Warning: the
dependency 'file' in project 'project' cannot be copied to the run directory because it would overwrite the
reference 'file.'". For more information, see Troubleshooting Broken References and How to: Create and Remove
Project Dependencies.

NOTE
A file reference instead of a project-to-project reference is created if the target version of the .NET Framework of one project
is version 4.5, and the target version of the other project is version 2, 3, 3.5, or 4.0.

File References
File references are direct references to assemblies outside the context of a Visual Studio project; you create them
by using the Browse tab of the Reference Manager. Use a file reference when you just have an assembly or
component and don't have the project that creates it as output.
See Also
Troubleshooting Broken References
How to: Add or Remove References By Using the Reference Manager
 How to: Add or Remove References By Using the
Reference Manager
10/18/2017 • 13 min to read • Edit Online

You can use the Reference Manager dialog box to add and manage references to components that you,
Microsoft, or another company developed. If you're developing a Universal Windows app, your project
automatically references all of the correct Windows SDK DLLs. If you are developing a .NET application, your
project automatically references mscorlib.dll. Some .NET APIs are exposed in components that you have to add
manually. References to COM components or custom components have to be added manually.

Adding and Removing a Reference

To Add a Reference
1. In Solution Explorer, right-click on the References node and choose Add Reference.
2. Specify the references to add, and then choose the OK button.
Reference Manager opens and lists the available references by group. The project type determines which
of the following groups appear:
Assemblies, with the Framework and Extensions subgroups.
Solution, with the Projects subgroup.
Windows, with the Core and Extensions subgroups. You can explore the references in the Windows SDK or
extension SDKs by using the Object Browser.
Browse, with the Recent subgroup.

Assemblies tab
The Assemblies tab lists all .NET Framework assemblies that are available for referencing. The Assemblies tab
doesn't list any assemblies from the global assembly cache (GAC) because assemblies in the GAC are part of the
run-time environment. If you deploy or copy an application that contains a reference to an assembly that's
registered in the GAC, the assembly won't be deployed or copied with the application, regardless of the Copy Local
setting. For more information, see Managing references in a project.
When you manually add a reference to any of the EnvDTE namespaces (EnvDTE, EnvDTE80, EnvDTE90, EnvDTE90a,
or EnvDTE100), set the Embed Interop Types property of the reference to False in the Properties window. Setting
this property to True can cause build issues because of certain EnvDTE properties that can't be embedded.
All desktop projects contain an implicit reference to mscorlib. Visual Basic projects contain an implicit reference to
Microsoft.VisualBasic. In Visual Studio 2012, all projects contain an implicit reference to System.Core, even if it's
removed from the list of references.
If a project type doesn't support Assemblies, the tab won't appear in the Reference Manager dialog box.
The Assemblies tab consists of two sub-tabs:
1. Framework lists all assemblies that constitute the targeted Framework.
Advertised assemblies are in the Full Framework and enumerated in the Framework list when your
project targets a Profile of the targeted Framework. Advertised assemblies are grey to differentiate
 them from the assemblies that exist in the targeted Framework profile of the project. For example, if a
project targets .NET Framework 4 Client, the Framework list shows advertised assemblies from .NET
Framework 4. When a user adds an advertised assembly, the user is notified that, after the
Reference Manager dialog box is closed, the project will be retargeted to the .NET Framework 4 and
the advertised assembly will be added.
Projects for Windows 8.x Store apps contain references to all of the assemblies in the targeted .NET
for Windows 8.x Store apps by default on project creation. In managed projects, a read-only node
under the References folder in Solution Explorer indicates the reference to the entire Framework.
Accordingly, the Framework tab won't enumerate any of the assemblies from the Framework and
instead display the following message: "All of the Framework assemblies are already referenced.
Please use the Object Browser to explore the references in the Framework." For desktop projects, the
Framework tab enumerates assemblies from the targeted Framework, and the user must add the
references that the application requires.
2. Extensions lists all assemblies that external vendors of components and controls have developed to extend
the targeted Framework. Depending on the purpose of the user application, it might need these assemblies.
Extensions is populated by enumerating the assemblies that are registered in the following locations:

32-bit machine:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\[Target Framework Identifier]\v[Target Framework
Version]\AssemblyFoldersEx\[UserComponentName]\@default=[Disk location of assemblies]
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\[Target Framework Identifier]\v[Target Framework
Version]\AssemblyFoldersEx\[UserComponentName]\@default=[Disk location of assemblies]
64-bit machine:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\[Target Framework Identifier]\v[Target Framework
Version]\AssemblyFoldersEx\[UserComponentName]\@default=[Disk location of assemblies]
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\[Target Framework Identifier]\v[Target
Framework Version]\AssemblyFoldersEx\[UserComponentName]\@default=[Disk location of assemblies]
And older versions of the [Target Framework Identifier]

For example, if a project targets the .NET Framework 4 on a 32-bit machine, Extensions will
enumerate assemblies that are registered under
\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v4.0\AssemblyFoldersEx\,
\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v3.5\AssemblyFoldersEx\,
\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v3.0\AssemblyFoldersEx\, and
\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v2.0\AssemblyFoldersEx\.
Some components in the list may not be shown, depending on the .NET Framework version of your project.
This can occur under the following conditions:
A component that uses a recent version of the .NET Framework is incompatible with a project that targets an
earlier version of the .NET Framework.
For information about how to change the target .NET Framework version for a project, see How to: Target a
Version of the .NET Framework.
A component that uses .NET Framework 4 is incompatible with a project that targets the .NET Framework
4.5.
When you create a new application, some projects target the .NET Framework 4.5 by default.
You should avoid adding file references to outputs of another project in the same solution, because doing
this may cause compilation errors. Instead, use the Projects tab of the Add Reference dialog box to create
project-to-project references. This makes team development easier by enabling better management of the
class libraries you create in your projects. For more information, see Troubleshooting Broken References.
 NOTE
In Visual Studio 2015 or later, a file reference instead of a project reference is created if the target version of the .NET
Framework of one project is version 4.5 or later, and the target version of the other project is version 2, 3, 3.5, or 4.0.

To display an assembly in the Add Reference dialog box

Move or copy the assembly to one of the following locations:
The current project directory. (You can find these assemblies by using the Browse tab.)
Other project directories in the same solution. (You can find these assemblies by using the Projects
tab.)
- or -
Set a registry key that specifies the location of assemblies to display:
For a 32-bit operating system, add one of the following registry keys.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\VersionMinimum\AssemblyFoldersE
x\MyAssemblies]@="AssemblyLocation"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\VersionMinimum\AssemblyFolders
Ex\MyAssemblies]@="AssemblyLocation"
For a 64-bit operating system, add one of the following registry keys in a 32-bit registry hive.
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\.NETFramework\VersionMinimum\A
ssemblyFoldersEx\MyAssemblies]@="AssemblyLocation"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\.NETFramework\VersionMinimum\
AssemblyFoldersEx\MyAssemblies]@="AssemblyLocation"
VersionMinimum is the lowest .NET Framework version that applies. If VersionMinimum is v3.0,
folders specified in AssemblyFoldersEx apply to projects that target .NET Framework 3.0 and later.
AssemblyLocation is the directory of the assemblies that you want to appear in the Add Reference
dialog box, for example, C:\MyAssemblies\.
Creating the registry key under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE node allows all users to see the
assemblies in the specified location in the Add Reference dialog box. Creating the registry key under
the HKEY_CURRENT_USER node affects only the setting for the current user.
Open the Add Reference dialog box again. The assemblies should appear on the .NET tab. If they do
not, make sure that the assemblies are located in the specified AssemblyLocation directory, restart
Visual Studio, and try again.

COM tab
The COM tab lists all COM components that are available for referencing. If you want to add a reference to a
registered COM DLL that contains an internal manifest, unregister the DLL first. Otherwise, Visual Studio adds the
assembly reference as an ActiveX Control instead of as a native DLL.
If a project type doesn't support COM, the tab won't appear in the Reference Manager dialog box.

Solution tab
The Solution tab lists all compatible projects within the current solution, in the Projects sub-tab.
A project can reference another project that targets a different version of the .NET Framework. For example, you
could create a project that targets the .NET Framework 4 but that references an assembly that's been built for the
.NET Framework 2. However, the .NET Framework 2 project can't reference a .NET Framework 4 project. For more
information, see Targeting a Specific .NET Framework Version.
A project that targets the .NET Framework 4 is incompatible with a project that targets the .NET Framework 4 Client
Profile.
In Visual Studio 2012, a file reference instead of a project reference is created if one project targets the .NET
Framework 4 and another project targets an earlier version.
A project that targets the .NET for Windows 8.x Store apps can't add a project reference to a project that targets the
.NET Framework and vice versa.

Windows tab
The Windows tab lists all SDKs that are specific to platforms on which Windows operating systems run.
You can generate a WinMD file in Visual Studio in two ways:
Windows 8.x Store app managed projects: Windows 8.x Store app projects can output WinMD binaries
by setting Project Properties | Output Type = WinMD File. The WinMD filename must be the superset
namespace of all the namespaces that exist within it. For example, if a project consists of namespaces A.B
and A.B.C, the possible names for its outputted WinMD are A.winmd and A.B.winmd. If a user enters a
Project Properties | Assembly Name or Project Properties | Namespace value that's disjoint from the set of
namespaces in the project or there is no superset namespace within a project, a build warning is generated:
'A.winmd' isn't a valid .winmd file name for this assembly. All types within a Windows Metadata file must
exist in a sub namespace of the file name. Types that don't exist in a sub namespace of the file name won't
be able to be located at runtime. In this assembly, the smallest common namespace is 'CSWSClassLibrary1'.
A desktop Visual Basic or Visual C# project can only consume WinMDs that are generated by using the
Windows 8 SDKs, which are known as first-party WinMDs, and can't generate WinMDs.
Windows 8.x Store app native projects: A native WinMD file consists of only metadata. Its
implementation exists in a separate DLL file. One can produce native binaries by choosing the Windows
Runtime Component project template in the New Project dialog box or by starting from a blank project
and modifying the project properties to generate a WinMD file. If the project consists of disjoint
namespaces, a build error will tell the user to combine their namespaces or run the MSMerge tool.
The Windows tab consists of two subgroups.
Core Subgroup
The Core subgroup lists all of the WinMDs (for Windows Runtime elements) in the SDK for the targeted version of
Windows.
Windows 8.x Store app projects contain references to all of the WinMDs in the Windows 8 SDK by default on
project creation. In managed projects, a read-only node under the References folder in Solution Explorer
indicates the reference to the entire Windows 8 SDK. Accordingly, the Core subgroup in the Reference Manager
won't enumerate any of the assemblies from the Windows 8 SDK and instead displays a message: "The Windows
SDK is already referenced. Please use the Object Browser to explore the references in the Windows SDK."
In the desktop projects, the Core subgroup doesn't appear by default. You can add the Windows Runtime by
opening the shortcut menu for the project node, choosing Unload Project, adding the following snippet, and re-
opening the project (on the project node, choose Reload Project). When you invoke the Reference Manager
dialog box, the Core subgroup appears.
 <PropertyGroup>
<TargetPlatformVersion>8.0</TargetPlatformVersion>
</PropertyGroup>

Make sure to select the Windows check box on this subgroup. You should then be able to use Windows Runtime
elements. However, you'll also want to add System.Runtime, in which the Windows Runtime defines some
standard classes and interfaces, such as IEnumerable, that are used throughout the Windows Runtime libraries. For
information about how to add System.Runtime, see Managed desktop apps and Windows Runtime.
Extensions Subgroup
Extensions lists the user SDKs that extend the targeted Windows platform. This tab appears for Windows 8.x Store
app projects only. Desktop projects won't show this tab because they can consume only first-party .winmd files.
An SDK is a collection of files that Visual Studio treats as a single component. In the Extensions tab, SDKs that apply
to the project from which the Reference Manager dialog box was invoked are listed as single entries. When
added to a project, all of the SDK content is consumed by Visual Studio such that the user doesn't need to take any
further actions to leverage the SDK contents in IntelliSense, toolbox, designers, Object Browser, build, deployment,
debugging, and packaging. For information about how to display your SDK in the Extensions tab, see Creating a
Software Development Kit.

NOTE
If a project references an SDK that depends on another SDK, Visual Studio won't consume the second SDK unless the user
manually adds a reference to the second SDK. When a user chooses an SDK on the Extensions tab, the Reference
Manager dialog box helps the user identify SDK dependencies by listing not only the name and version of the SDK but also
the name of any SDK dependencies in the details pane. If a user doesn't notice the dependencies and only adds that SDK,
MSBuild will prompt the user to add the dependencies.

If a project type doesn't support Extensions, the tab doesn't appear in the Reference Manager dialog box.

Browse button
You can use the Browse button to browse for a component in the file system.
A project can reference a component that targets a different version of the .NET Framework. For example, you
could create an application that targets the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile, which references a component that
targets the .NET Framework 2. For more information, see Targeting a Specific .NET Framework Version.
You should avoid adding file references to outputs of another project in the same solution, because this tactic may
cause compilation errors. Instead, use the Solution tab of the Reference Manager dialog box to create project-
to-project references. This tactic makes team development easier by enabling better management of the class
libraries that you create in your projects. For more information, see Troubleshooting Broken References.
You can't browse to an SDK and add it to your project. You can only browse to a file (for example, an assembly or
.winmd) and add it to your project.
When doing a file reference to a WinMD, the expected layout is that the FileName.winmd, FileName.dll, and
FileName.pri files are all placed alongside each other. If you reference a WinMD in the following scenarios, an
incomplete set of files will be copied into the project output directory and, consequently, build and runtime failures
will occur.
Native component: a native project will create one WinMD for each disjoint set of namespaces and one
DLL that consists of the implementation. The WinMDs will have disparate names. When referencing this
native component file, MSBuild won't recognize that the dissimilarly named WinMDs make one component.
Consequently, only the identically named FileName.dll and FileName.winmd will be copied, and runtime
 errors will occur. To work around this issue, create an Extension SDK. For more information, see Creating a
Software Development Kit.
Consuming controls: at a minimum, a XAML control consists of a FileName.winmd, FileName.dll,
FileName.pri, XamlName.xaml, and an ImageName.jpg. When the project is built, the resource files that are
associated with the file reference won't get copied into the project's output directory, and only
FileName.winmd, FileName.dll and FileName.pri will be copied. A build error is logged to inform the user
that the resources XamlName.xaml and ImageName.jpg are missing. To succeed, the user will have to
manually copy these resource files into the project output directory for build and debugging/runtime. To
work around this issue, either create an Extension SDK by following the steps in Creating a Software
Development Kit or edit the project file to add the following property:

<PropertyGroup>
<GenerateLibraryOutput>True</GenerateLibraryOutput>
</PropertyGroup>

NOTE
If you add the property, the build might run slower.

Recent
Assemblies, COM, Windows, and Browse each support a Recent tab, which enumerates the list of components that
were recently added to projects.

Search
The search bar in the Reference Manager dialog box operates over the tab that's in focus. For example, if a user
types "System" in the search bar while the Solution tab is in focus, the search won't return any results unless the
solution consists of a project name that contains "System".

See Also
Managing references in a project
 Adding References Using NuGet Versus an Extension
SDK
10/18/2017 • 6 min to read • Edit Online

You can provide a package for consumption within Visual Studio projects by using either the NuGet extension to
Visual Studio or a software development kit (SDK). By describing the similarities and differences between the two
mechanisms, this topic can help you choose the best one for your task.
NuGet is an open-source, package-management system that simplifies the process of incorporating libraries
into a project solution. For more information, see the NuGet documentation.
An SDK is a collection of files that Visual Studio treats as a single reference item. The Reference Manager
dialog box lists all SDKs that are relevant to the project that's open when you display that dialog box. When
you add an SDK to a project, you can access all of the contents of that SDK through IntelliSense, the
Toolbox, designers, the Object Browser, MSBuild, deployment, debugging, and packaging. For more
information about SDKs, see Creating a Software Development Kit.

Which Mechanism Should I Use?

The following table helps you compare the referencing features of an SDK with the referencing features of NuGet.

FEATURE SDK SUPPORT SDK NOTES NUGET SUPPORT NUGET NOTES

The mechanism Y You add an SDK by Y

references one entity using the Reference
and then all the files Manager dialog box,
and functionality are and all the files and
available. functionality are
available during the
development
workflow.

MSBuild automatically Y References in the SDK Y

consumes assemblies are automatically
and Windows passed to the
metadata (.winmd) compiler.
files.

MSBuild automatically Y The SDKName.props N

consumes the .h or file tells Visual Studio
.lib files. how to set up the
Visual C++ directory,
and so forth, for
automatic .h or .lib file
consumption.
FEATURE SDK SUPPORT SDK NOTES NUGET SUPPORT NUGET NOTES

MSBuild automatically Y In Solution Explorer, Y

consumes the .js or you can expand the
.css files. JavaScript SDK
reference node to
show individual .js or
.css files and then
generate
<source include/>
tags by dragging
those files to their
source files. The SDK
supports F5 and
automatic package
setup.

MSBuild automatically Y The Toolbox can N

adds the control in consume SDKs and
the Toolbox. show controls in the
tabs that you specify.

The mechanism Y VSIX has a special Y The VSIX can be

supports Visual manifest and logic to embedded in another
Studio Installer for create SDK packages setup program.
extensions (VSIX).

The Object Browser Y The Object Browser N

enumerates automatically gets the
references. list of references in
SDKs and enumerates
them.

Files and links Y The Reference N NuGet provides its

automatically get Manager dialog box own Manage NuGet
added to the automatically Packages dialog box.
Reference Manager enumerates SDKs,
dialog box (help links, along with help links
and so forth auto and the list of SDK
populate) dependencies.

The mechanism Y SDKs can ship N

supports multiple multiple
architectures. configurations.
MSBuild consumes
the appropriate files
for each project
configuration.

The mechanism Y SDKs can ship N

supports multiple multiple
configurations. configurations.
Depending on project
architecture, MSBuild
consumes the
appropriate files for
each project
architecture.
FEATURE SDK SUPPORT SDK NOTES NUGET SUPPORT NUGET NOTES

The mechanism can Y Depending on N You declare which files

specify "not to copy." whether files are to copy in the
dropped in the \redist package manifest.
or \designtime folder,
you can control which
files to copy into the
consuming
application's package.

Content appears in Y Localized XML N

localized files. documents in SDKs
are automatically
included for a better
design-time
experience.

MSBuild supports Y The SDK supports N This isn't referencing.

consuming multiple consuming multiple You can't have more
versions of an SDK versions than one version of
simultaneously. simultaneously. NuGet files in your
project at a time.

The mechanism Y The Reference Y (partial) Pivot is the Target

supports specifying Manager dialog box Framework. There is
applicable target and the Toolbox no filtering on user
frameworks, Visual show only the SDKs interface. At
Studio versions, and that apply to a installation time, it
project types. project, so that users might return an error.
can more easily
choose the
appropriate SDKs.

The mechanism Y You can specify the N

supports specifying correlation between
registration info for the .winmd file and
native WinMDs. the .dll file in
SDKManifest.xml.

The mechanism Y The SDK only notifies Y NuGet pulls them

supports specifying the user; the user automatically; the
dependencies on must still install them user isn't notified.
other SDKs. and reference them
manually.

The mechanism Y The SDK must pass N

integrates with concepts that are
Windows Store specific to the Store
concepts such as app so that packaging and
manifest and F5 work correctly with
Framework ID. SDKs that are
available in theStore.
FEATURE SDK SUPPORT SDK NOTES NUGET SUPPORT NUGET NOTES

The mechanism Y The SDK must pass Y NuGet content

integrates with the Store-specific becomes part of the
app debugging concepts so that project. No special F5
pipeline for Windows packaging and F5 consideration is
8.x Store apps. work correctly with needed.
SDKs available in the
Store.

The mechanism Y The SDK must pass Y NuGet content

integrates with app Store-specific becomes part of the
manifests. concepts so that project. No special F5
packaging and F5 consideration is
work correctly with needed.
SDKs available in the
Store.

The mechanism Y If you drop the files in Y

deploys non- the \redist folder, the
reference files (for files are automatically
example, deploy test deployed.
framework upon
which to run tests of
Windows 8.x Store
apps).

The mechanism Y If you drop the N

automatically adds Windows 8 SDK or
the platform SDKs in the Windows Phone
Visual Studio IDE. SDK in a specific
location with a specific
layout, the SDK is
automatically
integrated with all the
Visual Studio features.
FEATURE SDK SUPPORT SDK NOTES NUGET SUPPORT NUGET NOTES

The mechanism N Because you reference Y You can check out the
supports a clean an SDK, you must solution, and Visual
developer machine. check in your solution Studio immediately
(That is, no and the SDK recognizes and acts
installation is separately. You can on the files.
required, and simple check in the SDK from
retrieval from source the two non-registry
code control will default locations from
work.) which MSBuild
iterates SDKs (for
details, see Creating a
Software
Development Kit). As
an alternative, if a
custom location
consists of the SDKs,
you can specify the
following code in the
project file:

<PropertyGroup>
<SDKReferenceDirectoryRoot>C:\MySDKs</SDKReferenceDirectoryRoot>
</PropertyGroup>

Then check the SDKs

into that location.

You can join a large N/A The community is Y

existing community of new.
package authors.

You can join a large N/A The community is Y

existing community of new.
package consumers.

You can join an N/A The available Y

ecosystem of partners repositories include
(custom galleries, Visual Studio Gallery,
repositories, and so Microsoft Download
forth). Center, and Windows
Store.

The mechanism Y The SDK must pass Y

integrates with the checked-in
continuous- location
integration build (SDKReferenceDirecto
servers for both ryRoot property) on
package creation and command line to
consumption. MSBuild.

The mechanism Y The SDK supports Y

supports both stable adding references to
and pre-release multiple versions.
package versions.
 FEATURE SDK SUPPORT SDK NOTES NUGET SUPPORT NUGET NOTES

The mechanism Y If shipped as VSIX or Y

supports auto-update part of Visual Studio
for installed packages. automatic updates,
SDK provides
automatic
notifications.

The mechanism Y The SDK contains Y

contains a stand- MSBuild.exe.
alone .exe file for
creating and
consuming packages.

Packages can be Y You can't check in Y

checked into version anything outside the
control. Documents node,
which means that the
Extension SDKs might
not be checked in.The
size of Extension SDK
might be large.

You can use a Y (consumption), N No tooling for Y

PowerShell interface (creation) creating an SDK.
to create and Consumption is
consume packages. executing MSBuild on
the command line.

You can use a Symbol Y If you drop .pdb files Y

package for in the SDK, the files
debugging support. get picked up
automatically.

The mechanism N/A The SDK gets revised Y

supports package with MSBuild.
manager auto-
updates.

The mechanism Y SDKManifest.xml Y

supports a supports many
lightweight manifest attributes, but a small
format. subset is usually
necessary.

The mechanism is Y The SDK supports all Y NuGet supports all

available for all Visual Visual Studio editions, Visual Studio editions,
Studio editions. from Visual Studio Express up through
Express through Visual Studio
Visual Studio Ultimate.
Ultimate.

The mechanism is N The SDK supports N You can review a list

available for all project Windows 8.x Store of allowed projects.
types. apps starting in Visual
Studio 2012.

See Also
Managing references in a project
 How to: Add or Remove Imported Namespaces
(Visual Basic)
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

Importing a namespace allows you to use elements from that namespace in your code without fully qualifying the
element. For example, if you want to access the Create method in the System.Messaging.MessageQueue class, you
can import the System.Messaging namespace and just refer to the element you need in code as
MessageQueue.Create .

Imported namespaces are managed on the References page of the Project Designer. The imports you specify in
this dialog box are passed directly to the compiler ( /imports ) and apply to all files in your project. Use the Imports
statement to use a namespace in a single source code file.
To add an imported namespace
1. In Solution Explorer, double-click the My Project node for the project.
2. In the Project Designer, click the References tab.
3. In the Imported Namespaces list, select the check box for the namespace that you wish to add.

NOTE
In order to be imported, the namespace must be in a referenced component. If the namespace does not appear in the
list, you will need to add a reference to the component that contains it. For more information, see Managing
references in a project.

To remove an imported namespace

1. In Solution Explorer, double-click the My Project node for the project.
2. In the Project Designer, click the References tab.
3. In the Imported Namespaces list, clear the check box for the namespace that you wish to remove.

User Imports
User imports allow you to import a specific class within a namespace rather than the entire namespace. For
example, your application might have an import for the Systems.Diagnostics namespace, but the only class within
that namespace that you are interested in is the Debug class. You can define System.Diagnostics.Debug as a user
import, and then remove the import for System.Diagnostics .
If you later change you mind and decide that was really the EventLog class that you needed, you could enter
System.Diagnostics.EventLog as a user import and overwrite System.Diagnostics.Debug using the update
functionality.
To add a user import
1. In Solution Explorer, double-click the My Project node for the project.
2. In the Project Designer, click the References tab.
3. In the text box below the Imported Namespaces list, enter the full name for the namespace you wish to
import, including the root namespace.
4. Click the Add user import button to add the namespace to the Imported Namespaces list.

NOTE
The Add user import button will be disabled if the namespace matches one already in the list; you cannot add an
import twice.

To update a user import

1. In Solution Explorer, double-click the My Project node for the project.
2. In the Project Designer, click the References tab.
3. In the Imported Namespaces list, select the namespace you wish to change.
4. In the text box below the Imported Namespaces list, enter the name for the new namespace.
5. Click the Update user import button to update the namespace in the Imported Namespaces list.

See Also
Managing references in a project
 Troubleshoot broken references
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

If your application attempts to use a broken reference, an exception error is generated. The inability to find the
referenced component is the primary trigger for the error, but there are several situations in which a reference can
be considered broken. These instances are shown in the following list:
The project's reference path is incorrect or incomplete.
The file being referenced has been deleted.
The file being referenced has been renamed.
The network connection or authentication has failed.
The reference is to a COM component that is not installed on the computer.
The following are remedies to these problems.

NOTE
Files in assemblies are referenced with absolute paths in the project file. Therefore, it is possible for users who work in a
multideveloper environment to be missing a referenced assembly in their local environment. To avoid these errors, it is
better in these cases to add project-to-project references. For more information, see Programming with Assemblies.

Reference path is incorrect

If projects are shared on different computers, some references might not be found when a component is located in
a different directory on each computer. References are stored under the name of the component file (for example,
MyComponent). When a reference is added to a project, the folder location of the component file (for example,
C:\MyComponents\) is appended to the ReferencePath project property.
When the project is opened, it attempts to locate these referenced component files by looking in the directories on
the reference path. If the project is opened on a computer that stores the component in a different directory, such
as D:\MyComponents\, the reference cannot be found and an error appears in the Task List.
To fix this problem, you can delete the broken reference and then replace it using the Add Reference dialog box.
Another solution is to use the Reference Path item in the project's property pages and modify the folders in the
list to point to the correct locations. The Reference Path property is persisted for each user on each computer.
Therefore, modifying your reference path does not affect other users of the project.

TIP
Project-to-project references do not have these problems. For this reason, use them instead of file references, if you can.

To fix a broken project reference by correcting the reference path

1. In Solution Explorer, right-click your project node and click Properties.
2. The Project Designer appears.
3. If you are using Visual Basic, select the References page and click the Reference Paths button. In the
Reference Paths dialog box, type the path of the folder that contains the item you want to reference in the
Folder field, and then click the Add Folder button.
 -or-
If you are using Visual C#, select the Reference Paths page. In the Folder field, type the path of the folder
that contains the item you want to reference, and then click the Add Folder button.

Referenced file has been deleted

It is possible that the file being referenced has been deleted and no longer exists on the drive.
To fix a broken project reference for a file that no longer exists on your drive
Delete the reference.
If the reference exists in another location on your computer, read it from that location.

Referenced file has been renamed

It is possible that the file being referenced has been renamed.
To fix a broken reference for a file that has been renamed
Delete the reference, and then add a reference to the renamed file.
If the reference exists in another location on your computer, you have to read it in from that location.

Network connection or authentication has failed

There can be many possible causes for inaccessible files: a failed network connection or a failed authentication, for
example. Each cause might have a unique means of recovery; for example, you might have to contact the local
administrator for access to the required resources. However, deleting the reference and fixing the code which used
it is always an option.

COM component is not installed on computer

If a user has added a reference to a COM component and a second user tries to run the code on a computer that
does not have this component installed, the second user will receive an error that the reference is broken.
Installing the component on the second computer will correct the error. For more information about how to use
references to COM components in your projects, see COM Interoperability in .NET Framework Applications.

See also
References Page, Project Designer (Visual Basic)
 Application Properties
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can set general application properties for Visual Basic, C#, and F# applications, such as application type, startup
object, and assembly information, in the Application pane of the Project Designer.
The following tasks can be accomplished in the Application pane:
Specify assembly information
Specify a splash screen for an application
Specify application-level events
Change an assembly name
Change the namespace for an application
Change the application type
Change the Startup object for an application
Specify an application icon
Enable Windows XP visual styles
Specify instancing behavior for an application
Enable custom user authentication
Specify shutdown behavior for an application
The tasks available for your application depend on the development language being used.

In This Section
How to: Specify an Application Icon (Visual Basic, C#)

See Also
Application Page, Project Designer (Visual Basic)
Application Page, Project Designer (C#)
Publishing ClickOnce Applications
Securing ClickOnce Applications
Managing Debugging Properties
Managing Compilation Properties
Managing Application Resources (.NET)
Managing Application Settings (.NET)
 Managing Application Resources (.NET)
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Resource files are files that are part of an application but are not compiled, for example icon files or audio files.
Since these files are not part of the compilation process, you can change them without having to recompile your
binaries. If you are planning to localize your application, you should use resource files for all the strings and other
resources that need to be changed when you localize your application.
For more information about resources in .NET desktop apps, see Resources in Desktop Apps. For more information
about resources in C++ desktop apps, see Working with Resource Files.
Windows Store apps use a different resource model from desktop apps. For information about resources in
Windows Store apps, see Defining Application Resources on the Windows Dev Center website.

Working with Resources

In a managed code project, open the project properties window (right-click the project node in Solution Explorer
and select Properties, or type project properties in the Quick Launch window, or type ALT + ENTER in the
Solution Explorer window). Select the Resources tab. You can add a .resx file if your project does not contain one
already, add and delete different kinds of resources, and modify existing resources.
To find out how to work with resources in C++ projects, see How to: Create a Resource.
 Managing Application Settings (.NET)
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

Application settings enable you to store application information dynamically. Settings allow you to store
information on the client computer that should not be included in the application code (for example a connection
string), user preferences and other information you need at runtime.
Application settings replace the dynamic properties used in earlier versions of Visual Studio.
Each application setting must have a unique name. The name can be any combination of letters, numbers, or an
underscore that does not start with a number, and it cannot contain spaces. The name can be changed through the
Name property.

Application settings can be stored as any data type that can be serialized to XML or has a TypeConverter that
implements ToString / FromString . The most common types are String , Integer , and Boolean , but you can also
store values as Color, Object, or as a connection string.
Application settings also contain a value. The value is set with the Value property and must match the data type of
the setting.
In addition, application settings can be bound to a property of a form or control at design time.
There are two types of application settings, based on scope:
Application-scoped settings can be used for information such as a URL for a Web service or a database
connection string. These values are associated with the application. Therefore, users cannot change them at
run time.
User-scoped settings can be used for information such as persisting the last position of a form or a font
preference. Users can change these values at run time.
You can change the type of a setting by using the Scope property.
The project system stores application settings in two XML files: an app.config file, which is created at design
time when you create the first application setting; and a user.config file, which is created at run time when
the user who runs the application changes the value of any user setting. Notice that changes in user settings
are not written to disk unless the application specifically calls a method to do this.

Creating Application Settings at Design Time

At design time, you can create application settings in two ways: by using the Settings page of the Project
Designer, or by using the Properties window for a form or control, which allows you to bind a setting to a
property.
When you create an application-scoped setting (for example, a database connection string, or a reference to server
resources), Visual Studio saves it in app.config with the <applicationSettings> tag. (Connection strings are saved
under the <connectionStrings> tag.)
When you create a user-scoped setting (for example, default font, home page, or window size), Visual Studio saves
it in app.config with the <userSettings> tag.
 IMPORTANT
When you store connection strings in app.config, you should take precautions to avoid revealing sensitive information, such
as passwords or server paths, in the connection string.
If you take connection string information from an external source, such as a user supplying a user ID and password, you
must be careful to ensure that the values that you use to construct your connection string do not contain additional
connection string parameters that change the behavior of your connection.
Consider using the Protected Configuration feature to encrypt sensitive information in the configuration file. See Protecting
Connection Information for more information.

NOTE
Because there is no configuration file model for class libraries, application settings do not apply for Class Library projects. The
exception is a Visual Studio Tools for Office DLL project, which can have a configuration file.

Using Customized Settings Files

You can add customized settings files to your project for convenient management of groups of settings. Settings
that are contained in a single file are loaded and saved as a unit. Therefore, being able to store settings in separate
files for frequently-used and infrequently-used groups can save time in loading and saving settings.
For example, you can add a file such as SpecialSettings.settings to your project. While your SpecialSettings class
is not exposed in the My namespace, View Code can read the custom settings file that contains
Partial Class SpecialSettings .

The Settings Designer first searches for the Settings.settings file that the project system creates; this is the default
file that the Project Designer displays in the Settings tab. Settings.settings is located in the My Project folder for
Visual Basic projects and in the Properties folder for Visual C# projects. The Project Designer then searches for
other settings files in the project's root folder. Therefore, you should put your custom settings file there. If you add
a .settings file elsewhere in your project, the Project Designer will not be able to locate it.

Accessing or Changing Application Settings at Run Time in Visual Basic

In Visual Basic projects, you can access application settings at run time by using the My.Settings object. On the
Settings page, click the View code button to view the Settings.vb file. Settings.vb defines the Settings class,
which enables you to handle these events on the settings class: SettingChanging, PropertyChanged,
SettingsLoaded, and SettingsSaving. Notice that the Settings class in Settings.vb is a partial class that displays
only the user-owned code, not the whole generated class. For more information about accessing application
settings by using the My.Settings object, see Accessing Application Settings.
The values of any user-scoped settings that the user changes at run time (for example, the position of a form) are
stored in a user.config file. Notice that the default values are still saved in app.config.
If you have changed any user-scoped settings during run time, for example in testing the application, and want to
reset these settings to their default values, click the Synchronize button.
We strongly recommend that you use the My.Settings object and the default .settings file to access settings. This is
because you can use the Settings Designer to assign properties to settings, and, additionally, user settings are
automatically saved before application shutdown. However, your Visual Basic application can access settings
directly. In that case you have to access the MySettings class and use a custom .settings file in the root of the
project. You must also save the user settings before ending the application, as you would do for a C# application;
this is described in the following section.
Accessing or Changing Application Settings at Run Time in Visual C#
In languages other than Visual Basic, such as Visual C#, you must access the Settings class directly, as shown in
the following Visual C# example.

Properties.Settings.Default.FirstUserSetting = "abc";

You must also explicitly call the Save method of this wrapper class in order to persist the user settings. You usually
do this in the Closing event handler of the main form. The following Visual C# example shows a call to the Save
method.

Properties.Settings.Default.Save();

For general information about accessing application settings through the Settings class, see Application Settings
Overview. For information about iterating through the settings, see this forum post.

See Also
Accessing Application Settings
 Managing Assembly and Manifest Signing
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

Strong-name signing gives a software component a globally unique identity. Strong names are used to guarantee
that the assembly cannot be spoofed by someone else, and to ensure that component dependencies and
configuration statements map to the correct component and component version.
A strong name consists of the assembly's identity (simple text name, version number, and culture information),
plus a public key token and a digital signature.
For information about signing assemblies in Visual Basic and C# projects, see Creating and Using Strong-Named
Assemblies.
For information about signing assemblies in Visual C++ projects, see Strong Name Assemblies (Assembly Signing)
(C++/CLI).

NOTE
Strong-name signing does not protect against reverse-engineering of the assembly. To protect against reverse-engineering,
see Dotfuscator Community Edition (CE).

Asset Types and Signing

You can sign .NET assemblies and application manifests. These include the following:
executables (.exe)
application manifests (.exe.manifest)
deployment manifests (.application)
shared component assemblies (.dll)
You must sign the following types of asset:
1. Assemblies, if you want to deploy them to the global assembly cache (GAC).
2. ClickOnce application and deployment manifests. Visual Studio enables signing by default for these
applications.
3. Primary interop assemblies, which are used for COM interoperability. The TLBIMP utility enforces strong-
naming when creating a primary interop assembly from a COM type library.
In general you should not sign executables. A strongly-named component cannot reference a non-strongly-named
component that is deployed with the application. Visual Studio does not sign application executables, but instead
signs the application manifest, which points to the weak-named executable. You should generally avoid signing
components that are private to your application, because signing can make it more difficult to manage
dependencies.

How to Sign an Assembly in Visual Studio

You sign an application or component by using the Signing tab of the project properties window (right-click the
project node in the Solution Explorer and select Properties, or type project properties in the Quick Launch
window, or press ALT+ ENTER inside the Solution Explorer window). Select the Signing tab, then select the Sign
the assembly check box.
Specify a key file. If you choose to create a new key file, note that new key files are always created in the .pfx
format. You need a name and password for the new file.

WARNING
You should always protect your key file with a password to prevent someone else from using it. You can also secure your
keys by using providers or certificate stores.

You can also point to a key you have already created. For more information about creating keys, see How to: Create
a Public-Private Key Pair.
If you have access only to a public key, you can use delay signing to defer assigning the key. You enable delay
signing by selecting the Delay sign only check box. A delay-signed project won't run, and you can't debug it.
However, you can skip verification during development by using the Sn.exe (Strong Name Tool) with the -Vr
option.
For information about signing manifests, see How to: Sign Application and Deployment Manifests.

See Also
Strong-Named Assemblies
Strong Name Assemblies (Assembly Signing) (C++/CLI)
 How to: Sign Application and Deployment Manifests
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

If you want to publish an application by using ClickOnce deployment, the application and deployment manifests
must be signed with a public/private key pair and signed using Authenticode technology. You can sign the
manifests by using a certificate from the Windows certificate store or a key file.
For more information about ClickOnce deployment, see ClickOnce Security and Deployment.
Signing the ClickOnce manifests is optional for .exe-based applications. For more information, see the "Generating
Unsigned Manifests" section of this document.
For information about creating key files, see How to: Create a Public-Private Key Pair.

NOTE
Visual Studio supports only Personal Information Exchange (PFX) key files that have the .pfx extension. However, you can
select other types of certificates from the current user's Windows certificate store by clicking Select from Store on the
Signing page of project properties.

To sign application and deployment manifests using a certificate

1. Go to the project properties window (right-click the project node in the Solution Explorer and select
Properties, or type project properties in the Quick Launch window, or press ALT+ ENTER inside the
Solution Explorer window). On the Signing tab, select the Sign the ClickOnce manifests check box.
2. Click the Select from Store button.
The Select a Certificate dialog box appears and displays the contents of the Windows certificate store.

TIP
If you click Click here to view certificate properties, the Certificate Details dialog box appears. This dialog box
includes detailed information about the certificate, and includes additional options. You can click certificates to view
additional Help information.

3. Select the certificate that you want to use to sign the manifests.
4. Additionally, you can specify the address of a timestamp server in the Timestamp server URL text box. This
is a server that provides a timestamp specifying when the manifest was signed.
To sign application and deployment manifests using an existing key file
1. On the Signing page, select the Sign the ClickOnce manifests check box.
2. Click the Select from File button.
The Select File dialog box appears.
3. In the Select File dialog box, browse to the location of the key file (.pfx) that you want to use, and then click
Open.
 NOTE
This option supports only files that have the .pfx extension. If you have a key file or certificate in another format, store
it in the Windows certificate store and select the certificate is described in the previous procedure. The selected
certificate's purpose should include code signing.

The Enter password to open file dialog box appears. (If the .pfx file is already stored in your Windows
certificate store, or is not password protected, you will not be prompted to enter a password.)
4. Enter the password to access the key file, and press ENTER.
To sign application and deployment manifests using a test certificate
1. On the Signing page, select the Sign the ClickOnce manifests check box.
2. To create a new certificate for testing, click the Create Test Certificate button.
3. In the Create Test Certificate dialog box, enter a password to help secure your test certificate.

Generating Unsigned Manifests

Signing the ClickOnce manifests is optional for .exe-based applications. The following procedures show how to
generate unsigned ClickOnce manifests.

IMPORTANT
Unsigned manifests can simplify development and testing of your application. However, unsigned manifests introduce
substantial security risks in a production environment. Only consider using unsigned manifests if your ClickOnce application
runs on computers within an intranet that is completely isolated from the internet or other sources of malicious code.

By default, ClickOnce automatically generates signed manifests unless one or more files are specifically excluded
from the generated hash. In other words, publishing the application results in signed manifests if all files are
included in the hash, even when the Sign the ClickOnce manifests check box is cleared.
To generate unsigned manifests and include all files in the generated hash
1. To generate unsigned manifests that include all files in the hash, you must first publish the application
together with signed manifests. Therefore, first sign the ClickOnce manifests by following one of the
previous procedures, and then publish the application.
2. On the Signing page, clear the Sign the ClickOnce manifests check box.
3. Reset the publish version so that only one version of your application is available. By default, Visual Studio
automatically increments the revision number of the publish version every time that you publish an
application. For more information, see How to: Set the ClickOnce Publish Version.
4. Publish the application.
To generate unsigned manifests and exclude one or more files from the generated hash
1. On the Signing page, clear the Sign the ClickOnce manifests check box.
2. Open the Application Files dialog box and set the Hash to Exclude for the files that you want to exclude
from the generated hash.

NOTE
Excluding a file from the hash configures ClickOnce to disable automatic signing of the manifests, so you do not need
to first publish with signed manifests as shown in the previous procedure.
3. Publish the application.

See Also
Strong-Named Assemblies
How to: Create a Public-Private Key Pair
Signing Page, Project Designer
ClickOnce Security and Deployment
 How to: Specify an Application Icon (Visual Basic, C#)
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

The Icon property for a project specifies the icon file (.ico) that will be displayed for the compiled application in
File Explorer and in the Windows taskbar.
The Icon property can be accessed in the Application pane of the Project Designer; it contains a list of icons
that have been added to a project either as resources or as content files.

NOTE
After you set the icon property for an application, you might also set the Icon property of each Window or Form in the
application. For information about window icons for Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) standalone applications, see
Icon property.

To specify an application icon

1. In Solution Explorer, choose a project node (not the Solution node).
2. On the menu bar, choose Project, Properties.
3. When the Project Designer appears, choose the Application tab.
4. (Visual Basic) In the Icon list, choose an icon (.ico) file.
C# Near the Icon list, choose the <Browse...> button, and then browse to the location of the icon file that
you want.

See Also
Application Page, Project Designer (Visual Basic)
Application Page, Project Designer (C#)
Managing Application Properties
How to: Add or Remove Resources
 Targeting a Specific .NET Framework Version
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

In Visual Studio, you can specify the version or profile of the .NET Framework that you want your project to target.
For an application to run on another computer, the Framework version that the application targets must be
compatible with the Framework version that is installed on the computer.
This section contains topics that describe how to target specific versions of the .NET Framework in your projects.

In This Section
Visual Studio Multi-Targeting Overview
Provides an overview of the multi-targeting features in Visual Studio.
How to: Target a Version of the .NET Framework
Details how to specify a particular .NET Framework for your Visual Basic, Visual C# or Visual F# project.

Related Sections
.NET Framework Multi-Targeting for ASP.NET Web Projects
Explains how to use this version of Visual Studio to develop Web applications that run under earlier versions of
the .NET Framework.
Application Page, Project Designer (C#)
Describes the Target Framework control in the Project Designer for Visual C# projects.
Application Page, Project Designer (Visual Basic)
Describes the Target Framework control in the Project Designer for Visual Basic projects.
How to: Modify the Target Framework and Platform Toolset
Describes how to change settings for Visual C++ projects to target different versions of the .NET Framework and
to use different platform toolsets.
 Visual Studio Multi-Targeting Overview
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In this version of Visual Studio, you can specify the version of the .NET Framework that is required for your
application. Therefore, if you want to use this version of Visual Studio to continue to develop a project that you
started in an earlier version, you do not have to change the framework target. You could also create a solution that
contains projects that target different versions of the framework. Framework targeting also helps guarantee that
the application uses only functionality that is available in the specified version of the framework.

TIP
You can also target applications for different platforms. For more information, see Multitargeting

Framework Targeting Features

Framework targeting includes the following features:
When you open a project that targets an earlier version of the .NET Framework, Visual Studio can
automatically upgrade it or leave the target as is.
When you create a project, you can specify the version of the .NET Framework that you want to target.
You can change the version of the .NET Framework that an existing project targets.
You can target a different version of the .NET Framework in each of several projects in the same solution.
When you change the version of the .NET Framework that a project targets, Visual Studio makes any
required changes to references and configuration files.
When you work on a project that targets an earlier version of the .NET Framework, Visual Studio
dynamically changes the development environment, as follows:
It filters items in the New Project dialog box, the Add New Item dialog box, the Add New Reference
dialog box, and the Add Service Reference dialog box to omit choices that are not available in the targeted
version.
It filters custom controls in the Toolbox to remove those that are not available in the targeted version and
to show the only the most up-to-date controls when multiple controls are available.
It filters IntelliSense to omit language features that are not available in the targeted version.
It filters properties in the Properties window to omit those that are not available in the targeted version.
It filters menu options to omit options that are not available in the targeted version.
For builds, it uses the version of the compiler and the compiler options that are appropriate for the targeted
version.

NOTE
Framework targeting does not guarantee that your application will run correctly. You must test your application to make
sure it runs against the targeted version. You cannot target framework versions that are earlier than the .NET Framework
2.0.
Selecting a Target Framework Version
When you create a project, select the target .NET Framework version in the New Project dialog box. The list of
available project templates is filtered based on the selection. In an existing project, you can change the target .NET
Framework version in the project properties dialog box. For more information, see How to: Target a Version of the
.NET Framework.

NOTE
In Express editions of Visual Studio, you cannot set the target framework in the New Project dialog box.

Resolving System and User Assembly References

To target a .NET Framework version, you must first install the appropriate assembly references. Assembly
references for the .NET Framework versions 2.0, 3.0, and 3.5 are included in the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, which
you can download from the Microsoft Download Center, Microsoft Visual Studio website. Assembly references for
the .NET Framework 3.5 Client Profile, the .NET Framework 4, the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile, and Silverlight
are also available from the Visual Studio Downloads website.

NOTE
A .NET Framework client profile is a subset of the .NET Framework that provides a limited set of libraries and features. For
more information about client profiles, see .NET Framework Client Profile.

The Add Reference dialog box disables system assemblies that do not pertain to the target .NET Framework
version so that they cannot be added to a project inadvertently. (System assemblies are .dll files that are included
in a .NET Framework version.) References that belong to a framework version that is later than the targeted version
will not resolve, and controls that depend on such a reference cannot be added. If you want to enable such a
reference, reset the .NET Framework target of the project to one that includes the reference. For more information,
see How to: Target a Version of the .NET Framework.
For more information about assembly references, see Resolving Assemblies at Design Time.

Enabling LINQ
When you target the .NET Framework 3.5 or later, a reference to System.Core and a project-level import for
System.Linq (in Visual Basic only) are added automatically. If you want to use LINQ features, you must also turn
Option Infer on (in Visual Basic only). The reference and import are removed automatically if you change the target
to an earlier .NET Framework version. For more information, see Working with LINQ.

See Also
Multitargeting
Platform compatibility and system requirements
 How to: Target a Version of the .NET Framework
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

This document describes how to target a version of the .NET Framework when you create a project and how to
change the targeted version in an existing Visual Basic, Visual C#, or Visual F# project.

IMPORTANT
For information about how to change the target version for C++ projects, see How to: Modify the Target Framework and
Platform Toolset.

In this topic
Targeting a version when you create a project
Changing the target version

Targeting a version when you create a project

When you create a project, the version of the .NET Framework that you target determines which templates you can
use.

NOTE
In Express editions of Visual Studio, you must create the project first, and then you can change the target, as Changing the
target version describes later in this topic.

To target a version when you create a project

1. On the menu bar, choose File, New, Project.
2. In the list at the top of the New Project dialog box, choose the version of the .NET Framework that you
want your project to target.

NOTE
Typically, only one version of the .NET Framework is installed with Visual Studio. If you want to target another
version, you must first make sure that it's installed. See Visual Studio Multi-Targeting Overview.

3. In the list of installed templates, choose the type of project that you want to create, name the project, and
then choose the OK button.
The list of templates shows only those projects that are supported by the version of the .NET Framework
that you chose.

Changing the target version

You can change the targeted version of the .NET Framework in a Visual Basic, Visual C#, or Visual F# project by
following this procedure.
To change the targeted version
1. In Solution Explorer, open the shortcut menu for the project that you want to change, and then choose
 Properties.

IMPORTANT
For information about how to change the target version for C++ projects, see How to: Modify the Target
Framework and Platform Toolset.

2. In the left column of the properties window, choose the Application tab.

NOTE
After you create a Windows Store app, you can't change the targeted version of either Windows or the .NET
Framework.

3. In the Target Framework list, choose the version that you want.
4. In the verification dialog box that appears, choose the Yes button.
The project unloads. When it reloads, it targets the .NET Framework version that you just chose.

NOTE
If your code contains references to a different version of the .NET Framework than the one that you targeted, error
messages may appear when you compile or run the code. To resolve these errors, you must modify the references.
See Troubleshooting .NET Framework Targeting Errors.

See Also
Visual Studio Multi-Targeting Overview
.NET Framework Multi-Targeting for ASP.NET Web Projects
Troubleshooting .NET Framework Targeting Errors
Application Page, Project Designer (C#)
Application Page, Project Designer (Visual Basic)
Configuring Projects
How to: Modify the Target Framework and Platform Toolset
 Creating Project and Item Templates
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio project and item templates provide reusable stubs that give users some basic code and structure
that they can use for their own purposes.

Visual Studio Templates

A number of predefined project and item templates are installed when you install Visual Studio. The Visual Basic
and Visual C# Windows Forms Application and Class Library templates that are available in the New Project
dialog box are examples of project templates. Installed item templates are available in the Add New Item dialog
box, and include items such as code files, XML files, HTML pages, and Style Sheets.
These templates provide a starting point for users to begin creating projects or expanding current projects.
Project templates provide the files that are required for a particular project type, include standard assembly
references, and set default project properties and compiler options. Item templates can range in complexity from
just one empty file that has the correct file name extension to a multi-file item that contains, for example, source
code files that have stub code, designer information files, and embedded resources.
In addition to the installed templates in the New Project and Add New Item dialog boxes, you can author your
own templates or download and use templates created by the community. For more information, see How to:
Create Project Templates and How to: Create Item Templates.

Contents of a Template
All project and item templates, whether installed together with Visual Studio or created by you, function by using
the same principles and have similar contents. All templates contain the following items:
The files to be created when the template is used. This includes source code files, embedded resources,
project files, and so on.
One .vstemplate file. This file contains the metadata that provides Visual Studio the information it needs to
display the template in the New Project and Add New Item dialog boxes and create a project or item
from the template. For more information about .vstemplate files, see Template Parameters.
When these files are compressed into a .zip file and put in the correct folder, Visual Studio automatically
displays them. Project templates appear in the My Templates section of the New Project dialog boxes,
and item templates appear in the Add New Item dialog boxes. For more information about template
folders, see How to: Locate and Organize Templates.

Starter Kits
Starter Kits are enhanced templates that can be shared with other members of the community. A Starter Kit
includes code samples that compile, documentation, and other resources to help users learn new tools and
programming techniques while they build useful, real-world applications. The basic contents and procedures for
Starter Kits are identical to those for templates. For more information, see How to: Create Starter Kits.

See Also
How to: Create Project Templates
How to: Create Item Templates
Template Parameters
Customizing Templates
How to: Create Starter Kits
 How to: Create Project Templates
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

This procedure enables you to create a template using the Export Template wizard, which packages your
template in a .zip file. You can also create templates in the VSIX file format for improved deployment by using the
Export Template Wizard extension, or with templates included in the Visual Studio SDK, or you can create
templates manually.
To create a custom project template with the standard Export Template wizard
1. Create a project.

NOTE
Use only valid identifier characters when naming a project that will be the source for a template. A template
exported from a project named with invalid characters can cause compilation errors in future projects based on the
template. For more information on valid identifier characters, see Declared Element Names.

2. Edit the project until it is ready to be exported as a template.

3. As appropriate, edit the code files to indicate where parameter replacement should take place. For more
information on parameter replacement, see How to: Substitute Parameters in a Template.
4. On the Project menu, click Export Template. The Export Template wizard opens.
5. Click Project Template.
6. If you have more than one project in your current solution, select the projects you want to export to a
template.
7. Click Next.
8. Select an icon and a preview image for your template. These will appear in the New Project dialog box.
9. Enter a template name and description.
10. Click Finish. Your project is exported into a .zip file and placed in the specified output location, and, if
selected, imported into Visual Studio.
If you have the Visual Studio SDK installed, you can wrap the finished template in a .vsix file for deployment
by using the VSIX Project template. For more information, see Getting Started with the VSIX Project
Template.

See Also
Creating Project and Item Templates
How to: Create Item Templates
 How to: Create Multi-Project Templates
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

Multi-project templates act as containers for two or more projects. When a project based on a multi-project
template is created from the New Project dialog box, every project in the template is added to the solution.
A multi-project template must include the following items, compressed into a .zip file:
A root .vstemplate file for the entire multi-project template. This root .vstemplate file contains the metadata
that the New Project dialog box displays, and specifies where to find the .vstemplate files for the projects in
this template. This file must be located at the root of the .zip file.
One or more folders that contain the files that are required for a complete project template. This includes all
code files for the project, and also a .vstemplate file for the project.
For example, a multi-project template .zip file that has two projects could have the following files and
directories:
MultiProjectTemplate.vstemplate
\Project1\Project1.vstemplate
\Project1\Project1.vbproj
\Project1\Class.vb
\Project2\Project2.vstemplate
\Project2\Project2.vbproj
\Project2\Class.vb
The root .vstemplate file for a multi-project template differs from a single-project template in the following
ways:
The Type attribute of the VSTemplate element contains the value ProjectGroup . For example:

<VSTemplate Version="2.0.0" Type="ProjectGroup"

xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vstemplate/2005">

The TemplateContent element contains a ProjectCollection element that has one or more
ProjectTemplateLink elements that define the paths to the .vstemplate files of the included projects. For
example:

<TemplateContent>
<ProjectCollection>
<ProjectTemplateLink>
Project1\Project1.vstemplate
</ProjectTemplateLink>
<ProjectTemplateLink>
Project2\Project2.vstemplate
</ProjectTemplateLink>
</ProjectCollection>
</TemplateContent>

Multi-project templates also behave differently than normal templates. Multi-project templates have the
 following unique characteristics:
Individual projects in a multi-project template cannot be assigned names by the New Project dialog box.
Instead, use the ProjectName attribute on the ProjectTemplateLink element to specify the name for each
project. For more information, see the first example in the following section.
Multi-project templates can contain projects written in different languages, but the entire template itself can
only be put in one category by using the ProjectType element.
To create a multi-project template
1. Create the projects to include in the multi-project template.
2. Create .vstemplate files for every project. For more information, see How to: Create Project Templates.
3. Create a root .vstemplate file that to contain the metadata for the multi-project template. For more
information, see the first example in the following section.
4. Select the files and folders to include in your template, right-click the selection, click Send To, and then click
Compressed (zipped) Folder. The files and folders are compressed into a .zip file.
5. Put the .zip template file in the Visual Studio project template directory. By default, this directory is \My
Documents\Visual Studio Version\Templates\ProjectTemplates\.

Example
This example shows a basic multi-project root .vstemplate file. In this example, the template contains two projects,
My Windows Application and My Class Library . The ProjectName attribute on the ProjectTemplateLink element
sets the name for Visual Studio to assign this project. If the ProjectName attribute does not exist, the name of the
.vstemplate file is used as the project name.

<VSTemplate Version="2.0.0" Type="ProjectGroup"

xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vstemplate/2005">
<TemplateData>
<Name>Multi-Project Template Sample</Name>
<Description>An example of a multi-project template</Description>
<Icon>Icon.ico</Icon>
<ProjectType>VisualBasic</ProjectType>
</TemplateData>
<TemplateContent>
<ProjectCollection>
<ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="My Windows Application">
WindowsApp\MyTemplate.vstemplate
</ProjectTemplateLink>
<ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="My Class Library">
ClassLib\MyTemplate.vstemplate
</ProjectTemplateLink>
</ProjectCollection>
</TemplateContent>
</VSTemplate>

Example
This example uses the SolutionFolder element to divide the projects into two groups, Math Classes and
Graphics Classes . The template contains four projects, two of which are placed in each solution folder.
 <VSTemplate Version="2.0.0" Type="ProjectGroup"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vstemplate/2005">
<TemplateData>
<Name>Multi-Project Template Sample</Name>
<Description>An example of a multi-project template</Description>
<Icon>Icon.ico</Icon>
<ProjectType>VisualBasic</ProjectType>
</TemplateData>
<TemplateContent>
<ProjectCollection>
<SolutionFolder Name="Math Classes">
<ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="MathClassLib1">
MathClassLib1\MyTemplate.vstemplate
</ProjectTemplateLink>
<ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="MathClassLib2">
MathClassLib2\MyTemplate.vstemplate
</ProjectTemplateLink>
</SolutionFolder>
<SolutionFolder Name="Graphics Classes">
<ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="GraphicsClassLib1">
GraphicsClassLib1\MyTemplate.vstemplate
</ProjectTemplateLink>
<ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="GraphicsClassLib2">
GraphicsClassLib2\MyTemplate.vstemplate
</ProjectTemplateLink>
</SolutionFolder>
</ProjectCollection>
</TemplateContent>
</VSTemplate>

See Also
Creating Project and Item Templates
Visual Studio Template Schema Reference
How to: Create Project Templates
Visual Studio Template Schema Reference
SolutionFolder Element (Visual Studio Templates)
ProjectTemplateLink Element (Visual Studio Templates)
 How to: Create Item Templates
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

The steps in the first procedure of this topic show you how to create an item template by using the Export
Template wizard. If your template will consist of multiple files, see How to: Create Multi-file Item Templates.
The wizard does a lot of work for you to create the basic template, but in many cases you will need to manually
modify the .vstemplate file after you have exported the template. For example, if you want the item to appear in
the Add New Item dialog for a Windows 8.x Store app project, you'll have to perform a few extra steps. The
second procedure in this topic helps you accomplish that task.
To specify that your template should only appear for only certain project sub-types, such as Office, Database or
Web, see this section.
In some cases you may want or need to create an item template manually from scratch. The third procedure
shows how to do that.
See the Visual Studio Template Schema Reference for information about the elements that can be used in the
.vstemplate file.
To add a custom project item template to the Add New Item dialog box
1. Create or open a project in Visual Studio.
2. Add an item to the project and modify it if you want to.
3. Modify the code file to indicate where parameter replacement should take place. For more information, see
How to: Substitute Parameters in a Template.
4. On the Project menu, click Export Template.
5. Click Item Template, select the project that contains the item, and click Next.
6. Select the item for which you want to create a template, and click Next.
7. Select the assembly references to include in the template, and click Next.
8. Type the icon file name, preview image, template name, and template description, and click Finish.
The files for the template are added to a .zip file and copied whatever directory you specify in the dialog.
The default location is ..\Users\<username>\Documents\Visual Studio <Version>\My Exported
Templates\ folder.

WARNING
In earlier versions of Visual Studio, the default location is ..\Users\<username>\Documents\Visual Studio
<Version>\Templates\ItemTemplates.

To enable the item template to be used in a store project

1. Follow the steps in the procedure above to export an item template.
2. Extract the .vstemplate file from the .zip file that was copied to the ..\Users\username\Documents\Visual
Studio Version\Templates\ItemTemplates\ (or My Exported Templates) folder.
3. Open the .vstemplate file in Visual Studio.
4. For a Universal Windows C# project, in the .vstemplate file, add the following XML within the opening
<TemplateData> tag : <TemplateID>Microsoft.CSharp.Class</TemplateID> .

For a Windows 8.1 store C# project, in the .vstemplate file, add the following XML within the opening and
closing <TemplateData> tag: <TemplateGroupID>WinRT-Managed</TemplateGroupID> .
A C++ Windows 8.1 store project uses a value of WinRT-Native-6.3 . For Windows 10 and other project
types, see TemplateGroupID Element (Visual Studio Templates).
The following example shows the entire contents of a .vstemplate file after the line of XML
<TemplateGroupID>WinRT-Managed</TemplateGroupID> has been added to it. This example is specific to C#
projects. You can modify the and < TemplateGroupID> elements to specify other language and project
types.

<VSTemplate Version="3.0.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vstemplate/2005" Type="Item">

<TemplateData>
<DefaultName>MyItemStoreTemplate.xaml</DefaultName>
<Name>MyItemStoreTemplate</Name>
<Description>This is an example itemtemplate</Description>
<ProjectType>CSharp</ProjectType>
<SortOrder>10</SortOrder>
<Icon>__TemplateIcon.ico</Icon>
<TemplateGroupID>WinRT-Managed</TemplateGroupID>
</TemplateData>
<TemplateContent>
<References />
<ProjectItem SubType="Designer" TargetFileName="$fileinputname$.xaml"
ReplaceParameters="true">MyItemTemplate.xaml</ProjectItem>
<ProjectItem SubType="Code" TargetFileName="$fileinputname$.xaml.cs"
ReplaceParameters="true">MyItemTemplate.xaml.cs</ProjectItem>
</TemplateContent>
</VSTemplate>

For other possible TemplateGroupID values, see TemplateGroupID Element (Visual Studio Templates)). For
the complete .vstemplate reference, see Visual Studio Template Schema Reference
5. In Visual Studio, save the .vstemplate file and close it.
6. Copy and paste the .vstemplate file back to the .zip file located in the ..\Users\username\Documents\Visual
Studio Version\Templates\ItemTemplates\ folder.
If the Copy File dialog box appears, choose the Copy and Replace option.
You can now add an item based on this template to a Windows 8.x Store project by using the Add New
Item dialog box.
For more information about parameter names, see Template Parameters.
To enable templates for specific project sub-types
1. The development environment enables you to make project items available from the Add Item dialog box
for certain projects. Use this procedure to make custom items available for Windows, Web, Office, or
database projects.
Locate the ProjectType element in the .vstemplate file for the item template.
Add a ProjectSubType element immediately after the ProjectType element.
2. Set the text value of the element to one of the following values:
a. Windows
 b. Office
c. Database
d. Web
For example: <ProjectSubType>Database</ProjectSubType> .
The following example shows an item template available for Office projects.

<VSTemplate Version="2.0.0" Type="Item" Version="2.0.0">

<TemplateData>
<Name>Class</Name>
<Description>An empty class file</Description>
<Icon>Class.ico</Icon>
<ProjectType>CSharp</ProjectType>
<ProjectSubType>Office</ProjectSubType>
<DefaultName>Class.cs</DefaultName>
</TemplateData>
<TemplateContent>
<ProjectItem>Class1.cs</ProjectItem>
</TemplateContent>
</VSTemplate>

To manually create an item template without using the Export Template wizard
1. Create a project and project item.
2. Modify the project item until it is ready to be saved as a template.
3. As appropriate, modify the code file to indicate where parameter replacement should occur. For more
information about parameter replacement, see How to: Substitute Parameters in a Template.
4. Create an XML file and save it by using a .vstemplate file name extension, in the same directory as your
new item template.
5. Author the .vstemplate XML file to provide item template metadata. For more information, see Visual
Studio Template Schema Reference and the example in the previous section.
6. Save the .vstemplate file and close it.
7. In Windows Explorer, select the files you want to include in your template, right-click the selection, click
Send To, and then click Compressed (zipped) Folder. The files that you selected are compressed into a .zip
file.
8. Copy the .zip file and paste it in the user item template location. In Visual Studio 2017, the default directory
is ..\Users\<username>\Documents\Visual Studio 2017\Templates\ItemTemplates\. For more information,
see How to: Locate and Organize Project and Item Templates.

See Also
Creating Project and Item Templates
How to: Create Multi-file Item Templates
Visual Studio Template Schema Reference
 How to: Create Multi-file Item Templates
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Item templates may only specify one item, but sometimes the item is made up of multiple files. For example, a
Windows Forms item template for Visual Basic requires the following three files:
A .vb file that contains the code for the form.
A .designer.vb file that contains the designer information for the form.
A .resx file that contains the embedded resources for the form.
Multi-file item templates require parameters to ensure the correct file name extensions are used when the
item is created in Visual Studio. If you create an item template by using the Export Template wizard, these
parameters are automatically generated, and no further editing is required. The following steps explain how
to use parameters to ensure that the correct file name extensions are created.
To manually create a multi-file item template
1. Create the item template as you would create a single-file item template. For more information, see How to:
Create Item Templates.
2. Add TargetFileName attributes to every ProjectItem element. Set the values of the TargetFileName
attributes to $fileinputname$.FileExtension, where FileExtension is the file name extension of the file that is
being included in the template. For example:

<ProjectItem TargetFileName="$fileinputname$.vb">
Form1.vb
</ProjectItem>
<ProjectItem TargetFileName="$fileinputname$.Designer.vb">
Form1.Designer.vb
</ProjectItem>
<ProjectItem TargetFileName="$fileinputname$.resx">
Form1.resx
</ProjectItem>

When an item derived from this template is added to a project, the file names will be based on the name
that the user typed in the Add New Item dialog box.
3. Select the files to be included in your template, right-click the selection, click Send To, and then click
Compressed (zipped) Folder. The files that you selected are compressed into a .zip file.
4. Put the .zip file in the user item template location. By default, the directory is \My Documents\Visual Studio
Version\Templates\ItemTemplates\. For more information, see How to: Locate and Organize Templates.

Example
The following example shows a Visual Studio Windows Forms template. When an item is created based on this
template, the names of the three files created will match the name entered in the Add New Item dialog box.
 <VSTemplate Version="2.0.0" Type="Item"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vstemplate/2005">
<TemplateData>
<Name>Multi-file Item Template</Name>
<Icon>Icon.ico</Icon>
<Description>An example of a multi-file item template</Description>
<ProjectType>VisualBasic</ProjectType>
</TemplateData>
<TemplateContent>
<ProjectItem TargetFileName="$fileinputname$.vb" SubType="Form">
Form1.vb
</ProjectItem>
<ProjectItem TargetFileName="$fileinputname$.Designer.vb">
Form1.Designer.vb
</ProjectItem>
<ProjectItem TargetFileName="$fileinputname$.resx">
Form1.resx
</ProjectItem>
</TemplateContent>
</VSTemplate>

See Also
Creating Project and Item Templates
How to: Create Item Templates
Template Parameters
How to: Substitute Parameters in a Template
 How to: Manually Create Web Templates
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Creating a Web template is different than creating other kinds of templates. Because Web project templates appear
in the Add New Web Site dialog box, and Web project items are categorized by programming language, the
.vstemplate file must specify the template as a Web template and identify the programming language.

NOTE
Web templates must contain a empty .webproj file that is specified by using the File attribute of the Project element.
Although Web projects do not require project files, this file is required so that a Web template functions correctly.

To manually create a Web template

1. Create a Web project.
2. Modify or delete the files in the project, or add new files to the project.
3. Create an XML file and save it by using a .vstemplate file name extension, in the same directory as your
project. Do not add it to the project in Visual Studio.
4. Author the .vstemplate XML file to provide project template metadata. For more information, see the
example in the following section.
5. Locate the ProjectType element in the .vstemplate file, and set the text value to Web .
6. Following the ProjectType element, add a ProjectSubType element and set the text value to the
programming language of the template. The programming language can be one of the following values:
CSharp
VisualBasic
For example:

<TemplateData>
...
<ProjectType>Web</ProjectType>
<ProjectSubType>CSharp</ProjectSubType>
...
</TemplateData>

7. Select the files in your template (this includes the .vstemplate file), right-click the selection, click Send To,
and then click Compressed (zipped) Folder. The files are compressed into a .zip file.
8. Put the .zip template file in the Visual Studio project template directory. By default, this directory is \My
Documents\Visual Studio Version\My Exported Templates\.

Example
The following example shows a basic .vstemplate file for a Web project template.
 <VSTemplate Version="2.0.0" Type="Project"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vstemplate/2005">>
<TemplateData>
<Name>MyWebProjecStarterKit</Name>
<Description>A simple Web template</Description>
<Icon>icon.ico</Icon>
<ProjectType>Web</ProjectType>
<ProjectSubType>CSharp</ProjectSubType>
<DefaultName>WebSite</DefaultName>
</TemplateData>
<TemplateContent>
<Project File="WebApplication.webproj">
<ProjectItem>icon.ico</ProjectItem>
<ProjectItem OpenInEditor="true">Default.aspx</ProjectItem>
<ProjectItem>Default.aspx.cs</ProjectItem>
</Project>
</TemplateContent>
</VSTemplate>

See Also
Creating Project and Item Templates
Visual Studio Template Schema Reference
 How to: Create Starter Kits
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

A Starter Kit contains code for a complete application and documentation on how to modify or expand the
application. Creating a Starter Kit is fundamentally the same as creating a normal project template, the only
difference being that a Starter Kit contains documentation files that are set to open when a project based on the
Starter Kit is created.

Designing and Developing a Starter Kit

First, you must identify the type of Starter Kit that you want to develop and define your target audience. Next,
design the project and documentation to meet your objectives.
If you are creating a sample application or plug-in:
Create a project that builds without errors.
Add template code to implement additional tasks (optional).
Prepare the documentation.
If you are creating a learning tool:
Create a project that builds without errors.
Organize the resources, such as code snippets and item templates.
Prepare the documentation.

Creating a Template
After you have completed the project and the documentation, you are ready to create the project template for the
Starter Kit. This process is exactly the same as creating a project template.
The following topics contain information about creating templates.
How to: Create Project Templates
Explains how to use the Export Template wizard to create a template.
How to: Update Existing Templates
Describes how to edit an exported template. Use this procedure to modify the .vstemplate file to customize your
Starter Kit.

See Also
Creating Project and Item Templates
Customizing Templates
Visual Studio Template Schema Reference
 How to: Locate and Organize Project and Item
Templates
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Template files must be placed in a location that Visual Studio recognizes so that the templates will appear in the
New Project and Add New Item dialog boxes. You can create custom subcategories for templates so that the
subcategories will also appear in the user interface.

Locating Templates
By default, Visual Studio searches two locations for project and item templates. If a compressed file that includes a
.vstemplate file exists in these locations, a template will appear in the New Project or Add New Item dialog
boxes.
Installed Templates
By default, templates installed together with the product are located in:
\VisualStudioInstallationDirectory\Common7\IDE\ItemTemplates\Language\Locale\
\VisualStudioInstallationDirectory\Common7\IDE\ProjectTemplates\Language\Locale\
For example, the following directory contains the Visual Studio project templates for English:
C:\VisualStudioInstallationDirectory\Common7\IDE\ItemTemplates\VisualBasic\1033\
Custom Templates
By default, custom templates are located in:
\My Documents\Visual Studio Version\Templates\ProjectTemplates\Language\
\My Documents\Visual Studio Version\Templates\ItemTemplates\Language\
For example, the following directory contains custom Visual C# project templates:
C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\My Documents\Visual Studio
Version\Templates\ProjectTemplates\Visual C#\
Custom templates do not include a subdirectory for localized templates. You can change the default
directory for custom templates in the Options dialog box, under Environment\Projects and Solutions.

Organizing Templates
The categories in the New Project and Add New Item dialog boxes reflect the directory structures that exist in
the installed and custom template locations. You can modify these directory structures to organize your templates
in a way that makes sense to you.

NOTE
You cannot create a new category at the programming language level. New categories can only be created within each
language.

If the directory structures for installed and custom templates for a particular language do not have the same
structure (that is, there are directories under one folder that do not exist under the other) the set of categories that
appear in the New Project dialog will be the merger of all categories.
Organizing Installed Templates
You can organize installed templates by creating subdirectories in the programming language folder. These
subdirectories appear in the New Project and Add New Item dialog boxes as virtual folders within each
language.
To c r e a t e n e w i n st a l l e d p r o j e c t t e m p l a t e c a t e g o r i e s

1. Create a folder in the language folder of the installed template directory. For example, to create an Office
category for Visual Studio project templates you would create the following directory:
\VisualStudioInstallationDirectory\Common7\IDE\ProjectTemplates\VisualBasic\1033\Office\
2. Place all the templates for this category in the new folder.
3. Close all instances of Visual Studio.
4. On the Start menu, click Run, type cmd, and click OK.
5. At the command prompt, locate the directory that contains devenv.exe, and type devenv
/installvstemplates.
6. Run Visual Studio.
7. On the File menu, click New, and then click Project.
8. Verify that the Office category appears in the New Project dialog box, in the Project types pane, under
Visual Basic.
You can also group a subset of the project item templates into a custom folder.
To c r e a t e n e w i n st a l l e d i t e m t e m p l a t e c a t e g o r i e s

1. Create a folder in the language folder of the installed template directory. For example, to create a Web
category for Visual C# item templates you would create the following directory:
\VisualStudioInstallationDirectory\Common7\IDE\ItemTemplates\CSharp\1033\Web\
2. Place all templates for this category in the new folder.
3. Close all instances of Visual Studio.
4. On the Start menu, click Run, type cmd, and click OK.
5. At the command prompt, locate the directory that contains devenv.exe, and type devenv /setup.
6. Run Visual Studio.
7. Create a project or open an existing project.
8. On the Project menu, click Add New Item.
9. Verify that the Web category appears in the Add New Item dialog box, in the Project types pane.
Organizing Custom Templates
Custom templates can be organized into their own categories by adding new folders in the custom template
location. The New Project dialog box reflects any changes you make to your template categories.
To c r e a t e n e w c u st o m p r o j e c t t e m p l a t e c a t e g o r i e s

1. Create a folder in the language folder in the custom project template directory. For example, to create a
HelloWorld category for Visual C# templates, you would create the following directory:
\My Documents\Visual Studio Version\Templates\ProjectTemplates\CSharp\HelloWorld\
2. Place all the templates for this category in the new folder.
3. On the File menu, click New, and then click Project.
4. Verify that the HelloWorld category appears in the New Project dialog box, in the Project types pane,
under Visual C#.
You can also group a subset of the custom item templates into a custom folder.
To c r e a t e n e w c u st o m i t e m t e m p l a t e c a t e g o r i e s

1. Create a folder in the language folder in the custom item template directory. For example, to create a
HelloWorld category for Visual C# templates you would create the following directory:
\My Documents\Visual Studio Version\Templates\ItemTemplates\CSharp\HelloWorld\
2. Place all the templates for this category in the new folder.
3. Create a project or open an existing project.
4. On the Project menu, click Add New Item.
5. Verify that the HelloWorld category appears in the Add New Item dialog box, in the Project types pane.
Displaying Templates in Parent Categories
You can enable templates in subcategories to be displayed in their parent categories by using the
NumberOfParentCategoriesToRollUp element in the .vstemplate file. These steps are identical for both project
templates and item templates.
To d i sp l a y t e m p l a t e s i n p a r e n t c a t e g o r i e s

1. Locate the .zip file that contains the template.

2. Extract the .zip file.
3. Open the .vstemplate file in Visual Studio.
4. In the TemplateData element, add a NumberOfParentCategoriesToRollUp element. For example, the following
code makes the template visible in the parent category, but no higher.

<TemplateData>
...
<NumberOfParentCategoriesToRollUp>
1
</NumberOfParentCategoriesToRollUp>
...
</TemplateData>

5. Save and close the .vstemplate file.

6. Select the files in your template, right-click the selection, click Send To, and then click Compressed
(zipped) Folder. The files are compressed into a .zip file.
7. Delete the extracted template files and the old template .zip file.
8. Put the new .zip file in the directory that had the deleted .zip file.

See Also
Customizing Templates
Visual Studio Template Schema Reference
NumberOfParentCategoriesToRollUp (Visual Studio Templates)
How to: Create Project Templates
How to: Create Item Templates
 Customizing Project and Item Templates
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

After project and item templates have been created, you still have the ability to further customize them to meet
your needs.
For example, you can perform the following tasks:
Modify and export an existing template as a custom template.
For more information, see How to: Update Existing Templates.
Pass custom parameters into a template to replace existing values.
For more information, see How to: Substitute Parameters in a Template.
Customize the wizards that create projects from templates.
For more information, see How to: Use Wizards with Project Templates.

Related Sections
Creating Project and Item Templates
How to: Troubleshoot Templates
How to: Create Project Templates
How to: Create Item Templates
How to: Create Starter Kits
Visual Studio Template Schema Reference
IWizard
 How to: update existing templates
10/20/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

After you create a template and compress the files into a .zip file, you may want to modify the template. You can do
this by manually changing the files in the template, or by exporting a new template from a project that is based on
the template.

Using the Export Template Wizard to update an existing template

Visual Studio provides an Export Template wizard that can be used to update an existing template.
To use Export Template to update an existing template
1. Open the New Project dialog box by choosing File, New, Project.
2. Select the template that you want to update, enter a name and location for your project, and choose OK.
3. Modify the project in Visual Studio.
4. On the Project menu, choose Export Template.
The Export Template Wizard opens.
5. Follow the prompts in the wizard to export the template as a .zip file.
6. Delete the old template .zip file.

Manually updating an existing template

You can update an existing template outside Visual Studio by modifying the files in the compressed .zip file.
To manually update an existing template
1. Locate the .zip file that contains the template. By default, this file is located in
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Visual Studio <version>\My Exported Templates.
2. Extract the .zip file.
3. Modify or delete the current template files, or add new files to the template.
4. Open, modify, and save the .vstemplate XML file to handle updated behavior or new files.
For more information about the .vstemplate schema, see Visual Studio Template Schema Reference. For
more information about what you can parameterize in the source files, see Template Parameters.
5. Select the files in your template, right-click, choose Send To, and then choose Compressed (zipped)
Folder.
The files that you selected are compressed into a .zip file.
6. Put the new .zip file in the same directory as the old .zip file.
7. Delete the extracted template files and the old template .zip file.
8. Start an elevated instance of the Developer Command Prompt:
a. In the Start menu, navigate to Visual Studio <version>, Developer Command Prompt.
b. From the context (right-click) menu, choose More, Run as administrator.
9. Run the following command: devenv /installvstemplates .

See also
Customizing Templates
Creating Project and Item Templates
Visual Studio Template Schema Reference
Template Parameters
How to: Create Starter Kits
 How to: Substitute Parameters in a Template
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You may replace template parameters such as class names and namespaces when a file based on a template is
created. For a complete list of template parameters, see Template Parameters.

Procedure
You may replace parameters in the files of a template whenever a project based on that template is created. This
procedure explains how to create a template that replaces the name of a namespace with the safe project name
when a new project is created with the template.
To use a parameter to replace namespace name with the project name
1. Insert the parameter in one or more of the code files in the template. For example:

namespace $safeprojectname$

NOTE
Template parameters are written in the format $parameter$.

2. In the .vstemplate file for the template, locate the ProjectItem element that includes this file.
3. Set the ReplaceParameters attribute to true for the ProjectItem element. For example:

<ProjectItem ReplaceParameters="true">Class1.cs</ProjectItem>

See Also
Creating Project and Item Templates
Template Parameters
Visual Studio Template Schema Reference
ProjectItem Element (Visual Studio Item Templates)
 How to: Troubleshoot Templates
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

If a template fails to load in the development environment, there are several ways to locate the problem.

Validating the .vstemplate File

If the .vstemplate file in a template does not adhere to the Visual Studio template schema, the template may not
appear in the New Project dialog box.
To validate the .vstemplate file
1. Locate the .zip file that contains the template.
2. Extract the .zip file.
3. On the File menu in Visual Studio, click Open, and then click File.
4. Select the .vstemplate file for the template, and click Open.
5. Verify that the XML of the .vstemplate file adheres to the Visual Studio template schema. For more
information on the .vstemplate schema, see Visual Studio Template Schema Reference.

NOTE
To get IntelliSense support while authoring the .vstemplate file, add a xmlns attribute to the VSTemplate element
and assign it a value of http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vstemplate/2005.

6. Save and close the .vstemplate file.

7. Select the files included in your template, right-click, select Send To, and click Compressed (zipped)
Folder. The files that you selected are compressed into a .zip file.
8. Place the new .zip file in the same directory as the old .zip file.
9. Delete the extracted template files and the old template .zip file.

Monitoring the Event Log

Visual Studio logs errors encountered when processing template .zip files. If a template does not show up in the
New Project dialog box as expected, you can use Event Viewer to troubleshoot the issue.
To locate template errors in Event Viewer
1. In Windows, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click
Event Viewer.
2. In the left pane, click Application.
3. Look for events with a Source value of Visual Studio - VsTemplate .
4. Double-click on a template event to view the error.

See Also
Customizing Templates
Creating Project and Item Templates
Visual Studio Template Schema Reference
 Visual Studio Template Reference
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

The following links provide reference information about the different aspects of Visual Studio project and item
templates.

In This Section
Visual Studio Template Schema Reference
Describes the XML elements used in .vstemplate files.
Template Parameters
Describes the parameters available for project and item templates.
Microsoft.VisualStudio.TemplateWizard
Describes the IWizard interface and related types.

Related Sections
How to: Create Project Templates
How to: Create Item Templates
Customizing Templates
How to: Create Starter Kits
 Template Parameters
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

By using parameters in your templates, you can replace the values of key portions of the template, such as class
names and namespaces, when the template is instantiated. These parameters are replaced by the template
wizard that runs in the background when a user clicks OK in the New Project or Add New Item dialog boxes.

Declaring and Enabling Template Parameters

Template parameters are declared in the format $parameter$. For example:
$safeprojectname$
$guid1$
$guid5$
To enable parameter substitution in templates
1. In the .vstemplate file of the template, locate the ProjectItem element that corresponds to the item for
which you want to enable parameter replacement.
2. Set the ReplaceParameters attribute of the ProjectItem element to true .
3. In the code file for the project item, include parameters where appropriate. For example, the following
parameter specifies that the safe project name be used for the namespace in a file:

namespace $safeprojectname$

Reserved Template Parameters

The following table lists the reserved template parameters that can be used by any template.

NOTE
Template parameters are case-sensitive.

PARAMETER DESCRIPTION

clrversion Current version of the common language runtime (CLR).

GUID [1-10] A GUID used to replace the project GUID in a project file.
You can specify up to 10 unique GUIDs (for example,
guid1) .

itemname The name provided by the user in the Add New Item dialog
box.

machinename The current computer name (for example, Computer01).

 PARAMETER DESCRIPTION

projectname The name provided by the user in the New Project dialog
box.

registeredorganization The registry key value from

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\RegisteredOrganization.

rootnamespace The root namespace of the current project. This parameter

applies only to item templates.

safeitemname The name provided by the user in the Add New Item dialog
box, with all unsafe characters and spaces removed.

safeprojectname The name provided by the user in the New Project dialog
box, with all unsafe characters and spaces removed.

time The current time in the format DD/MM/YYYY 00:00:00.

SpecificSolutionName The name of the solution. When "create solution directory" is

checked, SpecificSolutionName has the solution name.
When "create solution directory" is not checked,
SpecificSolutionName is blank.

userdomain The current user domain.

username The current user name.

webnamespace The name of the current Web site. This parameter is used in
the Web form template to guarantee unique class names. If
the Web site is at the root directory of the Web server, this
template parameter resolves to the root directory of the Web
Server.

year The current year in the format YYYY.

Custom Template Parameters

You can specify your own template parameters and values, in addition to the default reserved template
parameters that are used during parameter replacement.For more information, see CustomParameters Element
(Visual Studio Templates)

Example: Replacing Files Names

You can specify variable file names for project items by using a parameter with the TargetFileName attribute. For
example, you could specify that the .exe file use the project name, specified by $projectname$ , as the file name.
 <TemplateContent>
<ProjectItem
ReplaceParameters="true"
TargetFileName="$projectname$.exe">
File1.exe
</ProjectItem>
...
</TemplateContent>

Example: Using the Project Name for the Namespace Name

To use the project name for the namespace in a Visual C# class file, Class1.cs, use the following syntax:

#region Using directives

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;

#endregion

namespace $safeprojectname$
{
public class Class1
{
public Class1()
{

}
}
}

In the .vstemplate file for the project template, include the following XML when you reference the file Class1.cs:

<TemplateContent>
<ProjectItem ReplaceParameters="true">
Class1.cs
</ProjectItem>
...
</TemplateContent>

See Also
Customizing Templates
 Write code in the code editor
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The Visual Studio editor provides many features that make it easier for you to write and manage your code and
text. You can expand and collapse different blocks of code by using outlining. You can learn more about the code
by using IntelliSense, the Object Browser, and the Call Hierarchy. You can find code by using features such as Go
To, Go To Definition, and Find All References. You can insert blocks of code with code snippets, and you can
generate code by using features such as Generate From Usage. If you have never used the Visual Studio editor
before, see Editing Your Code for a quick overview.
You can view your code in a number of different ways. By default, Solution Explorer shows your code organized
by files. You can click on the Class View tab at the bottom of the window to view your code organized by classes.
You can search and replace text in single or multiple files. For more information, see Finding and Replacing Text.
You can use regular expressions to find and replace text. For more information, see Using Regular Expressions in
Visual Studio.
The different Visual Studio languages offer different sets of features, and in some cases the features behave
differently in different languages. Many of these differences are specified in the descriptions of the features, but
for more information you can see the sections on specific Visual Studio languages.

IMPORTANT
The Visual Studio edition and the settings you are using may affect the features in the IDE. They might differ from those
described in this topic.

Editor Features

Syntax Coloring Some syntax elements of code and markup files are colored
differently to distinguish them. For example, keywords (such
as using in C# and Imports in Visual Basic) are one color,
but types (such as Console and Uri ) are another color.
Other syntax elements are also colorized, such as string
literals and comments. C++ uses color to differentiate among
types, enumerations, and macros, among other tokens.

You can see the default color for each type, and you can
change the color for any specific syntax element in the Fonts
and Colors, Environment, Options Dialog Box, which you can
open from the Tools menu.
Error and Warning Marks As you add code and build your solution, you may see (a)
different-colored wavy underlines (known as squiggles) or (b)
light bulbs appearing in your code. Red squiggles denote
syntax errors, blue denotes compiler errors, green denotes
warnings, and purple denotes other types of errors. Light
bulbs suggest fixes for problems and make it easy to apply
the fix.

You can see the default color for each error and warning
squiggle in the Tools/Options/Environment/Fonts and
Colors dialog box. Look for Syntax Error, Compiler Error,
Warning, and Other Error.

Brace Matching When the insertion point is placed on an open brace in a code
file, both it and the closing brace are highlighted. This feature
gives you immediate feedback on misplaced or missing
braces. You can turn brace matching on or off with the
Automatic Delimiter Highlighting setting
(Tools/Options/Text Editor). You can change the highlight
color in the Fonts and Colors setting
(Tools/Options/Environment). Look for Brace Matching
(Highlight) or Brace Matching (Rectangle).

Structure Visualizer Dotted lines connect matching braces in code files, making it
easier to see opening and closing brace pairs. This can help
you find code in your codebase more quickly. You can turn
these lines on or off with the Show structure guidelines in
the Display section of the Tools/Options/Text
Editor/General page.

Line Numbers Line numbers can be displayed in the left margin of the code
window. They are not displayed by default. You can turn this
option on in the Text Editor All Languages settings
(Tools/Options/Text Editor/All Languages). You can
display line numbers for individual programming languages
by changing the settings for those languages
(Tools/Options/Text Editor/<language>). For line numbers
to print, you must select Include line numbers in the Print
dialog box.

Change Tracking The color of the left margin allows you to keep track of the
changes you have made in a file. Changes you have made
since the file was opened but not saved are denoted by a
yellow bar on the left margin (known as the selection margin).
After you have saved the changes (but before closing the file),
the bar turns green. If you undo a change after you have
saved the file, the bar turns orange. To turn this feature off
and on, change the Track changes option in the Text Editor
settings (Tools/Options/Text Editor).

Selecting Code and Text You can select text either in the standard continuous stream
mode or in box mode, in which you select a rectangular
portion of text instead of a set of lines. To make a selection in
box mode, press ALT as you drag the mouse over the
selection (or press ALT + SHIFT + <arrow key>). The selection
includes all of the characters within the rectangle defined by
the first character and the last character in the selection.
Anything typed or pasted into the selected area is inserted at
the same point on each line.
 Zoom You can zoom in or out in any code window by pressing and
holding the CTRL key and moving the scroll wheel on the
mouse (or CTRL + SHIFT + . to increase and CTRL + SHIFT + ,
to decrease). You can also use the Zoom box in the lower left
corner of the code window to set a specific zoom percentage.
The zoom feature does not work in tool windows.

Virtual Space By default, lines in Visual Studio editors end after the last
character, so that the RIGHT ARROW key at the end of a line
moves the cursor to the beginning of the next line. In some
other editors a line does not end after the last character, and
you can place your cursor anywhere on the line. You can
enable virtual space in the editor in the Tools/Options/Text
Editor/All Languages settings. Note that you can enable
either Virtual Space or Word Wrap, but not both.

Printing You can use the options in the Print dialog box to include line
numbers or hide collapsed regions of code when you print a
file. In the Page Setup dialog box, you can also choose to
print the full path and the name of the file by choosing Page
header.

You can set color printing options in the

Tools/Options/Environment/Fonts and Colors dialog box.
Choose Printer in the Show settings for list to customize
color printing. You can specify different colors for printing a
file than for editing a file.

Global Undo and Redo The Undo Last Global Action and Redo Last Global Action
commands on the Edit menu undo or redo global actions
that affect multiple files. Global actions include renaming a
class or namespace, performing a find-and-replace operation
across a solution, refactoring a database, or any other action
that changes multiple files. You can apply the global undo
and redo commands to actions in the current Visual Studio
session, even after you close the solution in which an action
was applied.

Advanced Editing Features

You can find a number of advanced features on the Edit/Advanced submenu. Not all these features are available
for all types of code files.

Format Document Sets the proper indentation of lines of code and moves curly
braces to separate lines in the document.

Format Selection Sets the proper indentation of lines of code and moves curly
braces to separate lines in the selection.

Tabify Selected Lines Changes leading spaces to tabs where appropriate.

 Untabify Selected Lines Changes leading tabs to spaces. If you want to convert all the
spaces in your file to tabs (or all the tabs to spaces), you can
use the Edit.ConvertSpacesToTabs and
Edit.ConvertTabsToSpaces commands. These commands
do not appear in Visual Studio menus, but you can call them
from the Quick Access window or the command window.

Make Uppercase Changes all characters in the selection to uppercase, or if

there is no selection, changes the character at the insertion
point to uppercase.

Make Lowercase Changes all characters in the selection to lowercase, or if there

is no selection, changes the character at the insertion point to
lowercase.

Move selected Lines Up Moves the selected line up one line. Shortcut: ALT + UP
ARROW.

Move Selected Lines Down Moves the selected line down one line. Shortcut: ALT +
DOWN ARROW.

Validate Document Validates JScript code files.

Delete Horizontal White Space Deletes tabs or spaces at the end of the current line.

View White Space Displays spaces as raised dots, and tabs as arrows. The end of
a file is displayed as a rectangular glyph. If
Tools/Options/Text Editor/All Languages/Word
Wrap/Show visible glyphs for word wrap is selected, that
glyph is also displayed.

Word Wrap Causes all the lines in a document to be visible in the code
window. You can turn word wrap off and on in the Text Editor
All Languages settings (Tools/Options/ Text Editor/All
Languages).

Comment Selection Adds comment characters to the selection or the current line.

Uncomment Selection Removes comment characters from the selection or the

current line.

Increase Line Indent Adds a tab (or the equivalent spaces) to the selected lines or
the current line.

Decrease Line Indent Removes a tab (or the equivalent spaces) from the selected
lines or the current line.

Select Tag In a document that contains tags (for example, XML or

HTML), selects the tag.

Select Tag Content In a document that contains tags (for example, XML or
HTML), selects the content.

Navigate and find code

You can move around in the code editor in several different ways, including navigating backwards and forwards
to previous insertion points, viewing the definition of a type or member, and jumping to a specific method using
the navigation bar. For more information see Navigating code.

Finding references in your code base

To find where particular code elements are referenced throughout your codebase, you can use the Find All
References command. Also, when you click on a type or member, the reference highlighting feature
automatically highlights all references to that type or member. For more information, see Finding references in
your code.

Customize the Editor

You can share your Visual Studio settings with another developer, have your settings conform to a standard, or
return to Visual Studio default settings by using the Import and Export Settings Wizard command on the
Tools menu. In the Import and Export Settings Wizard, you can change selected general settings or language
and project-specific settings.
To define new hotkeys or redefine existing hotkeys, go to Tools, Options, Environment, Keyboard. For more
information about hotkeys, see Default Keyboard Shortcuts.
For more information about customizing the editor, see Customizing the Editor. For information about language-
specific editor options, see Using the Visual Studio Development Environment for C# and Options, Text Editor,
JavaScript, Formatting.

See Also
Visual Studio IDE
 Finding and Replacing Text
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You can find and replace text in the Visual Studio code editor, and certain text-based output windows such as the
Find Results windows, using the Find and Replace control or Find/Replace in Files. You can also search and
replace in some designer windows, such as the XAML designer and the Windows Forms designer, and tool
windows
You can scope searches to the current document, the current solution, or a custom set of folders. You can also
specify a set of file name extensions for multi-file searches. You can customize search syntax by using .NET regular
expressions.
To find and replace regular expressions, see Using Regular Expressions in Visual Studio.

TIP
The Find/Command box is still available as a toolbar control, but is no longer visible by default. You can display the
Find/Command box by choosing Add or Remove Buttons on the Standard toolbar and then choosing Find. For more
information, see Find/Command Box.

Find and Replace control

The Find and Replace control appears in the upper right corner of the code editor window. The Find and
Replace control immediately highlights every occurrence of the given search string in the current document. You
can navigate from one occurrence to another by choosing the Find Next button or the Find Previous button on
the search control.
You can access replacement options by choosing the button next to the Find text box. To make one replacement at
a time, choose the Replace Next button next to the Replace text box. To replace all matches, choose the Replace
All button.
To change the highlight color for matches, choose the Tools menu, select Options, and then choose
Environment, and select Fonts and Colors. In the Show settings for list, select Text Editor, and then in the
Display items list, select Find Highlight (Extension).
Searching Tool Windows
You can use the Find control in code or text windows, such as Output windows, and Find Results windows, by
choosing Find and Replace on the Edit menu or (CTRL+F).
A version of the Find control is also available in some tool windows. For example, you can now filter the list of
controls in the Toolbox window by entering text in the search box. Other tool windows that now allow you to
search their contents include Solution Explorer, the Properties window, and Team Explorer, among others.

Find/Replace in Files
Find/Replace in Files works like the Find and Replace control, except that you can define a scope for your
search. Not only can you search the current open file in the editor, but you can also search all open documents, the
entire solution, the current project, and selected folder sets. You can also search by file name extension. To access
the Find/Replace in Files dialog box, choose Find and Replace on the Edit menu (or CTRL+SHIFT+F).
When you choose Find All, a Find Results window opens and lists the matches for your search. Selecting a result
in the list displays the associated file and highlights the match. If the file is not already open for editing, it is
opened in a preview tab in the right side of the tab well. You can use the Find control to search through the Find
Results list.
Creating Custom Search Folder Sets
You can define a search scope by choosing the Choose Search Folders button (it looks like ...) next to the Look in
box. In the Choose Search Folders dialog box, you can specify a set of folders in which to search, and you can
save the specification so that you can reuse it later. You can specify folders on a remote machine only if you have
mapped its drive to the local machine.
Creating Custom Component Sets
You can define component sets as your search scope by choosing the Edit Custom Component Set button next
to the Look in box. You can specify installed .NET or COM components, Visual Studio projects that are included in
your solution, or any assembly or type library (.dll, .tlb, .olb, .exe, or .ocx). To search references, select the Look in
references box.

See Also
Using Regular Expressions in Visual Studio
 Using Regular Expressions in Visual Studio
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Visual Studio uses .NET Framework regular expressions to find and replace text. For more information about .NET
regular expressions, see .NET Framework Regular Expressions.
Before Visual Studio 2012, Visual Studio used custom regular expression syntax in the Find and Replace windows.
See Visual Studio Regular Expression Conversions for an explanation of how to convert some of the more
commonly-used custom regular expression symbols to the .NET versions.

TIP
In Windows operating systems, most lines end in "\r\n" (a carriage return followed by a new line). These characters are not
visible, but are present in the editor and are passed to the .NET Regular Expression service.

TIP
For information about regular expressions that are used in replacement patterns, see Substitutions. To use a numbered
capture group, the syntax is $1 to specify the numbered group and (x) to specify the group in question. For example,
the grouped regular expression (\d)([a-z]) finds four matches in the following string: 1a 2b 3c 4d. The replacement
string z$1 converts that string to z1 z2 z3 z4.

Regular Expressions in Visual Studio

Here are some examples

PURPOSE EXPRESSION EXAMPLE

Match any single character (except a . a.o matches "aro" in "around" and
line break) "abo" in "about" but not "acro" in
"across".

Match zero or more occurrences of the * a*r matches "r" in "rack", "ar" in "ark",
preceding expression (match as many and "aar" in "aardvark"
characters as possible)

Match any character zero or more .* c.*e matches "cke" in "racket", "comme"
times (Wildcard *) in "comment", and "code" in "code"

Match one or more occurrences of the + e.+e matches "eede" in "feeder" but
preceding expression (match as many not "ee".
characters as possible)

Match any character one or more times .+ e.+e matches "eede" in "feeder" but not
(Wildcard ?) "ee".

Match zero or more occurrences of the *? e.*?e matches "ee" in "feeder" but
preceding expression (match as few not "eede".
characters as possible)
PURPOSE EXPRESSION EXAMPLE

Match one or more occurrences of the +? e.+?e matches "ente" and "erprise" in
preceding expression (match as few "enterprise", but not the whole word
characters as possible) "enterprise".

Anchor the match string to the ^ ^car matches the word "car" only
beginning of a line or string when it appears at the beginning of a
line.

Anchor the match string to the end of \r?$ End\r?$ matches "end" only when it
a line appears at the end of a line.

Match any single character in a set [abc] b[abc] matches "ba", "bb", and "bc".

Match any character in a range of [a-f] be[n-t] matches "bet" in "between",

characters "ben" in "beneath", and "bes" in
"beside", but not "below".

Capture and implicitly number the () ([a-z])X\1 matches "aXa"and "bXb",

expression contained within but not "aXb". ". "\1" refers to the first
parenthesis expression group "[a-z]".

Invalidate a match (?!abc) real (?!ity) matches "real" in

"realty" and "really" but not in "reality."
It also finds the second "real" (but not
the first "real") in "realityreal".

Match any character that is not in a [^abc] be[^n-t] matches "bef" in "before",
given set of characters "beh" in "behind", and "bel" in "below",
but not "beneath".

Match either the expression before or | (sponge&#124;mud) bath matches

the one after the symbol. "sponge bath" and "mud bath."

Escape the character following the | \^ matches the character ^.

backslash

Specify the number of occurrences of {x}, where x is the number of x(ab){2}x matches "xababx", and
the preceding character or group occurrences x(ab){2,3}x matches "xababx" and
"xabababx" but not "xababababx".

Match text in a Unicode character class, \p{X} \p{Lu} matches "T" and "D" in
where "X" is the Unicode number. For "Thomas Doe".
more information about Unicode
character classes, see

Unicode Standard 5.2 Character

Properties.

Match a word boundary (Outside a character class \b

\b \bin matches "in" in "inside" but not
specifies a word boundary, and inside a "pinto".
character class specifies a backspace).
 PURPOSE EXPRESSION EXAMPLE

Match a line break (ie a carriage return \r?\n End\r?\nBegin matches "End" and
followed by a new line). "Begin" only when "End" is the last
string in a line and "Begin" is the first
string in the next line.

Match any alphanumeric character \w a\wd matches "add" and "a1d" but
not "a d".

Match any whitespace character. (?([^\r\n])\s) Public\sInterface matches the

phrase "Public Interface".

Match any numeric character \d \d matches and "3" in "3456", "2" in

23", and "1" in "1".

Match a Unicode character \uXXXX where XXXX specifies the \u0065 matches the character "e".
Unicode character value.

Match an identifier \b(\w+|[\w-[0-9\]]\w*)\b Matches "type1" but not &type1" or

"#define".

Match a string inside quotes ((\".+?\")|('.+?')) Matches any string inside single or
double quotes.

Match a hexadecimal number \b0[xX]([0-9a-fA-F])\b Matches "0xc67f" but not "0xc67fc67f".

Match integers and decimals \b[0-9]*\.*[0-9]+\b Matches "1.333".

See Also
Finding and Replacing Text
 Find/Command Box
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You can search for text and run Visual Studio commands from the Find/Command box. The Find/Command box
is still available as a toolbar control, but is no longer visible by default. You can display the Find/Command box by
choosing Add or Remove Buttons on the Standard toolbar and then choosing Find.
To run a Visual Studio command, preface it with a greater than (>) sign.
The Find/Command box retains the last 20 items entered and displays them in a drop-down list. You can navigate
through the list by choosing the arrow keys.

Find/Command Box

Searching for Text

By default, when you specify text in the Find/Command box and then choose the ENTER key, Visual Studio
searches the current document or tool window using the options that are specified in the Find in Files dialog box.
For more information, see Finding and Replacing Text.

Entering Commands
To use the Find/Command box to issue a single Visual Studio command or alias rather than search for text, enter
the Visual Studio command, prefaced with a greater than (>) symbol. For example:

>File.NewFile c:\temp\MyFile /t:"General\Text File"

Alternatively, you can also use the Command window to enter and execute single or multiple commands. Some
commands or aliases can be entered and executed by themselves; others have required arguments in their syntax.
For a list of commands that have arguments, see Visual Studio Commands.

Escape Characters
A caret (^) character in a command line means that the character immediately following it is interpreted literally,
rather than as a control character. This can be used to embed straight quotation marks ("), spaces, leading slashes,
carets, or any other literal characters in a parameter or switch value, with the exception of switch names. For
example,

>Edit.Find ^^t /regex

A caret functions the same whether it is inside or outside quotation marks. If a caret is the last character on the line,
it is ignored.

See Also
Command Window
Finding and Replacing Text
 Find in Files
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

Find in Files allows you to search a specified set of files. The matches found and actions taken are listed in the
Find Results window selected in Result options.
You can use any of the following methods to display Find in Files in the Find and Replace window.
To display Find in Files
1. On the menu bar, choose Edit, Find and Replace.
2. Choose Find in Files.
To cancel a Find operation, press CTRL + BREAK.

NOTE
The Find and Replace tool does not search directories with the Hidden or System attribute set.

Find what
To search for a new text string or expression, specify it in the box. To search for any of the 20 strings that you
searched for most recently, open the list, and choose the string for which you want to search. Choose the adjacent
Expression Builder button if you want to use one or more regular expressions in your search string. For more
information, see Using Regular Expressions in Visual Studio.

Look in
The option chosen from the Look in drop-down list determines whether Find in Files searches only in currently
active files or in all files stored within certain folders. Select a search scope from the list or click the Browse (...)
button to display the Choose Search Folders dialog box and to enter your own set of directories. You can also
type a path directly into the Look in box.

WARNING
With the Entire Solution or Current Project options, project and solution files are not searched. If you want to look in
project files, choose a search folder.

NOTE
If the Look in option selected causes you to search a file that you have checked out from source code control, only the
version of that file which has been downloaded to your local machine is searched.

Include subfolders
Specifies that subfolders of the Look in folder will be searched.

Find options
You can expand or collapse the Find options section. The following options can be selected or cleared:
Match case
When selected, a Find Results search will be case-sensitive
Match whole word
When selected, the Find Results windows will only return whole word matches.
Use Regular Expressions
If this check box is selected, you can use special notations to define patterns of text to match in the Find what or
Replace with text boxes. For a list of these notations, see Using Regular Expressions in Visual Studio.
Look at these file types
This list indicates the types of files to search through in the Look in directories. If this field is blank, all of the files in
the Look in directories will be searched.
Select any item in the list to enter a preconfigured search string that will find files of those particular types.

Result options
You can expand or collapse the Result options section. The following options can be selected or cleared:
Find results 1 window
When selected, the results of the current search will replace the content of the Find Results 1 window. This window
opens automatically to display your search results. To open this window manually, select Other Windows from the
View menu and choose Find Results 1.
Find results 2 window
When selected, the results of the current search will replace the content of the Find Results 2 window. This window
opens automatically to display your search results. To open this window manually, select Other Windows from the
View menu and choose Find Results 2.
Display file names only
Displays a list of files containing search matches rather than displaying the search matches themselves.
Append results
Appends the results from the search to the previous search results.

See Also
Finding and Replacing Text
Replace in Files
Visual Studio Commands
 Replace in Files
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Replace in Files allows you to search the code of a specified set of files for a string or expression, and change
some or all of the matches found. The matches found and actions taken are listed in the Find Results window
selected in Result options.

NOTE
The dialog boxes and menu commands you see might differ from those described in Help depending on your active settings
or edition. To change your settings, choose Import and Export Settings on the Tools menu. For more information, see
Personalize the Visual Studio IDE.

You can use any of the following methods to display Replace in Files in the Find and Replace window.
To display Replace in Files
1. On the Edit menu, expand Find and Replace.
2. Choose Replace in Files.
— or —
If the Find and Replace window is already open, on the toolbar, choose Replace in Files.

Find what
To search for a new text string or expression, specify it in the box. To search for any of the 20 strings that you
searched for most recently, open the list, and choose the string for which you want to search. Choose the adjacent
Expression Builder button if you want to use one or more regular expressions in your search string. For more
information, see Using Regular Expressions in Visual Studio.

Replace With
To replace instances of the string in the Find what box with another string, enter the replacement string in the
Replace With box. To delete instances of the string in the Find what box, leave this field blank. Open the list to
display the 20 strings for which you searched most recently. Choose the adjacent Expression Builder button if
you want to use one or more regular expressions in your replacement string. For more information, see Using
Regular Expressions in Visual Studio.

Look in
The option chosen from the Look in drop-down list determines whether Replace in Files searches only in
currently active files or searches all files stored within certain folders. Select a search scope from the list, type a
folder path, or click the Browse (...) button to display the Choose Search Folders dialog box and choose a set of
folders to search. You can also type a path directly into the Look in box.

NOTE
If the Look in option selected causes you to search a file that you have checked out from source code control, only the
version of that file which has been downloaded to your local machine is searched.
Find options
You can expand or collapse the Find options section. The following options can be selected or cleared:
Match case
When selected, the Find Results windows will only display instances of the Find what string that are matched
both by content and by case. For example, a search for "MyObject" with Match case selected will return
"MyObject" but not "myobject" or "MYOBJECT."
Match whole word
When selected, the Find Results windows will only display instances of the Find what string that are matched in
complete words. For example, a search for "MyObject" will return "MyObject" but not "CMyObject" or "MyObjectC."
Use Regular Expressions
When this check box is selected, you can use special notations to define patterns of text in the Find what or
Replace with text boxes. For a list of these notations, see Using Regular Expressions in Visual Studio.
Look at these file types
This list indicates the types of files to search through in the Look in directories. If this field is left blank, all of the
files in the Look in directories will be searched.
Select any item in the list to enter a preconfigured search string that will find files of those particular types.

Result options
You can expand or collapse the Result options section. The following options can be selected or cleared:
Find Results 1 window
When selected, the results of the current search will replace the content of the Find Results 1 window. This
window opens automatically to display your search results. To open this window manually, select Other Windows
from the View menu and choose Find Results 1.
Find Results 2 window
When selected, the results of the current search will replace the content of the Find Results 2 window. This
window opens automatically to display your search results. To open this window manually, select Other Windows
from the View menu and choose Find Results 2.
Display file names only
When this check box is selected, the Find Results windows list the full names and paths for all files that contain the
search string. However, the results don't include the line of code where the string appears. This check box is
available for Find in Files only.
Keep modified files open after Replace All
When selected, leaves open all files in which replacements have been made, so you can undo or save the changes.
Memory constraints might limit the number of files that can remain open after a replace operation.
Cau t i on

You can use Undo only on files that remain open for editing. If this option is not selected, files that were not
already open for editing will remain closed, and no Undo option will be available in those files.

See Also
Finding and Replacing Text
Find in Files
Visual Studio Commands
 Encodings and Line Breaks
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In Visual Studio you can use the File/Advanced Save Options settings to determine the type of line break
characters you want. You can also change the encoding of a file with the same settings.

NOTE
If you have certain types of development settings (Visual Basic, F#, Web Development) you may not see Advanced Save
Options on the menu. To change your settings (for example to General), open Tools / Import and Export Settings. For
more information, see Personalize the Visual Studio IDE.

In Visual Studio the following characters are interpreted as line breaks:

CRLF: Carriage return + line feed, Unicode characters 000D + 000A
LF: Line feed, Unicode character 000A
NEL: Next line, Unicode character 0085
LS: Line separator, Unicode character 2028
PS: Paragraph separator, Unicode character 2029
Text that is copied from other applications keeps the original encoding and line break characters. For
example, when you copy text from Notepad and paste it into a text file in Visual Studio, the text has the same
settings that it had in Notepad.
When you open a file that has a different line break characters, you may see a dialog box that asks whether
the inconsistent line break characters should be normalized and which type of line breaks to choose.
 Outlining
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You can choose to hide some code from view by collapsing a region of code so that it appears under a plus sign
(+). You expand a collapsed region by clicking the plus sign. (Or you can press CTRL + M + M to collapse a region
and then CTRL+ M + M to expand it again.) You can also collapse an outlining region by double-clicking any line in
the region on the outlining margin, which appears just to the left of the code. You can see the contents of a
collapsed region as a tooltip when you hover over the collapsed region.
Regions in the outlining margin are also highlighted when you hover over the margin with the mouse. The default
highlighting color may seem rather faint in some color configurations. You can change it in
Tools/Options/Environment/Fonts and Colors/Collapsible Region.
When you work in outlined code, you can expand the sections you want to work on, collapse them when you are
done, and then move to other sections. When you do not wish to have outlining displayed, you can use the Stop
Outlining command to remove the outline information without disturbing your underlying code.
The Undo and Redo commands on the Edit menu affect these actions. The Copy, Cut, Paste, and drag-and-drop
operations retain outlining information, but not the state of the collapsible region. For example, when you copy a
region that is collapsed, the Paste operation will paste the copied text as an expanded region.
Cau t i on

When you change an outlined region, the outlining may be lost. For example, deletions or Find and Replace
operations may erase the end of the region.
The following commands can be found on the Edit/Outlining submenu.

Hide Selection (CTRL + M , CTRL + H) - Collapses a selected block of code

that would not normally be available for outlining, for example
an if block. To remove the custom region, use Stop Hiding
Current (or CTRL + M, CTRL + U). Not available in Visual
Basic.

Toggle Outlining Expansion - Reverses the current hidden or expanded state of the
innermost outlining section when the cursor lies in a nested
collapsed section.

Toggle All Outlining (CTRL + M, CTRL + L) - Sets all regions to the same collapsed
or expanded state. If some regions are expanded and some
collapsed, then the collapsed regions are expanded.

Stop Outlining (CTRL + M, CTRL + P) - Removes all outlining information for

the entire document.

Stop Hiding Current (CTRL + M, CTRL + U) - Removes the outlining information for
the currently selected user-defined region. Not available in
Visual Basic.

Collapse to Definitions (CTRL + M, CTRL + O) - Collapses the members of all types.

 Collapse Block:<logical boundary> (Visual C++) Collapses a region in the function containing the
insertion point. For example, if the insertion point lies inside a
loop, the loop is hidden.

Collapse All in: <logical structures> (Visual C++) Collapses all the structures inside the function.

You can also use the Visual Studio SDK to define the text regions you want to expand or collapse. See Walkthrough:
Outlining.
 Refactoring, Code Generation and Quick Actions in
Visual Studio
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Visual Studio provides a variety of tools to help you when writing code. Because the functionality of these tools is
closely tied to language syntax, each language service in Visual Studio provides its own capabilities.

Refactoring
Refactoring is the process of modifying code in order to make it easier to maintain, understand, and extend, but
without changing its behavior. For more information, see the following pages:
Refactoring (C#)
Refactoring (Visual Basic)
Writing and refactoring code (C++)
Refactoring support for F# is provided in Visual F# Power Tools, a third-party Visual Studio extension.

Code Generation
Visual Studio can help generate portions of source code for you, letting you focus on the real work. For more
information, see the following pages:
Code Generation (C#)
Code Generation (Visual Basic)

Quick Actions
Quick Actions let you easily refactor, generate, or otherwise modify code with a single action. These can be applied
using the Light Bulb icon , or pressing Ctrl + . when your cursor is on the appropriate line of code.
Quick Actions
Code Styles and Quick Actions

See Also
Visual Studio IDE
Writing Code in the Code and Text Editor
 Quick Actions
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Quick Actions let you easily refactor, generate, or otherwise modify code with a single action. While there are
many Quick Actions that apply specifically to C# or Visual Basic, there are also some that apply to both C# and
Visual Basic projects. These can be applied using the Light Bulb icon , or pressing Ctrl + . when your cursor is
on the appropriate line of code.
You will see a light bulb if there is a red squiggle and Visual Studio has a suggestion for how to fix the issue. For
instance if you have an error indicated by a red squiggle, a light bulb will appear when fixes are available for that
error. For any language, third parties can provide custom diagnostics and suggestions, for example as part of an
SDK, and Visual Studio light bulbs will light up based on those rules.
To see a light bulb
1. In many cases, light bulbs spontaneously appear when you hover the mouse at the point of an error, or in
the left margin of the editor when you move the caret into a line that has an error in it. When you see a red
squiggle, you can hover over it to display the light bulb. You can also cause a light bulb to display when you
use the mouse or keyboard to go to anywhere in the line where the issue occurs.
2. Press Ctrl + . anywhere on a line to invoke the light bulb and go directly to the list of potential fixes.

To see potential fixes

Either click on the down arrow or the Show potential fixes link to display a list of quick actions that the light bulb
can take for you.

Common Quick Actions

Here are some of the common Quick Actions which are applicable to both C# and Visual Basic code.
Add missing cases/default case/both
When creating a switch statement in C#, or Select Case statement in Visual Basic, you can use a Code Action to
automatically add missing case items, a default case statement, or both. For an empty statement like the following:
 enum MyEnum
{
Item1,
Item2,
Item3
}

...

MyEnum myEnum = MyEnum.Item1;

switch(myEnum)
{
}

Enum MyEnum
Item1
Item2
Item3
End Enum

...

Dim myEnum as MyEnum = MyEnum.Item1

Select Case myEnum

End Select

Using the Add Both Quick Action to fill in both missing cases and a default case will create the following:

switch(myEnum)
{
case MyEnum.Item1:
break;
case MyEnum.Item2:
break;
case MyEnum.Item3:
break;
default:
break;
}

Select Case myEnum

Case MyEnum.Item1
Exit Select
Case MyEnum.Item2
Exit Select
Case Else
Exit Select
End Select

Correct misspelled type

If you accidentally misspell a type in Visual Studio, this Quick Action will automatically correct it for you. You will
see these items in the light bulb menu as "Change 'misspelled type' to 'correct type'. For example:
 // Before
private viod MyMethod()
{
}

// Change 'viod' to 'void'

// After
private void MyMethod()
{
}

' Before
Function MyFunction as Intger
End Function

' Change 'Intger' to 'Integer'

' After
Function MyFunction as Integer
End Function

Remove unnecessary cast

If you cast a type to another type which doesn't require a cast, the Remove Unnecessary Cast Quick Action item
will remove the cast from your code.

// before
int number = (int)3;

// Remove Unnecessary Cast

// after
int number = 3;

' Before
Dim number as Integer = CType(3, Integer)

' Remove Unnecessary Cast

' After
Dim number as Integer = 3

Replace method with property / Replace property with method

These Quick Actions will convert a method to a property, or vice versa. The example below shows the change from
a method to a property. For the opposite case, simply invert the Before and After sections.
 private int MyValue;

// Before
public int GetMyValue()
{
return MyValue;
}

// Replace 'GetMyValue' with property

// After
public int MyValue
{
get { return MyValue; }
}

Dim MyValue As Integer

' Before
Function GetMyValue() As Integer
Return MyValue
End Function

' Replace 'GetMyValue' with property

' After
ReadOnly Property MyValue As Integer
Get
Return MyValue
End Get
End Property

Make Method Synchronous

When using the async / Async keyword on a method, it is expected that somewhere inside that method the
await / Await keyword will also be used. However, if this isn't the case, a Quick Action will appear that will allow
you to make the method synchronous by removing the async / Async keyword and changing the return type. Use
the Make method synchronous option from the Quick Actions menu.

// Before
async Task<int> MyAsyncMethod()
{
return 3;
}

// Make method synchronous

// After
int MyAsyncMethod()
{
return 3;
}
 ' Before
Async Function MyAsyncMethod() As Task(Of Integer)
Return 3
End Function

' Make method synchronous

' After
Function MyAsyncMethod() As Integer
Return 3
End Function

Make Method Asynchronous

When using the await / Await keyword inside of a method, it is expected that the method itself is marked with
the async / Async keyword. However, if this isn't the case, a Quick Action will appear that will allow you to make
the method asynchronous. Use the Make method/Function asynchronous option from the Quick Actions
menu.

// Before
int MyAsyncMethod()
{
return await Task.Run(...);
}

// Make method synchronous

// After
async Task<int> MyAsyncMethod()
{
return await Task.Run(...);
}

' Before
Function MyAsyncMethod() as Integer
Return Await Task.Run(...)
End Function

' Make method synchronous

' After
Async Function MyAsyncMethod() As Task(Of Integer)
Return Await Task.Run(...)
End Function

Remove Unnecesary usings/Imports

The Remove Unnecessary Usings/Imports Quick Action will remove any unused using and Import
statements for the current file. When you select this item, unused namespace imports will be immediately
removed.
Add usings/Imports for types in reference assemblies, NuGet packages, or other types in your solution
Using types located in other projects in your solution will display the Quick Action automatically, however the
others need to be enabled from the Tools > Options > C# or Basic > Advanced tab:
Suggest usings/imports for types in reference assemblies
Suggest usings/imports for types in NuGet packages
When enabled, if you use a type in a namespace that is currently not imported, but exists in a reference assembly
or NuGet package, the using/import statement will be created.
 // Before
Debug.WriteLine("Hello");

// using System.Diagnostics;

// After
using System.Diagnostics;

Debug.WriteLine("Hello");

' Before
Debug.WriteLine("Hello")

' Imports System.Diagnostics

// After
Imports System.Diagnostics

Debug.WriteLine("Hello")

Convert to Interpolated String

Interpolated strings are an easy way to express strings with embedded variables, similar to the String.Format
method. This Quick Action recognizes cases where strings are concatenated, or using String.Format, and changes
the usage to an interpolated string.

// Before
int num = 3;
string s = string.Format("My string with {0} in the middle", num);

// Convert to interpolated string

// After
int num = 3;
string s = $"My string with {num} in the middle";

' Before
Dim num as Integer = 3
Dim s as String = String.Format("My string with {0} in the middle", num)

' Convert to interpolated string

' After
Dim num as Integer = 3
Dim s As String = $"My string with {num} in the middle"

Remove merge conflict markers

These Quick Actions enable you to resolve merge conflicts by "taking a change", which removes the conflicting
code and markers. (Available only in Visual Studio 2017 (version 15.3 - Preview).)
Add null checks for parameters
This Quick Action enables you to add a check in your code to tell whether a parameter is null. (Available only in
Visual Studio 2017 (version 15.3 - Preview).)

Constructor generator improvements

When you're creating a constructor, this Quick Action enables you to select the properties or fields to generate, or
you can generate the constructor from an empty body. You can also use it to add parameters to an existing
constructor from the call-site. (Available only in Visual Studio 2017 (version 15.3 - Preview).)

Remove unused variables

This Quick Action enables you to remove variables that have been declared but never used in your code.
(Available only in Visual Studio 2017 (version 15.3 - Preview).)

Generate overrides
This Quick Action enables you to create an override from a blank line in a class or struct. The Pick Members
dialog box lets you choose the members to override. (Available only in Visual Studio 2017 (version 15.3 -
Preview).)

Change base for numeric literals

This Quick Action enables you to convert a numeric literal from one base numeric system to another. For example,
you can change a number to hexadecimal or to binary format. (Available only in Visual Studio 2017 (version 15.3 -
Preview).)

Insert digit separators into literals

This Quick Action enables you to add separator characters into literal values. (Available only in Visual Studio 2017
(version 15.3 - Preview).)

Convert if construct to switch

This Quick Action enables you to convert an if-then-else construct to a switch construct. (Available only in Visual
Studio 2017 (version 15.3 - Preview).)

// Before
if (obj is string s)
{
Console.WriteLine("obj is a string: " + s);
}

else if (obj is int i && i > 10)

{
Console.WriteLine("obj is an int greater than 10");
}

// Convert to switch

// After
switch (obj)
{
case string s:
Console.WriteLine("Obj is a string: " + s);
break;
case int i when i > 10:
Console.WriteLine("obj is an int greater than 10");
break;
}

' Before
If TypeOf obj Is String s Then
Console.WriteLine("obj is a string: " + s)
Else If TypeOf obj Is Integer i And i > 10 Then
Console.WriteLine("obj is an int greater than 10")
End If

' Convert to switch

' After
Select Case obj
Case String s
Console.WriteLine("Obj is a string: " + s)
Exit Sub
Case Integer i when i > 10
Console.WriteLine("obj is an int greater than 10")
Exit Sub
End Select

See Also
Code Styles and Quick Actions
 Code Styles and Quick Actions
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Code style preferences can be set for your C# and Visual Basic projects by opening the Tools > Options window,
and then selecting Text Editor > C# / Basic > Code Style > General. Options set in this window are applicable to
the local machine. Each item in the list will show a preview of the preference when selected, as shown below.

For each item, you can set the Preference and Severity using the drop downs on each line. Severity can be set to
None, Suggestion, Warning, or Error, and Visual Studio will behave appropriately. If you want to use Quick
Actions with these code styles to automatically rewrite code to the preferred style, ensure that the setting is set to
something other than None so the light bulb icon will appear when the non-preferred styles are used. These
preferences can then can be applied by clicking the Light Bulb icon or pressing Ctrl + . when your cursor is on the
appropriate line of code.
Code Style settings for .NET can also be managed with an EditorConfig file. In this case, the settings selected in the
Options window will be the fallback settings, with the EditorConfig file taking precedence. You can use this file to
enforce and configure the coding style for your entire repo or team.

See Also
Quick Actions
 .NET coding convention settings for EditorConfig
10/19/2017 • 29 min to read • Edit Online

You can define and maintain consistent code style in your codebase with the use of an EditorConfig file.
EditorConfig includes several core formatting properties, such as indent_style and indent_size . In Visual Studio,
.NET coding conventions settings can also be configured using an EditorConfig file. EditorConfig files allow you to
enable or disable individual .NET coding conventions, and to configure the degree to which you want the
convention enforced via a severity level. To learn more about how to use EditorConfig to enforce consistency in
your codebase, read Create portable custom editor options. You can also look at the .NET Compiler Platform's
.editorconfig file as an example.
There are three supported .NET coding convention categories:
Language Conventions
Rules pertaining to the C# or Visual Basic language. For example, you can specify rules around using var or
explicit types when defining variables, or preferring expression-bodied members.
Formatting Conventions
Rules regarding the layout and structure of your code in order to make it easier to read. For example, you can
specify rules around Allman braces, or preferring spaces in control blocks.
Naming Conventions
Rules regarding the naming of code elements. For example, you can specify that async methods must end in
"Async".

Language conventions
Rules for language conventions have the following format:
options_name = false|true : none|suggestion|warning|error

For each language convention rule, you must specify either true (prefer this style) or false (do not prefer this style),
and a severity. The severity specifies the level of enforcement for that style.
The following table lists the possible severity values and their effects:

SEVERITY EFFECT

none or silent Do not show anything to the user when this rule is violated.
Code generation features will generate code in this style,
however.

suggestion When this style rule is violated, show it to the user as a

suggestion. Suggestions appear as three grey dots under the
first two characters.

warning When this style rule is violated, show a compiler warning.

error When this style rule is violated, show a compiler error.

The following list shows the allowable language convention rules:

.NET Code Style Settings
"This." and "Me." qualifiers
 dotnet_style_qualification_for_field
dotnet_style_qualification_for_property
dotnet_style_qualification_for_method
dotnet_style_qualification_for_event
Language keywords instead of framework type names for type references
dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_locals_parameters_members
dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_member_access
Expression-level preferences
dotnet_style_object_initializer
dotnet_style_collection_initializer
dotnet_style_explicit_tuple_names
dotnet_style_coalesce_expression
dotnet_style_null_propagation
C# Code Style Settings
Implicit and explicit types
csharp_style_var_for_built_in_types
csharp_style_var_when_type_is_apparent
csharp_style_var_elsewhere
Expression-bodied members
csharp_style_expression_bodied_methods
csharp_style_expression_bodied_constructors
csharp_style_expression_bodied_operators
csharp_style_expression_bodied_properties
csharp_style_expression_bodied_indexers
csharp_style_expression_bodied_accessors
Pattern matching
csharp_style_pattern_matching_over_is_with_cast_check
csharp_style_pattern_matching_over_as_with_null_check
Inlined variable declarations
csharp_style_inlined_variable_declaration
Expression-level preferences
csharp_prefer_simple_default_expression
"Null" checking preferences
csharp_style_throw_expression
csharp_style_conditional_delegate_call
Code block preferences
csharp_prefer_braces
.NET code style settings
The style rules in this section are applicable to both C# and Visual Basic. To see code examples in your preferred
programming language, choose it in the drop-down Language menu at the top-right corner of your browser
window.
"This." and "Me." qualifiers
This style rule (rule IDs IDE0003 and IDE0009) can be applied to fields, properties, methods or events. A value of
true means prefer the code symbol to be prefaced with this. in C# or Me. in Visual Basic. A value of false
means prefer the code element not to be prefaced with this. or Me. .
The following table shows the rule names, applicable programming languages, default values, and first supported
version of Visual Studio:

VISUAL STUDIO DEFAULT

RULE NAME APPLICABLE LANGUAGES VALUE SUPPORTED VERSION

dotnet_style_qualification_for C# and Visual Basic false:none Visual Studio 2017 RTW

_field

dotnet_style_qualification_for C# and Visual Basic false:none Visual Studio 2017 RTW

_property

dotnet_style_qualification_for C# and Visual Basic false:none Visual Studio 2017 RTW

_method

dotnet_style_qualification_for C# and Visual Basic false:none Visual Studio 2017 RTW

_event

dotnet_style_qualification_for_field
When this rule is set to true, prefer fields to be prefaced with this. in C# or Me. in Visual Basic.
When this rule is set to false, prefer fields not to be prefaced with this. or Me. .
Code examples:

// dotnet_style_qualification_for_field = true
this.capacity = 0;

// dotnet_style_qualification_for_field = false
capacity = 0;

' dotnet_style_qualification_for_field = true

Me.capacity = 0

' dotnet_style_qualification_for_field = false

capacity = 0

dotnet_style_qualification_for_property
When this rule is set to true, prefer properties to be prefaced with this. in C# or Me. in Visual Basic.
When this rule is set to false, prefer properties not to be prefaced with this. or Me. .
Code examples:

// dotnet_style_qualification_for_property = true
this.ID = 0;

// dotnet_style_qualification_for_property = false
ID = 0;

' dotnet_style_qualification_for_property = true

Me.ID = 0

' dotnet_style_qualification_for_property = false

ID = 0

dotnet_style_qualification_for_method
When this rule is set to true, prefer methods to be prefaced with this. in C# or Me. in Visual Basic.
When this rule is set to false, prefer methods not to be prefaced with this. or Me. .
Code examples:

// dotnet_style_qualification_for_method = true
this.Display();

// dotnet_style_qualification_for_method = false
Display();

' dotnet_style_qualification_for_method = true

Me.Display()

' dotnet_style_qualification_for_method = false

Display()

dotnet_style_qualification_for_event
When this rule is set to true, prefer events to be prefaced with this. in C# or Me. in Visual Basic.
When this rule is set to false, prefer events not to be prefaced with this. or Me. .
Code examples:

// dotnet_style_qualification_for_event = true
this.Elapsed += Handler;

// dotnet_style_qualification_for_event = false
Elapsed += Handler;

' dotnet_style_qualification_for_event = true

AddHandler Me.Elapsed, AddressOf Handler

' dotnet_style_qualification_for_event = false

AddHandler Elapsed, AddressOf Handler

These rules could appear in an .editorconfig file as follows:

# CSharp and Visual Basic code style settings:

[*.{cs,vb}]
dotnet_style_qualification_for_field = false:suggestion
dotnet_style_qualification_for_property = false:suggestion
dotnet_style_qualification_for_method = false:suggestion
dotnet_style_qualification_for_event = false:suggestion

Language keywords instead of framework type names for type references

This style rule can be applied to local variables, method parameters, and class members, or as a separate rule to
type member access expressions. A value of true means prefer the language keyword (e.g. int or Integer )
instead of the type name (e.g. Int32 ) for types that have a keyword to represent them. A value of false means
prefer the type name instead of the language keyword.
The following table shows the rule names, rules IDs, applicable programming languages, default values, and first
supported version of Visual Studio:
 APPLICABLE VISUAL STUDIO
RULE NAME RULE ID LANGUAGES DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

dotnet_style_predefin IDE0012 and C# and Visual Basic true:none Visual Studio 2017
ed_type_for_locals_par IDE0014 RTW
ameters_members

dotnet_style_predefin IDE0013 and C# and Visual Basic true:none Visual Studio 2017
ed_type_for_member_ IDE0015 RTW
access

dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_locals_parameters_members
When this rule is set to true, prefer the language keyword for local variables, method parameters, and class
members, instead of the type name, for types that have a keyword to represent them.
When this rule is set to false, prefer the type name for local variables, method parameters, and class members,
instead of the language keyword.
Code examples:

// dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_locals_parameters_members = true
private int _member;

// dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_locals_parameters_members = false
private Int32 _member;

' dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_locals_parameters_members = true

Private _member As Integer

' dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_locals_parameters_members = false

Private _member As Int32

dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_member_access
When this rule is set to true, prefer the language keyword for member access expressions, instead of the type
name, for types that have a keyword to represent them.
When this rule is set to false, prefer the type name for member access expressions, instead of the language
keyword.
Code examples:

// dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_member_access = true
var local = int.MaxValue;

// dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_member_access = false
var local = Int32.MaxValue;

' dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_member_access = true

Dim local = Integer.MaxValue

' dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_member_access = false

Dim local = Int32.MaxValue

These rules could appear in an .editorconfig file as follows:

 # CSharp and Visual Basic code style settings:
[*.{cs,vb}]
dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_locals_parameters_members = true:suggestion
dotnet_style_predefined_type_for_member_access = true:suggestion

Expression-level preferences
The style rules in this section concern expression-level preferences, including the use of object initializers, collection
initializers, explicit tuple names, null coalescing expressions versus ternary operators, and the null-conditional
operator.
The following table shows the rule names, rule IDs, applicable programming languages, default values, and first
supported version of Visual Studio:

APPLICABLE VISUAL STUDIO

RULE NAME RULE ID LANGUAGES DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

dotnet_style_object_in IDE0017 C# and Visual Basic true:suggestion Visual Studio 2017

itializer RTW

dotnet_style_collectio IDE0028 C# and Visual Basic true:suggestion Visual Studio 2017

n_initializer RTW

dotnet_style_explicit_t IDE0033 C# 7.0+ and Visual true:suggestion Visual Studio 2017

uple_names Basic 15+ RTW

dotnet_style_coalesce IDE0029 C# and Visual Basic true:suggestion Visual Studio 2017

_expression RTW

dotnet_style_null_pro IDE0031 C# 6.0+ and Visual true:suggestion Visual Studio 2017

pagation Basic 14+ RTW

dotnet_style_object_initializer
When this rule is set to true, prefer objects to be initialized using object initializers when possible.
When this rule is set to false, prefer objects to not be initialized using object initializers.
Code examples:

// dotnet_style_object_initializer = true
var c = new Customer() { Age = 21 };

// dotnet_style_object_initializer = false
var c = new Customer();
c.Age = 21;

' dotnet_style_object_initializer = true

Dim c = New Customer() With {.Age = 21}

' dotnet_style_object_initializer = false

Dim c = New Customer()
c.Age = 21

dotnet_style_collection_initializer
When this rule is set to true, prefer collections to be initialized using collection initializers when possible.
When this rule is set to false, prefer collections to not be initialized using collection initializers.
Code examples:
 // dotnet_style_collection_initializer = true
var list = new List<int> { 1, 2, 3 };

// dotnet_style_collection_initializer = false
var list = new List<int>();
list.Add(1);
list.Add(2);
list.Add(3);

' dotnet_style_collection_initializer = true

Dim list = New List(Of Integer) From {1, 2, 3}

' dotnet_style_collection_initializer = false

Dim list = New List(Of Integer)
list.Add(1)
list.Add(2)
list.Add(3)

dotnet_style_explicit_tuple_names
When this rule is set to true, prefer tuple names to ItemX properties.
When this rule is set to false, prefer ItemX properties to tuple names.
Code examples:

// dotnet_style_explicit_tuple_names = true
(string name, int age) customer = GetCustomer();
var name = customer.name;

// dotnet_style_explicit_tuple_names = false
(string name, int age) customer = GetCustomer();
var name = customer.Item1;

' dotnet_style_explicit_tuple_names = true

Dim customer As (name As String, age As Integer) = GetCustomer()
Dim name = customer.name

' dotnet_style_explicit_tuple_names = false

Dim customer As (name As String, age As Integer) = GetCustomer()
Dim name = customer.Item1

dotnet_style_coalesce_expression
When this rule is set to true, prefer null coalescing expressions to ternary operator checking.
When this rule is set to false, prefer ternary operator checking to null coalescing expressions.
Code examples:

// dotnet_style_coalesce_expression = true
var v = x ?? y;

// dotnet_style_coalesce_expression = false
var v = x != null ? x : y; // or
var v = x == null ? y : x;
 ' dotnet_style_coalesce_expression = true
Dim v = If(x, y)

' dotnet_style_coalesce_expression = false

Dim v = If(x Is Nothing, y, x) ' or
Dim v = If(x IsNot Nothing, x, y)

dotnet_style_null_propagation
When this rule is set to true, prefer to use null-conditional operator when possible.
When this rule is set to false, prefer to use ternary null checking where possible.
Code examples:

// dotnet_style_null_propagation = true
var v = o?.ToString();

// dotnet_style_null_propagation = false
var v = o == null ? null : o.ToString(); // or
var v = o != null ? o.String() : null;

' dotnet_style_null_propagation = true

Dim v = o?.ToString()

' dotnet_style_null_propagation = false

Dim v = If(o Is Nothing, Nothing, o.ToString()) ' or
Dim v = If(o IsNot Nothing, o.ToString(), Nothing)

These rules could appear in an .editorconfig file as follows:

# CSharp and Visual Basic code style settings:

[*.{cs,vb}]
dotnet_style_object_initializer = true:suggestion
dotnet_style_collection_initializer = true:suggestion
dotnet_style_explicit_tuple_names = true:suggestion
dotnet_style_coalesce_expression = true:suggestion
dotnet_style_null_propagation = true:suggestion

C# code style settings

The style rules in this section are applicable to C# only.
Implicit and explicit types
The style rules in this section (rule IDs IDE0007 and IDE0008) concern the use of the var keyword versus an explicit
type in a variable declaration. This rule can be applied separately to built-in types, when the type is apparent, and
elsewhere.
The following table shows the rule names, applicable programming languages, default values, and first supported
version of Visual Studio:

RULE NAME APPLICABLE LANGUAGES VISUAL STUDIO DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

csharp_style_var_for_built_in C# true:none Visual Studio 2017 RTW

_types

csharp_style_var_when_type_ C# true:none Visual Studio 2017 RTW

is_apparent
 RULE NAME APPLICABLE LANGUAGES VISUAL STUDIO DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

csharp_style_var_elsewhere C# true:none Visual Studio 2017 RTW

csharp_style_var_for_built_in_types
When this rule is set to true, prefer var is used to declare variables with built-in system types such as int .
When this rule is set to false, prefer explicit type over var to declare variables with built-in system types such as
int .

Code examples:

// csharp_style_var_for_built_in_types = true
var x = 5;

// csharp_style_var_for_built_in_types = false
int x = 5;

csharp_style_var_when_type_is_apparent
When this rule is set to true, prefer var when the type is already mentioned on the right-hand side of a
declaration expression.
When this rule is set to false, prefer explicit type over var when the type is already mentioned on the right-hand
side of a declaration expression.
Code examples:

// csharp_style_var_when_type_is_apparent = true
var obj = new Customer();

// csharp_style_var_when_type_is_apparent = false
Customer obj = new Customer();

csharp_style_var_elsewhere
When this rule is set to true, prefer var over explicit type in all cases, unless overridden by another code style rule.
When this rule is set to false, prefer explicit type over var in all cases, unless overridden by another code style
rule.
Code examples:

// csharp_style_var_elsewhere = true
var f = this.Init();

// csharp_style_var_elsewhere = false
bool f = this.Init();

Example .editorconfig file:

# CSharp code style settings:

[*.cs]
csharp_style_var_for_built_in_types = true:suggestion
csharp_style_var_when_type_is_apparent = true:suggestion
csharp_style_var_elsewhere = true:suggestion

Expressi on-bodi ed members

The style rules in this section concern the use of expression-bodied members when the logic consists of a single
expression. This rule can be applied to methods, constructors, operators, properties, indexers, and accessors.
The following table shows the rule names, rule IDs, applicable language versions, default values, and first supported
version of Visual Studio:

APPLICABLE VISUAL STUDIO

RULE NAME RULE ID LANGUAGES DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

csharp_style_expressio IDE0022 C# 6.0+ false:none Visual Studio 2017

n_bodied_methods RTW

csharp_style_expressio IDE0021 C# 7.0+ false:none Visual Studio 2017

n_bodied_constructor RTW
s

csharp_style_expressio IDE0023 and C# 7.0+ false:none Visual Studio 2017

n_bodied_operators IDE0024 RTW

csharp_style_expressio IDE0025 C# 7.0+ true:none Visual Studio 2017

n_bodied_properties RTW

csharp_style_expressio IDE0026 C# 7.0+ true:none Visual Studio 2017

n_bodied_indexers RTW

csharp_style_expressio IDE0027 C# 7.0+ true:none Visual Studio 2017

n_bodied_accessors RTW

csharp_style_expression_bodied_methods
When this rule is set to true, prefer expression-bodied members for methods.
When this rule is set to false, do not prefer expression-bodied members for methods.
Code examples:

// csharp_style_expression_bodied_methods = true
public int GetAge() => this.Age;

// csharp_style_expression_bodied_methods = false
public int GetAge() { return this.Age; }

csharp_style_expression_bodied_constructors
When this rule is set to true, prefer expression-bodied members for constructors.
When this rule is set to false, do not prefer expression-bodied members for constructors.
Code examples:

// csharp_style_expression_bodied_constructors = true
public Customer(int age) => Age = age;

// csharp_style_expression_bodied_constructors = false
public Customer(int age) { Age = age; }

csharp_style_expression_bodied_operators
When this rule is set to true, prefer expression-bodied members for operators.
When this rule is set to false, do not prefer expression-bodied members for operators.
Code examples:
 // csharp_style_expression_bodied_operators = true
public static ComplexNumber operator +(ComplexNumber c1, ComplexNumber c2)
=> new ComplexNumber(c1.Real + c2.Real, c1.Imaginary + c2.Imaginary);

// csharp_style_expression_bodied_operators = false
public static ComplexNumber operator +(ComplexNumber c1, ComplexNumber c2)
{ return new ComplexNumber(c1.Real + c2.Real, c1.Imaginary + c2.Imaginary); }

csharp_style_expression_bodied_properties
When this rule is set to true, prefer expression-bodied members for properties.
When this rule is set to false, do not prefer expression-bodied members for properties.
Code examples:

// csharp_style_expression_bodied_properties = true
public int Age => _age;

// csharp_style_expression_bodied_properties = false
public int Age { get { return _age; }}

csharp_style_expression_bodied_indexers
When this rule is set to true, prefer expression-bodied members for indexers.
When this rule is set to false, do not prefer expression-bodied members for indexers.
Code examples:

// csharp_style_expression_bodied_indexers = true
public T this[int i] => _value[i];

// csharp_style_expression_bodied_indexers = false
public T this[int i] { get { return _values[i]; } }

csharp_style_expression_bodied_accessors
When this rule is set to true, prefer expression-bodied members for accessors.
When this rule is set to false, do not prefer expression-bodied members for accessors.
Code examples:

// csharp_style_expression_bodied_accessors = true
public int Age { get => _age; set => _age = value; }

// csharp_style_expression_bodied_accessors = false
public int Age { get { return _age; } set { _age = value; } }

Example .editorconfig file:

# CSharp code style settings:

[*.cs]
csharp_style_expression_bodied_methods = false:none
csharp_style_expression_bodied_constructors = false:none
csharp_style_expression_bodied_operators = false:none
csharp_style_expression_bodied_properties = true:none
csharp_style_expression_bodied_indexers = false:none
csharp_style_expression_bodied_accessors = false:none

Pattern matching
The style rules in this section concern the use of pattern matching in C#.
The following table shows the rule names, rule IDs, applicable language versions, default values, and first supported
version of Visual Studio:

APPLICABLE VISUAL STUDIO

RULE NAME RULE ID LANGUAGES DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

csharp_style_pattern_ IDE0020 C# 7.0+ true:suggestion Visual Studio 2017

matching_over_is_wit RTW
h_cast_check

csharp_style_pattern_ IDE0019 C# 7.0+ true:suggestion Visual Studio 2017

matching_over_as_wit RTW
h_null_check

csharp_style_pattern_matching_over_is_with_cast_check
When this rule is set to true, prefer pattern matching instead of is expressions with type casts.
When this rule is set to false, prefer is expressions with type casts instead of pattern matching.
Code examples:

// csharp_style_pattern_matching_over_is_with_cast_check = true
if (o is int i) {...}

// csharp_style_pattern_matching_over_is_with_cast_check = false
if (o is int) {var i = (int)o; ... }

csharp_style_pattern_matching_over_as_with_null_check
When this rule is set to true, prefer pattern matching instead of as expressions with null checks to determine if
something is of a particular type.
When this rule is set to false, prefer as expressions with null checks instead of pattern matching to determine if
something is of a particular type.
Code examples:

// csharp_style_pattern_matching_over_as_with_null_check = true
if (o is string s) {...}

// csharp_style_pattern_matching_over_as_with_null_check = false
var s = o as string;
if (s != null) {...}

Example .editorconfig file:

# CSharp code style settings:

[*.cs]
csharp_style_pattern_matching_over_is_with_cast_check = true:suggestion
csharp_style_pattern_matching_over_as_with_null_check = true:suggestion

Inlined variable declarations

This style rule concerns whether out variables are declared inline or not. Starting in C# 7, you can declare an out
variable in the argument list of a method call, rather than in a separate variable declaration.
The following table shows the rule name, rule ID, applicable language versions, default values, and first supported
version of Visual Studio:
 APPLICABLE VISUAL STUDIO
RULE NAME RULE ID LANGUAGES DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

csharp_style_inlined_v IDE0018 C# 7.0+ true:suggestion Visual Studio 2017

ariable_declaration RTW

csharp_style_inlined_variable_declaration
When this rule is set to true, prefer out variables to be declared inline in the argument list of a method call when
possible.
When this rule is set to false, prefer out variables to be declared before the method call.
Code examples:

// csharp_style_inlined_variable_declaration = true
if (int.TryParse(value, out int i) {...}

// csharp_style_inlined_variable_declaration = fale
int i;
if (int.TryParse(value, out i) {...}

Example .editorconfig file:

# CSharp code style settings:

[*.cs]
csharp_style_inlined_variable_declaration = true:suggestion

Expression-level preferences
This style rule concerns using the default literal for default value expressions when the compiler can infer the type
of the expression.
The following table shows the rule name, rule ID, applicable language versions, default values, and first supported
version of Visual Studio:

APPLICABLE VISUAL STUDIO

RULE NAME RULE ID LANGUAGES DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

csharp_prefer_simple_ IDE0034 C# 7.1+ true:suggestion Visual Studio 2017 v.

default_expression 15.3

csharp_prefer_simple_default_expression
When this rule is set to true, prefer default over default(T) .
When this rule is set to false, prefer default(T) over default .
Code examples:

// csharp_prefer_simple_default_expression = true
void DoWork(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default) { ... }

// csharp_prefer_simple_default_expression = false
void DoWork(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default(CancellationToken)) { ... }

Example .editorconfig file:

 # CSharp code style settings:
[*.cs]
csharp_prefer_simple_default_expression = true:suggestion

"Null" checking preferences

These style rules concern the syntax around null checking, including using throw expressions or throw
statements, and whether to perform a null check or use the conditional coalescing operator ( ?. ) when invoking a
lambda expression.
The following table shows the rule names, rule IDs, applicable language versions, default values, and first supported
version of Visual Studio:

APPLICABLE VISUAL STUDIO

RULE NAME RULE ID LANGUAGES DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

csharp_style_throw_ex IDE0016 C# 7.0+ true:suggestion Visual Studio 2017

pression RTW

csharp_style_conditio IDE0041 C# 6.0+ true:suggestion Visual Studio 2017

nal_delegate_call RTW

csharp_style_throw_expression
When this rule is set to true, prefer to use throw expressions instead of throw statements.
When this rule is set to false, prefer to use throw statements instead of throw expressions.
Code examples:

// csharp_style_throw_expression = true
this.s = s ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(s));

// csharp_style_throw_expression = false
if (s == null) { throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(s)); }
this.s = s;

csharp_style_conditional_delegate_call
When this rule is set to true, prefer to use the conditional coalescing operator ( ?. ) when invoking a lambda
expression, instead of performing a null check.
When this rule is set to false, prefer to perform a null check before invoking a lambda expression, instead of using
the conditional coalescing operator ( ?. ).
Code examples:

// csharp_style_conditional_delegate_call = true
func?.Invoke(args);

// csharp_style_conditional_delegate_call = false
if (func != null) { func(args); }

Example .editorconfig file:

# CSharp code style settings:

[*.cs]
csharp_style_throw_expression = true:suggestions:
csharp_style_conditional_delegate_call = false:suggestion

Code block preferences

This style rule concerns the use of curly braces { } to surround code blocks.
The following table shows the rule name, rule ID, applicable language versions, default values, and first supported
version of Visual Studio:

APPLICABLE VISUAL STUDIO

RULE NAME RULE ID LANGUAGES DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

csharp_prefer_braces IDE0011 C# true:none Visual Studio 2017 v.

15.3

csharp_prefer_braces
When this rule is set to true, prefer curly braces even for one line of code.
When this rule is set to false, prefer no curly braces if allowed.
Code examples:

// csharp_prefer_braces = true
if (test) { this.Display(); }

// csharp_prefer_braces = false
if (test) this.Display();

Example .editorconfig file:

# CSharp code style settings:

[*.cs]
csharp_prefer_braces = true:none

Formatting conventions
Most of the rules for formatting conventions have the following format:
rule_name = false|true

You specify either true (prefer this style) or false (do not prefer this style). You do not specify a severity. For a few
rules, instead of true or false, you specify other values to describe when and where to apply the rule.
The following list shows the formatting convention rules available in Visual Studio:
.NET Formatting Settings
Organize Usings
dotnet_sort_system_directives_first
C# Formatting Settings
Newline Options
csharp_new_line_before_open_brace
csharp_new_line_before_else
csharp_new_line_before_catch
csharp_new_line_before_finally
csharp_new_line_before_members_in_object_initializers
csharp_new_line_before_members_in_anonymous_types
csharp_new_line_between_query_expression_clauses
Indentation Options
csharp_indent_case_contents
 csharp_indent_switch_labels
csharp_indent_labels
Spacing Options
csharp_space_after_cast
csharp_space_after_keywords_in_control_flow_statements
csharp_space_between_method_declaration_parameter_list_parentheses
csharp_space_between_method_call_parameter_list_parentheses
csharp_space_between_parentheses
Wrapping Options
csharp_preserve_single_line_statements
csharp_preserve_single_line_blocks
.NET formatting settings
The formatting rules in this section are applicable to C# and Visual Basic.
Organize usings
This formatting rule concerns the placement of System.* using directives with respect to other using directives.
The following table shows the rule name, applicable languages, default value, and first supported version of Visual
Studio:

RULE NAME APPLICABLE LANGUAGES VISUAL STUDIO DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

dotnet_sort_system_directive C# and Visual Basic true Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

s_first

dotnet_sort_system_directives_first
When this rule is set to true, sort System.* using directives alphabetically, and place them before other usings.
When this rule is set to false, do not place System.* using directives before other using directives.
Code examples:

// dotnet_sort_system_directives_first = true
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Octokit;

// dotnet_sort_system_directives_first = false
using System.Collections.Generic;
using Octokit;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

Example .editorconfig file:

# .NET formatting settings:

[*.{cs,vb}]
dotnet_sort_system_directives_first = true

The formatting rules in this section apply only to C# code.

C# formatti ng setti ngs

Newline Options
These formatting rules concern the use of new lines to format code.
The following table shows the "new line" rule names, applicable languages, default values, and first supported
version of Visual Studio:
 RULE NAME APPLICABLE LANGUAGES VISUAL STUDIO DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

csharp_new_line_before_ope C# all Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

n_brace

csharp_new_line_before_else C# true Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

csharp_new_line_before_catc C# true Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

h

csharp_new_line_before_finall C# true Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

y

csharp_new_line_before_me C# true Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

mbers_in_object_initializers

csharp_new_line_before_me C# true Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

mbers_in_anonymous_types

csharp_new_line_between_q C# true Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

uery_expression_clauses

csharp_new_line_before_open_brace
This rule concerns whether an open brace { should be placed on the same line as the preceding code, or on a new
line. For this rule, you do not specify true or false. Instead you specify all, none, or one or more code elements
such as methods or properties, to define when this rule should be applied. The complete list of allowable values is
shown in the following table:

VALUE DESCRIPTION

accessors, anonymous_methods, anonymous_types, Require braces to be on a new line for the specified code
control_blocks, events, indexers, lambdas, local_functions, elements (also known as "Allman" style)
methods, object_collection, properties, types.
(For multiple kinds, separate with ',').

all Require braces to be on a new line for all expressions ("Allman"

style)

none Require braces to be on the same line for all expressions

("K&R")

Code examples:
 // csharp_new_line_before_open_brace = all
void MyMethod()
{
if (...)
{
...
}
}

// csharp_new_line_before_open_brace = none
void MyMethod() {
if (...) {
...
}
}

csharp_new_line_before_else
When this rule is set to true, place else statements on a new line.
When this rule is set to false, place else statements on the same line.
Code examples:

// csharp_new_line_before_else = true
if (...) {
...
}
else {
...
}

// csharp_new_line_before_else = false
if (...) {
...
} else {
...
}

csharp_new_line_before_catch
When this rule is set to true, place catch statements on a new line.
When this rule is set to false, place catch statements on the same line.
Code examples:

// csharp_new_line_before_catch = true
try {
...
}
catch (Exception e) {
...
}

// csharp_new_line_before_catch = false
try {
...
} catch (Exception e) {
...
}

csharp_new_line_before_finally
When this rule is set to true, require finally statements to be on a new line after the closing brace.
When this rule is set to false, require finally statements to be on the same line as the closing brace.
Code examples:

// csharp_new_line_before_finally = true
try {
...
}
catch (Exception e) {
...
}
finally {
...
}

// csharp_new_line_before_finally = false
try {
...
} catch (Exception e) {
...
} finally {
...
}

csharp_new_line_before_members_in_object_initializers
When this rule is set to true, require members of object intializers to be on separate lines.
When this rule is set to false, require members of object initializers to be on the same line.
Code examples:

// csharp_new_line_before_members_in_object_initializers = true
var z = new B()
{
A = 3,
B = 4
}

// csharp_new_line_before_members_in_object_initializers = false
var z = new B()
{
A = 3, B = 4
}

csharp_new_line_before_members_in_anonymous_types
When this rule is set to true, require members of anonymous types to be on separate lines.
When this rule is set to false, require members of anonymous types to be on the same line.
Code examples:

// csharp_new_line_before_members_in_anonymous_types = true
var z = new
{
A = 3,
B = 4
}

// csharp_new_line_before_members_in_anonymous_types = false
var z = new
{
A = 3, B = 4
}
csharp_new_line_between_query_expression_clauses
When this rule is set to true, require elements of query expression clauses to be on separate lines.
When this rule is set to false, require elements of query expression clauses to be on the same line.
Code examples:

// csharp_new_line_between_query_expression_clauses = true
var q = from a in e
from b in e
select a * b;

// csharp_new_line_between_query_expression_clauses = false
var q = from a in e from b in e
select a * b;

Example .editorconfig file:

# CSharp formatting settings:

[*.cs]
csharp_new_line_before_open_brace = methods, properties, control_blocks, types
csharp_new_line_before_else = true
csharp_new_line_before_catch = true
csharp_new_line_before_finally = true
csharp_new_line_before_members_in_object_initializers = true
csharp_new_line_before_members_in_anonymous_types = true
csharp_new_line_between_query_expression_clauses = true

Indentation options
These formatting rules concern the use of indentation to format code.
The following table shows the rule names, applicable languages, default values, and first supported version of
Visual Studio:

RULE NAME APPLICABLE LANGUAGES VISUAL STUDIO DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

csharp_indent_case_contents C# true Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

csharp_indent_switch_labels C# true Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

csharp_indent_labels C# no_change Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

csharp_indent_case_contents
When this rule is set to true, indent switch case contents.
When this rule is set to false, do not indent switch case contents.
Code examples:
 // csharp_indent_case_contents = true
switch(c) {
case Color.Red:
Console.WriteLine("The color is red");
break;
case Color.Blue:
Console.WriteLine("The color is blue");
break;
default:
Console.WriteLine("The color is unknown.");
break;
}

// csharp_indent_case_contents = false
switch(c) {
case Color.Red:
Console.WriteLine("The color is red");
break;
case Color.Blue:
Console.WriteLine("The color is blue");
break;
default:
Console.WriteLine("The color is unknown.");
break;
}

csharp_indent_switch_labels
When this rule is set to true, indent switch labels.
When this rule is set to false, do not indent switch labels.
Code examples:

// csharp_indent_switch_labels = true
switch(c) {
case Color.Red:
Console.WriteLine("The color is red");
break;
case Color.Blue:
Console.WriteLine("The color is blue");
break;
default:
Console.WriteLine("The color is unknown.");
break;
}

// csharp_indent_switch_labels = false
switch(c) {
case Color.Red:
Console.WriteLine("The color is red");
break;
case Color.Blue:
Console.WriteLine("The color is blue");
break;
default:
Console.WriteLine("The color is unknown.");
break;
}

csharp_indent_labels
This rule does not accept a true or false value; instead it accepts a value from the following table:
 VALUE DESCRIPTION

flush_left Labels are placed at the leftmost column

one_less_than_current Labels are placed at one less indent to the current context

no_change Labels are placed at the same indent as the current context

Code examples:

// csharp_indent_labels= flush_left
class C
{
private string MyMethod(...)
{
if (...) {
goto error;
}
error:
throw new Exception(...);
}
}

// csharp_indent_labels = one_less_than_current
class C
{
private string MyMethod(...)
{
if (...) {
goto error;
}
error:
throw new Exception(...);
}
}

// csharp_indent_labels= no_change
class C
{
private string MyMethod(...)
{
if (...) {
goto error;
}
error:
throw new Exception(...);
}
}

Example .editorconfig file:

# CSharp formatting settings:

[*.cs]
csharp_indent_case_contents = true
csharp_indent_switch_labels = true
csharp_indent_labels = flush_left

Spacing Options
These formatting rules concern the use of space characters to format code.
The following table shows the rule names, applicable languages, default values, and first supported version of
Visual Studio:

RULE NAME APPLICABLE LANGUAGES VISUAL STUDIO DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

csharp_space_after_cast C# false Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

csharp_space_after_keyword C# true Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

s_in_control_flow_statements

csharp_space_between_meth C# false Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

od_declaration_parameter_lis
t_parentheses

csharp_space_between_meth C# false Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

od_call_parameter_list_paren
theses

csharp_space_between_pare C# false Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

ntheses

csharp_space_after_cast
When this rule is set to true, require a space between a cast and the value.
When this rule is set to false, require no space between the cast and the value.
Code examples:

// csharp_space_after_cast = true
int y = (int) x;

// csharp_space_after_cast = false
int y = (int)x;

csharp_space_after_keywords_in_control_flow_statements
When this rule is set to true, require a space after a keyword in a control flow statement such as a for loop.
When this rule is set to false, require no space after a keyword in a control flow statement such as a for loop.
Code examples:

// csharp_space_after_keywords_in_control_flow_statements = true
for (int i;i<x;i++) { ... }

// csharp_space_after_keywords_in_control_flow_statements = false
for(int i;i<x;i++) { ... }

csharp_space_between_method_declaration_parameter_list_parentheses
When this rule is set to true, place a space character after the opening parenthesis and before the closing
parenthesis of a method declaration parameter list.
When this rule is set to false, do not place space characters after the opening parenthesis and before the closing
parenthesis of a method declaration parameter list.
Code examples:
 // csharp_space_between_method_declaration_parameter_list_parentheses = true
void Bark( int x ) { ... }

// csharp_space_between_method_declaration_parameter_list_parentheses = false
void Bark(int x) { ... }

csharp_space_between_method_call_parameter_list_parentheses
When this rule is set to true, place a space character after the opening parenthesis and before the closing
parenthesis of a method call.
When this rule is set to false, do not place space characters after the opening parenthesis and before the closing
parenthesis of a method call.
Code examples:

// csharp_space_between_method_call_parameter_list_parentheses = true
MyMethod( argument );

// csharp_space_between_method_call_parameter_list_parentheses = false
MyMethod(argument);

csharp_space_between_parentheses
This rule does not accept a true or false value; instead it accepts a value from the following table:

VALUE DESCRIPTION

control_flow_statements Place space between parentheses of control flow statements

expressions Place space between parentheses of expressions

type_casts Place space between parentheses in type casts

Code examples:

// csharp_space_between_parentheses = control_flow_statements
for( int i;i<x;i++ ) { ... }

// csharp_space_between_parentheses = expressions
var z = ( x * y ) - ( ( y - x ) * 3);

// csharp_space_between_parentheses = type_casts
int y = ( int )x;

Example .editorconfig file:

# CSharp formatting settings:

[*.cs]
csharp_space_after_cast = true
csharp_space_after_keywords_in_control_flow_statements = true
csharp_space_between_method_declaration_parameter_list_parentheses = true
csharp_space_between_method_call_parameter_list_parentheses = true
csharp_space_between_parentheses = control_flow_statements, type_casts

Wrapping options
These formatting rules concern the use of single lines versus separate lines for statements and code blocks.
The following table shows the rule names, applicable languages, default values, and first supported version of
Visual Studio:

RULE NAME APPLICABLE LANGUAGES VISUAL STUDIO DEFAULT SUPPORTED VERSION

csharp_preserve_single_line_ C# true Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

statements

csharp_preserve_single_line_ C# true Visual Studio 2017 v. 15.3

blocks

csharp_preserve_single_line_statements
When this rule is set to true, leave statements and member declarations on the same line.
When this rule is set to false, leave statements and member declarations on different lines.
Code examples:

//csharp_preserve_single_line_statements = true
int i = 0; string name = "John";

//csharp_preserve_single_line_statements = false
int i = 0;
string name = "John";

csharp_preserve_single_line_blocks
When this rule is set to true, leave code block on single line.
When this rule is set to false, leave code block on separate lines.
Code examples:

//csharp_preserve_single_line_blocks = true
public int Foo { get; set; }

//csharp_preserve_single_line_blocks = false
public int MyProperty
{
get; set;
}

Example .editorconfig file:

# CSharp formatting settings:

[*.cs]
csharp_preserve_single_line_statements = true
csharp_preserve_single_line_blocks = true

Naming conventions
Naming conventions concern the naming of code elements such as classes, properties, and methods. For example,
you can specify that asynchronous methods must end in "Async". Naming conventions should be ordered from
most-specific to least-specific. The first rule encountered that can be applied is the only rule that is applied.
For each naming convention rule, identified by namingRuleTitle, you must specify the symbols it applies to, a
naming style, and a severity:
dotnet_naming_rule.<namingRuleTitle>.symbols = <symbolTitle>
dotnet_naming_rule.<namingRuleTitle>.style = <styleTitle>
dotnet_naming_rule.<namingRuleTitle>.severity = none|suggestion|warning|error

Symbols
Identify a group of symbols to apply a naming rule to with this property:
dotnet_naming_rule.<namingRuleTitle>.symbols = <symbolTitle> . Specify which kind of symbols, which modifiers,
and which accessibility levels are included in the group using the following properties:

PROPERTY POSSIBLE VALUES

dotnet_naming_symbols.<symbolTitle>.applicable_kinds *, class, struct, interface, enum, property, method, field, event,

namespace, delegate, type_parameter

dotnet_naming_symbols. *, public, internal (C#), friend (Visual Basic), private, protected,

<symbolTitle>.applicable_accessibilities protected_internal (C#), protected_friend (Visual Basic)

dotnet_naming_symbols.<symbolTitle>.required_modifiers abstract (C#), must_inherit (Visual Basic), async, const,

readonly, static (C#), shared (Visual Basic)

Style
Identify the naming style to apply to a group of symbols with this property:
dotnet_naming_rule.<namingRuleTitle>.style = <styleTitle> .

Specify the naming style using one or more of the following properties:

PROPERTY POSSIBLE VALUES

dotnet_naming_style.<styleTitle>.required_prefix Required characters that must appear at the beginning of the

identifier.

dotnet_naming_style.<styleTitle>.required_suffix Required characters that must appear at the end of the

identifier.

dotnet_naming_style.<styleTitle>.word_separator Required character between words in the identifier.

dotnet_naming_style.<styleTitle>.capitalization pascal_case, camel_case, first_word_upper, all_upper, all_lower

NOTE
You must specify a capitalization style as part of your naming style, otherwise your naming style will be ignored.

Severity
Identify the severity level for a naming rule with this property: dotnet_naming_rule.<namingRuleTitle>.severity .
The following table shows the severity value options:

SEVERITY EFFECT

none or silent When this style is not being followed, do not show anything
to the user; however, code generation features generate new
code in this style.

suggestion When this style is not being followed, show it to the user as a
suggestion (underlying dots on the first two characters). It has
no effect at compile time.
 SEVERITY EFFECT

warning When this style is not being followed, show a compiler

warning.

error When this style is not being followed, show a compiler error.

Example .editorconfig file with naming conventions

# Dotnet Naming Conventions

[*.{cs,vb}]
dotnet_naming_rule.async_methods_end_in_async.symbols = any_async_methods
dotnet_naming_rule.async_methods_end_in_async.style = end_in_async
dotnet_naming_rule.async_methods_end_in_async.severity = suggestion

dotnet_naming_symbols.any_async_methods.applicable_kinds = method
dotnet_naming_symbols.any_async_methods.applicable_accessibilities = *
dotnet_naming_symbols.any_async_methods.required_modifiers = async

dotnet_naming_style.end_in_async.required_suffix = Async
dotnet_naming_style.end_in_async.capitalization = pascal_case

See also
Quick Actions
Create portable custom editor options
.NET Compiler Platform's .editorconfig file
 Preview Changes
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

When using various Quick Actions or Refactoring tools in Visual Studio, it is often possible to preview changes that
are going to be made to your project prior to accepting them. The Preview Changes window is where this is done.
For example, here is the Preview Changes window showing what will be changed during a Rename refactor in a
C# project:

The top half of the window shows the specific lines that will be changed, each with a checkbox. You can check or
uncheck each checkbox if you want to selectively apply the refactoring to only specific lines.
The bottom half of the window shows the formatted code from the project that will be changed, with the affected
areas highlighted. Selecting the specific line in the top half of the window will highlight the corresponding line in
the bottom half. This allows you to quickly skip to the appropriate line and see the surrounding code.
After reviewing the changes, click the Apply button to commit those changes, or click the Cancel button to leave
things as they were.

See Also
Refactoring in Visual Studio
 Productivity Tips for Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 8 min to read • Edit Online

By following these tips, you can more quickly and efficiently write, navigate, and debug your code in Visual Studio.
For more information about common keyboard shortcuts, see Tips and Tricks. For a more complete list, see
Identifying and Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts and Default Keyboard Shortcuts.
This topic includes the following sections:
Accessing Visual Studio Tools
Writing Code
Navigating Within Your Code
Finding Items Faster
Debugging Code
Managing Files, Toolbars, and Windows

Accessing Visual Studio Tools

You can more easily access the Developer Command Prompt or another tool if you pin it to the Start screen or the
taskbar.
1. From the Start screen, enter Visual Studio Tools , and then choose the Enter key.
2. In File Explorer, open the shortcut menu for the item that you want:
Build Notifications
Debuggable Package Manager
Developer Command Prompt for VS2013
Microsoft Feedback Client 2013
VS2013 ARM Cross Tools Command Prompt
VS2013 x64 Cross Tools Command Prompt
VS2013 x64 Native Tools Command Prompt
VS2013 x86 Native Tools Command Prompt
3. Choose Pin to Start or Pin to Taskbar.

Writing Code
Write code more quickly by using the following features.
Use sample applications. You can speed up application development by downloading and installing
sample applications from the MSDN Code Gallery. You can also learn a particular technology or
programming concept by downloading and exploring a Sample Pack for that area.
Use IntelliSense. As you enter code in the editor, IntelliSense information, such as List Members,
Parameter Info, Quick Info, Signature Help, and Complete Word, appears. These features support fuzzy
 matching of text; for example, the results lists for List Members includes not only entries that start with the
characters that you have entered but also entries that contain the character combination anywhere in their
names. For more information, see Using IntelliSense.
Change auto-insertion of IntelliSense options as you enter code. By switching IntelliSense to
suggestion mode, you can specify that IntelliSense options are inserted only if you explicitly choose them.
To enable suggestion mode, choose the Ctrl + Alt + Spacebar keys, or, on the menu bar, choose Edit,
IntelliSense, Toggle Completion Mode.
Use code snippets. You can use built-in snippets or create your own snippets.
To insert a snippet, on the menu bar, choose Edit, IntelliSense, Insert Snippet or open the shortcut menu
in a file and choose Insert Snippet. For more information, see Code Snippets.
Fix code errors inline. Quick Actions let you easily refactor, generate, or otherwise modify code with a
single action. These actions can be applied using the Light Bulb icon , or by pressing Alt + Enter or Ctrl
+ . when your cursor is on the appropriate line of code. See Quick Actions for more information.
Show and edit the definition of a code element. You can quickly show and edit the module in which a
code element, such as a member, a variable, or a local, is defined.
To open a definition in a pop-up window, highlight the element and then choose the Alt+F12 keys, or open
the shortcut menu for the element and then choose Peek Definition. To open a definition in a separate
code window, open the shortcut menu for the element, and then choose Go to Definition.

Navigating Within Your Code

You can use various techniques to find and move to specific locations in your code more quickly.
Bookmark lines of code. You can use bookmarks to navigate quickly to specific lines of code in a file.
To set a bookmark, on the menu bar, choose Edit, Bookmarks, Toggle Bookmark. You can view all of the
bookmarks for a solution in the Bookmarks window. For more information, see Setting Bookmarks in
Code.
Search for symbol definitions in a file. You can search within a solution to locate symbol definitions and
file names, but search results don't include namespaces or local variables.
To access this feature, on the menu bar, choose Edit, Navigate To.
Browse the overall structure of your code. In Solution Explorer, you can search and browse classes
and their types and members in your projects. You can also search for symbols, view a method's Call
Hierarchy, find symbol references, and perform other tasks. If you choose a code element in Solution
Explorer, the associated file opens in a Preview tab, and the cursor moves to the element in the file. For
more information, see Viewing the Structure of Code.

Finding Items Faster

You can search across the IDE for commands, files, and options, in addition to filtering the contents of tool
windows to show only relevant information for your current task.
Filter the contents of tool windows. You can search within the contents of many tool windows, such as
the Toolbox, the Properties window, and Solution Explorer, but display only items whose names contain
the characters that you specify.
Display only the errors you want to address. If you choose the Filter button on the Error List toolbar,
you can reduce the number of errors that appear in the Error List window. You can display only the errors
 in the files that are open in the editor, only the errors in the current file, or only the errors in the current
project. You can also search within the Error List window to find specific errors.
Find dialog boxes, menu commands, and options. In the Quick Launch, Environment, Options Dialog
Box box, enter keywords or phrases for the items that you're trying to find. For example, the following
options appear if you enter new project :
Figure 3: Quick Launch results list for new project

Quick Launch displays links to the New Project dialog box, the Add New Item dialog box, and the
Projects and Solutions page in the Options dialog box, among others. Quick Launch results can also include
project files and tool windows.

Debugging Code
Debugging can consume a lot of time, but the following tips can help you speed up the process.
Test the same page, application, or site in different browsers. As you debug your code, you can easily
switch among the installed web browsers, including Page Inspector (Visual Studio), without having to open
the Browse With dialog box. You can use the Debug Target list, which is on the Standard toolbar next to
the Start Debugging button, to quickly verify which browser you're using as you debug or view pages.

Set temporary breakpoints. You can create a temporary breakpoint in the current line of code and start
the debugger simultaneously. When you hit that line of code, the debugger enters break mode. For more
information, see Navigating through Code with the Debugger.
To use this feature, choose the Ctrl + F10 keys, or open the shortcut menu for the line of code on which you
want to break, and then choose Run To Cursor.
Move the execution point during debugging. You can move the current execution point to a different
section of code and then restart debugging from that point. This technique is useful if you want to debug a
section of code without having to recreate all of the steps that are required to reach that section. For more
information, see Navigating through Code with the Debugger.
 To move the execution point, drag the yellow arrowhead to a location where you want to set the next
statement in the same source file, and then choose the F5 key to continue debugging.
Capture value information for variables. You can add a DataTip to a variable in your code and pin it so
that you can access the last known value for the variable after debugging has finished. For more
information, see View data values in Data Tips.
To add a DataTip, the debugger must be in break mode. Place the cursor on the variable, and then choose
the pin button on the DataTip that appears. When debugging is stopped, a blue pin icon appears in the
source file next to the line of code that contains the variable. If you point to the blue pin, the value of the
variable from the most recent debugging session appears.
Clear the Immediate window. You can erase the contents of the Immediate Window at design time by
entering >cls or >Edit.ClearAll
For more information about additional commands, see Visual Studio Command Aliases.

Managing Files, Toolbars, and Windows

At any one time, you may be working in multiple code files and moving among several tool windows as you
develop an application. You can keep organized by using the following tips.
Keep files that you frequently use visible in the editor. You can pin files to the left side of the tab well
so that they remain visible regardless of how many files are open in the editor.
To pin a file, choose the file's tab, and then choose the Toggle Pin Status button.
Move documents and windows to other monitors. If you use more than one monitor when you
develop applications, you can work on portions of your application more easily by moving files that are
open in the editor to another monitor. You can also move tool windows, such as debugger windows, to
another monitor and tab dock document and tool windows together to create "rafts." For more information,
see Customize window layouts in Visual Studio.
You can also manage files more easily by creating another instance of Solution Explorer and moving it to
another monitor. To create another instance of Solution Explorer, open a shortcut menu in Solution
Explorer, and then choose New Solution Explorer View.
Customize the fonts that appear in Visual Studio. You can change the font face, size, and color that's
used for text in the IDE. For example, you can customize the color of specific code elements in the editor and
the font face in tool windows or throughout the IDE. For more information, see How to: Change Fonts and
Colors and How to: Change Fonts and Colors in the Editor.

See Also
Default Keyboard Shortcuts for Frequently Used Commands
How to: Customize Menus and Toolbars
Walkthrough: Create a Simple Application
Accessibility Tips and Tricks
 Tips and Tricks for Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

You can navigate in Visual Studio 2013 more easily by using the shortcuts in this topic. This topic is only a subset
of the available keyboard shortcuts. For a more complete list, see Default Keyboard Shortcuts in Visual Studio. For
information about how to optimize Visual Studio for accessibility, see Accessibility Tips and Tricks.

Window Management

Drag Off Floating Tab Wells Ctrl+click for multi-select

Maximize Floating Window Double-click on title bar

Re-dock Floating Window Ctrl+double-click title bar

Close Active Document Ctrl+F4

Show Open File List Ctrl+Alt+Down

Show All Floating Windows Ctrl+Shift+M

Window Shortcuts

Move/Dock Floating Windows Win+Left / Win+Right

Maximize/Minimize Windows Win+Up / Win+Down

Show Jump List Win+Alt+n

Start New Instance Win+Shift+n

Switch Between Windows Win+n

Visual Studio Search

Solution Explorer Search Ctrl+;

Place Focus in Search box in any tool window Alt+` when the tool window has focus

Quick Launch Ctrl+Q

 Quick Launch Scope Results - @opt Options
- @cmd Commands
- @mru Most recently used
- @doc Open documents

Search in Tools Options Ctrl+E

Editor Find

Quick Find Ctrl+F

Quick Find Next Result Enter

Quick Find Previous Result Shift+Enter

Quick Find Expand Drop Down Alt+Down

Dismiss Find Esc

Quick Replace Ctrl+H

Quick Replace Replace Next Alt+R

Quick Replace Replace All Alt+A

Find in Files Ctrl+Shift+F

Replace in Files Ctrl+Shift+H

Code Editor

IntelliSense Suggestion Mode Ctrl+Alt+Space (Toggle)

Force Show IntelliSense Ctrl+J

Quick Actions Ctrl+.

Snippet Picker Ctrl+K,X or ?,Tab (VB)

Surround With Ctrl+K,S

Show Quick Info Ctrl+K,I

Navigate To Ctrl+,

Navigate Highlighted References Ctrl+Shift+Up (Previous), Ctrl+Shift+Down (Next)

 Editor Zoom Ctrl+Shift+> (In), Ctrl+Shift+< (Out)

Block Selection Hold Alt and drag mouse, Shift+Alt+Arrow Keys

Move Line Up/Down Alt+Up / Alt+Down

Go To Definition F12

Peek Definition Alt+F12

Go To Definition Stack Ctrl+Shift+8 (Back), Ctrl+Shift+7 (Forward)

Close the Peek Definition window Esc

Promote the Peek Definition window to a regular document Ctrl+Alt+Home

tab

Navigate between multiple Peek Definition windows Ctrl+Alt+- and Ctrl+Alt+=

Navigate between multiple Peek results F8 and Shift+F8

Toggle between the code editor window and the Peek Shift+Esc
Definition window

Toolbars

Add Buttons Click toolbar overflow button

Find Combo in Standard toolbar Ctrl+D

Find Textbox Command Mode Type ">"

Create new alias >alias NewAlias Command

Debugging

Start Debugging F5

Stop Debugging Shift+F5

Restart Debugging Ctrl+Shift+F5

Step Over F10

Step Into F11

Step Out Shift+F11

 Run To Cursor Ctrl+F10

Set Next Statement Ctrl+Shift+F10

Set and Toggle Breakpoint F9

Disable Breakpoint Ctrl+F9

Immediate Window Ctrl+Alt+I

Immediate Window Command Mode Type ">"

Immediate Window Clear Buffer >cls

Immediate Window Print Value ?varname

Application Lifecycle Management

See Keyboard shortcuts: Visual Studio Online, TFS web portal, and Team Explorer.

See Also
Visual Studio Blog
Visual Studio Tips and Tricks Blog
Visual Studio Toolbox on Channel 9
Visual Studio UserVoice
Visual Studio Connect Bugs
 Identifying and Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts in
Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

You can identify keyboard shortcuts for Visual Studio commands, customize those shortcuts, and export them for
others to use. Many shortcuts always invoke the same commands, but the behavior of a shortcut can vary based
on the following conditions:
Which default environment settings you chose the first time that you ran Visual Studio (for example,
General Development or Visual C#).
Whether you've customized the shortcut's behavior.
Which context you're in when you choose the shortcut. For example, the F2 shortcut invokes the
Edit.EditCell command if you're using the Settings Designer and the File.Rename command if you're using
Team Explorer.
Regardless of settings, customization, and context, you can always find and change a keyboard shortcut in
the Options dialog box. You can also look up the default keyboard shortcuts for several dozen commands
in Default Keyboard Shortcuts for Frequently Used Commands, and you can find a complete list of all
default shortcuts (based on the General Development Settings) in Default Keyboard Shortcuts.
In this topic
Identifying a keyboard shortcut
Customizing a keyboard shortcut
Sharing custom keyboard shortcuts
If a shortcut is assigned to a command in the Global context and no other contexts, that shortcut will always
invoke that command. But a shortcut can be assigned to one command in the Global context and a different
command in a specific context. If you use such a shortcut when you're in the specific context, the shortcut
invokes the command for the specific context, not the Global context.

NOTE
Your settings and edition of Visual Studio might change the names and locations of menu commands and the options that
appear in dialog boxes. This topic is based on the General Development Settings.

Identifying a keyboard shortcut

1. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Options.
2. Expand Environment, and then choose Keyboard.
3. In the Show commands containing box, enter all or part of the name of the command without spaces.
For example, you can find commands for solutionexplorer.
4. In the list, choose the correct command.
For example, you can choose View.SolutionExplorer.
5. If the command has a keyboard shortcut, it appears in the Shortcut(s) for selected command list.

Customizing a keyboard shortcut

1. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Options.
2. Expand the Environment folder, and then choose Keyboard.
3. In the Show commands containing box, enter all or part of the name of the command without spaces.
For example, you can find commands for solutionexplorer.
4. In the list, choose the command to which you want to assign a keyboard shortcut.
5. In the Use new shortcut in list, choose the feature area in which you want to use the shortcut.
For example, you can choose Global if you want the shortcut to work in all contexts. You can use any
shortcut that isn't mapped (as Global) in another editor. Otherwise, the editor overrides the shortcut.

NOTE
You can't assign the following keys as part of a keyboard shortcut in Global: Print Scrn/Sys Rq, Scroll Lock,
Pause/Break, Tab, Caps Lock, Insert, Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, the Windows logo key, the Application key,
any of the Arrow keys, or Enter; Num Lock, Delete, or Clear on the numeric keypad; or Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

6. In the Press shortcut key(s) box, enter the shortcut that you want to use.

NOTE
You can create a shortcut that combines a letter with the Alt key, the Ctrl key, or both. You can also create a
shortcut that combines the Shift key and a letter with the Alt key, the Ctrl key, or both.

If a shortcut is already assigned to another command, it appears in the Shortcut currently used by box. In
that case, choose the Backspace key to delete that shortcut before you try a different one.

7. Choose the Assign button.

NOTE
If you specify a different shortcut for a command, choose the Assign button, and then choose the Cancel button,
the dialog box closes, but the change isn't reverted.

Sharing custom keyboard shortcuts

You can share your custom keyboard shortcuts by exporting them to a file and then giving the file to others so
that they can import the data.
To export only keyboard shortcuts
1. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Import and Export Settings.
2. Choose Export selected environment settings, and then choose the Next button.
3. Under What settings do you want to export?, clear the All Settings check box, expand Options, and
then expand Environment.
4. Select the Keyboard check box, and then choose the Next button.
5. In the What do you want to name your settings file? and Store my settings file in this directory
boxes, either leave the default values or specify different values, and then choose the Finish button.
By default, your shortcuts are saved in a file in the %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Visual Studio
2013\Settings folder. The name of the file reflects the date when you exported the settings, and the
extension is .vssettings.
To import only keyboard shortcuts
1. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Import and Export Settings.
2. Choose the Import selected environment settings option button, and then choose the Next button.
3. Choose the No, just import new settings, overwriting my current settings option button, and then
choose the Next button.
4. Under My Settings, choose the file that contains the shortcuts that you want to import, or choose the
Browse button to locate the correct file.
5. Choose the Next button.
6. Under Which settings do you want to import?, clear the All Settings check box, expand Options, and
then expand Environment.
7. Select the Keyboard check box, and then choose the Finish button.

See Also
Accessibility Features of Visual Studio
 Default Keyboard Shortcuts for Frequently Used
Commands in Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

You can access frequently used commands in Visual Studio by choosing these default keyboard shortcuts. For a
complete list of commands that have default shortcuts, see Default Keyboard Shortcuts.

NOTE
You can look up the shortcut for any command by opening the Options dialog box, expanding the Environment node, and
then choosing Keyboard.

In this topic

Build Edit Project Tools Window

Debug File Refactor View

Build
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS [CONTEXTS]

Build.BuildSolution Ctrl+Shift+B [Global]

Build.Cancel Ctrl+Break [Global]

Build.Compile Ctrl+F7 [Global]

Build.RunCodeAnalysisonSolution Alt+F11 [Global]

Debug
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS [CONTEXTS]

Debug.BreakatFunction Ctrl+B [Global]

Debug.BreakAll Ctrl+Alt+Break [Global]

Debug.DeleteAllBreakpoints Ctrl+Shift+F9 [Global]

Debug.Exceptions Ctrl+Alt+E [Global]

Debug.QuickWatch Ctrl+Alt+Q [Global]

or Shift+F9 [Global]
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS [CONTEXTS]

Debug.Restart Ctrl+Shift+F5 [Global]

Debug.RunToCursor Ctrl+F10 [Global]

Debug.SetNextStatement Ctrl+Shift+F10 [Global]

Debug.Start F5 [Global]

Debug.StartWithoutDebugging Ctrl+F5 [Global]

Debug.StepInto F11 [Global]

Debug.StepOut Shift+F11 [Global]

Debug.StepOver F10 [Global]

Debug.StopDebugging Shift+F5 [Global]

Debug.ToggleBreakpoint F9 [Global]

Edit
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS [CONTEXTS]

Edit.BreakLine Enter [Text Editor, Report Designer, Windows Forms Designer]

or Shift+Enter [Text Editor]

Edit.CollapsetoDefinitions Ctrl+M, Ctrl+O [Text Editor]

Edit.CommentSelection Ctrl+K, Ctrl+C [Text Editor]

Edit.CompleteWord Alt+Right Arrow [Text Editor, Workflow Designer]

or Ctrl+Spacebar [Text Editor, Workflow Designer]

or Ctrl+K, W [Workflow Designer]

or Ctrl+K, Ctrl+W [Workflow Designer]

Edit.Copy Ctrl+C [Global]

or Ctrl+Insert [Global]

Edit.Cut Ctrl+X [Global]

or Shift+Delete [Global]
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS [CONTEXTS]

Edit.Delete Delete [Global, Team Explorer]

or Shift+Delete [Sequence Diagram, UML Activity Diagram,

Layer Diagram]

or Ctrl+Delete [Class Diagram]

Edit.Find Ctrl+F [Global]

Edit.FindAllReferences Shift+F12 [Global]

dit.FindinFiles Ctrl+Shift+F [Global]

Edit.FindNext F3 [Global]

Edit.FindNextSelected Ctrl+F3 [Global]

Edit.FormatDocument Ctrl+K, Ctrl+D [Text Editor]

Edit.FormatSelection Ctrl+K, Ctrl+F [Text Editor]

Edit.GoTo Ctrl+G [Global]

Edit.GoToDeclaration Ctrl+F12 [Global]

Edit.GoToDefinition F12

Edit.GoToFindCombo Ctrl+D [Global]

Edit.GoToNextLocation F8 [Global]

Edit.InsertSnippet Ctrl+K, Ctrl+X [Global]

Edit.InsertTab Tab [Report Designer, Windows Forms Designer, Text Editor]

Edit.LineCut Ctrl+L [Text Editor]

Edit.LineDownExtendColumn Shift+Alt+Down Arrow [Text Editor]

Edit.LineOpenAbove Ctrl+Enter [Text Editor]

Edit.ListMembers Ctrl+J [Text Editor, Workflow Designer]

or Ctrl+K, Ctrl+L [Workflow Designer]

or Ctrl+K, L [Workflow Designer]

dit.NavigateTo Ctrl+, [Global]

Edit.OpenFile Ctrl+Shift+G [Global]

Edit.OvertypeMode Insert [Text Editor]

 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS [CONTEXTS]

Edit.ParameterInfo Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar [Text Editor, Workflow Designer]

or Ctrl+K, Ctrl+P [Workflow Designer]

or Ctrl+K, P [Workflow Designer]

Edit.Paste Ctrl+V [Global]

or Shift+Insert [Global]

Edit.PeekDefinition Alt+F12 [Text Editor]

Edit.Redo Ctrl+Y [Global]

or Shift+Alt+Backspace [Global]

or Ctrl+Shift+Z [Global]

Edit.Replace Ctrl+H [Global]

Edit.SelectAll Ctrl+A [Global]

Edit.SelectCurrentWord Ctrl+W [Text Editor]

Edit.SelectionCancel Esc [Text Editor, Report Designer, Settings Designer, Windows

Forms Designer, Managed Resources Editor]

dit.SurroundWith Ctrl+K, Ctrl+S [Global]

Edit.TabLeft Shift+Tab [Text Editor, Report Designer, Windows Forms

Editor]

Edit.ToggleAllOutlining Ctrl+M, Ctrl+L [Text Editor]

Edit.ToggleBookmark Ctrl+K, Ctrl+K [Text Editor]

Edit.ToggleCompletionMode Ctrl+Alt+Space [Text Editor]

Edit.ToggleOutliningExpansion Ctrl+M, Ctrl+M [Text Editor]

Edit.UncommentSelection Ctrl+K, Ctrl+U [Text Editor]

Edit.Undo Ctrl+Z [Global]

or Alt+Backspace [Global]

Edit.WordDeleteToEnd Ctrl+Delete [Text Editor]

Edit.WordDeleteToStart Ctrl+Backspace [Text Editor]

File
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS [CONTEXTS]

File.Exit Alt+F4 [Global]

File.NewFile Ctrl+N [Global]

File.NewProject Ctrl+Shift+N [Global]

File.NewWebSite Shift+Alt+N [Global]

File.OpenFile Ctrl+O [Global]

File.OpenProject Ctrl+Shift+O [Global]

File.OpenWebSite Shift+Alt+O [Global]

File.Rename F2 [Team Explorer]

File.SaveAll Ctrl+Shift+S [Global]

File.SaveSelectedItems Ctrl+S [Global]

File.ViewinBrowser Ctrl+Shift+W [Global]

Project
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS [CONTEXTS]

Project.AddExistingItem Shift+Alt+A [Global]

Project.AddNewItem Ctrl+Shift+A [Global]

Refactor
COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT [CONTEXT]

Refactor.ExtractMethod Ctrl+R, Ctrl+M [Global]

Tools
COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT [CONTEXT]

Tools.AttachtoProcess Ctrl+Alt+P [Global]

View
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS [CONTEXTS]

View.ClassView Ctrl+Shift+C [Global]

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS [CONTEXTS]

View.EditLabel F2 [Global]

View.ErrorList Ctrl+\, Ctrl+E [Global]

or Ctrl+\, E [Global]

View.NavigateBackward Ctrl+- [Global]

View.NavigateForward Ctrl+Shift+- [Global]

View.ObjectBrowser Ctrl+Alt+J [Global]

View.Output Ctrl+Alt+O [Global]

View.PropertiesWindow F4

View.Refresh F5 [Team Explorer, Team Foundation Build Detail Editor]

View.ServerExplorer Ctrl+Alt+S [Global]

View.ShowSmartTag Ctrl+. [Global]

or Shift+Alt+F10 [Global, HTML Editor Design View]

View.SolutionExplorer Ctrl+Alt+L [Global]

iew.TfsTeamExplorer Ctrl+\, Ctrl+M [Global]

View.Toolbox Ctrl+Alt+X [Global]

View.ViewCode Enter [Class Diagram]

or F7 [Settings Designer]

View.ViewDesigner Shift+F7 [HTML Editor Source View]

Window
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS [CONTEXTS]

Window.ActivateDocumentWindow Esc [Global]

Window.CloseDocumentWindow Ctrl+F4 [Global]

Window.NextDocumentWindow Ctrl+F6 [Global]

Window.NextDocumentWindowNav Ctrl+Tab [Global]

Window.NextSplitPane F6 [Global]
 Default Keyboard Shortcuts in Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 13 min to read • Edit Online

For more information about keyboard accessibility, see Accessibility Tips and Tricks and How to: Use the Keyboard
Exclusively.
You can access a variety of commands and windows in Visual Studio by choosing the appropriate keyboard
shortcut. This topic lists the default shortcuts for the General Development profile, which you might have chosen
when you installed Visual Studio. No matter which profile you chose, you can identify the shortcut for a command
by opening the Options dialog box, expanding the Environment node, and then choosing Keyboard. You can
also customize your shortcuts by assigning a different shortcut to any given command.
For a list of common keyboard shortcuts and other productivity information, see Default Keyboard Shortcuts for
Frequently Used Commands in Visual Studio, Tips and Tricks, and Productivity Tips.
The sections in the following table include commands that are global in that you can access them from anywhere
in Visual Studio by using keyboard shortcuts:

Analyze Edit Project Test

Architecture Editor Context Menus Project and Solution Context Test Explorer
Menus

Build File Refactor Tools

Class View Context Menus Help Solution Explorer View

Debug Load Test Team Window

Debugger Context Menus Other Context Menus Team Foundation Context Azure
Menus

Diagnostics Hub

Each section in the following table includes commands for which the keyboard shortcuts are specific to the context
for which the section is named.

ADO.NET Entity Data Model Layer Diagram Settings Designer VC Image Editor
Designer

Class Diagram Managed Resources Editor Solution Explorer VC String Editor

Coded UI Test Editor Merge Editor Window Team Explorer View Designer

DataSet Editor Microsoft SQL Server Data Team Foundation Build Visual Studio
Tools, Schema Compare Detail Editor
 Difference Viewer Microsoft SQL Server Data Test Explorer Windows Forms Designer
Tools, Table Designer

DOM Explorer Microsoft SQL Server Data Text Editor Work Item Editor
Tools, T-SQL Editor

F# Interactive Microsoft SQL Server Data UML Activity Diagram Work Item Query View
Tools, T-SQL PDW Editor

Graph Document Editor Page Inspector UML Class Diagram Work Item Results View

Graphics Diagnostics Query Designer UML Component Diagram Workflow Designer

HTML Editor Query Results UML Use Case Diagram XAML UI Designer

HTML Editor Design View Report Designer VC Accelerator Editor XML (Text) Editor

HTML Editor Source View Sequence Diagram VC Dialog Editor XML Schema Designer

Global
Analyze
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Analyze.NavigateBackward Shift+Alt+3

Analyze.NavigateForward Shift+Alt+4

Architecture
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Architecture.NewDiagram Ctrl+\, Ctrl+N

Build
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Build.BuildSolution Ctrl+Shift+B

Build.Cancel Ctrl+Break

Build.Compile Ctrl+F7

Build.RunCodeAnalysisonSolution Alt+F11

Class View Context Menus

 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

ClassViewContextMenus.ClassViewMultiselectProjectreference Alt+Enter
sItems.Properties

Debug
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Debug.ApplyCodeChanges Alt+F10

Debug.Autos Ctrl+Alt+V, A

Debug.BreakAll Ctrl+Alt+Break

Debug.BreakatFunction Ctrl+B

Debug.Breakpoints Ctrl+Alt+B

Debug.CallStack Ctrl+Alt+C

Debug.DeleteAllBreakpoints Ctrl+Shift+F9

Debug.DiagnosticsHub.Launch Alt+F2

Debug.Disassembly Ctrl+Alt+D

Debug.DOMExplorer Ctrl+Alt+V, D

Debug.EnableBreakpoint Ctrl+F9

Debug.Exceptions Ctrl+Alt+E

Debug.GoToPreviousCallorIntelliTraceEvent Ctrl+Shift+F11

Debug.Graphics.StartDiagnostics Alt+F5

Debug.Immediate Ctrl+Alt+I

Debug.IntelliTraceCalls Ctrl+Alt+Y, T

Debug.IntelliTraceEvents Ctrl+Alt+Y, F

Debug.JavaScriptConsole Ctrl+Alt+V, C

Debug.Locals Ctrl+Alt+V, L

Debug.LocationToolbar.ProcessCombo Ctrl+5

Debug.LocationToolbar.StackFrameCombo Ctrl+7

Debug.LocationToolbar.ThreadCombo Ctrl+6
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Debug.LocationToolbar.ToggleCurrentThreadFlaggedState Ctrl+8

Debug.LocationToolbar.ToggleFlaggedThreads Ctrl+9

Debug.Memory1 Ctrl+Alt+M, 1

Debug.Memory2 Ctrl+Alt+M, 2

Debug.Memory3 Ctrl+Alt+M, 3

Debug.Memory4 Ctrl+Alt+M, 4

Debug.Modules Ctrl+Alt+U

Debug.ParallelStacks Ctrl+Shift+D, S

Debug.ParallelWatch1 Ctrl+Shift+D, 1

Debug.ParallelWatch2 Ctrl+Shift+D, 2

Debug.ParallelWatch3 Ctrl+Shift+D, 3

Debug.ParallelWatch4 Ctrl+Shift+D, 4

Debug.Processes Ctrl+Alt+Z

Debug.QuickWatch Shift+F9

or

Ctrl+Alt+Q

Debug.RefreshWindowsapp Ctrl+Shift+R

Debug.Registers Ctrl+Alt+G

Debug.Restart Ctrl+Shift+F5

Debug.RunToCursor Ctrl+F10

Debug.SetNextStatement Ctrl+Shift+F10

Debug.ShowCallStackonCodeMap Ctrl+Shift+`

Debug.ShowNextStatement Alt+Num *

Debug.Start F5

Debug.StartWindowsPhoneApplicationAnalysis Alt+F1

Debug.StartWithoutDebugging Ctrl+F5
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Debug.StepInto F11

Debug.StepIntoCurrentProcess Ctrl+Alt+F11

Debug.StepIntoSpecific Shift+Alt+F11

Debug.StepOut Shift+F11

Debug.StepOutCurrentProcess Ctrl+Shift+Alt+F11

Debug.StepOver F10

Debug.StepOverCurrentProcess Ctrl+Alt+F10

Debug.StopDebugging Shift+F5

Debug.StopPerformanceAnalysis Shift+Alt+F2

Debug.Tasks Ctrl+Shift+D, K

Debug.Threads Ctrl+Alt+H

Debug.ToggleBreakpoint F9

Debug.ToggleDisassembly Ctrl+F11

Debug.Watch1 Ctrl+Alt+W, 1

Debug.Watch2 Ctrl+Alt+W, 2

Debug.Watch3 Ctrl+Alt+W, 3

Debug.Watch4 Ctrl+Alt+W, 4

Debugger Context Menus

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

DebuggerContextMenus.BreakpointsWindow.Delete Alt+F9, D

DebuggerContextMenus.BreakpointsWindow.GoToDisassemb Alt+F9, A
ly

DebuggerContextMenus.BreakpointsWindow.GoToSourceCod Alt+F9, S
e

Diagnostics Hub
COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

DiagnosticsHub.StopCollection Ctrl+Alt+F2
Edit
COMMANDS

Edit.Copy Ctrl+C

or

Ctrl+Ins

Edit.Cut Ctrl+X

or

Shift+Delete

Edit.CycleClipboardRing Ctrl+Shift+V

or

Ctrl+Shift+Ins

Edit.Delete Delete

Edit.Find Ctrl+F

Edit.FindAllReferences Shift+F12

Edit.FindinFiles Ctrl+Shift+F

Edit.FindNext F3

Edit.FindNextSelected Ctrl+F3

Edit.FindPrevious Shift+F3

Edit.FindPreviousSelected Ctrl+Shift+F3

Edit.GenerateMethod Ctrl+K, Ctrl+M

Edit.GoTo Ctrl+G

Edit.GoToDeclaration Ctrl+F12

Edit.GoToDefinition F12

Edit.GoToFindCombo Ctrl+D

Edit.GoToNextLocation F8

Edit.GoToPrevLocation Shift+F8

Edit.InsertSnippet Ctrl+K, Ctrl+X

Edit.MoveControlDown Ctrl+Down Arrow

COMMANDS

Edit.MoveControlDownGrid Down Arrow

Edit.MoveControlLeft Ctrl+Left Arrow

Edit.MoveControlLeftGrid Left Arrow

Edit.MoveControlRight Ctrl+Right Arrow

Edit.MoveControlRightGrid Right Arrow

Edit.MoveControlUp Ctrl+Up Arrow

Edit.MoveControlUpGrid Up Arrow

Edit.NavigateTo Ctrl+,

Edit.NextBookmark Ctrl+K, Ctrl+N

Edit.NextBookmarkInFolder Ctrl+Shift+K, Ctrl+Shift+N

Edit.OpenFile Ctrl+Shift+G

Edit.Paste Ctrl+V

or

Shift+Ins

Edit.PreviousBookmark Ctrl+K, Ctrl+P

Edit.PreviousBookmarkInFolder Ctrl+Shift+K, Ctrl+Shift+P

Edit.QuickFindSymbol Shift+Alt+F12

Edit.Redo Ctrl+Y

or

Ctrl+Shift+Z

or

Shift+Alt+Backspace

Edit.RefreshRemoteReferences Ctrl+Shift+J

Edit.Replace Ctrl+H

Edit.ReplaceinFiles Ctrl+Shift+H

Edit.SelectAll Ctrl+A
 COMMANDS

Edit.SelectNextControl Tab

Edit.SelectPreviousControl Shift+Tab

Edit.ShowTileGrid Enter

Edit.SizeControlDown Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow

Edit.SizeControlDownGrid Shift+Down Arrow

Edit.SizeControlLeft Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow

Edit.SizeControlLeftGrid Shift+Left Arrow

Edit.SizeControlRight Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow

Edit.SizeControlRightGrid Shift+Right Arrow

Edit.SizeControlUp Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow

Edit.SizeControlUpGrid Shift+Up Arrow

Edit.StopSearch Alt+F3, S

Edit.SurroundWith Ctrl+K, Ctrl+S

Edit.Undo Ctrl+Z

or

Alt+Backspace

Editor Context Menus

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

EditorContextMenus.CodeWindow.Breakpoint.BreakpointEditl Alt+F9, L
abels

EditorContextMenus.CodeWindow.CodeMap.ShowItem Ctrl+`

EditorContextMenus.CodeWindow.Execute Ctrl+Alt+F5

EditorContextMenus.CodeWindow.GoToView Ctrl+M, Ctrl+G

EditorContextMenus.CodeWindow.ToggleHeaderCodeFile Ctrl+K, Ctrl+O

EditorContextMenus.CodeWindow.ViewCallHierarchy Ctrl+K, Ctrl+T

or

Ctrl+K, T
File
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

File.Exit Alt+F4

File.NewFile Ctrl+N

File.NewProject Ctrl+Shift+N

File.NewWebSite Shift+Alt+N

File.OpenFile Ctrl+O

File.OpenProject Ctrl+Shift+O

File.OpenWebSite Shift+Alt+O

File.Print Ctrl+P

File.SaveAll Ctrl+Shift+S

File.SaveSelectedItems Ctrl+S

File.ViewinBrowser Ctrl+Shift+W

Help
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Help.AddandRemoveHelpContent Ctrl+Alt+F1

Help.F1Help F1

Help.ViewHelp Ctrl+F1

Help.WindowHelp Shift+F1

Load Test
COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

LoadTest.JumpToCounterPane Ctrl+R, Q

Other Context Menus

COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

OtherContextMenus.MicrosoftDataEntityDesignContext.Add Insert
NewDiagram

Project
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Project.AddExistingItem Shift+Alt+A

Project.AddNewItem Ctrl+Shift+A

Project.ClassWizard Ctrl+Shift+X

Project.Override Ctrl+Alt+Ins

Project.Previewchanges Alt+;, Alt+C

Project.Publishselectedfiles Alt+;, Alt+P

Project.Replaceselectedfilesfromserver Alt+;, Alt+R

Project and Solution Context Menus

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

ProjectandSolutionContextMenus.Item.MoveDown Alt+Down Arrow

ProjectandSolutionContextMenus.Item.MoveUp Alt+Up Arrow

Refactor
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Refactor.EncapsulateField Ctrl+R, Ctrl+E

Refactor.ExtractInterface Ctrl+R, Ctrl+I

Refactor.ExtractMethod Ctrl+R, Ctrl+M

Refactor.RemoveParameters Ctrl+R, Ctrl+V

Refactor.Rename Ctrl+R, Ctrl+R

Refactor.ReorderParameters Ctrl+R, Ctrl+O

Solution Explorer
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

SolutionExplorer.OpenFilesFilter Ctrl+[, O

or

Ctrl+[, Ctrl+O
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

SolutionExplorer.PendingChangesFilter Ctrl+[, P

or

Ctrl+[, Ctrl+P

SolutionExplorer.SyncWithActiveDocument Ctrl+[, S

or

Ctrl+[, Ctrl+S

Team
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Team.Git.GoToGitBranches Ctrl+0, Ctrl+N

or

Ctrl+0, N

Team.Git.GoToGitChanges Ctrl+0, Ctrl+G

or

Ctrl+0, G

Team.Git.GoToGitCommits Ctrl+0, Ctrl+O

or

Ctrl+0, O

Team.TeamExplorerSearch Ctrl+'

Team Foundation Context Menus

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToBuilds Ctrl+0, Ctrl+B

or

Ctrl+0, B

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToConnect Ctrl+0, Ctrl+C

or

Ctrl+0, C
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToDocuments Ctrl+0, Ctrl+D

or

Ctrl+0, D

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToHome Ctrl+0, Ctrl+H

or

Ctrl+0, H

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToMyWork Ctrl+0, Ctrl+M

or

Ctrl+0, M

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToPendingCha Ctrl+0, Ctrl+P

nges
or

Ctrl+0, P

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToReports Ctrl+0, Ctrl+R

or

Ctrl+0, R

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToSettings Ctrl+0, Ctrl+S

or

Ctrl+0, S

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToWebAccess Ctrl+0, Ctrl+A

or

Ctrl+0, A

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToWorkItems Ctrl+0, Ctrl+W

or

Ctrl+0, W

Test
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Test.UseCodedUITestBuilder Ctrl+\, Ctrl+C

Test.UseExistingActionRecording Ctrl+\, Ctrl+A

Test Explorer
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

TestExplorer.DebugAllTests Ctrl+R, Ctrl+A

TestExplorer.DebugAllTestsInContext Ctrl+R, Ctrl+T

TestExplorer.RepeatLastRun Ctrl+R, L

TestExplorer.RunAllTests Ctrl+R, A

TestExplorer.RunAllTestsInContext Ctrl+R, T

Tools
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Tools.AttachtoProcess Ctrl+Alt+P

Tools.CodeSnippetsManager Ctrl+K, Ctrl+B

Tools.ForceGC Ctrl+Shift+Alt+F12, Ctrl+Shift+Alt+F12

Tools.GoToCommandLine Ctrl+/

View
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

View.AllWindows Shift+Alt+M

View.ArchitectureExplorer Ctrl+\, Ctrl+R

View.Backward Alt+Left Arrow

View.BookmarkWindow Ctrl+K, Ctrl+W

View.BrowseNext Ctrl+Shift+1

View.BrowsePrevious Ctrl+Shift+2

View.CallHierarchy Ctrl+Alt+K

View.ClassView Ctrl+Shift+C

View.ClassViewGoToSearchCombo Ctrl+K, Ctrl+V

View.CodeDefinitionWindow Ctrl+\, D

or

Ctrl+\, Ctrl+D

View.CommandWindow Ctrl+Alt+A
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

View.DataSources Shift+Alt+D

View.DocumentOutline Ctrl+Alt+T

View.EditLabel F2

View.ErrorList Ctrl+\, E

or

Ctrl+\, Ctrl+E

View.F#Interactive Ctrl+Alt+F

View.FindSymbolResults Ctrl+Alt+F12

View.Forward Alt+Right Arrow

View.ForwardBrowseContext Ctrl+Shift+7

View.FullScreen Shift+Alt+Enter

View.NavigateBackward Ctrl+-

View.NavigateForward Ctrl+Shift+-

View.NextError Ctrl+Shift+F12

View.Notifications Ctrl+W, N

or

Ctrl+W, Ctrl+N

View.ObjectBrowser Ctrl+Alt+J

View.ObjectBrowserGoToSearchCombo Ctrl+K, Ctrl+R

View.Output Ctrl+Alt+O

View.PopBrowseContex Ctrl+Shift+8

View.PropertiesWindow F4

View.PropertyPages Shift+F4

View.ResourceView Ctrl+Shift+E

View.ServerExplorer Ctrl+Alt+S
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

View.ShowSmartTag Shift+Alt+F10

or

Ctrl+.

View.SolutionExplorer Ctrl+Alt+L

View.SQLServerObjectExplorer Ctrl+\, Ctrl+S

View.TaskList Ctrl+\, T

or

Ctrl+\, Ctrl+T

View.TfsTeamExplorer Ctrl+\, Ctrl+M

View.Toolbox Ctrl+Alt+X

View.UMLModelExplorer Ctrl+\, Ctrl+U

View.ViewCode F7

View.ViewDesigner Shift+F7

View.WebBrowser Ctrl+Alt+R

View.ZoomIn Ctrl+Shift+.

View.ZoomOut Ctrl+Shift+,

Window
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Window.ActivateDocumentWindow Esc

Window.AddTabtoSelection Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Space

Window.CloseDocumentWindow Ctrl+F4

Window.CloseToolWindow Shift+Esc

Window.KeepTabOpen Ctrl+Alt+Home

Window.MovetoNavigationBar Ctrl+F2

Window.NextDocumentWindow Ctrl+F6

Window.NextDocumentWindowNav Ctrl+Tab
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Window.NextPane Alt+F6

Window.NextSplitPane F6

Window.NextTab Ctrl+Alt+PgDn

or

Ctrl+PgDn

Window.NextTabandAddtoSelection Ctrl+Shift+Alt+PgDn

Window.NextToolWindowNav Alt+F7

Window.PreviousDocumentWindow Ctrl+Shift+F6

Window.PreviousDocumentWindowNav Ctrl+Shift+Tab

Window.PreviousPane Shift+Alt+F6

Window.PreviousSplitPane Shift+F6

Window.PreviousTab Ctrl+Alt+PgUp

or

Ctrl+PgUp

Window.PreviousTabandAddtoSelection Ctrl+Shift+Alt+PgUp

Window.PreviousToolWindowNav Shift+Alt+F7

Window.QuickLaunch Ctrl+Q

Window.QuickLaunchPreviousCategory Ctrl+Shift+Q

Window.ShowDockMenu Alt+-

Window.ShowEzMDIFileList Ctrl+Alt+Down Arrow

Window.SolutionExplorerSearch Ctrl+;

Window.WindowSearch Alt+`

Azure
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

WindowsAzure.RetryMobileServiceScriptOperation Ctrl+Num *, Ctrl+R

WindowsAzure.ShowMobileServiceScriptErrorDetails Ctrl+Num *, Ctrl+D

ADO.NET Entity Data Model Designer
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

OtherContextMenus.MicrosoftDataEntityDesignContext.Mov Alt+Down Arrow

eProperties.Down

OtherContextMenus.MicrosoftDataEntityDesignContext.Mov Alt+PgDn
eProperties.Down5

OtherContextMenus.MicrosoftDataEntityDesignContext.Mov Alt+End
eProperties.ToBottom

OtherContextMenus.MicrosoftDataEntityDesignContext.Mov Alt+Home
eProperties.ToTop

OtherContextMenus.MicrosoftDataEntityDesignContext.Mov Alt+Up Arrow

eProperties.Up

OtherContextMenus.MicrosoftDataEntityDesignContext.Mov Alt+PgUp
eProperties.Up5

OtherContextMenus.MicrosoftDataEntityDesignContext.Refac Ctrl+R, R
tor.Rename

OtherContextMenus.MicrosoftDataEntityDesignContext.Rem Shift+Del
ovefromDiagram

View.EntityDataModelBrowser Ctrl+1

View.EntityDataModelMappingDetails Ctrl+2

Class Diagram
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

ClassDiagram.Collapse Num -

ClassDiagram.Expand Num +

Edit.Delete Ctrl+Del

Edit.ExpandCollapseBaseTypeList Shift+Alt+B

Edit.NavigateToLollipop Shift+Alt+L

Edit.RemovefromDiagram Delete

View.ViewCode Enter

Coded UI Test Editor

 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

OtherContextMenus.UITestEditorContextMenu.CopyReferenc Ctrl+C
etoClipboard

OtherContextMenus.UITestEditorContextMenu.InsertDelayBe Ctrl+Alt+D
fore

OtherContextMenus.UITestEditorContextMenu.LocateAll Shift+Alt+L

OtherContextMenus.UITestEditorContextMenu.LocatetheUIC Ctrl+Shift+L
ontrol

OtherContextMenus.UITestEditorContextMenu.Movecode Ctrl+Alt+C

OtherContextMenus.UITestEditorContextMenu.Splitintoanew Ctrl+Shift+T
method

DataSet Editor
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

OtherContextMenus.ColumnContext.InsertColumn Insert

OtherContextMenus.DbTableContext.Add.Column Ctrl+L

Difference Viewer

Commands Keyboard Shortcuts

Diff.IgnoreTrimWhitespace Ctrl+\, Ctrl+Spacebar

Diff.InlineView Ctrl+\, Ctrl+1

Diff.LeftOnlyView Ctrl+\, Ctrl+3

Diff.NextDifference F8

Diff.PreviousDifference Shift+F8

Diff.RightOnlyView Ctrl+\, Ctrl+4

Diff.SideBySideView Ctrl+\, Ctrl+2

Diff.SwitchBetweenLeftAndRight Ctrl+\, Ctrl+Tab

Diff.SynchronizeViewToggle Ctrl+\, Ctrl+Down Arrow

EditorContextMenus.CodeWindow.AddComment Ctrl+Shift+K
 EditorContextMenus.CodeWindow.EditLocalFile Ctrl+Shift+P

DOM Explorer
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

DOMExplorer.Refresh F5

DOMExplorer.SelectElement Ctrl+B

DOMExplorer.ShowLayout Ctrl+Shift+I

F# Interactive
COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

OtherContextMenus.FSIConsoleContext.CancelInteractiveEval Ctrl+Break
uation

Graph Document Editor

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

ArchitectureContextMenus.DirectedGraphContextMenu.Adva Insert
nced.Add.AddNode

ArchitectureContextMenus.DirectedGraphContextMenu.Adva B
nced.Select.BothDependencies

ArchitectureContextMenus.DirectedGraphContextMenu.Adva I
nced.Select.IncomingDependencies

ArchitectureContextMenus.DirectedGraphContextMenu.Adva O
nced.Select.OutgoingDependencies

ArchitectureContextMenus.DirectedGraphContextMenu.New Ctrl+Shift+K
Comment
or

Ctrl+E, C

ArchitectureContextMenus.DirectedGraphContextMenu.Remo Delete
ve

ArchitectureContextMenus.DirectedGraphContextMenu.Rena F2
me

Graphics Diagnostics
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Debug.Graphics.CaptureFrame None

Graphics.MovePixelSelectionDown Shift+Alt+Down Arrow

Graphics.MovePixelSelectionLeft Shift+Alt+Left Arrow

Graphics.MovePixelSelectionRight Shift+Alt+Right Arrow

Graphics.MovePixelSelectionUp Shift+Alt+Up Arrow

Graphics.ZoomToActualSize Shift+Alt+0

Graphics.ZoomToFitInWindow Shift+Alt+9

Graphics.ZoomIn Shift+Alt+=

Graphics.ZoomOut Shift+Alt+-

HTML Editor
COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

OtherContextMenus.HTMLContext.GoToController Ctrl+M, Ctrl+G

HTML Editor Design View

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.MoveControlDown Ctrl+Down Arrow

Edit.MoveControlUp Ctrl+Up Arrow

Format.Bold Ctrl+B

Format.ConverttoHyperlink Ctrl+L

Format.InsertBookmark Ctrl+Shift+L

Format.Italic Ctrl+I

Format.Underline Ctrl+U

Project.AddContentPage Ctrl+M, Ctrl+C

Table.ColumntotheLeft Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow

Table.ColumntotheRight Ctrl+Alt+Right Arrow

Table.RowAbove Ctrl+Alt+Up Arrow

 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Table.RowBelow Ctrl+Alt+Down Arrow

View.ASP.NETNonvisualControls Ctrl+Shift+N

View.EditMaster Ctrl+M, Ctrl+M

View.NextView Ctrl+PgDn

View.ShowSmartTag Shift+Alt+F10

View.ViewMarkup Shift+F7

Window.PreviousTab Ctrl+PgUp

HTML Editor Source View

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

OtherContextMenus.HTMLContext.GoToController Ctrl+M, Ctrl+G

View.NextView Ctrl+PgDn

View.SynchronizeViews Ctrl+Shift+Y

View.ViewDesigner Shift+F7

Window.PreviousTab Ctrl+PgUp

Layer Diagram
COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

Edit.Delete Shift+Delete

Managed Resources Editor

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.EditCell F2

Edit.Remove Delete

Edit.RemoveRow Ctrl+Delete

Edit.SelectionCancel Escape

Resources.Audio Ctrl+4
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Resources.Files Ctrl+5

Resources.Icons Ctrl+3

Resources.Images Ctrl+2

Resources.Other Ctrl+6

Resources.Strings Ctrl+1

Merge Editor Window

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

TeamFoundationContextMenus.MergeContextMenu.SetFocus Alt+1
onLeftWindow

TeamFoundationContextMenus.MergeContextMenu.SetFocus Alt+2
onResultWindow

TeamFoundationContextMenus.MergeContextMenu.SetFocus Alt+3
onRightWindow

Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools, Schema Compare

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

SQL.SSDTSchemaCompareCompare Shift+Alt+C

SQL.SSDTSchemaCompareGenerateScript Shift+Alt+G

SQL.SSDTSchemaCompareNextChange Shift+Alt+.

SQL.SSDTSchemaComparePreviousChange Shift+Alt+,

SQL.SSDTSchemaCompareStop Alt+Break

SQL.SSDTSchemaCompareWriteUpdates Shift+Alt+U

Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools, Table Designer

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

CommitAllEdits Shift+Alt+U
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

SQL.ExpandWildcards Ctrl+R, E

or

Ctrl+R, Ctrl+E

SQL.FullyqualifyNames Ctrl+R, Q

or

Ctrl+R, Ctrl+Q

SQL.MovetoSchema Ctrl+R, M

or

Ctrl+R, Ctrl+M

SQL.Rename F2

or

Ctrl+R, R

or

Ctrl+R, Ctrl+R

ViewFileInScriptPanel Shift+Alt+PgDn

Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools, T-SQL Editor

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

CommitAllEdits Shift+Alt+U

SQL.ExecuteWithDebugger Alt+F5

SQL.ExpandWildcards Ctrl+R, E

or

Ctrl+R, Ctrl+E

SQL.FullyqualifyNames Ctrl+R, Q

or

Ctrl+R, Ctrl+Q

SQL.MovetoSchema Ctrl+R, M

or

Ctrl+R, Ctrl+M
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

SQL.Rename F2

or

Ctrl+R, R

or

Ctrl+R, Ctrl+R

SQL.TSqlEditorCancelQuery Alt+Break

SQL.TSqlEditorExecuteQuery Ctrl+Shift+E

SQL.TSqlEditorResultsAsFile Ctrl+D, F

SQL.TSqlEditorResultsAsGrid Ctrl+D, G

SQL.TSqlEditorResultsAsText Ctrl+D, T

SQL.TSqlEditorShowEstimatedPlan Ctrl+D, E

SQL.TSqlEditorToggleExecutionPlan Ctrl+D, A

SQL.TSqlEditorToggleResultsPane Ctrl+D, R

TSqlEditorCloneQuery Ctrl+Alt+N

TSqlEditorDatabaseCombo Shift+Alt+PgDn

Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools, T-SQL PDW Editor

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

SQL.TSqlEditorCancelQuery Alt+Break

SQL.TSqlEditorExecuteQuery Ctrl+Shift+E

SQL.TSqlEditorResultsAsFile Ctrl+D, F

SQL.TSqlEditorResultsAsGrid Ctrl+D, G

SQL.TSqlEditorResultsAsText Ctrl+D, T

SQL.TSqlEditorShowEstimatedPlan Ctrl+D, E

SQL.TSqlEditorToggleExecutionPlan Ctrl+D, A

SQL.TSqlEditorToggleResultsPane Ctrl+D, R

TSqlEditorCloneQuery Ctrl+Alt+N
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

TSqlEditorDatabaseCombo Shift+Alt+PgDn

Page Inspector
COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

PageInspector.Minimize F12

Query Designer
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

QueryDesigner.CancelRetrievingData Ctrl+T

QueryDesigner.Criteria Ctrl+2

QueryDesigner.Diagram Ctrl+1

QueryDesigner.ExecuteSQL Ctrl+R

QueryDesigner.GotoRow Ctrl+G

QueryDesigner.JoinMode Ctrl+Shift+J

QueryDesigner.Results Ctrl+4

QueryDesigner.SQL Ctrl+3

Query Results
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

SQL.QueryResultsNewRow Alt+End

SQL.QueryResultsRefresh Shift+Alt+R

SQL.QueryResultsStop Alt+Break

Report Designer
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.BreakLine Enter

Edit.CharLeft Left Arrow

Edit.CharLeftExtend Shift+Left Arrow

 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.CharRight Right Arrow

Edit.CharRightExtend Shift+Right Arrow

Edit.InsertTab Tab

Edit.LineDown Down Arrow

Edit.LineDownExtend Shift+Down Arrow

Edit.LineUp Up Arrow

Edit.LineUpExtend Shift+Up Arrow

Edit.MoveControlDown Ctrl+Down Arrow

Edit.MoveControlLeft Ctrl+Left Arrow

Edit.MoveControlRight Ctrl+Right Arrow

Edit.MoveControlUp Ctrl+Up Arrow

Edit.SelectionCancel Esc

Edit.SizeControlDown Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow

Edit.SizeControlLeft Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow

Edit.SizeControlRight Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow

Edit.SizeControlUp Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow

Edit.TabLeft Shift+Tab

View.ReportData Ctrl+Alt+D

Sequence Diagram
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

ArchitectureDesigner.Sequence.NavigateToCode F12

Edit.Delete Shift+Del

Settings Designer
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.EditCell F2
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.RemoveRow Ctrl+Delete

Edit.SelectionCancel Esc

View.ViewCode F7

Solution Explorer
COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

ClassViewContextMenus.ClassViewProject.View.ViewinPageIns Ctrl+K, Ctrl+G

pector

Team Explorer
COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

Edit.Delete Delete

File.Rename F2

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToTeamExplor Alt+Home
erNavigation

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToTeamExplor Alt+Down Arrow

erNextSectionContent

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToTeamExplor Alt+0
erPageContent

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToTeamExplor Alt+Up Arrow

erPreviousSectionContent

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToTeamExplor Alt+1
erSection1Content

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToTeamExplor Alt+2
erSection2Content

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToTeamExplor Alt+3
erSection3Content

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToTeamExplor Alt+4
erSection4Content

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToTeamExplor Alt+5
erSection5Content

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToTeamExplor Alt+6
erSection6Content
 COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToTeamExplor Alt+7
erSection7Content

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToTeamExplor Alt+8
erSection8Content

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.GoToTeamExplor Alt+9
erSection9Content

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.TeamExplorerNavi Alt+Left Arrow

gateBackward

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Commands.TeamExplorerNavi Alt+Right Arrow

gateForward

TeamFoundationContextMenus.MyWorkPageInProgress.TfsC Shift+Alt+C
ontextMyWorkPageCreateCopyWI

TeamFoundationContextMenus.MyWorkPageInProgress.TfsC Shift+Alt+L
ontextMyWorkPageNewLinkedWI

View.Refresh F5

Team Foundation Build Detail Editor

COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

View.Refresh F5

Test Explorer
COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

TestExplorer.OpenTest F12

Text Editor
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.BreakLine Enter

or

Shift+Enter

Edit.CharLeft Left Arrow

Edit.CharLeftExtend Shift+Left Arrow

Edit.CharLeftExtendColumn Shift+Alt+Left Arrow

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.CharRight Right Arrow

Edit.CharRightExtend Shift+Right Arrow

Edit.CharRightExtendColumn Shift+Alt+Right Arrow

Edit.CharTranspose Ctrl+T

Edit.ClearBookmarks Ctrl+K, Ctrl+L

Edit.CollapseAllOutlining Ctrl+M, Ctrl+A

Edit.CollapseCurrentRegion Ctrl+M, Ctrl+S

Edit.CollapseTag Ctrl+M, Ctrl+T

Edit.CollapsetoDefinitions Ctrl+M, Ctrl+O

Edit.CommentSelection Ctrl+K, Ctrl+C

Edit.CompleteWord Ctrl+Space

or

Alt+Right Arrow

Edit.CopyParameterTip Ctrl+Shift+Alt+C

Edit.DecreaseFilterLevel Alt+,

Edit.DeleteBackwards Backspace

or

Shift+Bkspce

Edit.DeleteHorizontalWhiteSpace Ctrl+K, Ctrl+\

Edit.DocumentEnd Ctrl+End

Edit.DocumentEndExtend Ctrl+Shift+End

Edit.DocumentStart Ctrl+Home

Edit.DocumentStartExtend Ctrl+Shift+Home

Edit.ExpandAllOutlining Ctrl+M, Ctrl+X

Edit.ExpandCurrentRegion Ctrl+M, Ctrl+E

Edit.FormatDocument Ctrl+K, Ctrl+D

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.FormatSelection Ctrl+K, Ctrl+F

Edit.GotoBrace Ctrl+]

Edit.GotoBraceExtend Ctrl+Shift+]

Edit.HideSelection Ctrl+M, Ctrl+H

Edit.IncreaseFilterLevel Alt+.

Edit.IncrementalSearch Ctrl+I

Edit.InsertTab Tab

Edit.LineCut Ctrl+L

Edit.LineDelete Ctrl+Shift+L

Edit.LineDown Down Arrow

Edit.LineDownExtend Shift+Down Arrow

Edit.LineDownExtendColumn Shift+Alt+Down Arrow

Edit.LineEnd End

Edit.LineEndExtend Shift+End

Edit.LineEndExtendColumn Shift+Alt+End

Edit.LineOpenAbove Ctrl+Enter

Edit.LineOpenBelow Ctrl+Shift+Enter

Edit.LineStart Home

Edit.LineStartExtend Shift+Home

Edit.LineStartExtendColumn Shift+Alt+Home

Edit.LineTranspose Shift+Alt+T

Edit.LineUp Up Arrow

Edit.LineUpExtend Shift+Up Arrow

Edit.LineUpExtendColumn Shift+Alt+Up Arrow

Edit.ListMembers Ctrl+J
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.MakeLowercase Ctrl+U

Edit.MakeUppercase Ctrl+Shift+U

Edit.MoveSelectedLinesDown Alt+Down Arrow

Edit.MoveSelectedLinesUp Alt+Up Arrow

Edit.NextHighlightedReference Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow

Edit.OvertypeMode Insert

Edit.PageDown PgDn

Edit.PageDownExtend Shift+PgDn

Edit.PageUp PgUp

Edit.PageUpExtend Shift+PgUp

Edit.ParameterInfo Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar

Edit.PasteParameterTip Ctrl+Shift+Alt+P

Edit.PeekBackward Ctrl+Alt+-

Edit.PeekDefinition Alt+F12

Edit.PeekForward Ctrl+Alt+=

Edit.PreviousHighlightedReference Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow

Edit.QuickInfo Ctrl+K, Ctrl+I

Edit.ReverseIncrementalSearch Ctrl+Shift+I

Edit.ScrollLineDown Ctrl+Down Arrow

Edit.ScrollLineUp Ctrl+Up Arrow

Edit.SelectCurrentWord Ctrl+W

Edit.SelectionCancel Escape

Edit.SelectToLastGoBack Ctrl+=

Edit.ShowCodeLensMenu Alt+`

Edit.StopHidingCurrent Ctrl+M, Ctrl+U

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.StopOutlining Ctrl+M, Ctrl+P

Edit.SwapAnchor Ctrl+K, Ctrl+A

Edit.TabLeft Shift+Tab

Edit.ToggleAllOutlining Ctrl+M, Ctrl+L

Edit.ToggleBookmark Ctrl+K, Ctrl+K

Edit.ToggleCompletionMode Ctrl+Alt+Space

Edit.ToggleOutliningExpansion Ctrl+M, Ctrl+M

Edit.ToggleTaskListShortcut Ctrl+K, Ctrl+H

Edit.ToggleWordWrap Ctrl+E, Ctrl+W

Edit.UncommentSelection Ctrl+K, Ctrl+U

Edit.ViewBottom Ctrl+PgDn

Edit.ViewBottomExtend Ctrl+Shift+PgDn

Edit.ViewTop Ctrl+PgUp

Edit.ViewTopExtend Ctrl+Shift+PgUp

Edit.ViewWhiteSpace Ctrl+R, Ctrl+W

Edit.WordDeleteToEnd Ctrl+Delete

Edit.WordDeleteToStart Ctrl+Backspace

Edit.WordNext Ctrl+Right Arrow

Edit.WordNextExtend Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow

Edit.WordNextExtendColumn Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Right Arrow

Edit.WordPrevious Ctrl+Left Arrow

Edit.WordPreviousExtend Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow

Edit.WordPreviousExtendColumn Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Left Arrow

Edit.WordTranspose Ctrl+Shift+T

EditorContextMenus.CodeWindow.ExecuteInInteractive Alt+Enter
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

EditorContextMenus.CodeWindow.ExecuteLineInInteractive Alt+'

OtherContextMenus.HTMLContext.ViewinPageInspector Ctrl+K, Ctrl+G

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Annotate.TfsAnnotateMoveN Alt+PgDn
extRegion

TeamFoundationContextMenus.Annotate.TfsAnnotateMovePr Alt+PgUp
eviousRegion

UML Activity Diagram

COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORCTUT

Edit.Delete Shift+Del

UML Class Diagram

COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORCTUT

Edit.DeleteFromModel Shift+Del

UML Component Diagram

COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORCTUT

Edit.DeleteFromModel Shift+Del

UML Use Case Diagram

COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORCTUT

Edit.DeleteFromModel Shift+Del

VC Accelerator Editor
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORCTUTS

Edit.NewAccelerator Insert

Edit.NextKeyTyped Ctrl+W

VC Dialog Editor
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORCTUTS

Edit.MoveControlDown Down Arrow

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORCTUTS

Edit.MoveControlLeft Left Arrow

Edit.MoveControlRight Right Arrow

Edit.MoveControlUp Up Arrow

Edit.ScrollColumnLeft Ctrl+Left Arrow

Edit.ScrollColumnRight Ctrl+Right Arrow

Edit.ScrollLineDown Ctrl+Down Arrow

Edit.ScrollLineUp Ctrl+Up Arrow

Edit.SizeControlDown Shift+Down Arrow

Edit.SizeControlLeft Shift+Left Arrow

Edit.SizeControlRight Shift+Right Arrow

Edit.SizeControlUp Shift+Up Arrow

Format.AlignBottoms Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow

Format.AlignCenters Shift+F9

Format.AlignLefts Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow

Format.AlignMiddles F9

Format.AlignRights Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow

Format.AlignTops Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow

Format.ButtonBottom Ctrl+B

Format.ButtonRight Ctrl+R

Format.CenterHorizontal Ctrl+Shift+F9

Format.CenterVertical Ctrl+F9

Format.CheckMnemonics Ctrl+M

Format.SizetoContent Shift+F7

Format.SpaceAcross Alt+Right Arrow

or

Alt+Left Arrow
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORCTUTS

Format.SpaceDown Alt+Up Arrow

or

Alt+Down Arrow

Format.TabOrder Ctrl+D

Format.TestDialog Ctrl+T

Format.ToggleGuides Ctrl+G

VC Image Editor
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Image.AirbrushTool Ctrl+A

Image.BrushTool Ctrl+B

Image.CopyandOutlineSelection Ctrl+Shift+U

Image.DrawOpaque Ctrl+J

Image.EllipseTool Alt+P

Image.EraseTool Ctrl+Shift+I

Image.FilledEllipseTool Ctrl+Shift+Alt+P

Image.FilledRectangleTool Ctrl+Shift+Alt+R

Image.FilledRoundedRectangleTool Ctrl+Shift+Alt+W

Image.FillTool Ctrl+F

Image.FlipHorizontal Ctrl+H

Image.FlipVertical Shift+Alt+H

Image.LargerBrush Ctrl+=

Image.LineTool Ctrl+L

Image.MagnificationTool Ctrl+M

Image.Magnify Ctrl+Shift+M

Image.NewImageType Insert
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Image.NextColor Ctrl+]

or

Ctrl+Right Arrow

Image.NextRightColor Ctrl+Shift+]

or

Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow

Image.OutlinedEllipseTool Shift+Alt+P

Image.OutlinedRectangleTool Shift+Alt+R

Image.OutlinedRoundedRectangleTool Shift+Alt+W

Image.PencilTool Ctrl+I

Image.PreviousColor Ctrl+[

or

Ctrl+Left Arrow

Image.PreviousRightColor Ctrl+Shift+[

or

Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow

Image.RectangleSelectionTool Shift+Alt+S

Image.RectangleTool Alt+R

Image.Rotate90Degrees Ctrl+Shift+H

Image.RoundedRectangleTool Alt+W

Image.ShowGrid Ctrl+Alt+S

Image.ShowTileGrid Ctrl+Shift+Alt+S

Image.SmallBrush Ctrl+.

Image.SmallerBrush Ctrl+-

Image.TextTool Ctrl+T

Image.UseSelectionasBrush Ctrl+U
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Image.ZoomIn Ctrl+Shift+.

or

Ctrl+Up Arrow

Image.ZoomOut Ctrl+Shift+,

or

Ctrl+Down Arrow

VC String Editor
COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

Edit.NewString Insert

View Designer
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

QueryDesigner.CancelRetrievingData Ctrl+T

QueryDesigner.Criteria Ctrl+2

QueryDesigner.Diagram Ctrl+1

QueryDesigner.ExecuteSQL Ctrl+R

QueryDesigner.GotoRow Ctrl+G

QueryDesigner.JoinMode Ctrl+Shift+J

QueryDesigner.Results Ctrl+4

QueryDesigner.SQL Ctrl+3

Visual Studio
COMMAND KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

OtherContextMenus.ORDesignerContext.HideMethodsPane Ctrl+1

Windows Forms Designer

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.BreakLine Enter
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.CharLeft Left Arrow

Edit.CharLeftExtend Shift+Left Arrow

Edit.CharRight Right Arrow

Edit.CharRightExtend Shift+Right Arrow

Edit.DocumentEnd End

Edit.DocumentEndExtend Shift+End

Edit.DocumentStart Home

Edit.DocumentStartExtend Shift+Home

Edit.InsertTab Tab

Edit.LineDown Down Arrow

Edit.LineDownExtend Shift+Up Arrow

Edit.LineUp Up Arrow

Edit.LineUpExtend Shift+Down Arrow

Edit.MoveControlDown Ctrl+Down Arrow

Edit.MoveControlLeft Ctrl+Left Arrow

Edit.MoveControlRight Ctrl+Right Arrow

Edit.MoveControlUp Ctrl+Up Arrow

Edit.SelectionCancel Escape

Edit.SizeControlDown Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow

Edit.SizeControlLeft Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow

Edit.SizeControlRight Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow

Edit.SizeControlUp Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow

Edit.TabLeft Shift+Tab

Work Item Editor

 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.CreateCopyofWorkItem Shift+Alt+C

Edit.RefreshWorkItem F5

Team.NewLinkedWorkItem Shift+Alt+L

Work Item Query View

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.CreateCopyofWorkItem Shift+Alt+C

Edit.Indent Shift+Alt+Right Arrow

Edit.Outdent Shift+Alt+Left Arrow

Team.NewLinkedWorkItem Shift+Alt+L

Team.Refresh F5

Window.Toggle Shift+Alt+V

Work Item Results View

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.CreateCopyofWorkItem Shift+Alt+C

Edit.Indent Shift+Alt+Right Arrow

Edit.Outdent Shift+Alt+Left Arrow

Team.GotoNextWorkItem Shift+Alt+N

Team.GotoPreviousWorkItem Shift+Alt+P

Team.NewLinkedWorkItem Shift+Alt+L

Team.Refresh F5

Window.Toggle Shift+Alt+V

Workflow Designer
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Edit.CompleteWord Ctrl+K, W

or

Ctrl+K, Ctrl+W

or

Ctrl+Spacebar

or

Alt+Right Arrow

Edit.DecreaseFilterLevel Alt+,

Edit.IncreaseFilterLevel Alt+.

Edit.ListMembers Ctrl+K, L

or

Ctrl+K, Ctrl+L

or

Ctrl+J

Edit.ParameterInfo Ctrl+K, P

or

Ctrl+K, Ctrl+P

or

Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar

Edit.QuickInfo Ctrl+K, I

or

Ctrl+K, Ctrl+I

WorkflowDesigner.Collapse Ctrl+E, Ctrl+C

or

Ctrl+E, C

WorkflowDesigner.CollapseAll or

WorkflowDesigner.ConnectNodes Ctrl+E, Ctrl+F

or

Ctrl+E, F
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

WorkflowDesigner.CreateVariable Ctrl+E, Ctrl+N

or

Ctrl+E, N

WorkflowDesigner.ExpandAll Ctrl+E, Ctrl+X

or

Ctrl+E, X

WorkflowDesigner.ExpandInPlace Ctrl+E, Ctrl+E

or

Ctrl+E, E

WorkflowDesigner.GoToParent Ctrl+E, Ctrl+P

or

Ctrl+E, P

WorkflowDesigner.MoveFocus Ctrl+E, Ctrl+M

or

Ctrl+E, M

WorkflowDesigner.NavigateThroughDesigner Ctrl+Alt+F6

WorkflowDesigner.Restore Ctrl+E, Ctrl+R

or

Ctrl+E, R

WorkflowDesigner.ShowHideArgumentDesigner Ctrl+E, Ctrl+A

or

Ctrl+E, A

WorkflowDesigner.ShowHideImportsDesigner Ctrl+E, Ctrl+I

or

Ctrl+E, I

WorkflowDesigner.ShowHideOverviewMap Ctrl+E, Ctrl+O

or

Ctrl+E, O
 COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

WorkflowDesigner.ShowHideVariableDesigner Ctrl+E, Ctrl+V

or

Ctrl+E, V

WorkflowDesigner.ToggleSelection Ctrl+E, Ctrl+S

or

Ctrl+E, S

WorkflowDesigner.ZoomIn Ctrl+Num +

WorkflowDesigner.ZoomOut Ctrl+Num -

XAML UI Designer
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Design.FitAll Ctrl+0

Design.ShowHandles F9

Design.ZoomIn Ctrl+Alt+=

Design.ZoomOut Ctrl+Alt+-

Format.EditText F2

Format.ResetLayout.All Ctrl+Shift+R

Run project code Ctrl+F9

Timeline.Hide (Blend only) Ctrl+H

Timeline.Lock (Blend only) Ctrl+L

Timeline.Show (Blend only) Ctrl+Shift+H

Timeline.Unlock (Blend only) Ctrl+Shift+L

View.EdgeLeftMoveLeft Ctrl+Shift+,

View.EdgeLeftMoveRight Ctrl+Shift+.

View.EdgeRightMoveLeft Ctrl+Shift+Alt+,

View.EdgeRightMoveRight Ctrl+Shift+Alt+.

View.ShowPropertyMarkerMenu Ctrl+Spacebar
XML (Text) Editor
COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

XML.StartXSLTDebugging Alt+F5

XML.StartXSLTWithoutDebugging Ctrl+Alt+F5

XML Schema Designer

COMMANDS KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

GraphView.BottomtoTop Alt+Up Arrow

GraphView.LefttoRight Alt+Right Arrow

GraphView.RighttoLeft Alt+Left Arrow

GraphView.ToptoBottom Alt+Down Arrow

OtherContextMenus.GraphView.RemovefromWorkspace Delete

XsdDesigner.ShowContentModelView Ctrl+2

XsdDesigner.ShowGraphView Ctrl+3

XsdDesigner.ShowStartView Ctrl+1

See Also
Image Editor for Icons
Using IntelliSense
 Using IntelliSense
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

IntelliSense is the general term for a number of features: List Members, Parameter Info, Quick Info, and Complete
Word. These features help you to learn more about the code you are using, keep track of the parameters you are
typing, and add calls to properties and methods with only a few keystrokes.
Many aspects of IntelliSense are language-specific. For more information about IntelliSense for different
languages, see the topics listed under See Also.

List Members
A list of valid members from a type (or namespace) appears after you type a trigger character (for example, a
period ( . ) in managed code or :: in C++). If you continue typing characters, the list is filtered to include only
the members that begin with those characters or where the beginning of any word within the name starts with
those characters. IntelliSense also performs "camel case" matching, so you can just type the first letter of each
camel-cased word in the member name to see the matches.
After selecting an item, you can insert it into your code by pressing TAB or by typing a space. If you select an item
and type a period, the item appears followed by the period, which brings up another member list. When you
select an item but before you insert it, you get Quick Info for the item.
In the member list, the icon to the left represents the type of the member, such as namespace, class, function, or
variable. For a list of icons, see Class View and Object Browser Icons. The list may be quite long, so you can press
PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN to move up or down in the list.

You can invoke the List Members feature manually by typing CTRL+J, clicking Edit/IntelliSense/List Members,
or clicking the List Members button on the editor toolbar. When it is invoked on a blank line or outside a
recognizable scope, the list displays symbols in the global namespace.
To turn List Members off by default (so that it does not appear unless specifically invoked), go to
Tools/Options/All Languages and deselect Auto list members. If you want to turn off List Members only for a
specific language, go to the General settings for that language.
You can also change to suggestion mode, in which only the text you type is inserted into the code. For example, if
you enter an identifier that is not in the list and press TAB, in completion mode the entry would replace the typed
identifier. To toggle between completion mode and suggestion mode, press CTRL+ALT+SPACEBAR or click
Edit/IntelliSense/Toggle Completion Mode.

Parameter Info
Parameter Info gives you information about the number, names, and types of parameters required by a method,
attribute generic type parameter (in C#), or template (in C++).
The parameter in bold indicates the next parameter that is required as you type the function. For overloaded
functions, you can use the UP and DOWN arrow keys to view alternative parameter information for the function
overloads.

When you annotate functions and parameters with XML Documentation comments, the comments will display as
Parameter Info. For more information, see Supplying XML Code Comments.
You can manually invoke Parameter Info by clicking Edit IntelliSense/Parameter Info, typing
CTRL+SHIFT+SPACE, or clicking the Parameter Info button on the editor toolbar.

Quick Info
Quick Info displays the complete declaration for any identifier in your code.

When you select a member from the List Members box, Quick Info also appears.

You can manually invoke Quick Info by clicking Edit/IntelliSense/Quick Info, typing CTRL+I, or clicking the
Quick Info button on the editor toolbar.
If a function is overloaded, IntelliSense may not display information for all forms of the overload.
You can turn Quick Info off In C++ by setting Tools/Options/Text Editor/C/C++/Advanced/Auto Quick Info
to false .

Complete Word
Complete Word completes the rest of a variable, command, or function name once you have entered enough
characters to disambiguate the term. You can invoke Complete Word by clicking Edit/IntelliSense/Complete
Word, typing CTRL+SPACE, or clicking the Complete Word button on the editor toolbar.

IntelliSense Options
IntelliSense options are on by default. To turn them off, click Tools/Options/Text Editor and deselect
Parameter information or Auto list members if you do not want the List Members feature.

Troubleshooting IntelliSense
The IntelliSense options may not work as you expect in certain cases.
The cursor is below a code error. You might not be able to use IntelliSense if an incomplete function or other
error exists in the code above the cursor because IntelliSense might not be able to parse the code elements. You
can resolve this problem by commenting out the applicable code.
The cursor is in a code comment. You can't use IntelliSense if the cursor is in a comment in your source file.
The cursor is in a string literal. You can't use IntelliSense if the cursor is in the quotation marks around a string
literal, as in the following example:

MessageBox( hWnd, "String literal|")

The automatic options are turned off. By default, IntelliSense works automatically, but you can disable it. Even
if automatic statement completion is disabled, you can invoke an IntelliSense feature.

See Also
Visual Basic-Specific IntelliSense
Visual C# IntelliSense
JavaScript IntelliSense
Supplying XML Code Comments
 Visual Basic-Specific IntelliSense
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

The Visual Basic source code editor offers the following IntelliSense features:
Syntax tips
Syntax tips display the syntax of the statement that you are typing. This is useful for statements such as
Declare.

Automatic Completion
Completion on various keywords
For example, if you type goto and a space, IntelliSense will display a list of the defined labels in a drop-
down menu. Other supported keywords include Exit , Implements , Option , and Declare .
Completion on Enum and Boolean

When a statement will refer to a member of an enumeration, IntelliSense will display a list of the members
of the Enum . When a statement will refer to a Boolean , IntelliSense will display a true-false drop-down
menu.
Completion can be turned off by default by deselecting Auto list members from the General property
page in the Visual Basic folder.
You can manually invoke completion by invoking List Members, Complete Word, or ALT+RIGHT ARROW.
For more information, see Using IntelliSense.

IntelliSense in Zone
IntelliSense in Zone assists Visual Basic developers who need to deploy applications through ClickOnce and are
constrained to partial trust settings. This feature:
Enables you to choose the permissions the application will run with.
Display APIs in the chosen Zone as available in List Members, and display APIs that require additional
permissions as unavailable.
For more information, see Code Access Security for ClickOnce Applications.

See Also
Using IntelliSense
 Filtered Completion Lists in Visual Basic
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

In Visual Basic, IntelliSense completion lists have two tab controls located near the bottom of the lists. The
Common tab, which is selected by default, displays items that are most often used to complete the statement that
you are writing. The All tab displays all items that are available for automatic completion, including those that are
also on the Common tab.

See Also
Using IntelliSense
Visual Basic-Specific IntelliSense
 Visual C# IntelliSense
10/18/2017 • 8 min to read • Edit Online

Visual C# IntelliSense is available when coding in the editor, and while debugging in the Immediate Mode
command window.

Completion Lists
The IntelliSense completion lists in Visual C# contain tokens from List Members, Complete Word, and more. It
provides quick access to:
Members of a type or namespace
Variables, commands, and functions names
Code snippets
Language Keywords
Extension Methods
The Completion List in C# is also smart enough to filter out irrelevant tokens and pre-select a token based on
context. For more information, see Filtered Completion Lists.
Code Snippets in Completion Lists
In Visual C#, the completion list includes code snippets to help you easily insert predefined bodies of code into
your program. Code snippets appear in the completion list as the snippet's shortcut text. For more information
about code snippets that are available in Visual C# by default, see Visual C# Code Snippets.
Language Keywords in Completion Lists
In Visual C#, the completion list also includes language keywords. For more information about C# language
keywords, see C# Keywords.
Extension Methods in Completion Lists
In Visual C#, the completion list includes Extension Methods that are in scope.

NOTE
The completion list does not display all extension methods for String objects.

Extension methods use a different icon than instance methods. For a listing of list icons, see Class View and Object
Browser Icons. When an instance method and extension method with the same name are both in scope, the
completion list displays the extension method icon.
Filtered Completion Lists
IntelliSense removes unnecessary members from the completion list by using filters. Visual C# filters the
completion lists that appear for these items:
Interfaces and base classes: IntelliSense automatically removes items from the interface and base class
completion lists, in both class declaration base and interface lists and constraint lists. For example, enums do
not appear in the completion list for base classes, because enums cannot be used for base classes. The
completion list of base classes only contains interfaces and namespaces. If you select an item in the list and
 then type a comma, IntelliSense removes base classes from the completion list because Visual C# does not
support multiple inheritance. The same behavior occurs for constraint clauses also.
Attributes: When you apply an attribute to a type, the completion list is filtered so that the list only contains
those types that descend from the namespaces that contain those types, such as Attribute.
Catch clauses
Object initializers: Only members that can be initialized will appear in the completion list.
new keyword: When you type new and then press the SPACEBAR, a completion list appears. An item is
automatically selected in the list, based on the context in your code. For example, items are automatically
selected in the completion list for declarations and for return statements in methods.
enum keyword: When you press the SPACEBAR after an equal sign for an enum assignment, a completion
list appears. An item is automatically selected in the list, based on the context in your code. For example,
items are automatically selected in the completion list after you type the keyword return and when you
make a declaration.
as and is operators: A filtered completion list is displayed automatically when you press the SPACEBAR
after you have typed the as or is keyword.
Events: When you type the keyword event , the completion list only contains delegate types.
Parameter help automatically sorts to the first method overload that matches the parameters as you enter
them. If multiple method overloads are available, you can use the up and down arrows to navigate to the
next possible overload in the list.

Most recently used members

IntelliSense remembers the members that you have recently selected in the pop-up List Members box for
automatic object name completion. The next time you use Member List, the most recently used members are
shown at the top. The history of most recently used members is cleared between each session in the IDE.

override
When you type override and then press SPACEBAR, IntelliSense displays all of the valid base class members that
you can override in a pop-up list box. Typing the return type of the method after override will prompt IntelliSense
to only show methods that return the same type. When IntelliSense cannot find any matches, it will display all of
the base class members.

Automatic Code Generation

Add using
The Add using IntelliSense operation automatically adds the required using directive to your code file. This
feature enables you to maintain your focus on the code you are writing rather than requiring you to shift your
focus to another part of the code.
To initiate the Add using operation, position the cursor on a type reference that cannot be resolved. For example,
when you create a console application and then add XmlTextReader to the body of the Main method, a red
squiggle appears on that line of code because the type reference cannot be resolved. You can then invoke the Add
using through the Quick Action. The Quick Action is only visible when the cursor is positioned on the unbound
type.
Click the light bulb icon, and then choose using System.Xml; to automatically add the using directive.
Organize usings
The Organize Usings options sort and remove using and extern declarations without changing the behavior of
the source code. Over time, source files may become bloated and difficult to read because of unnecessary and
unorganized using directives. The Organize Usings options compact source code by removing unused using
directives and improves readability by sorting them.
To see the available options in the Visual Studio IDE, on the Edit menu, point to IntelliSense, and then point to
Organize Usings. The IDE provides the following options to organize and remove usings directives:
Implement Interface
IntelliSense provides an option to help you implement an interface while working in the Code Editor. Normally, to
implement an interface properly, you must create a method declaration for every member of the interface in your
class. Using IntelliSense, after you type the name of an interface in a class declaration, a Quick Actions light bulb is
displayed. The light bulb gives you the option to implement the interface automatically, using explicit or implicit
naming. Under explicit naming, the method declarations carry the name of the interface; under implicit naming, the
method declarations do not indicate the interface to which they belong. An explicitly named interface method can
only be accessed through an interface instance, and not through a class instance. For more information, see Explicit
Interface Implementation.
Implement Interface will generate the minimum number of method stubs that is required to satisfy the interface. If
a base class implements parts of the interface, then those stubs are not regenerated.
Implement abstract base class
IntelliSense provides an option to help you implement members of an abstract base class automatically while
working in the Code Editor. Normally, to implement members of an abstract base class requires creating a new
method definition for each method of the abstract base class in your derived class. Using IntelliSense, after typing
the name of an abstract base class in a class declaration, a Quick Actions light bulb is displayed. The light bulb gives
you the option to implement the base class methods automatically.
The method stubs that are generated by the Implement Abstract Base Class feature are modeled by the code
snippet defined in the file MethodStub.snippet. Code Snippets are modifiable. For more information, see
Walkthrough: Creating a Code Snippet.
Generate from usage
The Generate From Usage feature enables you to use classes and members before you define them. You can
generate a stub for any class, constructor, method, property, field, or enum that you want to use but have not yet
defined. You can generate new types and members without leaving your current location in code. This minimizes
interruption to your workflow.
A red wavy underline appears under each undefined identifier. When you rest the mouse pointer on the identifier,
an error message appears in a tooltip. To display the appropriate options, you can use one of the following
procedures:
 Click the undefined identifier. A Quick Actions light bulb appears under the identifier. Click the light bulb.
Click the undefined identifier, and then press Ctrl+. (Ctrl + period).
Right-click the undefined identifier, and then click Quick Actions and Refactorings.
The options that appear can include the following:
Generate property
Generate field
Generate method
Generate class
Generate new type... (for a class, struct, interface, or enum)

Generate event handlers

In the Code Editor, IntelliSense can help you hook up methods (event handlers) to event fields.
When you type the += operator after an event field in a .cs file, IntelliSense prompts you with the option to press
the TAB key. This inserts a new instance of a delegate that points to the method handling the event.

If you press TAB, IntelliSense automatically finishes the statement for you and displays the event handler reference
as selected text in the Code Editor. To complete the automatic event hookup, IntelliSense prompts you to press the
TAB key again to create an empty stub for the event handler.

NOTE
If a new delegate that is created by IntelliSense references an existing event handler, IntelliSense communicates this
information in the tooltip. You can then modify this reference; the text is already selected in the Code Editor. Otherwise,
automatic event hookup is complete at this point.

If you press TAB, IntelliSense stubs out a method with the correct signature and puts the cursor in the body of your
event handler.

NOTE
Use the Navigate Backward command on the View menu (CTRL+-) to go back to the event hookup statement.

See Also
Visual Studio IDE
 Walkthrough: test-first development with the
Generate From Usage feature
10/18/2017 • 7 min to read • Edit Online

This topic demonstrates how to use the Generate From Usage feature, which supports test-first development.
Test-first development is an approach to software design in which you first write unit tests based on product
specifications, and then write the source code that is required to make the tests succeed. Visual Studio supports
test-first development by generating new types and members in the source code when you first reference them in
your test cases, before they are defined.
Visual Studio generates the new types and members with minimal interruption to your workflow. You can create
stubs for types, methods, properties, fields, or constructors without leaving your current location in code. When you
open a dialog box to specify options for type generation, the focus returns immediately to the current open file
when the dialog box closes.
The Generate From Usage feature can be used with test frameworks that integrate with Visual Studio. In this topic,
the Microsoft Unit Testing Framework is demonstrated.

NOTE
Your computer might show different names or locations for some of the Visual Studio user interface elements in the following
instructions. The Visual Studio edition that you have and the settings that you use determine these elements. For more
information, see Personalizing the IDE.

To create a Windows Class Library project and a Test project

1. In Visual C# or Visual Basic, create a new Windows Class Library project. Name it GFUDemo_VB or
GFUDemo_CS , depending on which language you are using.

2. In Solution Explorer, right-click the solution icon at the top, choose Add, and then choose New Project. In
the left pane of the New Project dialog box, choose Test.
3. In the middle pane, choose Unit Test Project and accept the default name of UnitTestProject1. The
following illustration shows the dialog box when it appears in Visual C#. In Visual Basic, the dialog box looks
similar.
4. Choose OK to close the New Project dialog box.
To add a reference to the Class Library project
1. In Solution Explorer, under your unit test project, right-click the References entry and choose Add
Reference.
2. In the Reference Manager dialog box, select Projects and then select the class library project.
3. Choose OK to close the Reference Manager dialog box.
4. Save your solution. You are now ready to begin writing tests.
To generate a new class from a unit test
1. The test project contains a file that is named UnitTest1. Double-click this file in Solution Explorer to open it
in the code editor. A test class and test method have been generated.
2. Locate the declaration for class UnitTest1 and rename it to AutomobileTest .

NOTE
IntelliSense now provides two alternatives for IntelliSense statement completion: completion mode and suggestion
mode. Use suggestion mode for situations in which classes and members are used before they are defined. When an
IntelliSense window is open, you can press Ctrl+Alt+SPACEBAR to toggle between completion mode and
suggestion mode. See Using IntelliSense for more information. Suggestion mode will help when you are typing
Automobile in the next step.

3. Locate the TestMethod1() method and rename it to DefaultAutomobileIsInitializedCorrectly() . Inside this

method, create a new instance of a class named Automobile , as shown in the following screenshots. A wavy
underline appears, which indicates a compile-time error, and a Quick Actions light bulb appears in the left
margin (C# only), or directly below the squiggle if you hover over it.
4. Choose or click the Quick Actions light bulb. You'll see an error message that states that the type Automobile
is not defined. You are also presented with some solutions.
5. Click Generate new type... to open the Generate Type dialog box. This dialog box provides options that
include generating the type in a different project.
6. In the Project list, click GFUDemo_VB or GFUDemo_CS to instruct Visual Studio to add the file to the class
library project instead of the test project. If it's not already selected, choose Create new file and name it
Automobile.cs or Automobile.vb.

7. Click OK to close the dialog box and create the new file.
8. In Solution Explorer, look under the GFUDemo_VB or GFUDemo_CS project node to verify that the new
Automobile.vb or Automobile.cs file is there. In the code editor, the focus is still in
AutomobileTest.DefaultAutomobileIsInitializedCorrectly , which enables you to continue to write your test
with a minimum of interruption.
To generate a property stub
Assume that the product specification states that the Automobile class has two public properties named Model and
TopSpeed . These properties must be initialized with default values of "Not specified" and -1 by the default
constructor. The following unit test will verify that the default constructor sets the properties to their correct default
values.
1. Add the following line of code to the DefaultAutomobileIsInitializedCorrectly test method.

Assert.IsTrue((myAuto.Model == "Not specified") && (myAuto.TopSpeed == -1));

Assert.IsTrue((myAuto.Model = "Not specified") And (myAuto.TopSpeed = -1))

2. Because the code references two undefined properties on Automobile , a wavy underline appears under
Model and TopSpeed . Hover over Model and choose the Quick Actions light bulb, then choose Generate
property 'Automobile.Model'.
3. Generate a property stub for the TopSpeed property in the same way.
In the Automobile class, the types of the new properties are correctly inferred from the context.
To generate a stub for a new constructor
Now we'll create a test method that will generate a constructor stub to initialize the Model and TopSpeed
properties. Later, you'll add more code to complete the test.
1. Add the following additional test method to your AutomobileTest class.

[TestMethod]
public void AutomobileWithModelNameCanStart()
{
string model = "Contoso";
int topSpeed = 199;
Automobile myAuto = new Automobile(model, topSpeed);
}

<TestMethod()> Public Sub AutomobileWithModelNameCanStart()

Dim model As String = "Contoso"
Dim topSpeed As Integer = 199
Dim myAuto As New Automobile(model, topSpeed)
End Sub

2. Click the Quick Actions light bulb under the red squiggle, and then click Generate constructor in
'Automobile'.
In the Automobile class file, notice that the new constructor has examined the names of the local variables
that are used in the constructor call, found properties that have the same names in the Automobile class, and
supplied code in the constructor body to store the argument values in the Model and TopSpeed properties.
3. After you generate the new constructor, a wavy underline appears under the call to the default constructor in
DefaultAutomobileIsInitializedCorrectly . The error message states that the Automobile class has no
constructor that takes zero arguments. To generate an explicit default constructor that does not have
parameters, click the Quick Actions light bulb, and then click Generate constructor in 'Automobile'.
To generate a stub for a method
Assume that the specification states that a new Automobile can be put into a Running state if its Model and
TopSpeed properties are set to something other than the default values.

1. Add the following lines to the AutomobileWithModelNameCanStart method.

myAuto.Start();
Assert.IsTrue(myAuto.IsRunning == true);

myAuto.Start()
Assert.IsTrue(myAuto.IsRunning = True)

2. Click the Quick Actions light bulb for the myAuto.Start method call and then click Generate method
'Automobile.Start'.
3. Click the Quick Actions light bulb for the IsRunning property and then click Generate property
'Automobile.IsRunning'.
The Automobile class now contains a method named Start() and a property named IsRunning .
To run the tests
1. On the Test menu, choose Run, All Tests.
The Run, All Tests command runs all the tests in any test frameworks that are written for the current
solution. In this case, there are two tests, and they both fail, as expected. The
DefaultAutomobileIsInitializedCorrectly test fails because the Assert.IsTrue condition returns False . The
AutomobileWithModelNameCanStart test fails because the Start method in the Automobile class throws an
exception.
The Test Results window is shown in the following illustration.

2. In the Test Results window, double-click on each test result row to go to the location of each test.
To implement the source code
1. Add the following code to the default constructor so that the Model , TopSpeed and IsRunning properties
are all initialized to their correct default values of "Not specified" , -1 , and False (or false for C#).

public Automobile()
{
this.Model = "Not specified";
this.TopSpeed = -1;
this.IsRunning = false;
}

Sub New()
Model = "Not specified"
TopSpeed = -1
IsRunning = False
End Sub

2. When the Start method is called, it should set the IsRunning flag to true only if the Model or TopSpeed
properties are set to something other than their default value. Remove the NotImplementedException from
the method body and add the following code.

public void Start()

{
if (this.Model != "Not specified" || this.TopSpeed != -1)
this.IsRunning = true;
else
this.IsRunning = false;
}
 Sub Start()
If Model <> "Not specified" Or TopSpeed <> -1 Then
IsRunning = True
Else
IsRunning = False
End If
End Sub

To run the tests again

On the Test menu, point to Run, and then click All Tests.
This time the tests pass. The Test Results window is shown in the following illustration.

See Also
Generate From Usage
Writing Code
Using IntelliSense
Unit Test Your Code
Quick Actions
 JavaScript IntelliSense
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio 2017 provides a powerful JavaScript editing experience right out of the box. Powered by a TypeScript
based language service, Visual Studio delivers richer IntelliSense, support for modern JavaScript features, and
improved productivity features such as Go to Definition, refactoring, and more.

NOTE
The JavaScript language service in Visual Studio 2017 uses a new engine for the language service ("salsa"). Details are
included here in this topic, and you might also want to read this blog post. The new editing experience also mostly applies in
VS Code. See the VS Code docs for more info.

For more information about the general IntelliSense functionality of Visual Studio, see Using IntelliSense.

What's New in the JavaScript language service in Visual Studio 2017

JavaScript IntelliSense in Visual Studio 2017 will now display a lot more information on parameter and member
lists. This new information is provided by the TypeScript language service, which uses static analysis behind the
scenes to better understand your code. TypeScript uses several sources to build up this information:
IntelliSense based on type inference
IntelliSense based on JSDoc
IntelliSense based on TypeScript Declaration Files
Automatic acquisition of type definitions
IntelliSense based on type inference
In JavaScript, most of the time there is no explicit type information available. Luckily, it is usually fairly easy to
figure out a type given the surrounding code context. This process is called type inference.
For a variable or property, the type is typically the type of the value used to initialize it or the most recent value
assignment.

var nextItem = 10;

nextItem; // here we know nextItem is a number

nextItem = "box";
nextItem; // now we know nextItem is a string

For a function, the return type can be inferred from the return statements.
For function parameters, there is currently no inference, but there are ways to work around this using JSDoc or
TypeScript .d.ts files (see later sections).
Additionally, there is special inference for the following:
"ES3-style" classes, specified using a constructor function and assignments to the prototype property.
CommonJS-style module patterns, specified as property assignments on the exports object, or assignments to
the module.exports property.
 function Foo(param1) {
this.prop = param1;
}
Foo.prototype.getIt = function () { return this.prop; };
// Foo will appear as a class, and instances will have a 'prop' property and a 'getIt' method.

exports.Foo = Foo;
// This file will appear as an external module with a 'Foo' export.
// Note that assigning a value to "module.exports" is also supported.

IntelliSense based on JSDoc

Where type inference does not provide the desired type information (or to support documentation), type
information may be provided explicitly via JSDoc annotations. For example, to give a partially declared object a
specific type, you can use the @type tag as shown below:

/**
* @type {{a: boolean, b: boolean, c: number}}
*/
var x = {a: true};
x.b = false;
x. // <- "x" is shown as having properties a, b, and c of the types specified

As mentioned, function parameters are never inferred. However, using the JSDoc @param tag you can add types to
function parameters as well.

/**
* @param {string} param1 - The first argument to this function
*/
function Foo(param1) {
this.prop = param1; // "param1" (and thus "this.prop") are now of type "string".
}

See this doc for the JsDoc annotations currently supported.

IntelliSense based on TypeScript Declaration Files
Because JavaScript and TypeScript are now based on the same language service, they are able to interact in a richer
way. For example, JavaScript IntelliSense can be provided for values declared in a .d.ts file (more info), and types
such as interfaces and classes declared in TypeScript are available for use as types in JsDoc comments.
Below, we show a simple example of a TypeScript definition file providing such type information (via an interface)
to a JavaScript file in the same project (using a JsDoc tag).
TypeScript declarations used in JavaScript
Automatic acquisition of type definitions
In the TypeScript world, most popular JavaScript libraries have their APIs described by .d.ts files, and the most
common repository for such definitions is on DefinitelyTyped.
By default, the Salsa language service will try to detect which JavaScript libraries are in use and automatically
download and reference the corresponding .d.ts file that describes the library in order to provide richer
IntelliSense. The files are downloaded to a cache located under the user folder at
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\TypeScript .

NOTE
This feature is disabled by default if using a tsconfig.json configuration file, but may be set to enabled as outlined
further below).

Currently auto-detection works for dependencies downloaded from npm (by reading the package.json file), Bower
(by reading the bower.json file), and for loose files in your project that match a list of roughly the top 400 most
popular JavaScript libraries. For example, if you have jquery-1.10.min.js in your project, the file jquery.d.ts will
be fetched and loaded in order to provide a better editing experience. This .d.ts file will have no impact on your
project.
If you do not wish to use auto-acquisition, disable it by adding a configuration file as outlined below. You can still
place definition files for use directly within your project manually.
 Visual C++ Intellisense
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

In Visual Studio 2015, IntelliSense is available for single code files as well as for files in projects. In cross-platform
projects, some IntelliSense features are available in .cpp and .c files in the shared code project even when you are in
an Android or iOS context.

IntelliSense features in C++

IntelliSense is a name given to a set of features that make coding more convenient. Since different people have
different ideas about what is convenient, virtually all of the IntelliSense features can be enabled or disabled in the
Text Editor, C/C++, Advanced property page.

You can use the menu items and keyboard shortcuts shown in the following image to access IntelliSense.
Statement completion and member list
When you start typing a keyword, type, function, variable name, or other program element that the compiler
recognizes, the editor offers to complete the word for you
For a list of the icons and their meanings, see Class View and Object Browser Icons.

The first time member list is invoked it only shows members that are accessible for the current context. If you use
Ctrl + J after that, it shows all members regardless of accessibility. If you invoke it a third time, an even wider list of
program elements is shown. You can turn off statement completion in the C/C++ General Options page.

Parameter Help
When you type an opening brace of a function call, or angle bracket on a class template variable declaration, the
editor shows a small window with the parameter types for each overload of the function or constructor. The
"current" parameter--based on the cursor location--is in bold. You can turn off Statement completion in the C/C++
General Options page.

Quick Info
When you hover the mouse cursor over a variable, a small window appears inline that shows the type information
and the header in which the type is defined. Hover over a function call to see the function's signature. You can turn
off Quick Info in the Text Editor, C/C++, Advanced page.

Error squiggles
Squiggles under a program element (variable, keyword, brace, type name, and so on) call your attention to an error
or potential error in the code. A green squiggle appears when you write a forward declaration, to remind you that
you still need to write the implementation. A purple squiggle appears in a shared project when there is an error in
code that is not currently active, for example when you are working in the Windows context but enter something
that would be an error in an Android context. A red squiggle indicates a compiler error or warning in active code
that you need to deal with.

Code Colorization and Fonts

The default colors and fonts can be changed by using the Environment, Fonts and Colors property page. You can
change the fonts for many UI windows here, not just the editor. The settings that are specific to C++ begin with
"C++"; the other settings are for all languages.

Cross-Platform IntelliSense
In a shared code project, some IntelliSense features such as squiggles are available even when you are working in
an Android context. If you write some code that would result in an error in an inactive project, IntelliSense still
shows squiggles, but they are in a different color than squiggles for errors in the current context.
Here's an OpenGLES Application that is configured to build for Android and iOS. The illustration shows shared code
being edited. In the first image, Android is the active project:

Notice the following:

The #else branch on line 8 is grayed out to indicate inactive region, because _ANDROID\_ is defined for
Android project.
The greeting variable at line 11 is initialized with identifier HELLO, which has a purple squiggle. This is
because no identifier HELLO is defined in the currently inactive iOS project. While in Android project line 11
would compile, it won't in iOS. Since this is shared code, that is something you should change even though it
compiles in the currently active configuration.
Line 12 has red squiggle on identifier BYE; this identifier is not defined in the currently selected active
project.
 Now, change the active project to iOS.StaticLibrary and notice how the squiggles change.

Notice the following:

The #ifdef branch on line 6 is grayed out to indicate inactive region, because _ANDROID\_ is not defined for
iOS project.
The greeting variable at line 11 is initialized with identifier HELLO, which now has red squiggle. This is
because no identifier HELLO is defined in the currently active iOS project.
Line 12 has purple squiggle on identifier BYE; this identifier is not defined in currently inactive
Android.NativeActivity project.

Single File IntelliSense

When you open a single file outside of any project, you still get IntelliSense. You can enable or disable particular
features by going to Text Editor, C/C++, Advanced to turn on or off IntelliSense features. To configure
IntelliSense for single files that aren't part of a project, look for IntelliSense and Browsing for Non-Project Files
in the Advanced section. See Visual C++ Guided Tour.

By default, single file IntelliSense only uses standard include directories to find header files. To add additional
directories, open the shortcut menu on the Solution node, and add your directory to Debug Source Code list, as
the following illustration shows:
See Also
Using IntelliSense
 Supplying XML Code Comments
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can make the comments in source code files available as IntelliSense. When you add the /doc switch to the
Visual Basic, C#, or C++ compiler command line, an .xml file is generated that serves as the basis for IntelliSense
documentation.
For more information about documenting code in Visual Basic, see see How to: Create XML Documentation.
For more information about documenting code in C#, see XML Documentation Comments.
For more information about documenting code in C++, see Comments and XML Documentation.

See Also
Using IntelliSense
 Navigating Code
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio provides numerous ways to navigate code in the editor. This topic summarizes the different ways
you can navigate your code, and provides links to topics that go into more detail.

Navigate Backward and Navigate Forward commands

You can use the Navigate Backward (Ctrl + -) and Navigate Forward (Ctrl + Shift + -) buttons on the toolbar
to move the insertion point to previous locations, or to return to a more recent location from a previous location.
These buttons retain the last 20 locations of the insertion point. These commands are also available on the View
menu, under Navigate Backward and Navigate Forward.

Navigation bar
You can use the navigation bar (the drop-down boxes at the top of the code window) to navigate to code in a
codebase. You can choose a type or member to go directly to it. The navigation bar appears when you edit code in
a Visual Basic, C#, or C++ code base. In a partial class, members defined outside the current code file may be
disabled (they appear in grey).
You can navigate around the drop-down boxes as follows:
To navigate to another project that the current file belongs to, choose it in the left drop-down.
To navigate to a class or type, choose it in the middle drop-down.
To navigate directly to a procedure or other member of a class, choose it in the right drop-down.
To shift focus from the code window to the navigation bar, press the shortcut key combination Ctrl + F2.
To shift focus from box to box on the navigation bar, press the Tab key.
To select the navigation bar item that has focus and return to the code window, press the Enter key.
To return focus from the navigation bar to the code without selecting anything, press the Esc key.
To hide the navigation bar, change the Navigation bar option in the Text Editor All Languages settings (Tools,
Options, Text Editor, All Languages), or you can change the settings for individual languages.

Find All References

Finds all the references to the selected element in the solution. You can use this to check possible side-effects of a
large refactoring, or to verify "dead" code. Press F8 to jump between results. For more information, see Finding
references in your code.

INPUT FUNCTION

Keyboard Place your text cursor somewhere inside the type name, and
press Shift + F12

Mouse Select Find All References from the context menu

Reference highlighting
When you click a symbol in the source code, all instances of that symbol are highlighted in the document. The
highlighted symbols may include declarations and references, and many other symbols that Find All References
would return. These include the names of classes, objects, variables, methods, and properties. In Visual Basic code,
keywords for many control structures are also highlighted. To move to the next or the previous highlighted
symbol, press Ctrl + Shift + DOWN ARROW or Ctrl + Shift + UP ARROW. You can change the highlighting
color in Tools, Options, Environment, Fonts and Colors, Highlighted Reference.

Go To commands
Go To has the following commands, which are available in the Edit menu under Go To:
Go To Line (Ctrl + G): Move to the specified line number in the active document.
Go to All (Ctrl + T or Ctrl + ,): Move to the specified line, type, file, member, or symbol.
Go to File (Ctrl + 1, Ctrl + F): Move to the specified file in the solution.
Go to Type (Ctrl + 1, Ctrl + T): Move to the specified type in the solution.
Go to Member (Ctrl + 1, Ctrl + M): Move to the specified member in the solution.
Go to Symbol (Ctrl + 1, Ctrl + S): Move to the specifed symbol in the solution.
See more about these commands in the Find code using Go To commands topic.

Go To Definition
Go To Definition takes you to the definition of the selected element. For more information, see Go To Defintion and
Peek Definition.

INPUT FUNCTION

Keyboard Place your text cursor somewhere inside the type name, and
press F12

Mouse Right-click on the type name and select Go To Definition OR

press Ctrl and click on the type name (new for Visual Studio
2017 version 15.4)

Peek Definition
Peek Definition displays the definition of the selected element in a window without navigating away from your
current location in the code editor. For more information, see How to: View and Edit Code by Using Peek Definition
and Go To Defintion and Peek Definition.

INPUT FUNCTION

Keyboard Place your text cursor somewhere inside the type name, and
press Alt + F12

Mouse Right-click on the type name and select Peek Definition OR

press Ctrl and click on the type name (if you have the Open
definition in peek view option checked)

Go To Implementation
Using Go To Implementation, you can navigate from a base class or type to its implementations. If there are
multiple implementations, you will see them listed in the Find Symbol Results window:
 INPUT FUNCTION

Keyboard Place your text cursor somewhere inside the type name, and
press Ctrl + F12

Mouse Right-click on the type name and select Go To

Implementation

Call Hierarchy
Call Hierarchy shows you the calls to a method in the Call Hierarchy window:

INPUT FUNCTION

Keyboard Place your text cursor somewhere inside the type name, and
press Ctrl + K, Ctrl + T

Mouse Right-click on the member name and select View Call

Hierarchy

Next Method and Previous Method commands (Visual Basic)

In Visual Basic code files, use these commands to move the insertion point to different methods. Choose Edit,
Next Method or Edit, Previous Method.

Structure Visualizer
The Structure Visualizer feature in the code editor shows structure guide lines - vertical dashed lines that indicate
matching curly braces in your codebase. This makes it easier to see where logical blocks begin and end.
To disable structure guide lines, go to Tools, Options, Text Editor, General and clear the Show structure guide
lines box.

Enhanced scroll bar

You can use the enhanced scroll bar in a code window to get a bird's-eye view of your code. In map mode, you can
see previews of the code when you move the cursor up and down the scroll bar. For more information, see How
to: Track Your Code by Customizing the Scroll Bar.

CodeLens information
You can find info about specific code, like changes and who made those changes, references, bugs, work items,
code reviews, and unit test status when you use CodeLens in the code editor. CodeLens works like a heads-up
display when you use Visual Studio Enterprise with Team Foundation Server. See Find code changes and other
history.

See Also
Writing code in the code and text editor
 Finding references in your code
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

You can use the Find All References command to find where particular code elements are referenced throughout
your codebase. The Find All References command is available on the context (right-click) menu of the element
you want to find references to. Or, if you are a keyboard user, press Shift + F12.
The results appear in a tool window named 'element' references, where element is the name of the item you are
searching for. A toolbar in the references window enables you to:
Change the scope of the search in a drop-down list box. You can choose to look only in changed documents all
the way up to the entire solution.
Copy the selected referenced item by choosing the Copy button.
Choose buttons to go to the next or previous location in the list, or press the F8 and Shift + F8 keys to do so.
Remove any filters on the returned results by choosing the Clear All Filters button.
Change how returned items are grouped by choosing a setting in the Group by: drop-down list box.
Keep the current search results window by choosing the Keep Results button. When you choose this button,
the current search results stay in this window, and new search results appear in a new tool window.
Search for strings within the search results by entering text in the Search Find All References text box.
You can also hover the mouse over any search result to see a preview of the reference.

Navigate to references
You can use the following methods to navigate to references in the references window:
Press F8 to go to the next reference, or Shift + F8 to go to the previous reference.
Press the Enter key on a reference, or double-click it, to go to it in code.
On the context menu of a reference, choose the Go To Previous Location or Go To Next Location
commands.
 Choose the UP arrow and DOWN arrow keys (if they are enabled in the Options dialog box). To enable this
functionality, on the menu bar, choose Tools, Options, Environment, Tabs and Windows, Preview Tab, and
then select the Allow new files to be opened in the preview tab and Preview selected files in Find
Results boxes.
Change reference groupings
By default, references are grouped by project, then by definition. However, you can change this grouping order by
changing the setting in the Group by: drop-down list box on the toolbar. For example, you can change it from the
default setting of Project then definition to Definition then project, as well to other settings.
Definition and Project are the two default groupings used, but you can add others by choosing the Grouping
command on the selected item's context menu. Adding more groupings can be helpful if your solution has a lot of
files and paths.

See also
Navigating Code
 Go To Definition and Peek Definition
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

The Go To Definition and Peek Definition features enable you to easily view the definition of a type or member.

Go To Definition
The Go To Definition feature navigates to the source of a type or member, and opens the result in a new tab. If you
are a keyboard user, place your text cursor somewhere inside the symbol name and press F12. If you are a mouse
user, either select Go To Definition from the context menu or use the Ctrl-click functionality described below.
Ctrl-click Go To Definition
In Visual Studio 2017 version 15.4, there's an easier way for mouse users to quickly access Go To Definition.
Symbols become clickable when you press Ctrl and hover over the type or member. To quickly navigate to the
definition of a symbol, press the Ctrl key and then click on it. It's that easy!

You can change the modifier key for mouse-click Go To Definition by going to Tools, Options, Text Editor,
General, and selecting either Alt or Ctrl+Alt from the Use modifier key drop-down. You can also disable
mouse-click Go To Definition by unchecking the Enable mouse click to perform Go To Definition checkbox.
Peek Definition
The Peek Definition feature lets you preview the definition of a type without leaving your current location in the
editor. If you are a keyboard user, place your text cursor somewhere inside the type or member name and press
Alt + F12. If you are a mouse user, you can select Peek Definition from the context menu. In Visual Studio 2017
version 15.4 and later, there is a new way to peek view a definition by using the mouse. First, go to Tools,
Options, Text Editor, General. Select the option Open definition in peek view and click OK to close the
Options dialog box.
Then, press Ctrl (or whichever modifier key is selected in Options), and click on the type or member.

If you peek another definition from the popup window, you will start a breadcrumb path which you can navigate
using the circles and arrows which appear above the popup.
For more information, see How to: View and Edit Code by Using Peek Definition (Alt+F12).

See Also
Navigating Code
How to: View and Edit Code by Using Peek Definition (Alt+F12)
 How to: View and Edit Code by Using Peek
Definition (Alt+F12)
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

You can use the Peek Definition command to view and edit code without switching away from the code that
you're writing. Peek Definition and Go To Definition show the same information, but Peek Definition shows it
in a pop-up window, and Go To Definition shows the code in a separate code window. Go To Definition causes
your context (that is, the active code window, current line, and cursor position) to switch to the definition code
window. By using Peek Definition, you can view and edit the definition and move around inside the definition file
while keeping your place in the original code file.
You can use Peek Definition with C#, Visual Basic, and C++ code. In Visual Basic, Peek Definition shows a link
to the Object Browser for symbols that don't have definition metadata (for example, .NET Framework types that
are built in).

Working with Peek Definition

To open a Peek Definition window
1. You can peek a definition by choosing Peek Definition from the context menu for a member that you
want to explore. In Visual Studio 2017 version 15.4 and later, if the option is enabled, you can also peek a
definition using the mouse by pressing Ctrl (or another modifier) and clicking the member name. Or, from
the keyboard, press Alt + F12.
This illustration shows the Peek Definition window for a method that's named Print() :

The definition window appears below the printer.Print("Hello World!") line in the original file. The
window doesn't hide any of the code in your original file. The lines that follow
printer.Print("Hello World!") appear under the definition window.

2. You can move the cursor to different locations in the code definition window. You can also still move
around in the original code window.
3. You can copy a string from the definition window and paste it in the original code. You can also drag and
drop the string from the definition window to the original code without deleting it from the definition
window.
4. You can close the definition window by choosing the Esc key or the Close button on the definition window
 tab.
To open a Peek Definition window from within a Peek Definition window
If you already have a Peek Definition window open, you can call Peek Definition again on the code in
that window. Another definition window opens. A set of breadcrumb dots appears next to the definition
window tab, which you can use to navigate between definition windows. The tooltip on each dot shows the
file name and path of the definition file that the dot represents.

To use Peek Definition with multiple results

If you use Peek Definition on code that has more than one definition (for example, partial classes), a result
list appears to the right of the code definition view. You can choose any result in the list to display its
definition.

To edit inside the Peek Definition window

When you start to edit inside a Peek Definition window, the file that you're modifying automatically opens
as a separate tab in the code editor and reflects the changes that you've made. You can continue to make,
undo, and save changes in the Peek Definition window, and the tab will continue to reflect those changes.
Even if you close the Peek Definition window without saving your changes, you can make, undo, and save
more changes in the tab, picking up exactly where you left off in the Peek Definition window.
To change options for Peek Definition
1. Go to Tools, Options, Text Editor, General.
2. Select the option Open definition in peek view.
3. Click OK to close the Options dialog box.

To use keyboard shortcuts for Peek Definition

You can use these keyboard shortcuts with the Peek Definition window:

FUNCTIONALITY KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

Open the definition window Alt+F12

Close the definition window Esc

 FUNCTIONALITY KEYBOARD SHORTCUT

Promote the definition window to a regular document tab Shift+Alt+Home

Navigate between definition windows Ctrl+Alt+- and Ctrl+Alt+=

Navigate between multiple results F8 and Shift+F8

Toggle between the code editor window and the Shift+Esc

definition window

NOTE
You can also use the same keyboard shortcuts to edit code in a Peek Definition window as you use elsewhere in
Visual Studio.

See Also
Navigating Code
Go To Defintion and Peek Definition
Productivity Tips
 Find code using Go To commands
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio's Go To commands perform a focused search of your code to help you quickly find specified items.
You can go to a specific line, type, symbol, file, and member from a simple, unified interface. This feature exists in
Visual Studio 2017 and later.
How to use it
INPUT FUNCTION

Keyboard Press Ctrl + t or Ctrl + ,

Mouse Select Edit, Go To, Go To All

This will display a small window at the top right of your code editor, by default.

As you type in the text box, the results appear in a drop-down list below the text box. To go to an element, choose it
in the list.

You can also enter a question mark (?) to get additional help.
Filtered Searches
By default, the specified item is searched for in all solution items. However, you can limit your code search to
specific element types by prefacing the search terms with certain characters. You can also quickly change the
search filter by choosing buttons on the Go To dialog box toolbar. Buttons that change the type filters are on the
left side, and buttons that change the scope of the search are on the right side.

Filter to a specific type of code element

To narrow your search to a specific type of code element, you can either specify a prefix in the search box, or select
one of the five filter icons:

PREFIX ICON SHORTCUT DESCRIPTION

# Ctrl+1, Ctrl+S Go to the specified symbol

f Ctrl+1, Ctrl+F Go to the specified file

m Ctrl+1, Ctrl+M Go to the specified member

t Ctrl+1, Ctrl+T Go to the specified type

: Ctrl+G Go to the specified line

number
Filter to a specific location
To narrow your search to a specific location, select one of the two document icons:

ICON DESCRIPTION

Search current document only

Search external documents in addition to those located in the

project/solution

Camel casing
If you use camel casing in your code, you can find code elements faster by entering only the capital letters of the
code element name. For example, if your code has a type called CredentialViewModel , you can narrow down the
search by choosing the Type filter ("t") and then entering just the capital letters of the name ( CVM ) in the Go To
dialog box. This feature can be helpful if your code has long names.

Settings
Selecting the gear icon lets you change how this feature works:

SETTING DESCRIPTION

Use preview tab Display the selected item immediately in the IDE's preview tab

Show details Display project, file, line, and summary information from
documentation comments in the window

Center window Move this window to the top-center of the code editor,
instead of the top-right

See Also
Navigating Code
Go To Definition and Peek Definition
 Customizing the Editor
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can customize the formatting, tabs, fonts and colors, IntelliSense, and many other features of the editor in
general or a specific language editor by changing options. For more information about these options, see Text
Editor Options Dialog Box or type Editor into QuickLaunch. You can also change how editor windows are
displayed.

In This Section
These topics explain how to adjust the appearance and behavior of the Text and Code editor.
How to: Change Text Case in the Editor
Explains how to change text case in your code.
How to: Manage Editor Windows
Shows how to manipulate editor windows.
How to: Manage Editor Modes
Explains how to use the full screen and virtual spaces modes.

See Also
Writing Code
Setting Bookmarks in Code
General, Environment, Options Dialog Box
Documents, Environment, Options Dialog Box
Fonts and Colors, Environment, Options Dialog Box
 How to: Change Text Case in the Editor
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can use menu commands or keyboard shortcuts to convert the case of selected text to all upper case or to all
lower case.

NOTE
The dialog boxes and menu commands you see might differ from those described in Help depending on your active settings
or edition. To change your settings, choose Import and Export Settings on the Tools menu. For more information, see
Personalize the Visual Studio IDE.

Procedure
To switch text to upper case
1. Select the text you want to convert.
2. On the Edit menu, select Advanced.
3. To convert text to all upper case, choose Make Uppercase, or press CTRL+SHIFT+U.
— or —
To convert text to all lower case, choose Make Lowercase, or press CTRL+U.

TIP
To revert to the previous case formatting before this change, select Undo from the Edit menu.

See Also
Customizing the Editor
Text Editor Options Dialog Box
Writing Code
 How to: Manage Editor Modes
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can display the Visual Studio Code Editor in various display modes.

NOTE
The dialog boxes and menu commands you see might differ from those described in Help depending on your active settings
or edition. To change your settings, choose Import and Export Settings on the Tools menu. For more information, see
Personalize the Visual Studio IDE.

Enabling Full Screen mode

You can choose to hide all tool windows and view only document windows by enabling Full Screen mode.
To enable Full Screen mode
Press ALT+SHIFT+ENTER to enter or exit Full Screen mode.
-- or --
Issue the command View.Fullscreen in the Command window.

Enabling Virtual Space mode

In Virtual Space mode, spaces are inserted at the end of each line of code. Select this option to position comments
at a consistent point next to your code.
To enable Virtual Space mode
1. Select Options from the Tools menu.
2. Expand the Text Editor folder, and choose All Languages to set this option globally, or choose a specific
language folder. (For example, to turn on line numbers only in Visual Basic, choose the Basic, Text Editor
options.)
3. Select General options, and under Settings, select Enable Virtual Space.

NOTE
Virtual Space is enabled in Column Selection mode. When Virtual Space mode is not enabled, the insertion point
moves from the end of one line directly to the first character of the next.

See Also
Customizing the Editor
Customize window layouts in Visual Studio
Fonts and Colors, Environment, Options Dialog Box
 How to: Manage Editor Windows
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can work on code in several locations at once. Do this by splitting an Editor window, or by opening several
instances of editor windows.

NOTE
Not all editor windows support multiple instances.

Splitting an editor window

An instance of an editor window can be split into two separate views for easier editing.
To split a pane
1. Click within the editor window to give it focus.
2. From the Window menu, select Split.
The editing area divides into two panes separated by a splitter bar. You can scroll these panes independently
to view and edit different parts of the active document at the same time. Any changes made in one pane are
reflected in the other.

TIP
To make one pane larger than the other, drag the splitter bar upward or downward.

To return to single-pane view

From the Window menu, select Remove Split.

Creating New Windows

You can also create multiple instances of an editor window. This feature allows you to open a lengthy document in
more than one instance of an editor, so that you can view and edit different sections simultaneously in separate,
full-sized editor windows.
To create a new window
On the Window menu, click New Window.
A new tabbed instance of the editor is added.

See Also
Customizing the Editor
Writing Code
Customizing window layouts
 Develop code in Visual Studio without projects or
solutions
10/18/2017 • 8 min to read • Edit Online

In Visual Studio 2017, you can open code from nearly any type of directory-based project into Visual Studio
without the need for a solution or project file. This means you can, for example, find a code project on Git, clone it,
and then open it directly into Visual Studio and begin developing without having to create a solution or project.
Not only can you edit the code and build it in Visual Studio, you can also navigate through your code (such as by
using the Navigate To command). Code will appear with syntax colorization and, in many cases, include basic
statement completion and debugging, complete with breakpoints. Some languages will include even more
functionality. See Create portable, custom editor settings for more information.

Open code anywhere

You can open code into Visual Studio in the following ways:
On the Visual Studio menu bar, choose File, Open, Folder, then browse to the code location.
On the context (right-click) menu of a folder containing code, choose the Open in Visual Studio
command.
Choose the Open Folder link on the Visual Studio Start Page.
Open code cloned from a GitHub repo.
To open code from a cloned GitHub repo
The following example shows how to clone a GitHub repo and then open its code in Visual Studio. To follow this
procedure, you must have a GitHub account and Git for Windows installed on your system. See Signing up for a
new GitHub account and Git for Windows for more information.
1. Go to the repo you want to clone on GitHub.
2. Choose the Clone or Download button and then choose the Copy to Clipboard button in the dropdown
menu to copy the secure URL for the GitHub repo.
 NOTE
While you also have the option to open the project on your desktop or download a .zip file of the project, this
example demonstrates how to clone the repo using the secure URL method.

3. In Visual Studio, choose the Team Explorer tab to open Team Explorer.
4. In Team Explorer, under the Local Git Repositories section, choose the Clone command and then paste
the URL of the GitHub page into the text box.

5. Choose the Clone button to clone the project's files to a local Git repository. Depending on the size of the
repo, this process could take several minutes.
6. After the repo has been cloned to your system, in Team Explorer, choose the Open command on the
context (right-click) menu of the newly cloned repo.

7. Choose the Show Folder View command to view the files in Solution Explorer
 You can now browse folders and files in the cloned repo, and view and search the code in the Visual Studio
code editor, complete with syntax colorization and other features.

Watch a video on how to clone and open code from a GitHub

repo in Visual Studio.

Debug your code

You can debug your code in Visual Studio without a project or solution. To debug some languages, you may need
to specify a valid startup file in the code project, such as a script, executable, or project. Visual Studio runs this
specified code first when you debug your code.
The drop-down list box next to the Start button on the toolbar lists all of the startup items that Visual Studio
detects, as well as items you specifically choose in a folder.
Visual Studio automatically recognizes projects, but scripts (such as Python and JavaScript) need to be explicitly
selected by you as a startup item before they will appear in the list. In addition, some startup items, such as
MSBuild and CMake, can have multiple build configurations which appear in the Run Button's drop down list.
Visual Studio currently supports debugging for the following languages:
Node.js
Python
MSBuild-based projects (C#, VB, C++)
Any executable with PDB (Python Debugger) files.
To debug Node.js and Python:
1. Install Node.js or Python Tools or Visual Studio 2017 and the Node.js runtime.
2. On the context menu of a JavaScript file in Solution Explorer, choose the Set as Startup Item command.
3. Choose the F5 key to begin debugging.
To debug MSBuild projects
1. On the Visual Studio menu, choose Debug. On the drop-down menu, choose the project or select the
project or file that you want to display as the startup item in Solution Explorer.
2. Choose the F5 key to begin debugging.
To debug executable files
1. On the Visual Studio menu, choose Debug. On the drop-down menu, choose the project or select the
project or file that you want to display as the startup item in Solution Explorer.
2. Choose the F5 key to begin debugging.

Enable custom build tools

Visual Studio knows how to run many different languages, but it doesn't know how to run everything. If Visual
Studio knows how to run your language, you can run the code right away. If you try to run your code but Visual
Studio doesn't know how to run it, an information bar prompts you to designate a file in your codebase to act as
the startup item.
If the codebase uses custom build tools that Visual Studio doesn't recognize, though, then you will likely not be
able to run and debug the code in Visual Studio until you complete some additional steps. You must specify a valid
executable file type, such as a compiler, along with any custom parameters and arguments required by the
language. To enable this, Visual Studio provides build tasks. You can create a build task to specify all the items a
language needs to build and run its code.
You can also create arbitrary build tasks that can do nearly anything you want. For example, you can create a task
to list the contents of a folder or rename a file. Or, you can create more targeted custom build tasks that do things
such as compile and build your project using specific arguments. The following steps show how to create both
types of build tasks.
To create an arbitrary build task
1. Choose the file or folder of the project in Solution explorer where you want the task, and on the file or
folder's context (right-click) menu, choose Configure Tasks.

Choosing Configure Tasks opens a file called tasks.vs.json. If this file doesn't exist, it is created. This file
contains the build tasks for the selected file or folder.

2. Add the following build task to tasks.vs.json. For this example, we'll add a simple task called "List outputs"
that lists files and subfolders of the selected folder in the Output window. (The new task should be added
within the existing "tasks" array.)

{
"taskName": "List outputs",
"appliesTo": "*",
"type": "command",
"command": "${env.COMSPEC}",
"args": [
"dir ${outDir}"
]
},

The complete build task should look like this.

3. Save the project.
4. Open the context menu for the selected folder. You should see the new arbitrary build task appear at the
bottom of the context menu.

5. Choose the new List outputs command to execute the task.

To create a custom build task
In this procedure, we will add two custom build tasks that use nMake to build and clean your code.
1. Choose a file of the project in Solution Explorer that you want to designate later as the startup item. On the
file's context (right-click) menu, choose Configure Tasks.
2. Add the following build tasks to tasks.vs.json. For this example, we'll add two tasks: one called "makefile-
build" which uses the nMake command to build the project, the other called makefile-clean which calls the
nMake command with the "clean" argument. These tasks should be added within the existing "tasks" array.
(Note that these are only example build tasks. For them to actually work, you need to have the workload
that contains nNake installed on your system.)

{
"taskName": "makefile-build",
"appliesTo": "makefile",
"type": "command",
"contextType": "build",
"command": "nmake"
},
{
"taskName": "makefile-clean",
"appliesTo": "makefile",
"type": "command",
"contextType": "clean",
"command": "nmake",
"args": [
"clean"
]
},

The complete custom build task should look like this.

3. Save the project.
4. Open the context menu for the selected file. The new custom build tasks should appear in the middle of the
context menu.
 NOTE
The commands appear under the Configure Tasks command due to their contextType settings; "build" and
"clean" are build commands, so they appear in the build section in the middle of the context menu.

Now that you have associated custom build commands with the file, you can designate the file as the
startup item.
5. On the file's context menu, choose Set as Startup Item.
6. On the toolbar, choose the dropdown arrow next to the Start button. The startup item now appears as an
option.

You can now choose the Start button or the F5 key to run your codebase. You can edit and debug your codebase
in Visual Studio even though Visual Studio doesn't recognize the build tools of the codebase. Output from the
build task appears in the Output window, and build errors appear in the Error List. The tasks.vs.json build task file
couples the Visual Studio inner development loop to the custom build tools used by your codebase.
Custom build tasks can be added to individual files or to all files of a specific type. For instance, NuGet package
files can be configured to have a "Restore Packages" task, or all source files can be configured to have a static
analysis task, such as a linter for all .js files.
Visual Studio supports the VSCode $variable substitution in the root of tasks.vs.json, in addition to environment
variables (such as $env.var ) or keys.

Specify build Output

If your project needs to be compiled, you can add an additional tag called output to the tasks.vs.json file. Here is
an example.
"output": "${workspaceRoot}\\bin\\hellomake.exe"

Specifying the output location notifies Visual Studio where to find the project's build output.

Tasks.vs.json file location

By default, the tasks.vs.json file is located in a hidden folder called .vs . To view hidden files in Visual Studio,
choose the Show All Files button on the Solution Explorer toolbar.
The tasks.vs.json file is hidden because most users generally don't want to check it into source control. However, if
you want to be able to check it into source control, drag the file into the root of your project where it will be visible.
Other .json files may be present in the .vs folder, but the only ones you should move are the tasks.vs.json file and
the launch.vs.json file (if one is there). The launch.vs.json file configures the Visual Studio debugger, while the
tasks.vs.json file configures build in Visual Studio.

See also
Writing code in the code and text editor
 Create portable, custom editor settings with
EditorConfig
10/19/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

Text editor settings in Visual Studio apply to all projects of a given type. So, for example, if you change a C# text
editor setting, that setting applies to all C# projects in Visual Studio. However, in some cases, you may need to use
conventions that differ from your own personal editor preferences. EditorConfig files enable you to do this by
providing common text editor options on a per-project basis. EditorConfig settings, which are contained in an
.editorconfig file added to your codebase, supersede global Visual Studio text editor settings. This means that you
can tailor each codebase to use the text editor settings you prefer. No plug-in is required to use this functionality in
Visual Studio.

Coding consistency
Settings in EditorConfig files enable you to maintain consistent coding styles and settings for a language, such as
indent style, tab width, end of line characters, encoding, and more, in a codebase regardless of the editor or IDE you
use. For example, when coding in C#, if your codebase has a convention to prefer that indents always consist of five
space characters, documents use UTF-8 encoding, and each line always ends with a CR/LF, you can configure an
.editorconfig file to do that.
Coding conventions you use on your personal projects may differ from those used on your team's projects. For
example, you might prefer that when you're coding, pressing the Tab key adds a TAB character. However, your
team might prefer that indenting adds four space characters instead of a TAB character. EditorConfig files resolve
this problem by enabling you to have a configuration for each scenario.
Because the settings are contained in a file in the codebase, they travel along with that codebase. As long as you
open the code file in an EditorConfig-compliant editor, the text editor settings are implemented. For more
information about EditorConfig files, see the EditorConfig.org website. If you edit a lot of .editorconfig files, you
may find the EditorConfig Language Service extension helpful.

Override EditorConfig settings

When you add a .editorconfig file to a folder in your file hierarchy, its settings apply to all applicable files at that
level and below. To override EditorConfig settings for a particular project or codebase and use different or
overriding values than the top-level .editorconfig file, just add a .editorconfig file to the level you want to change.

The new .editorconfig file settings will apply to the level in which it is located and all its subfiles.

Supported settings
The editor in Visual Studio supports the following from the core set of EditorConfig properties:
indent_style
 indent_size
tab_width
end_of_line
charset
root
In addition, it supports the .NET code style conventions.
EditorConfig settings are supported in all Visual Studio-supported languages except for XML.

Example
Here is an example that shows the indent state of a C# code snippet before and after adding a .editorconfig file to
the project. The Tabs setting in the Options dialog box for the Visual Studio text editor is set to produce space
characters when you press the Tab key in your code.

As expected, pressing the Tab key on the next line indents the line by adding four additional white space
characters.

We'll add a new file called .editorconfig to the project, with the following contents. The [*.cs] setting means that
this change will apply only to .cs files in this project.
Now, when you press the Tab key, you get tab characters instead of spaces.

NOTE
Adding a .editorconfig file to your project or codebase will not convert the existing styles to the new ones, it will only apply to
newly-added lines. If you remove a .editorconfig file from your project or codebase, you must reload the code file(s) for the
editor settings to revert back to global settings. Any errors in .editorconfig files are reported in the Error window in Visual
studio.

Support EditorConfig for your language service

In most cases when you implement a Visual Studio language service, no additional work is needed to support
EditorConfig universal properties. The core editor automatically discovers and reads the .editorconfig file when
users open files, and it sets the appropriate text buffer and view options. However, some language services opt to
use an appropriate contextual text view option rather than using global settings for items such as tabs and spaces
when a user edits or formats text. In these cases, the language service must be updated to support EditorConfig
files.
Following are the changes needed to update a language service to support EditorConfig files, by replacing a global
language-specific option with a contextual option:
Indent style
Replace:
Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextManager.Interop.LANGPREFERENCES.fInsertTabs
or
Microsoft.VisualStudio.Package.LanguagePreferences.InsertTabs
With:
!textBufferOptions.GetOptionValue(DefaultOptions.ConvertTabsToSpacesOptionId)
or
!textView.Options.GetOptionValue(DefaultOptions.ConvertTabsToSpacesOptionId)
Indent size
Replace:
Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextManager.Interop.LANGPREFERENCES.uIndentSize
or
Microsoft.VisualStudio.Package.LanguagePreferences.InsertTabs.IndentSize
With:
textBufferOptions.GetOptionValue(DefaultOptions.IndentSizeOptionId)
or
textView.Options.GetOptionValue(DefaultOptions.IndentSizeOptionId)
Tab size
Replace:
Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextManager.Interop.LANGPREFERENCES.uTabSize
or
Microsoft.VisualStudio.Package.LanguagePreferences.InsertTabs.TabSize
With:
textBufferOptions.GetOptionValue(DefaultOptions.TabSizeOptionId)
or
textView.Options.GetOptionValue(DefaultOptions.TabSizeOptionId)

See Also
Create Portable Custom Editor Options with EditorConfig
 How to: Track Your Code by Customizing the
Scrollbar
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

When you are working with long code files, it can be hard to keep everything in mind. You can customize the scroll
bar of the code window to give you a bird's eye view of what's happening in your code.
To show annotations on the scroll bar
1. You can set up the scroll bar to show code changes, breakpoints, errors, and bookmarks.
Open the Scroll Bar options page (Tools, Options Text Editor. All Languages or a specific language, or
type scroll bar in the Quick Launch window).
2. Select Show Annotations over vertical scroll bar, then select the annotations you want to see. (The
Marks option includes breakpoints and bookmarks.)
3. Now try it out. Open a large code file and replace something that occurs in several places in the file. The
scroll bar shows you the effect of the replacements, so you can back out your changes if you replaced
something you shouldn't have.
Here's how the scroll bar looks after a search for a string. Notice that all instances of the string appear.

Here's the scroll bar after replacing all the instances of the string. You can see immediately that the
operation caused some problems.
To set the display mode for the scroll bar
1. The scroll bar has two modes, bar mode (the default) and map mode. Bar mode just displays annotation
indicators on the scroll bar. In map mode the lines of code are represented on the scroll bar. You can choose
how wide they are and whether they show the underlying code when you rest the pointer on them. When
you click a location on the scroll bar, the cursor moves to that location in the code. Collapsed regions are
shaded differently; they are expanded when you double-click them.
On the Scroll Bar options page, select either Use Bar mode for vertical scroll bar or Use Map mode for
vertical scroll bar. You can choose the width in the Source Overview dropdown.
Here's how the search example looks when map mode is on and the width is set to Medium:

2. In map mode, to enable previews of the code when you move the cursor up and down the scroll bar, select
the Show Preview Tooltip option. Here's how it looks:
If you want to keep the map mode scrolling behavior and the preview tooltip but don't want to see the
source code overview, you can set Source Overview to Off.
 Code Snippets
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

Code snippets are small blocks of reusable code that can be inserted in a code file using a context menu command
or a combination of hotkeys. They typically contain commonly-used code blocks such as try-finally or if-else
blocks, but they can be used to insert entire classes or methods.

Expansion Snippets and Surround-With Snippets

In Visual Studio there are two kinds of code snippet: expansion snippets, which are added at a specified insertion
point and may replace a snippet shortcut, and surround-with snippets (C# and C++ only), which are added
around a selected block of code.
An example of an insertion snippet: in C# the shortcut tryf is used to insert a try-finally block:

try
{

}
finally
{

You can insert this snippet by clicking Insert Snippet in the context menu of the code window, then Visual C#,
then type tryf , then TAB, or you can type tryf and press TAB + TAB.
An example of a surround-with snippet: in C++ the shortcut if can be used either as an insertion snippet or as a
surround-with snippet. If you select a line of code (for example return FALSE; ), and then click Surround With,
then if, the snippet is expanded around the line:

if (true)
{
return FALSE;
}

Snippet Replacement Parameters

Snippets can contain replacement parameters, which are placeholders that you must replace to fit the precise code
you are writing. In the previous example true is a replacement parameter, which you would replace with the
appropriate condition. The replacement you make is repeated for every instance of the same replacement
parameter in the snippet.
For example, in Visual Basic there is a code snippet that inserts a property. Click Insert Snippet on the context
menu of the code window, then Code Patterns, then Properties, Procedures, Events, then Define a property.
The following code is inserted:
 Private newPropertyValue As String
Public Property NewProperty() As String
Get
Return newPropertyValue
End Get
Set(ByVal value As String)
newPropertyValue = value
End Set
End Property

If you change newPropertyValue to m_property , then every instance of newPropertyValue is changed. If you
change String to Int in the property declaration, then the value in the set method is also changed to Int .

Code Snippet Manager

You can see all the code snippets that are currently installed, plus their location on disk, by clicking Tools/Code
Snippets Manager. Snippets are displayed by language.
You can add and remove snippet directories with the Add and Remove buttons in the Code Snippets Manager
dialog. To add individual code snippets, use the Import button.

See Also
Walkthrough: Creating a Code Snippet
How to: Distribute Code Snippets
Best Practices for Using Code Snippets
Troubleshooting Snippets
Visual C# Code Snippets
Visual C++ Code Snippets
Code Snippets Schema Reference
 Walkthrough: Creating a Code Snippet
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

You can create a code snippet with only a few steps. All you need to do is create an XML file, fill in the appropriate
elements, and add your code to it. You can also add references and replacement parameters to your code. You can
add the snippet to your Visual Studio installation by using the Import button on the Code Snippets Manager
(Tools, Code Snippets Manager...).

Snippet Template
The following is the basic snippet template:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<CodeSnippets
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
<CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
<Header>
<Title></Title>
</Header>
<Snippet>
<Code Language="">
<![CDATA[]]>
</Code>
</Snippet>
</CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>

To Create a Code Snippet

1. Create a new XML file in Visual Studio and add the template shown above.
2. Fill in the title of the snippet, e.g. "Hello World VB", in the Title element.
3. Fill in the language of the snippet in the Languages attribute of the Code element. For this example, use
"VB".
4. Add some code in the CDATA section inside the Code element, for example:

<Code Language="VB">
<![CDATA[Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!")]]>
</Code>

5. Save the snippet as VBCodeSnippet.snippet.

To Add a Code Snippet to Visual Studio
1. You can add your own snippets to your Visual Studio installation by using the Code Snippets Manager.
Open the Code Snippets Manager (Tools, Code Snippets Manager...).
2. Click the Import button.
3. Go to the location where you saved the code snippet in the previous procedure, select it, and click Open.
4. The Import Code Snippet dialog opens, asking you to choose where to add the snippet from the choices
in the right pane. One of the choices should be My Code Snippets. Select it and click Finish, then OK.
5. The snippet is copied to the following location:
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Visual Studio 2017\Code Snippets\Visual Basic\My Code Snippets

6. Test your snippet by opening a Visual Basic project and opening a code file. In the file click Insert Snippet
on the context menu, then My Code Snippets. You should see a snippet named My Visual Basic Code
Snippet. Double-click it.
7. You should see Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!") inserted in the code.
Adding Description and Shortcut Fields
1. Description fields give more information about your code snippet when viewed in the Code Snippets
Manager. The shortcut is a tag that users can type in order to insert your snippet. Edit the snippet you have
added by opening the file
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Visual Studio 2017\Code Snippets\Visual Basic\My Code
Snippet\VBCodeSnippet.snippet
.
2. Add Author and Description elements to the Header element, and fill them in.
3. The Header element should look something like this:

<Header>
<Title>Hello World VB</Title>
<Author>Myself</Author>
<Description>Says Hello to the world.</Description>
</Header>

4. Open the Code Snippets Manager and select your code snippet. In the right pane you should see that the
Description and Author fields are now populated.
5. To add a shortcut, add a Shortcut element alongside the Author and Description element:

<Header>
<Title>Hello World VB</Title>
<Author>Myself</Author>
<Description>Says Hello to the world.</Description>
<Shortcut>hello</Shortcut>
</Header>

6. Save the snippet file again.

7. To test the shortcut, open a Visual Basic project and open a code file. Type hello in the file and press TAB.
The snippet code should be inserted.
To Add References and Imports
1. With Visual Basic snippets you can add a reference to a project by using the References element, and add an
Imports declaration by using the Imports element. (Snippets in other languages do not have this feature.)
For example, if you change Console.WriteLine in the code example to MessageBox.Show , you may need to
add the System.Windows.Forms.dll assembly to the project.
2. Open your snippet.
3. Add the References element under the Snippet element:
 <References>
<Reference>
<Assembly>System.Windows.Forms.dll</Assembly>
</Reference>
</References>

4. Add the Imports element under the Snippet element:

<Imports>
<Import>
<Namespace>System.Windows.Forms</Namespace>
</Import>
</Imports>

5. Change the CDATA section to the following:

<![CDATA[MessageBox.Show("Hello, World!")]]>

6. Save the snippet.

7. Open a Visual Basic project and add the snippet.
8. You will see an Imports statement at the top of the code file:

Imports System.Windows.Forms

9. Look at the project's properties. The References tab includes a reference to System.Windows.Forms.dll.
Adding Replacements
1. You may want parts of your code snippets to be replaced by the user, for example if you add a variable and
want the user to replace the variable with one in the current project. You can provide two types of
replacements: literals and objects. Literals are strings of some type (string literals, variable names, or string
representations of numeric values). Objects are instances of some type other than a string. In this procedure
you will declare a literal replacement and an object replacement, and change the code to reference these
replacements.
2. Open your snippet.
3. This example uses a SQL connection string, so you need to change the Imports and References elements to
add the appropriate references:
 <References>
<Reference>
<Assembly>System.Data.dll</Assembly>
</Reference>
<Reference>
<Assembly>System.Xml.dll</Assembly>
</Reference>
</References>
<Imports>
<Import>
<Namespace>System.Data</Namespace>
</Import>
<Import>
<Namespace>System.Data.SqlClient</Namespace>
</Import>
</Imports>

4. To declare a literal replacement for the SQL connection string, add a Declarations element under the
Snippet element, and in it add a Literal element with subelements for the ID, the tooltip, and the default
value for the replacement:

<Declarations>
<Literal>
<ID>SqlConnString</ID>
<ToolTip>Replace with a SQL connection string.</ToolTip>
<Default>"SQL connection string"</Default>
</Literal>
</Declarations>

5. To declare an object replacement for the SQL connection, add an Object element inside the Declarations
element, and add sub-elements for the ID, the type of the object, the tooltip, and the default value. The
resulting Declarations element should look like this:

<Declarations>
<Literal>
<ID>SqlConnString</ID>
<ToolTip>Replace with a SQL connection string.</ToolTip>
<Default>"SQL connection string"</Default>
</Literal>
<Object>
<ID>SqlConnection</ID>
<Type>System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection</Type>
<ToolTip>Replace with a connection object in your application.</ToolTip>
<Default>dcConnection</Default>
</Object>
</Declarations>

6. In the code section, you reference the replacements with surrounding $ signs, for example $replacement$ :

<Code Language="VB" Kind="method body">

<![CDATA[Dim daCustomers As SqlDataAdapter
Dim selectCommand As SqlCommand

daCustomers = New SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter()

selectCommand = new SqlClient.SqlCommand($SqlConnString$)
daCustomers.SelectCommand = selectCommand
daCustomers.SelectCommand.Connection = $SqlConnection$]]>
</Code>

7. Save the snippet.

8. Open a Visual Basic project and add the snippet.
9. The code should look like the following, where the replacements SQL connection string and dcConnection
are highlighted in light orange. Press TAB to navigate from one to the other.

Dim daCustomers As SqlDataAdapter

Dim selectCommand As SqlCommand

daCustomers = New SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter()

selectCommand = New SqlClient.SqlCommand("SQL connection string")
daCustomers.SelectCommand = selectCommand
daCustomers.SelectCommand.Connection = dcConnection

See Also
Code Snippets Schema Reference
 How to: Distribute Code Snippets
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

You can simply give your code snippets to your friends and have them install the snippets on their own computers
by using the Code Snippets Manager. However, if you have several snippets to distribute or would like to distribute
them more widely, you include your snippet file in a Visual Studio extension, which Visual Studio users can install.
You must install the Visual Studio SDK in order to create Visual Studio extensions. Find the version of the VSSDK
that matches your Visual Studio installation at Visual Studio Downloads.

Setting up the Extension

In this procedure we will use the same Hello World code snippet created in Walkthrough: Creating a Code Snippet.
We will supply the .snippet text, so you don't have to go back and make one.
1. Create a new VSIX project named TestSnippet. (File / New / Project / Visual C# (or Visual Basic /
Extensibility)
2. In the TestSnippet project, add a new XML file and call it VBCodeSnippet.snippet. Replace the content
with the following:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<CodeSnippets
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
<CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
<Header>
<Title>Hello World VB</Title>
<Shortcut>HelloWorld</Shortcut>
<Description>Inserts code</Description>
<Author>MSIT</Author>
<SnippetTypes>
<SnippetType>Expansion</SnippetType>
<SnippetType>SurroundsWith</SnippetType>
</SnippetTypes>
</Header>
<Snippet>
<Code Language="VB">
<![CDATA[Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!")]]>
</Code>
</Snippet>
</CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>

Setting up the Directory Structure

1. In the Solution Explorer, select the project node and add a folder that has the name you want the snippet to
have in the Code Snippets Manager. In this case it should be HelloWorldVB.
2. Move the .snippet file to the HelloWorldVB folder.
3. Select the .snippet file in the Solution Explorer, and in the Properties window make sure Build Action is set
to Content, Copy to Output Directory is set to Copy always, and Include in VSIX is set to true.
Adding the .pkgdef file
1. Add a text file to the HelloWorldVB folder and name it HelloWorldVB.pkgdef. This file is used to add
certain keys to the registry. In this case it adds a new key to
 HKCU\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\Languages\CodeExpansions\Basic.
2. Add the following lines to the file.

// Visual Basic
[$RootKey$\Languages\CodeExpansions\Basic\Paths]
"HelloWorldVB"="$PackageFolder$"

If you examine this key, you can see how to specify different languages.
3. Select the .pkgdef file in the Solution Explorer, and in the Properties window make sure Build Action is set
to Content, Copy to Output Directory is set to Copy always, and Include in VSIX is set to true.
4. Add the .pkgdef file as an asset in the VSIX manifest. In the source.extension.vsixmanifest file, go to the
Assets tab and click New.
5. In the Add New Asset dialog, set the Type to Microsoft.VisualStudio.VsPackage, the Type to File on
filesystem, and the Path to HelloWorldVB.pkgdef (which should appear in the dropdown).
Testing the Snippet
1. Now you can make sure that the code snippet works in the experimental instance of Visual Studio. The
experimental instance is a second copy of Visual Studio that is separate from the one you use to write code.
It allows you to work on an extension without affecting your development environment.
2. Build the project and start debugging. A second instance of Visual Studio should appear.
3. In the experimental instance, go to Tools / Code Snippets Manager and set the Language to Basic. You
should see HelloWorldVB as one of the folders, and you should be able to expand the folder to see the
HelloWorldVB snippet.
4. Test the snippet. In the experimental instance, open a Visual Basic project and open one of the code files.
Place your cursor somewhere in the code, right-click, and on the context menu select Insert Snippet.
5. You should see HelloWorldVB as one of the folders. Double-click it. You should see a pop-up Insert
Snippet: HellowWorldVB > that has a dropdown HelloWorldVB. Click the HelloWorldVB dropdown. You
should see the following line added to the file:

Console.WriteLine("Hello, World!")

See Also
Code Snippets
 Visual C# Code Snippets
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

Code snippets are ready-made snippets of code you can quickly insert into your code. For example, the for code
snippet creates an empty for loop. Some code snippets are surround-with code snippets, which enable you to
select lines of code, and then choose a code snippet which incorporates the selected lines of code. For example,
when you select lines of code and then activate the for code snippet, it creates a for loop with those lines of
code inside the loop block. Code snippets can make writing program code quicker, easier, and more reliable.
You can insert a code snippet at the cursor location, or insert a surround-with code snippet around the currently
selected code. The Code Snippet Inserter is invoked through the Insert Code Snippet or Surround With
commands on the IntelliSense menu, or by using the keyboard shortcuts CTRL+K and then X or CTRL+K and
then S respectively.
The Code Snippet Inserter displays the code snippet name for all available code snippets. The Code Snippet
Inserter also includes an input dialog box where you can type the name of the code snippet, or part of the code
snippet name. The Code Snippet Inserter highlights the closest match to a code snippet name. Pressing TAB at any
time will dismiss the Code Snippet Inserter and insert the currently selected code snippet. Typing ESC or clicking
the mouse in the Code Editor will dismiss the Code Snippet Inserter without inserting a code snippet.

Default Code Snippets

By default the following code snippets are included in Visual Studio.

NAME (OR SHORTCUT) DESCRIPTION VALID LOCATIONS TO INSERT SNIPPET

#if Creates a #if directive and a #endif Anywhere.

directive.

#region Creates a #region directive and a Anywhere.

#endregion directive.

~ Creates a destructor for the containing Inside a class.

class.

attribute Creates a declaration for a class that Inside a namespace (including the
derives from Attribute. global namespace), a class, or a struct.

checked Creates a checked block. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.

class Creates a class declaration. Inside a namespace (including the

global namespace), a class, or a struct.

ctor Creates a constructor for the containing Inside a class.

class.

cw Creates a call to WriteLine. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.
NAME (OR SHORTCUT) DESCRIPTION VALID LOCATIONS TO INSERT SNIPPET

do Creates a do while loop. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.

else Creates an else block. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.

enum Creates an enum declaration. Inside a namespace (including the

global namespace), a class, or a struct.

equals Creates a method declaration that Inside a class or a struct.

overrides the Equals method defined in
the Object class.

exception Creates a declaration for a class that Inside a namespace (including the
derives from an exception (Exception by global namespace), a class, or a struct.
default).

for Creates a for loop. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.

foreach Creates a foreach loop. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.

forr Creates a for loop that decrements the Inside a method, an indexer, a property
loop variable after each iteration. accessor, or an event accessor.

if Creates an if block. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.

indexer Creates an indexer declaration. Inside a class or a struct.

interface Creates an interface declaration. Inside a namespace (including the

global namespace), a class, or a struct.

invoke Creates a block that safely invokes an Inside a method, an indexer, a property
event. accessor, or an event accessor.

iterator Creates an iterator. Inside a class or a struct.

iterindex Creates a "named" iterator and indexer Inside a class or a struct.

pair by using a nested class.

lock Creates a lock block. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.

mbox Creates a call to MessageBox.Show. You Inside a method, an indexer, a property

may have to add a reference to accessor, or an event accessor.
System.Windows.Forms.dll.

namespace Creates a namespace declaration. Inside a namespace (including the

global namespace).

prop Creates an auto-implemented property Inside a class or a struct.

declaration.
 NAME (OR SHORTCUT) DESCRIPTION VALID LOCATIONS TO INSERT SNIPPET

propfull Creates a property declaration with Inside a class or a struct.

get and set accessors.

propg Creates a read-only auto-implemented Inside a class or a struct.

property with a private set accessor.

sim Creates a static int Main method Inside a class or a struct.

declaration.

struct Creates a struct declaration. Inside a namespace (including the

global namespace), a class, or a struct.

svm Creates a static void Main method Inside a class or a struct.

declaration.

switch Creates a switch block. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.

try Creates a try-catch block. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.

tryf Creates a try-finally block. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.

unchecked Creates an unchecked block. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.

unsafe Creates an unsafe block. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.

using Creates a using directive. Inside a namespace (including the

global namespace).

while Creates a while loop. Inside a method, an indexer, a property

accessor, or an event accessor.

See Also
Code Snippet Functions
Code Snippets
Template Parameters
How to: Use Surround-with Code Snippets
 Visual C++ Code Snippets
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

In Visual Studio, you can use code snippets to add commonly-used code to your C++ code files. In general, you can
use code snippets in much the same way as in C#, but the set of default code snippets is different.
You can either add a code snippet at a particular location in your code (insertion) or surround some selected code
with a code snippet.

Inserting a Code Snippet

To insert a code snippet, open a C++ code file (.cpp or .h), click somewhere inside the file, and do one of the
following:
Right-click to get the context menu and select Insert Snippet
In the Edit / IntelliSense menu, select Insert Snippet
Use the hotkeys: CTRL + K + X
You should see a list of choices beginning with #if. When you select #if, you should see the following code
added to the file:

#if 0

#endif // 0

You can then replace the 0 with the correct condition.

Using a Code Snippet to Surround Selected Code

To use a code snippet to surround selected code, select a line (or multiple lines) and do one of the following:
1. Right-click to get the context menu and select Surround With
2. In the Edit / IntelliSense menu, select Surround With
3. Use the hotkeys: CTRL + K + S
Select #if. You should see something like this:

#if 0
#include "pch.h" // or whatever line you had selected
#endif // 0

You can then replace the 0 with the correct condition.

Where can I find a complete list of the C++ code snippets?

You can find the complete list of C++ code snippets by going to the Code Snippets Manager (on the Tools
menu) and setting the Language to Visual C++. In the window below, expand Visual C++. You should see the
names of all the C++ code snippets in alphabetical order.
The names of most code snippets are self-explanatory, but some names might be confusing.

Class vs. classi

The class snippet provides the definition of a class named MyClass, with the appropriate default constructor and
destructor, where the definitions of the constructor and destructor are located outside the class:

class MyClass
{
public:
MyClass();
~MyClass();

private:

};

MyClass::MyClass()
{
}

MyClass::~MyClass()
{
}

The classi code snippet also provides the definition of a class named MyClass, but the default constructor and
destructor are defined inside the class definition:

class MyClass
{
public:
MyClass()
{
}

~MyClass()
{
}

private:

};

For vs. foreach vs. forr vs rfor

There are four different for snippets that provide different kinds of for loops.
The for snippet provides a for loop in which the condition is based on the length (in size_t ) of an object:

for (size_t i = 0; i < length; i++)

{

The foreach snippet provides a for each loop that iterates over the members of a collection:
 for each (object var in collection_to_loop)
{

The forr snippet provides a reverse for loop in which the condition is based on the length (in integers) of an
object:

for (int i = length - 1; i >= 0; i--)

{

The rfor snippet provides a range-based for loop (link):

for (auto& i : v)
{

The destructor snippet (~)

The destructor snippet (~) shows different behavior in different contexts. If you insert this snippet inside a class, it
provides a destructor for that class. For example, given the following code:

class SomeClass {

};

If you insert the destructor snippet, it provides a destructor for SomeClass:

class SomeClass {
~SomeClass()
{

}
};

If you try to insert the destructor snippet outside a class, it provides a destructor with a placeholder name:

~TypeNamePlaceholder()
{
 Code Snippet Functions
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

There are three functions available to use with Visual C# code snippets. Functions are specified in the Function
element of the code snippet. For information on creating code snippets, see Code Snippets.

Functions
The following table describes the functions available for use with the Function element in code snippets.

FUNCTION DESCRIPTION LANGUAGE

GenerateSwitchCases( Generates a switch statement and a set Visual C#

EnumerationLiteral ) of case statements for the members of
the enumeration specified by the
EnumerationLiteral parameter. The
EnumerationLiteral parameter must
be either a reference to an enumeration
literal or an enumeration type.

ClassName() Returns the name of the class that Visual C#

contains the inserted snippet.

SimpleTypeName( TypeName ) Reduces the TypeName parameter to Visual C#

its simplest form in the context in which
the snippet was invoked.

Example
The following example shows how to use the GenerateSwitchCases function. When this snippet is inserted and an
enumeration is entered into the $switch_on$ literal, the $cases$ literal generates a case statement for every
value in the enumeration.
 <CodeSnippets xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
<CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
<Header>
<Title>switch</Title>
<Shortcut>switch</Shortcut>
<Description>Code snippet for switch statement</Description>
<Author>Microsoft Corporation</Author>
<SnippetTypes>
<SnippetType>Expansion</SnippetType>
</SnippetTypes>
</Header>
<Snippet>
<Declarations>
<Literal>
<ID>expression</ID>
<ToolTip>Expression to switch on</ToolTip>
<Default>switch_on</Default>
</Literal>
<Literal Editable="false">
<ID>cases</ID>
<Function>GenerateSwitchCases($expression$)</Function>
<Default>default:</Default>
</Literal>
</Declarations>
<Code Language="csharp">
<![CDATA[
switch ($expression$)
{
$cases$
}
]]>
</Code>
</Snippet>
</CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>

Example
The following example shows how to use the ClassName function. When this snippet is inserted, the $classname$
literal is replaced with the name of the enclosing class at that location in the code file.
 <CodeSnippets xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
<CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
<Header>
<Title>Common constructor pattern</Title>
<Shortcut>ctor</Shortcut>
<Description>Code Snippet for a constructor</Description>
<Author>Microsoft Corporation</Author>
<SnippetTypes>
<SnippetType>Expansion</SnippetType>
</SnippetTypes>
</Header>
<Snippet>
<Declarations>
<Literal>
<ID>type</ID>
<Default>int</Default>
</Literal>
<Literal>
<ID>name</ID>
<Default>field</Default>
</Literal>
<Literal default="true" Editable="false">
<ID>classname</ID>
<ToolTip>Class name</ToolTip>
<Function>ClassName()</Function>
<Default>ClassNamePlaceholder</Default>
</Literal>
</Declarations>
<Code Language="vjsharp" Format="CData">
<![CDATA[
public $classname$ ($type$ $name$)
{
this._$name$ = $name$;
}
private $type$ _$name$;
]]>
</Code>
</Snippet>
</CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>

Example
This example shows how to use the SimpleTypeName function. When this snippet is inserted into a code file, the
$SystemConsole$ literal will be replaced with the simplest form of the Console type in the context in which the
snippet was invoked.
 <CodeSnippets xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
<CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
<Header>
<Title>Console_WriteLine</Title>
<Shortcut>cw</Shortcut>
<Description>Code snippet for Console.WriteLine</Description>
<Author>Microsoft Corporation</Author>
<SnippetTypes>
<SnippetType>Expansion</SnippetType>
</SnippetTypes>
</Header>
<Snippet>
<Declarations>
<Literal Editable="false">
<ID>SystemConsole</ID>
<Function>SimpleTypeName(global::System.Console)</Function>
</Literal>
</Declarations>
<Code Language="csharp">
<![CDATA[
$SystemConsole$.WriteLine();
]]>
</Code>
</Snippet>
</CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>

See Also
Function Element (Intellisense Code Snippets)
Code Snippets Schema Reference
 How to: Use Surround-with Code Snippets
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

The following procedures describe how to use surround-with code snippets. Surround-with code snippets are
available three ways: through a keyboard shortcut, through the Edit menu, and through the context menu.
To use surround-with code snippets through keyboard shortcut
1. In the Visual Studio IDE, open the file that you intend to edit.
2. In the Code Editor, select text to surround.
3. Type CTRL+K, CTRL+S.
4. Select the code snippet from the code snippet list using the mouse, or by typing the name of the code
snippet and pressing TAB or ENTER.
To use surround-with code snippets through the Edit menu
1. In the Visual Studio IDE, open the file that you intend to edit.
2. In the Code Editor, select text to surround.
3. From the Edit menu, select IntelliSense and then select the Surround With command.
4. Select the code snippet from the code snippet inserter and then press TAB or ENTER.
Alternatively, you can type the name of the code snippet, and then press TAB or ENTER.
To use surround-with code snippets through the context menu
1. In the Visual Studio IDE, open the file that you intend to edit.
2. In the Code Editor, select text to surround.
3. Right-click the selected text and then select the Surround With command from the context menu.
4. Select the code snippet from the code snippet inserter and then press TAB or ENTER.
Alternatively, you can type the name of the code snippet, and then press TAB or ENTER.

See Also
Visual C# Code Snippets
Code Snippet Picker
 Best Practices for Using Code Snippets
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

The code in a code snippet shows only the most basic way to do something. For most applications, the code must
be modified to suit the application.

Handling Exceptions
Typically, code snippet Try...Catch blocks catch and rethrow all exceptions. That may not be the right choice for your
project. For each exception, there are several ways to respond. For examples, see How to: Handle an Exception
Using try/catch (C# Programming Guide) and Try...Catch...Finally Statement.

File Locations
When you adapt file locations to your application, you should think about the following:
Finding an accessible location. Users may not have access to the Program Files folder of the computer, so
storing files with the application files may not work.
Finding a secure location. Storing files in the root folder (C:\) is not secure. For application data, we
recommend the \Application Data folder. For individual user data, the application can create a file for each
user in the \My Documents folder.
Using a valid file name. You can use the OpenFileDialog and SaveFileDialog controls to reduce the likelihood
of invalid file names. Be aware that between the time the user selects a file and the time your code
manipulates the file, the file may be deleted. In addition, the user may not have permissions to write to the
file.

Security
How secure a snippet is depends on where it is used in the source code and how it is modified once it is in the
code. The following list contains a few of the areas that must be considered.
File and database access
Code access security
Protecting resources (such as event logs, registry)
Storing secrets
Verifying inputs
Passing data to scripting technologies
For more information, see Securing Applications.

Downloaded Code Snippets

IntelliSense code snippets installed by Visual Studio are not in themselves a security hazard. However, they can
create security risks in your application. Snippets downloaded from the Internet should be treated like any other
downloaded content - with extreme caution.
Download snippets only from sites you trust, and use up-to-date virus software.
 Open all downloaded snippet files in Notepad or the XML editor of Visual Studio and review them carefully
before installing them. Look for the following issues:
The snippet code could damage your system if you execute it. Read the source code carefully before
running it.
The Help URL block of the snippet file can contain URLs that execute a malicious script file or display
an offensive Web site.
The snippet may contain references that are added silently to your project and may be loaded from
anywhere on your system. These references may have been downloaded to your computer from
where you downloaded the snippet. The snippet may then make a call to a method in the reference
that executes malicious code. To protect yourself against such an attack, review the Imports and
References blocks of the snippet file.

See Also
Visual Basic IntelliSense Code Snippets
Securing Applications
Code Snippets
 Troubleshooting Snippets
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Problems with IntelliSense code snippets are typically caused by two problems: a corrupt snippet file or bad
content in the snippet file.

Common Problems
The Snippet Cannot Be Dragged from File Explorer to a Visual Studio Source File
The XML in the snippet file may be corrupt. The XML Editor in Visual Studio can locate problems in the XML
structure.
The snippet file may not conform to the snippet schema. The XML Editor in Visual Studio can locate
problems in the XML structure.
The Code Has Compiler Errors That Are Not Highlighted
You may be missing a project reference. Examine the documentation about the snippet. If the reference is
not found on the computer, you will need to install it. Inserting a snippet should add to the project any
references needed. If the snippet is missing the reference information, that can be reported to the snippet
creator as an error.
A variable may be undefined. Undefined variables in a snippet should be highlighted. If not, that can be
reported to the snippet creator as an error.

See Also
Code Snippets
 Code Snippets Schema Reference
10/18/2017 • 17 min to read • Edit Online

IntelliSense Code Snippets are pre-authored pieces of code that are ready to be inserted into your application with
Visual Studio. You can increase productivity by providing code snippets that reduce the amount of time spent
typing repetitive code or searching for samples. You can use the IntelliSense Code Snippet XML schema to create
your own code snippets and add them to the code snippets that Visual Studio already includes.

IntelliSense Code Snippets Schema Elements

Assembly Element HelpUrl Element References Element

Author Element ID Element Shortcut Element

Code Element Import Element Snippet Element

CodeSnippet Element Imports Element SnippetType Element

CodeSnippets Element Keyword Element SnippetTypes Element

Declarations Element Keywords Element Title Element

Default Element Literal Element ToolTip Element

Description Element Namespace Element Type Element

Function Element Object Element Url Element

Header Element Reference Element

Assembly Element
Specifies the name of the assembly referenced by the code snippet.

NOTE
The Assembly element is only supported by Visual Basic code snippets.

The text value of the Assembly element is either the friendly text name of the assembly, such as System.dll , or its
strong name, such as System,Version=1.0.0.1,Culture=neutral,PublicKeyToken=9b35aa323c18d4fb1 .

<Assembly>
AssemblyName
</Assembly>
 PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Reference Element Contains information about assembly references required by

the code snippet.

A text value is required. This text specifies the assembly that the code snippet references.

Author Element
Specifies the name of the snippet author. The Code Snippets Manager displays the name stored in the Author
element of the code snippet.

<Author>
Code Snippet Author
</Author>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Header Element Contains general information about the code snippet.

A text value is required. This text specifies the author of the code snippet.

Code Element
Provides a container for short code blocks.
Two reserved words are available for use in the text of the Code element: $end$ and $selected$ . $end$ marks
the location to place the cursor after the code snippet is inserted. $selected$ represents text selected in the
document that is to be inserted into the snippet when it is invoked. For example, given a snippet that includes:

$selected$ is a great color.

If the word "Blue" is selected when the user invokes the template, the result is:

Blue is a great color.

You may not use either $end$ or $selected$ more than once in a code snippet. If you do, only the second
instance is recognized. Given a snippet that includes:

$selected$ is a great color. I love $selected$.

If the word "Blue" is selected, the result is:

is a great color. I love Blue.

The initial space appears because there is a space between $selected$ and is .
All other $ keywords are dynamically defined in the <Literal> and <Object> tags.
 <Code Language="Language"
Kind="method body/method decl/type decl/page/file/any"
Delimiter="Delimiter">
Code to insert
</Code>

ATTRIBUTE DESCRIPTION

Delimiter Optional attribute. Specifies the delimiter used to describe

literals and objects in the code. By default, the delimiter is $ .

Kind Optional attribute. Specifies the kind of code that the snippet
contains and the location at which a code snippet must be
inserted for the code snippet to compile. The values available
are method body , method decl , type decl , file , and
any .

Language Required attribute. Specifies the language of the code snippet.

KIND ATTRIBUTE VALUE DESCRIPTION

method body Specifies that the code snippet is a method body, and
therefore, must be inserted inside a method declaration.

method decl Specifies that the code snippet is a method, and therefore,
must be inserted inside a class or module.

type decl Specifies that the code snippet is a type, and therefore, must
be inserted inside a class, module, or namespace.

file Specifies that the snippet is a full code file. These code
snippets can be inserted alone into a code file, or inside a
namespace.

any Specifies that the snippet can be inserted anywhere. This tag
is used for code snippets that are context-independent, such
as comments.

LANGUAGE ATTRIBUTE VALUE DESCRIPTION

VB Identifies a Visual Basic code snippet.

CSharp Identifies a C# code snippet.

CPP Identifies a C++ code snippet.

XML Identifies an XML code snippet.

JavaScript Identifies a JavaScript code snippet.

SQL Identifies a SQL code snippet.

HTML Identifies an HTML code snippet.

 PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Snippet Element Contains the references, imports, declarations, and code for
the code snippet.

A text value is required. This text specifies the code, along with the literals and objects, that you can use when this
code snippet is inserted into a project.

CodeSnippet Element
Allows you to specify a heading and multiple IntelliSense Code Snippets, which you can insert into Visual Studio
code files.

<CodeSnippet Format="x.x.x">
<Header>... </Header>
<Snippet>... </Snippet>
</CodeSnippet>

ATTRIBUTE DESCRIPTION

Format Required attribute. Specifies the schema version of the code

snippet. The Format attribute must be a string in the syntax
of x.x.x, where each "x" represents a numerical value of the
version number. Visual Studio will ignore code snippets with
Format attributes that it does not understand.

CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Header Element Required element. Contains general information about the

code snippet. There must be exactly one Header element in
a code snippet.

Snippet Element Required element. Contains the code that will be inserted by
Visual Studio. There must be exactly one Snippet element in
a code snippet.

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

CodeSnippets Element Root element of the code snippet XML schema.

CodeSnippets Element
Groups CodeSnippet Elementelements. The CodeSnippets element is the root element of the code snippet XML
schema.

<CodeSnippets>
<CodeSnippet>... </CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>

CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

 CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

CodeSnippet Element Optional element. Parent element for all code snippet data.
There may be zero or more CodeSnippet elements in a
CodeSnippets element.

Declarations Element
Specifies the literals and objects that make up the parts of a code snippet that you can edit.

<Declarations>
<Literal>... </Literal>
<Object>... </Object>
</Declarations>

CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Literal Element Optional element. Defines the literals of the code snippet that
you can edit. There may be zero or more Literal elements
in a Declarations element.

Object Element Optional element. Defines the objects of the code snippet that
you can edit. There may be zero or more Object elements in
a Declarations element.

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Snippet Element Contains the references, imports, declarations, and code for
the code snippet.

Default Element
Specifies the default value of the literal or object for an IntelliSense Code Snippet.

<Default>
Default value
</Default>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Literal Element Defines the literal fields of the code snippet that you can edit.

Object Element Defines the object fields of the code snippet that you can edit.

A text value is required. This text specifies the default value of the literal or object that fills the fields of the code
snippet that you can edit.

Description Element
Specifies descriptive information about the contents of an IntelliSense Code Snippet.
 <Description>
Code Snippet Description
</Description>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Header Element Contains general information about the code snippet.

A text value is required. This text describes the code snippet.

Function Element
Specifies a function to execute when the literal or object receives focus in Visual Studio.

NOTE
The Function element is only supported in Visual C# code snippets.

<Function>
FunctionName
</Function>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Literal Element Defines the literal fields of the code snippet that you can edit.

Object Element Defines the object fields of the code snippet that you can edit.

A text value is required. This text specifies a function to execute when the literal or object field receives focus in
Visual Studio.
Specifies general information about the IntelliSense Code Snippet.

<Header>
<Title>... </Title>
<Author>... </Author>
<Description>... </Description>
<HelpUrl>... </HelpUrl>
<SnippetTypes>... </SnippetTypes>
<Keywords>... </Keywords>
<Shortcut>... </Shortcut>
</Header>

CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Author Element Optional element. The name of the person or company that
authored the code snippet. There may be zero or one
Author elements in a Header element.

Description Element Optional element. A description of the code snippet. There

may be zero or one Description elements in a Header
element.
 CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

HelpUrl Element Optional element. A URL that contains more information

about the code snippet. There may be zero or one HelpURL
elements in a Header element. Note: Visual Studio does not
use the HelpUrl element. The element is part of the
IntelliSense Code Snippet XML schema and any code snippet
containing the element will validate, but the value of the
element is never used.

Keywords Element Optional element. Groups Keyword elements. There may be

zero or one Keywords elements in a Header element.

Shortcut Element Optional element. Specifies the shortcut text that can be used
to insert the snippet. There may be zero or one Shortcut
elements in a Header element.

SnippetTypes Element Optional element. Groups SnippetType elements. There

may be zero or one SnippetTypes elements in a Header
element. If there are no SnippetTypes elements, the code
snippet is always valid.

Title Element Required element. The friendly name of the code snippet.
There must be exactly one Title element in a Header
element.

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

CodeSnippet Element Parent element for all code snippet data.

HelpUrl Element
Specifies a URL that provides more information about a code snippet.

NOTE
Visual Studio does not use the HelpUrl element. The element is part of the IntelliSense Code Snippet XML schema and any
code snippet containing the element will validate, but the value of the element is never used.

<HelpUrl>
www.microsoft.com
</HelpUrl>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Header Element Contains general information about the code snippet.

A text value is optional. This text specifies the URL to visit for more information about a code snippet.

ID Element
Specifies a unique identifier for a Literal or Object element. No two literals or objects in the same code snippet
can have the same text value in their ID elements.Literals and objects cannot contain an ID element with a value
of end. The value $end$ is reserved, and is used to mark the location to place the cursor after the code snippet is
inserted.

<ID>
Unique Identifier
</ID>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Literal Element Defines the literal fields of the code snippet that you can edit.

Object Element Defines the object fields of the code snippet that you can edit.

A text value is required. This text specifies the unique identifier for the object or literal.

Import Element
Specifies the imported namespaces used by an IntelliSense Code Snippet.

NOTE
The Import element is only supported for Visual Basic projects.

<Import>
<Namespace>... </Namespace>
</Import>

CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Namespace Element Required element. Specifies the namespace used by the code
snippet. There must be exactly one Namespace element in an
Import element.

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Imports Element Grouping element for Import elements.

Imports Element
Groups individual Import elements.

NOTE
The Imports element is only supported for Visual Basic projects.

<Imports>
<Import>... </Import>
<Imports>
 CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Import Element Optional element. Contains the imported namespaces for the
code snippet. There may be zero or more Import elements in
an Imports element.

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Snippet Element Contains the references, imports, declarations, and code for
the code snippet.

Keyword Element
Specifies a custom keyword for the code snippet. The code snippet keywords are used by Visual Studio and
represent a standard way for online content providers to add custom keywords for searching or categorization.

<Keyword>
Code Snippet Keyword
</Keyword>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Keywords Element Groups individual Keyword elements.

A text value is required. The keyword for the code snippet.

Keywords Element
Groups individual Keyword elements. The code snippet keywords are used by Visual Studio and represent a
standard way for online content providers to add custom keywords for searching or categorization

<Keywords>
<Keyword>... </Keyword>
<Keyword>... </Keyword>
<Keywords>

CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Keyword Element Optional element. Contains individual keywords for the code
snippet. There may be zero or more Keyword elements in a
Keywords element.

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Header Element Contains general information about the code snippet.

Literal Element
Defines the literals of the code snippet that you can edit. The Literal element is used to identify a replacement
for a piece of code that is entirely contained within the snippet, but will likely be customized after it is inserted into
the code. For example, literal strings, numeric values, and some variable names should be declared as literals.
Literals and objects cannot contain an ID element with a value of selected or end. The value $selected$ represents
text selected in the document that is to be inserted into the snippet when it is invoked. $end$ marks the location
to place the cursor after the code snippet is inserted.

<Literal Editable="true/false">
<ID>... </ID>
<ToolTip>... </ToolTip>
<Default>... </Default>
<Function>... </Function>
</Literal>

ATTRIBUTE DESCRIPTION

Editable Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether or not you

can edit the literal after the code snippet is inserted. The
default value of this attribute is true .

CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Default Element Required element. Specifies the literal's default value when
you insert the code snippet. There must be exactly one
Default element in a Literal element.

Function Element Optional element. Specifies a function to execute when the

literal receives focus in Visual Studio. There may be zero or
one Function elements in a Literal element.

ID Element Required element. Specifies a unique identifier for the literal.

There must be exactly one ID element in a Literal
element.

ToolTip Element Optional element. Describes the expected value and usage of
the literal. There may be zero or one Tooltip elements in a
Literal element.

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Declarations Element Contains the literals and objects of a code snippet that you
can edit.

Namespace Element
Specifies the namespace that must be imported for the code snippet to compile and run. The namespace specified
in the Namespace element is automatically added to an Imports statement at the beginning of the code, if it does
not already exist.

NOTE
The Namespace element is only supported for Visual Basic projects.
 <Namespace>
Namespace
</Namespace>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Import Element Imports the specified namespace.

A text value is required. This text specifies a namespace that the code snippet assumes is imported.

Object Element
Defines the objects of the code snippet that you can edit. The Object element is used to identify an item that is
required by the code snippet but is likely to be defined outside of the snippet itself. For example, Windows Forms
controls, ASP.NET controls, object instances, and type instances should be declared as objects. Object declarations
require that a type be specified, which is done with the Type element.

<Object Editable="true/false">
<ID>... </ID>
<Type>... </Type>
<ToolTip>... </ToolTip>
<Default>... </Default>
<Function>... </Function>
</Object>

ATTRIBUTE DESCRIPTION

Editable Optional Boolean attribute. Specifies whether or not you

can edit the literal after the code snippet is inserted. The
default value of this attribute is true .

CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Default Element Required element. Specifies the literal's default value when
you insert the code snippet. There must be exactly one
Default element in a Literal element.

Function Element Optional element. Specifies a function to execute when the

literal receives focus in Visual Studio. There may be zero or
one Function elements in a Literal element.

ID Element Required element. Specifies a unique identifier for the literal.

There must be exactly one ID element in a Literal
element.

ToolTip Element Optional element. Describes the expected value and usage of
the literal. There may be zero or one Tooltip elements in a
Literal element.

Type Element Required element. Specifies the type of the object. There must
be exactly one Type element in an Object element.
 PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Declarations Element Contains the literals and objects of a code snippet that you
can edit.

Reference Element
Specifies information about the assembly references required by the code snippet.

NOTE
The Reference element is only supported for Visual Basic projects.

<Reference>
<Assembly>... </Assembly>
<Url>... </Url>
</Reference>

CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Assembly Element Required element. Contains the name of the assembly

referenced by the code snippet. There must be exactly one
Assembly element in a Reference element.

Url Element Optional element. Contains a URL that provides more

information about the referenced assembly. There may be
zero or one Url elements in a Reference element.

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

References Element Grouping element for Reference elements.

References Element
Groups individual Reference elements.

NOTE
The References element is only supported for Visual Basic projects.

<References>
<Reference>... </Reference>
</References>

CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Reference Element Optional element. Contains information about assembly

references for the code snippet. There may be zero or more
Reference elements in a References element.
 PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Snippet Element Contains the references, imports, declarations, and code for
the code snippet.

Shortcut Element
Specifies the shortcut text used to insert the snippet. The text value of a Shortcut element can only contain
alphanumeric characters, hyphens ( - ), and underscores ( _ ).
Cau t i on

_ and - are not supported characters in C++ snippet shortcuts.

<Shortcut>
Shortcut Text
</Shortcut>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Header Element Contains general information about the code snippet.

A text value is optional. This text is used as a shortcut for inserting the code snippet.

Snippet Element
Specifies the references, imports, declarations, and code for the code snippet.

<Snippet>
<References>... </References>
<Imports>... </Imports>
<Declarations>... </Declarations>
<Code>... </Code>
</Snippet>

CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Code Element Required element. Specifies the code that you want to insert
into a documentation file. There must be exactly one Code
element in a Snippet element.

Declarations Element Optional element. Specifies the literals and objects that make
up the parts of a code snippet that you can edit. There may
be zero or one Declarations elements in a Snippet
element.

Imports Element Optional element. Groups individual Import elements. There

may be zero or one Imports elements in a Snippet
element.

Optional element. Groups individual Reference elements.

There may be zero or one References elements in a
Snippet element.
 PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

CodeSnippet Element Allows you to specify a heading and multiple IntelliSense Code
Snippets, which you can insert into Visual Studio code files.

SnippetType Element
Specifies how Visual Studio inserts the code snippet.

<SnippetType>
SurroundsWith/Expansion
<SnippetType>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

SnippetTypes Element Groups SnippetType elements.

The text value must be one of the following values:

SurroundsWith : allows the code snippet to be placed around a selected piece of code.
Expansion : allows the code snippet to be inserted at the cursor.
Refactoring : specifies that the code snippet is used during Visual C# refactoring. Refactoring cannot be
used in custom code snippets.

SnippetTypes Element
Groups individual SnippetType elements. If the SnippetTypes element is not present, the code snippet can be
inserted anywhere in the code.

<SnippetTypes>
<SnippetType>... </SnippetType>
<SnippetType>... </SnippetType>
<SnippetTypes>

CHILD ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

SnippetType Element Optional element. Specifies how Visual Studio inserts the code
snippet into the code. There may be zero or more
SnippetType elements in a SnippetTypes element.

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Header Element Specifies general information about the code snippet.

Title Element
Specifies the title for the code snippet. The title stored in the Title element of the code snippet appears in the
Code Snippet Picker and in the code snippet's description in the Code Snippets Manager.
 <Title>
Code Snippet Title
<Title>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Header Element Specifies general information about the code snippet.

A text value is required. This text specifies the title of the code snippet.

ToolTip Element
Describes the expected value and usage of a literal or object in a code snippet, which Visual Studio displays in a
ToolTip when it inserts the code snippet into a project. The ToolTip text is displayed when the mouse hovers over
the literal or object after the code snippet has been inserted.

<ToolTip>
ToolTip description
</ToolTip>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Literal Element Defines the literal fields of the code snippet that you can edit.

Object Element Defines the object fields of the code snippet that you can edit.

A text value is required. This text specifies the ToolTip description to be associated with the object or literal in the
code snippet.

Type Element
Specifies the type of the object. The Object element is used to identify an item that is required by the code snippet
but is likely to be defined outside of the snippet itself. For example, Windows Forms controls, ASP.NET controls,
object instances, and type instances should be declared as objects. Object declarations require that a type be
specified, which is done with the Type element.

<Type>
Type
</Type>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Object Element Defines the object fields of the code snippet that you can edit.

A text value is required. This text specifies the type of the object.

Url Element
Specifies a URL that provides more information about the referenced assembly.
 NOTE
The Url element is only supported for Visual Basic projects.

<Url>
www.microsoft.com
</Url>

PARENT ELEMENT DESCRIPTION

Reference Element Specifies the assembly references required by the code

snippet.

A text value is required. This text specifies a URL with more information about the referenced assembly. This URL is
displayed when the reference cannot be added to the project.

See Also
Code Snippets
Walkthrough: Creating a Code Snippet
 Using the Toolbox
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

You can use the toolbox to add controls and other items to your project. You can drag and drop different controls
onto the surface of the designer you are using, and resize and position the controls.
The toolbox appears in conjunction with designer views, such as the designer view of a XAML file. The toolbox
displays only those controls that can be used in the current designer.
The .NET Framework version that your project targets also affects the set of controls visible in the toolbox. By
default, Visual Studio 2013 projects target the .NET Framework 4.5.1. You can set your project to target a different
version of the .NET Framework by selecting the project node in Solution Explorer, and then browsing to
Properties/Application/Target Framework.

Managing the Toolbox and its Controls

By default the toolbox is collapsed along the left side of the Visual Studio IDE, and appears when the cursor is
moved over it. You can pin the toolbox (by clicking the Pin icon on the toolbox toolbar) so that it remains open
when you move the cursor. You can also undock the toolbox window and drag it anywhere on your screen. You can
dock, undock, and hide the toolbox by right-clicking the toolbox toolbar and selecting one of the options.
You can rearrange the items in a toolbox tab or add custom tabs and items by using the following commands on
the context menu:
Rename item - Renames the selected item.
Show All - Shows all possible controls (not just the ones that apply to the current designer).
List View - Shows the controls in a vertical list. If unchecked, the controls appear horizontally.
Choose Items - Opens the Choose Toolbox Items dialog box so that you can specify the items that appear
in the Toolbox. You can show or hide an item by selecting or clearing its check box.
Sort items alphabetically - Sorts the items by name.
Reset Toolbar - Restores the default toolbox settings and items.
Add Tab - Adds a new toolbox tab.
Move Up - Moves the selected item up.
Move Down - Moves the selected item down.

Creating and Distributing Custom Toolbox Controls

You can create a custom toolbox control in either Visual Basic or Visual C#, and you can start with a project
template that's based on Windows Presentation Foundation or Windows Forms. You can then distribute your
control to your teammates or publish it on the web by using the Toolbox Controls Installer.
 Viewing the Structure of Code
10/18/2017 • 10 min to read • Edit Online

You can examine the objects and members in Visual Studio projects, and the objects and members in .NET
Framework components, COM components, dynamic-link libraries (DLL), and type libraries (TLB).
The following sections of this document describe the different code structure windows.
Class View (Visual Basic, C#, C++)
Call Hierarchy (Visual Basic, C#, C++)
Object Browser
Code Definition Window (C#, C++)
You can also use Solution Explorer to browse the types and members in your projects, search for symbols, view a
method's Call Hierarchy, find symbol references, and more without having to switch between the multiple tool
windows listed previously.
If you have Visual Studio Enterprise you can use code maps to visualize the structure of your code and its
dependencies across the entire solution, and drill down to parts of the code that interest you. For more
information, see Map dependencies across your solutions.

NOTE
The Visual Studio edition and the settings you are using may affect the features in the IDE. They might differ from those
described in this topic.

Class View (Visual Basic, C#, C++)

Class View is shown as part of Solution Explorer as well as in a separate window. The Class View window
displays the elements of an application. The upper pane displays namespaces, types, interfaces, enumerations, and
classes, and the lower pane displays the members that belong to the type selected in the upper pane. By using this
window, you can move to member definitions in the source code (or in the Object Browser if the element is
defined outside your solution).
You do not have to compile a project to view its elements in Class View. The window is refreshed as you modify
the code in your project.
You can add code to your project by selecting the project node and choosing the Add button to open the Add
New Item dialog box. The code is added in a separate file.
If your project is checked in to source code control, every Class View element displays an icon that indicates the
source code status of the file. Common source code control commands such as Check Out, Check In, and Get
Latest Version are also available on the shortcut menu for the element.
Class View Toolbar
The Class View toolbar contains the following commands.
 New Folder Creates a virtual folder or subfolder in which you can organize
frequently-used elements. They are saved in the active
solution (.suo) file. After you rename or delete an element in
your code, it might appear in a virtual folder as an error node.
To correct this problem, delete the error node. If you renamed
an element, you can move it from the project hierarchy into
the folder again.

Back Navigates to the previously selected item.

Forward Navigates to the next selected item.

View Class Diagram (managed code projects only) Becomes available when you select a namespace or type in
Class View. When a namespace is selected, the class diagram
shows all the types in it. When a type is selected, the class
diagram shows only that type.

Class View Settings

The Class View Settings button on the toolbar has the following settings.

Show Base Types Base types are displayed.

Show Derived Types Derived types are displayed.

Show Hidden Types and Members Hidden types and members (not intended for use by clients)
are displayed in light gray text.

Show Public Members Public members are displayed.

Show Protected Members Protected members are displayed.

Show Private Members Private members are displayed.

Show Other Members Other kinds of members are displayed, including internal (or
Friend in Visual Basic) members.

Show Inherited Members Inherited members are displayed.

Show Extension Methods Extension methods are displayed.

Class View Shortcut Menu

The shortcut menu in Class View may contain the following commands, depending on the kind of project selected.

Go To Definition Finds the definition of the element in the source code, or in

the Object Browser, if the element is not defined in the open
project.

Browse Definition Displays the selected item in the Object Browser.

 Find All References Finds the currently selected object item and displays the
results in a Find Results window.

Filter To Type (managed code only) Displays only the selected type or namespace. You can
remove the filter by choosing the Clear Find (X) button next
to the Find box.

Copy Copies the fully qualified name of the item.

Sort Alphabetically Lists types and members alphabetically by name.

Sort by Member Type Lists types and members in order by type (such that classes
precede interfaces, interfaces precede delegates, and methods
precede properties).

Sort by Member Access Lists types and members in order by access type, such as
public or private.

Group by Member Type Sorts types and members into groups by object type.

Go To Declaration (C++ code only) Displays the declaration of the type or member in the source
code, if available.

Go To Definition Displays the definition of the type or member in the source

code, if available.

Go To Reference Displays a reference to the type or member in the source

code, if available.

View Call Hierarchy Displays the selected method in the Call Hierarchy window.

Call Hierarchy (Visual Basic, C#, C++)

The Call Hierarchy window shows where a given method (or property or constructor) is called, and lists the
methods that are called from that method. You can view multiple levels of the call graph, which shows the
caller/callee relationships among the methods in a specified scope.
You can display the Call Hierarchy window by selecting a method (or property or constructor) and then choosing
View Class Hierarchy on the shortcut menu. The display should resemble the following picture.

Call Hierarchy window

By using the drop-down list on the toolbar, you can specify the scope of the hierarchy: the solution, the current
project, or the current document.
The main pane displays the calls to and from the method, and the Call Sites pane displays the location of the
selected call. For members that are virtual or abstract, an Overrides method name node appears. For interface
members, an Implements method name node appears.
The Call Hierarchy window does not find method group references, which include places where a method is
added as an event handler or is assigned to a delegate. To find these references, use the Find All References
command.
The shortcut menu in the Call Hierarchy window contains the following commands.

Add as New Root Adds the selected node as a new root node.

Remove Root Removes the selected root node from the tree view pane.

Go to Definition Navigates to the original definition of a method.

Find All References Finds in the project all the references to the selected method.

Copy Copies the selected node (but not its sub-nodes).

Refresh Refreshes the information.

Object Browser
The Object Browser displays descriptions of the code in your projects.
You can filter what you want to view in the Object Browser. By using the drop-down list at the top of the window,
you can choose among the following options:
Any .NET Framework
Silverlight
The active solution
A custom set of components
Custom components can include managed code executables, library assemblies, type libraries, and .ocx files.
It is not possible to add C++ custom components. Custom settings are saved in the Visual Studio user
application directory, %APPDATA%\Roaming\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0\ObjBrowEX.dat.
The left pane of the Object Browser shows physical containers such as .NET Framework and COM
components. You can expand the container nodes to display the namespaces they contain, and then expand
the namespaces to display the types they contain. When you select a type, its members (such as properties
and methods) are listed in the right pane. The lower right pane displays detailed information about the
selected item.
You can search for a specific item by using the Search box at the top of the window. Searches are case-
insensitive. Search results are displayed in the left pane. To clear a search, choose the Clear Search (X)
button next to the Search box.
The Object Browser keeps track of the selections you have made, and you can navigate among your
selections by using the Forward and Back buttons on the toolbar.
 You can use the Object Browser to add an assembly reference to an open solution by selecting an item
(assembly, namespace, type, or member) and choosing the Add Reference button on the toolbar.
Object Browser Settings
By using the Object Browser Settings button on the toolbar, you can specify one of the following views.

View Namespaces Displays namespaces rather than physical containers, in the

left pane. Namespaces stored in multiple physical containers
are merged.

View Containers Displays physical containers rather than namespaces, in the

left pane. View Namespaces and View Containers are
mutually exclusive settings.

Show Base Types Displays base types.

Show Derived Types Displays derived types.

Show Hidden Types and Members Displays hidden types and members (not intended for use by
clients), in light gray text.

Show Public Members Displays public members.

Show Protected Members Displays protected members.

Show Private Members Displays private members.

Show Other Members Displays other types of members, including internal (or Friend
in Visual Basic) members.

Show Inherited Members Displays inherited members.

Show Extension Methods Displays extension methods.

Object Browser Shortcut Menu Commands

The shortcut menu in the Object Browser may contain the following commands, depending on the kind of item
selected.

Browse Definition Shows the primary node for the selected item.

Find All References Finds the currently selected object item and displays the
results in a Find Results window.

Filter To Type Displays only the selected type or namespace. You can
remove the filter by choosing the Clear Search button.

Copy Copies the fully qualified name of the item.

Remove If the scope is a custom component set, removes the selected

component from the scope.
 Sort Alphabetically Lists types and members alphabetically by name.

Sort by Object Type Lists types and members in order by type (such that classes
precede interfaces, interfaces precede delegates, and methods
precede properties).

Sort by Object Access Lists types and members in order by access type, such as
public or private.

Group by Object Type Sorts types and members into groups by object type.

Go To Declaration (C++ projects only) Displays the declaration of the type or member in the source
code, if available.

Go To Definition Displays the definition of the type or member in the source

code, if available.

Go To Reference Displays a reference to the type or member in the source

code, if available.

View Call Hierarchy Displays the selected method in the Call Hierarchy window.

Code Definition Window (C#, C++)

The Code Definition window displays the definition of a selected type or member in the active project. The type
or member can be selected in the code editor or in a code view window.
Although this window is read-only, you can set breakpoints or bookmarks in it. To modify the displayed definition,
choose Edit Definition on the shortcut menu. This opens the source file in the code editor and moves the
insertion point to the line where the definition begins.
Code Definition Shortcut Menu
The shortcut menu in the Code Definition window may contain the following commands, depending on the
programming language.

Create Unit Tests Creates unit tests for the selected element.

Generate Sequence Diagram When a method is selected, generates a sequence diagram.

Create Private Accessor If a unit test is present in the solution, generates a method
that the test uses to access the code.

Go To Definition Finds the definition (or definitions, for partial classes) and
displays them in a Find Results window.

Find All References Finds the references to the type or member in the solution.

View Call Hierarchy Displays the method in the Call Hierarchy window.

Show Calling Tests If there are unit tests in the project, shows the tests that call
the selected code.
 Run Calling Tests If there are unit tests in the project, runs the tests for the
selected code.

Breakpoint Inserts a breakpoint (or a tracepoint).

Run to Cursor Runs the program in debug mode to the location of the
cursor.

Copy Copies the selected line.

Outlining Standard outlining commands.

Edit Definition Moves the insertion point to the definition in the code
window.

Choose Encoding Opens the Encoding window so that you can set an encoding
for the file.

Document Outline Window

You can use the Document Outline window in conjunction with designer views, such as the designer for a XAML
page or a Windows Form designer, or with HTML pages. This window displays the elements in a tree view so that
you can view the logical structure of the form or page and find controls that are deeply embedded or hidden.

See Also
Class View and Object Browser Icons
 Class View and Object Browser Icons
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Class View and the Object Browser display icons that represent code entities, for example, namespaces, classes,
functions, and variables. The following table illustrates and describes the icons.

ICON DESCRIPTION ICON DESCRIPTION

Namespace Method or Function

Class Operator

Interface Property

Structure Field or Variable

Union Event

Enum Constant

TypeDef Enum Item

Module Map Item

Extension Method External Declaration

Delegate Error

Exception Template

Map Unknown

Type Forwarding

Signal Icons
The following signal icons apply to all the previous icons and indicate their accessibility.

NOTE
If your project is included in a source control database, additional signal icons may be displayed to indicate source-control
status, such as checked in or checked out.

ICON DESCRIPTION
 ICON DESCRIPTION

<No Signal Icon> Public. Accessible from anywhere in this component and from
any component that references it.

Protected. Accessible from the containing class or type, or

those derived from the containing class or type.

Private. Accessible only in the containing class or type.

Sealed.

Friend/Internal. Accessible only from the project.

Shortcut. A shortcut to the object.

See Also
Viewing the Structure of Code
 Designing and Viewing Classes and Types
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Design, visualize, and refactor classes and other types in your code with Class Designer in Visual Studio. Use class
diagrams to create and edit classes in your Visual C# .NET, Visual Basic .NET, or C++ project, understand your
project structure better, or reorganize your code.
Here's more about what you can do with class diagrams:
Design: Edit your project's code by editing the class diagram. Add new elements and delete unwanted ones.
Your changes are reflected in code.
Visualize: Understand your project's structure by viewing the classes in your project on a diagram.
Customize your diagram so that you can focus on the project details that you care about the most. Save
your diagram to use later for demonstration or documentation.
Refactor: Override methods, rename identifiers, refactor parameters, and implement interfaces and abstract
classes.

In This Section
Working with Classes and Other Types (Class Designer)
Working with Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
Designing Classes and Types (Class Designer)
Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer)
Refactoring Classes and Types (Class Designer)
Working with Visual C++ Code (Class Designer)
Additional Information About Class Designer Errors

Related Sections
Writing Code
Map dependencies across your solutions
 Working with Classes and Other Types (Class
Designer)
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Focus more easily on the classes and types that you care about the most when you create and edit them with Class
Designer in Visual Studio. Use class diagrams to work more visually with your Visual C# .NET, Visual Basic .NET, or
C++ code.

In This Section
Working with Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
Designing Classes and Types (Class Designer)
Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer)
Refactoring Classes and Types (Class Designer)
Working with Visual C++ Code (Class Designer)
Additional Information About Class Designer Errors
 Working with Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
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Class diagrams help you understand the class structure of projects others have written (or that you wrote a long
time ago). You can use them to customize, share and present project information with others.
The first step in presenting project information is to create a class diagram that displays what you want to show.
For more information, see Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer). You can create multiple class
diagrams for a project that can be used to display a distinct view of the project, a chosen subset of the project's
types, or a chosen subset of the members of types.
In addition to defining what each class diagram shows, you can also change the way that information is presented;
for more information, see How to: Customize Class Diagrams (Class Designer).
After you have fine-tuned one or more class diagrams, you can copy them into Microsoft Office documents and
print them, or export them as image files. For more information, see How to: Copy Class Diagram Elements to a
Microsoft Office Document (Class Designer), How to: Print Class Diagrams (Class Designer) and How to: Export
Class Diagrams As Images (Class Designer).

NOTE
Class Designer does not track the location of your source files, so changing your project structure or moving source files in
the project can cause Class Designer to lose track of the type, especially the source type of a typedef, base classes, or
association types. You might get an error, like Class Designer is unable to display this type. If you do, drag the modified
or relocated source code to the class diagram again to redisplay it.

In This Section
How to: Add Class Diagrams to Projects (Class Designer)
Describes how to add class diagrams to projects.
How to: Customize Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
Provides information about how to customize class diagrams.
How to: Copy Class Diagram Elements to a Microsoft Office Document (Class Designer)
Explains how to copy from a class diagram into an Office document.
How to: Export Class Diagrams As Images (Class Designer)
Describes how to export class diagrams as images.
How to: Print Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
Explains how to print class diagrams.
How to: Add Comments to Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
Describes how to add comments to a class diagram.
To delete a type shape and its underlying code
Describes how to remove shapes from class diagrams.
See Also
Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer)
How to: Customize Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
How to: Remove Type Shapes from Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
 How to: Add Class Diagrams to Projects (Class
Designer)
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To design, edit, and refactor classes and other types, add a class diagram to your Visual C# .NET, Visual Basic .NET,
or C++ project. To visualize different parts of the code in a project, add multiple class diagrams to the project.
You can't create class diagrams from projects that share code across multiple apps. To create UML class diagrams,
see Create UML modeling projects and diagrams.
To add a blank class diagram to a project
1. In Solution Explorer, right-click the project name. Then choose Add New Item or Add, New Item.
2. From the template list, choose the Class Diagram. For Visual C++ projects, look under Templates, and
then under Utility to find this template.
The class diagram opens in Class Designer and appears as a file that has a .cd extension in Solution Explorer
in the project hierarchy. Use the Class Designer toolbox to drag shapes and lines to the diagram.
3. To add multiple class diagrams, repeat the steps in this procedure.
To add a class diagram based on existing types
1. In Solution Explorer, open the class file context menu, then choose View Class Diagram.
-or-
In Class View, open the namespace or type context menu, then choose View Class Diagram.
To display the contents of a complete project in a class diagram
1. In Solution Explorer or Class View, right-click the project and choose View, then choose View Class
Diagram.
An auto-populated Class Diagram is created.

See Also
How to: Create Types by using Class Designer
How to: View Existing Types (Class Designer)
Designing Classes and Types (Class Designer)
Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer)
Working with Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
 How to: Customize Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
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You can change the way that class diagrams display information. You can customize the whole diagram or the
individual types on the design surface.
For example, you can adjust the zoom level of an entire class diagram, change how individual type members are
grouped and sorted, hide or show relationships, and move individual or sets of types anywhere on the diagram.

NOTE
Customizing the way that shapes appear on the diagram doesn't change the underlying code for the types represented on
the diagram.

The sections that contain type members, such as the Properties section in a class, are called compartments. You
can hide or show individual compartments and type members.
In this topic
Zoom in and out of the class diagram
Customize grouping and sorting of type members
Hide compartments on a type
Hide individual members on a type
Show hidden compartments and members on a type
Hide relationships
Show hidden relationships
Remove a shape from a class diagram
Delete a type shape and its underlying code

Zoom in and out of the class diagram

1. Open and select a class diagram file in Class Designer.
2. On the Class Designer toolbar, click the Zoom In or Zoom Out button to change the zoom level of the
designer surface.
or
Specify a particular zoom value. You can use the Zoom drop down list or type a valid zoom level (valid
range is between 10% and 400%).

NOTE
Changing the zoom level does not affect the scale of your class diagram printout.

Customize grouping and sorting of type members

1. Open and select a class diagram file in Class Designer.
2. Right-click an empty area on the design surface and point to Group Members.
3. Select one of the available options:
a. Group by Kind separates individual type members into a grouped list of Properties, Methods,
Events, and Fields. The individual groups depend on the entities definition: for example, a class will
not display any events group if there are no events yet defined for that class.
b. Group by Access separates individual type members into a grouped list based on the member's
access modifiers. For example, Public and Private.
c. Sort Alphabetically displays the items that make up an entity as a single alphabetized list. The list is
sorted in ascending order.

Hide compartments on a type

1. Open and select a class diagram file in the class designer.
2. Right click the member category in the type you want to customize (for example, select the Methods node
in a class.
3. Click Hide Compartment.
The selected compartment disappears from the type container.

Hide individual members on a type

1. Open and select a class diagram file in Class Designer.
2. Right-click the member in the type you want to hide.
3. Click Hide.
The selected member disappears from the type container.

Show hidden compartments and members on a type

1. Open and select a class diagram file in Class Designer.
2. Right-click the name of the type with the hidden compartment.
3. Click Show All Members.
All hidden compartments and members appear in the type container.

Hide relationships
1. Open and select a class diagram file in Class Designer.
2. Right-click the association or inheritance line that you want to hide.
3. Click Hide for association lines, and click Hide Inheritance Line for inheritance lines.
4. Click Show All Members.
All hidden compartments and members appear in the type container.

Show hidden relationships

1. Open and select a class diagram file in Class Designer.
2. Right-click the type with the hidden association or inheritance.
Click Show All Members for association lines, and click Show Base Class or Show Derived Classes for
inheritance lines.

Remove a shape from a class diagram

You can remove a type shape from the class diagram without affecting the type's underlying code. Removing type
shapes from a class diagram affects only that diagram: the underlying code that defines the type and other
diagrams that display the type are not affected.
1. On the class diagram, select the type shape you want to remove from the diagram.
2. On the Edit menu, choose Remove from Diagram.
The type shape and any lines of association or inheritance connected to the shape no longer appear on the
diagram.

Delete a type shape and its underlying code

1. Right-click the shape on the design surface.
2. Select Delete Code from the context menu.
The shape is removed from the diagram and its underlying code is deleted from the project.

See Also
Working with Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
How to: Change Between Member Notation and Association Notation (Class Designer)
How to: View Existing Types (Class Designer)
Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer)
 How to: Copy Class Diagram Elements to a Microsoft
Office Document (Class Designer)
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can copy shapes from a .NET class diagram (.cd file) to other documents. You'll either get a copy of the shape
or its underlying code based on the kind of document where you paste it. To copy shapes from UML class
diagrams in a modeling project, see Export diagrams as images.
To copy a single element
Right-click the shape and choose Copy Image.
To copy several elements
1. Select the shapes on the diagram that you want to copy.
2. Right-click your selection and choose Copy Image.
To copy all the elements in a class diagram
1. Right-click the diagram surface and choose Select All. (Keyboard: Ctrl + A)
2. On the Edit menu, select Copy Image.
You can also choose Copy instead of Copy Image. Copy copies the image as a regular bitmap. Copy
Image copies the image as a vector-based image, which is better for most Office applications.

See Also
How to: Print Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
How to: Export Class Diagrams As Images (Class Designer)
 How to: Export Class Diagrams As Images (Class
Designer)
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To export a class diagram that you created from code in a project, save the diagram as an image. If you want to
export UML class diagrams instead, see Export diagrams as images.
1. Open your class diagram (.cd) file.
2. From the Class Diagram menu or the diagram surface shortcut menu, choose Export Diagram as Image.
3. Select a diagram.
4. Select the format that you want.
5. Choose Export to finish exporting.
To automatically update exported images that are linked from other documents, export the diagram again
in Visual Studio.

See Also
How to: Print Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
Working with Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
 How to: Print Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
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You can print a class diagram using the print feature of Visual Studio.
To print a class diagram
1. Display the class diagram. (If necessary, select the class diagram tab to display it.)
2. Click Print on the File menu.
The entire class diagram will print. Note that you may need to adjust the settings in the Page Setup Dialog
box in order to print at an appropriate size.

See Also
How to: Copy Class Diagram Elements to a Microsoft Office Document (Class Designer)
How to: Export Class Diagrams As Images (Class Designer)
 How to: Add Comments to Class Diagrams (Class
Designer)
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can use comment shapes to annotate class diagrams. A comment shape has one property, Text, into which you
can type text. Comment shapes exist only on the diagram surface and not in code.
A comment resides on the class diagramview in Class Designer; if you open a second class diagram onto the same
project, comments you created in the first view are not visible. If you delete a diagram, all the comments it
contained are also deleted.
You can resize a comment shape but you cannot change other aspects of its appearance, such as its background
color, font, or font size.
To add a comment
1. Drag a comment from the Class Designer Toolbox onto the class diagram.
2. Click in the new comment shape on the diagram and type the text you want.

See Also
Working with Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
Working with Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
How to: Customize Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
 Designing Classes and Types (Class Designer)
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Using Class Designer, you can not only visualize classes and types, but design them as well. The following topics
describe how to do this.

NOTE
When working with the Class Designer, you should inspect the code it emits before executing it in order to verify that the
code is appropriate for your security context.

In This Section
How to: Create Types by using Class Designer
Describes how to use the Class Diagram to create a type.
How to: Create Inheritance Between Types (Class Designer)
Explains how to define an inheritance relationship between types.
How to: Create Associations Between Types (Class Designer)
Describes how to define associations in the class diagram.
How to: Visualize a Collection Association (Class Designer)
Explains how to define a collection association in the Class Designer.
Creating and Configuring Type Members (Class Designer)
Provides information and links to topics about creating and configuring type members with the Class Designer.

Related Sections
Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer)
Refactoring Classes and Types (Class Designer)

See Also
Working with Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
 How to: Create Types by using Class Designer
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To design new types for Visual C# .NET and Visual Basic .NET projects, create them on a class diagram. To see
existing types, see How to: View Existing Types (Class Designer).
Create a new type
Apply a custom attribute to a type
Apply a custom attribute to a type member

Create a new type

1. In the Toolbox, under Class Designer, drag one of these onto a class diagram:
Class or Abstract Class
Enum
Interface
Structure (VB) or Struct (C#)
Delegate
Module (VB only)
2. Name the type. Then select its access level.
3. Select the file where you want to add the initial code for the type:
To create a new file and add it to the current project, select Create new file and name the file.
To add code to an existing file, select Add to existing file.
If your solution has a project that shares code across multiple apps, you can add a new type to a class
diagram in the app project, but only if the corresponding class file is in the same app project or is in
the shared project.
4. Now add other items to define the type:

For Add

Classes, abstract classes, structures or structs Methods, properties, fields, events, constructors (method),
destructors (method), and constants that define the type

Enums Field values that make up the enumeration

Interfaces Methods, properties, and events that make up the

interface

Delegate Parameters that define the delegate

 Module Methods, properties, fields, events, constructors (method),
and constants that define the module

See Creating Members.

Apply a custom attribute to a type

1. Click the type's shape on a class diagram.
2. In the Properties window, next to the Custom Attributes property for the type, click the ellipsis (...) button.
3. Add one or more custom attributes with one per line. Don't enclose them in brackets.
When you're done, the custom attributes are applied to the type.

Apply a custom attribute to a type member

1. Click the member's name in its type's shape on a class diagram, or its row in the Class Details window.
2. In the Properties window, find the member's Custom Attributes property.
3. Add one or more custom attributes with one per line. Don't enclose them in brackets.
When you're done, the custom attributes are applied to the type.

See Also
How to: Create Inheritance Between Types (Class Designer)
How to: Create Associations Between Types (Class Designer)
Creating and Configuring Type Members (Class Designer)
Working with Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
Designing Classes and Types (Class Designer)
 How to: Create Inheritance Between Types (Class
Designer)
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

To create an inheritance relationship between two types on a class diagram using Class Designer, connect the base
type with its derived type or types. You can have an inheritance relationship between two classes, between a class
and an interface, or between two interfaces.
To create an inheritance between types
1. From your project in Solution Explorer, open a class diagram (.cd) file.
If you don't have a class diagram, create it. See How to: Add Class Diagrams to Projects (Class Designer).
2. In the Toolbox, under Class Designer, click Inheritance.
3. On the class diagram, draw an inheritance line between the types that you want, starting from:
A derived class to the base class
An implementing class to the implemented interface
An extending interface to the extended interface
4. Optionally, when you have a derived type from a generic type, click the inheritance line. In the Properties
window, set the Type Arguments property to match the type that you want for the generic type.

NOTE
If a parent abstract class contains at least one abstract member, then all abstract members are implemented as non-
abstract inheriting classes.
Although you can visualize existing generic types, you can't create new generic types. You also can't change the type
parameters for existing generic types.

See Also
Inheritance
Inheritance Basics
How to: View Inheritance Between Types (Class Designer)
Visual C++ Classes in Class Designer
 How to: Create Associations Between Types (Class
Designer)
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Association lines in Class Designer show how classes in a diagram are related. An Association line represents a
class that is the type of a property or field of another class in your project. Association lines are generally used to
illustrate the most important relationships between classes in your project.
While you could display all fields and properties as associations, it makes more sense to show only important
members as associations, depending on what you intend to emphasize in the diagram. (You can show less
important members as regular members or hide them altogether.)

NOTE
Class Designer supports only unidirectional associations.

To define an association line in the Class Diagram

1. In the Toolbox, under Class Designer, select Association.
2. Draw a line between the two shapes you want to link with an association.
A new property is created in the first class. This property displays as an association line (not as a property
within a compartment in the shape) with a default name. Its type is the shape to which the association line
points.
To change the name of an association
On the diagram surface, click the label of the association line and edit it.
- or -
1. Click the shape that contains the property that is shown as an association.
The shape obtains focus and its members display in the Class Details window and in the Properties window.
2. In either the Class Details window or the Properties window, edit the name field for that property and press
Enter.
The name is updated in the Class Details window, on the association line, in the Properties window, and in
code.

See Also
How to: Change Between Member Notation and Association Notation (Class Designer)
 How to: Visualize a Collection Association (Class
Designer)
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Properties and fields that are collections of other types can be displayed on the class diagram as a collection
association. Unlike a regular association, which displays a field or property as a line linking the owning class to the
field's type, a collection association is displayed as a line linking the owning class to the collected type.
To create a collection association
1. In code, create a property or field whose type is itself a strongly-typed collection.
2. In the class diagram, expand the class so that properties and fields are shown.
3. In the class, right-click the field or property and choose Show as Collection Association.
The property or field is shown as an association line linking to the collected type.

See Also
How to: Create Associations Between Types (Class Designer)
Designing Classes and Types (Class Designer)
Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer)
 Creating and Configuring Type Members (Class
Designer)
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You can add these members to types on a class diagram and configure those members in the Class Details
window:

TYPE MEMBERS IT CAN CONTAIN

Class method, property (for C# and Visual Basic), field, event (for C#
and Visual Basic), constructor (method), destructor (method),
constant

Enum member

Interface method, property, event (for C# and Visual Basic)

Abstract Class method, property (for C# and Visual Basic), field, event (for C#
and Visual Basic), constructor (method), destructor (method),
constant

Structure (Struct in C#) method, property (for C# and Visual Basic) field, event (for C#
and Visual Basic), constructor (method), constant

Delegate Parameter

Module (VB Only) method, property, field, event, constructor, constant

NOTE
Make property declaration more concise when a property's get and set accessors don't need additional logic by using auto-
implemented properties (C# only). To show the full signature, from the Class Diagram menu, choose Change Members
Format, Display Full Signature. For more information about auto-implemented properties, see Auto-Implemented
Properties.

Common Tasks
TASK SUPPORTING CONTENT

Get started: Before you create and configure type members, - Opening the Class Details Window
you must open the Class Details window. - Class Details Usage Notes
- Display of Read-Only Information
- Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts in the Class Diagram and
Class Details Window (Class Designer)

Create and modify type members: You can create new - Creating Members
members, modify members, and add parameters to a method - Modifying Type Members
by using the Class Details window. - Adding Parameters to Methods
Opening the Class Details Window
By default, the Class Details Window appears automatically when you open a new class diagram (see How to: Add
Class Diagrams to Projects (Class Designer)). You can also open the Class Details window explicitly, in the following
ways.
To open the Class Details window
1. Right-click on any class in the diagram to display a context menu.
2. In the context menu, click Class Details Window.
or -
Point to Other Windows on the View menu and then click Class Details.

Creating Members
You can create a member using any of the following tools:
Class Designer
Class Details window toolbar
Class Details window

NOTE
You can also create constructors and destructors using the procedures in this section. Please bear in mind that constructors
and destructors are special kinds of methods, and as such, they appear in the Methods compartment in class diagram
shapes and in the Methods section of the Class Details window grid.

NOTE
The only entity you can add to a delegate is parameter. Note that the procedure entitled 'To Create a member using the
Class Details Window toolbar' is not valid for this action.

To create a member using Class Designer

1. Right-click the type to which you want to add a member, point to Add, and then choose the type of member
you want to add.
A new member signature is created and added to the type. It is given a default name that you can change in
Class Designer, the Class Details window, or in the Properties window.
2. Optionally, specify other details about the member, such as its type.
To create a member using the Class Details Window toolbar
1. On the diagram surface, select the type to which you want to add a member.
The type obtains focus and its contents are displayed in the Class Details window.
2. In the Class Details window toolbar, click the top icon and select New <member> from the drop-list.
The cursor moves to the Name field in a row for the kind of member you want to add. For example, if you
clicked New Property, the cursor moves to a new row in the Properties section of the Class Details
window.
3. Type the name of the member you want to create and press Enter (or otherwise move focus, such as by
pressing Tab).
 A new member signature is created and added to the type. The member now exists in code and is displayed
in Class Designer, the Class Details window, and the Properties window.
4. Optionally, specify other details about the member, such as its type.
To create a member using the Class Details Window
1. On the diagram surface, select the type to which you want to add a member.
The type obtains focus and its contents are displayed in the Class Details window.
2. In the Class Details window, in the section that contains the kind of member you want to add, click <add
member>. For example, if you want to add a field, click <add field>.
3. Type the name of the member you want to create and press Enter.
A new member signature is created and added to the type. The member now exists in code and is displayed
in the Class Designer, the Class Details window, and the Properties window.
4. Optionally, specify other details about the member, such as its type.
Note: You can also use keyboard shortcuts to create members. For more information, see Keyboard and
Mouse Shortcuts in the Class Diagram and Class Details Window (Class Designer).

Modifying Type Members

Class Designer enables you to modify the members of types that are displayed on the diagram. You can modify the
members of any type displayed on a class diagram that are not read-only. (See Display of Read-Only Information
(Class Designer).) You modify type members by using in-place editing on the design surface, Properties window,
and the Class Details window.
All the members displayed in the Class Details window represent the members of the types on the class diagram.
There are four kinds of members: methods, properties, fields, and events.
All member rows appear under headings that group the members by kind. For example, all properties appear
under the heading Properties, which, as a node in the grid, can be collapsed or expanded.
Each member row displays the following elements:
Member Icon
Each kind of member is represented by its own icon. Point the mouse at the member icon to display the
member's signature. Click the member icon or the whitespace to the left of the member icon to select the
row.
Member Name
The Name column in a member row displays the name of the member. This name is also displayed in the
Name property in the Properties window. Use this cell to change the name of any member that has read-
write permissions.
If the Name column is too narrow to show the whole name, pointing the mouse on the member name
displays the entire name.
Member Type
The MemberType cell uses IntelliSense, which lets you select from a list of all the types available in the
current project or referenced projects.
Member Modifier
Change the visibility modifier of a member to either Public ( public ), Private ( private ), Friend (
 internal ) Protected ( protected ), Protected``Friend ( protected``internal ), or Default .
<add member>
The last row in the Class Details window contains the text <add member> in the Name cell. If you click this
cell, you can create a new member. For more information, see Creating Members.
Member properties in the Properties window
The Class Details window displays a subset of the member properties that are displayed in the Properties
window. Changing a property in one location will update the value of the property globally. This includes the
display of its value in the other location.
Summary
The Summary cell exposes a summary of information about the member. Click the ellipsis in the Summary
cell to view or edit information about the Summary, Return Type, and Remarks for the member.
Hide
When the Hide check box is selected, the member is not displayed in the type.
To modify a type member
1. Using Class Designer, select a type.
2. If the Class Details window is not displayed, click the Class Details Window button on the Class Designer
toolbar.
3. Edit the values in the fields of the Class Details window grid. After each edit, press ENTER, or otherwise
move focus away from the edited field, for example, by pressing TAB. Your edits reflect immediately in code.

NOTE
If you want to modify only the name of a member, you can do so by using in-place editing.

Adding Parameters to Methods

Add parameters to methods using the Class Details window. Parameters can be configured to be required or
optional. Providing a value for the Optional Default property of a parameter instructs the designer to generate
code as an optional parameter.
Parameter rows contain the following items:
Name
The Name column in a parameter row displays the name of the parameter. This name is also displayed in
the Name property in the Properties window. You can use this cell to change the name of any parameter
with read-write permissions.
Pointing at the parameter name displays the name of the parameter if the Name column is too narrow to
show the entire name.
Type
The Parameter Type cell uses Intellisense, which lets you choose from a list of all the types available in the
current project or referenced projects.
Modifier
The Modifier cell in a parameter row accepts and displays the new modifier of the parameter. To enter a
 new parameter modifier, use the drop-down list box to select from None, ref, out, or params in C#, and
ByVal, ByRef, or ParamArray in VB.
Summary
The Summary cell in a parameter row allows entering of code comments that appear in IntelliSense when
entering the parameter into the code editor.
<add parameter>
The last parameter row of a member contains the text in the Name cell. Clicking this cell lets you create a
new parameter. For more information, see To add a parameter to a method.
Parameter properties in the Properties window
The Properties window displays the same parameter properties displayed in the Class Details window:
Name, Type, Modifier, Summary, as well as the Optional Default property. Changing a property in one
location updates the value of the property globally, including the display of its value in the other location.

NOTE
To add a parameter to a delegate, see Creating Members.

NOTE
Although a destructor is a method, it cannot have parameters.

To add a parameter to a method

1. On the diagram surface, click the type containing the method to which you want to add a parameter.
The type obtains focus and its contents display in the Class Details window.
2. In the Class Details window, expand the row of the method to which you want to add a parameter.
An indented parameter row appears, containing only a pair of parentheses and the words <add
parameter>.
3. Click <add parameter>, type the name of the new parameter, and press Enter.
The new parameter is added to the method and the method's code. It displays in the Class Details window
and the Properties window.
4. Optionally, specify other details about the parameter, such as its type.
To add an optional parameter to a method
1. On the diagram surface, click the type containing the method to which you want to add an optional
parameter.
The type obtains focus and its contents display in the Class Details window.
2. In the Class Details window, expand the row of the method to which you want to add an optional parameter.
An indented parameter row appears, containing only a pair of parentheses and the words <add
parameter>.
3. Click <add parameter>, type the name of the new parameter, and press Enter.
The new parameter is added to the method and the method's code. It displays in the Class Details window
and the Properties window.
4. In the Properties window, type a value for the Optional Default property. Setting a parameter's Optional
Default property makes that parameter optional.

NOTE
Optional parameters must be the last parameters in the parameter list.

Class Details Usage Notes

Please note the following tips for using the Class Details window.
Editable and non-editable cells
All cells in the Class Details window are editable with a few exceptions:
The entire type is read-only, when, for example, it resides in a referenced assembly (see Display of Read-
Only Information (Class Designer).) When you select the shape in the Class Designer, the Class Details
window displays its details in a read-only state.
For indexers, the name is read-only and the rest (type, modifier, summary) are editable.
All generics have read-only parameters in the Class Details window. To change a generic parameter, edit its
source code.
The name of the type parameter that is defined on a generic type is read-only.
When a type's code is broken (unparsable), Class Details window displays the type's contents as read-only.
The Class Details Window and source code
You can view source code by right-clicking a shape in the Class Details window (or the Class Designer) and
then clicking View Code. The source code file opens and scrolls to the selected element.
Changing source code is immediately reflected in the display of signature information in the Class Designer
and the Class Details window. If the Class Details window is closed at the time, the new information is visible
the next time you open it.
When a type's code is broken (unparsable), Class Details window displays the type's contents as read only.
Clipboard functionality in the Class Details Window
You can copy or cut fields or rows from the Class Details window and paste them into another type. You can
cut a row only if it is not read-only. When you paste the row, Class Details window assigns a new name
(derived from the name of the copied row) to avoid a conflict.

Display of Read-Only Information

Class Designer and the Class Details window can display the types (and members of types) for the following:
a project that contains a class diagram
a project referenced from a project that contains a class diagram
an assembly referenced from a project that contains a class diagram
In the latter two cases, the referenced entity (a type or member) is read-only in the class diagram that
represents it.
An entire project or portions of it, such as individual files, may be read-only. The most common cases in
which a project or one of its files is read-only are when it is under source-code control (and not checked
 out), it exists in an external assembly, or when the operating system considers the files to be read-only.
Source-Code Control
Because a class diagram is saved as a file in a project, you need to check out the project in order to save any
changes you make in Class Designer or the Class Details window.
Read-Only Projects
The project may be read-only for a reason other than source-code control. Closing the project displays a
dialog box asking whether to overwrite the project file, discard changes (don't save) or cancel the close
operation. If you choose to overwrite, project files are overwritten and made read-write. The new class
diagram file is added.
Read-Only Types
If you try to save a project containing a type whose source-code file is read-only, the Save of Read-Only
File dialog box appears, which gives you choices to save the file under a new name or new location, or to
overwrite the read-only file. If you overwrite the file, the new copy is no longer read-only.
If a code file contains a syntax error, shapes displaying code in that file will be temporarily read-only until
the syntax error is fixed. Shapes in this state display red text and a red icon which displays a tooltip reading
"The source code file contains a parse error".
A referenced type (such as a .NET Framework type), which exists under another project node or under a
referenced-assembly node, is indicated on the Class Designer design surface as read-only. A local type,
which exists in the project you have open, is read-write, and its shape on the Class Designer design surface
is indicated as such.
Indexers are read-write in code and the Class Details window, but the indexer name is read-only.
You cannot edit partial methods by using the Class Designer or the Class Details window; you must use the
Code Editor to edit them.
You cannot edit native C++ code by using the Class Designer or the Class Details window; you must use the
Code Editor to edit native C++ code.

Related Topics
TITLE DESCRIPTION

Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer) You can view your existing types, members, and relationships
in a class diagram.

Refactoring Classes and Types (Class Designer) By using refactoring, you can easily rename type and type
members. You can also move members between classes, split
a class into partial classes, and implement interfaces.
 Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts in the Class Diagram
and Class Details Window (Class Designer)
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

You can use the keyboard in addition to the mouse to perform navigational actions in Class Designer and in the
Class Details window.
In this topic
Using the Mouse in Class Designer
Using the Mouse in the Class Details Window
Using the Keyboard in Class Designer
Using the Keyboard in the Class Details Window

Using the Mouse in Class Designer

The following mouse actions are supported in class diagrams:

MOUSE COMBINATION CONTEXT DESCRIPTION

Double-click Shape elements Opens the code editor.

Lollipop connector Expand/collapse lollipop.

Lollipop connector label Invokes Show Interface command.

Mouse Wheel Class diagram Scroll vertically.

SHIFT + Mouse Wheel Class diagram Scroll horizontally.

CTRL + Mouse Wheel Class diagram Zoom.

CTRL + Shift + click Class diagram Zoom.

Using the Mouse in the Class Details Window

Using a mouse, you can change the appearance of the Class Details window and the data it displays, in the
following ways:
Clicking any editable cell lets you edit the contents of that cell. Your changes are reflected in all places that
data is stored or displayed, including in the Properties window and in source code.
Clicking any cell of a row causes the Properties window to display the properties for the element
represented by that row.
To change the width of a column, drag the boundary on the right side of the column heading until the
column is the width you want.
You can expand or collapse compartment or property nodes by clicking the arrow symbols to the left of the
 row.
The Class Details Window offers several buttons for creating new members in the current class and for
navigating among the members' compartments in the Class Details Window grid. For more information, see
Class Details Window Buttons.

Using the Keyboard in Class Designer

The following keyboard actions are supported in class diagrams:

KEY CONTEXT DESCRIPTION

Arrow keys Inside type shapes Tree-style navigation on shape contents

(wrapping around shape is supported).
Left and right keys expand/collapse
current item if it is expandable and
navigate to parent if not (see tree-view
navigation for detailed behavior).

Top-level shapes Moving shapes on the diagram.

SHIFT+arrow keys Inside type shapes Building continuous selection consisting

of shape elements such as members,
nested types, or compartments. These
shortcuts do not support wrapping
around.

HOME Inside type shapes Navigate to the top-level shape title.

Top-level shapes Navigate to first shape on the diagram.

END Inside type shapes Navigate to last visible element inside

the shape.

Top-level shapes Navigate to the last shape on the

diagram.

SHIFT+HOME Inside type shape Selects elements within the shape

starting with the current item and
ending with the top-most item on the
same shape.

SHIFT+END Inside type shape Same as SHIFT+HOME but in top-down

direction.

ENTER All contexts Invokes default action on the shape

which is also available via double-click.
In most cases this is View Code but
some elements define it differently
(lollipops, compartment headers,
lollipop labels).

+/- All contexts If currently focused element is

expandable, these keys expand/collapse
the element.
 KEY CONTEXT DESCRIPTION

> All contexts On elements with children, this expands

the element if it is collapsed and
navigates to first child.

< All contexts Navigates to the parent element.

ALT+SHIFT+L Inside type shapes + on type shapes. Navigates to the lollipop of currently
selected shape if it is present.

ALT+SHIFT+B Inside type shapes + on type shapes. If base type list is shown on the type
shape and has more than one item, this
toggles expansion state of the list
(collapse/expand).

DELETE On type and comment shapes Invokes Remove from Diagram

command.

On everything else. Invokes Delete from Code command

(members, parameters, associations,
inheritance, lollipop labels).

CTRL+DELETE All contexts Invokes Delete from Code command

on selection.

TAB All contexts Navigates to next child within the same

parent (supports wrapping).

SHIFT+TAB All contexts Navigates to previous child within the

same parent (supports wrapping).

SPACE All contexts Toggles selection on the current

element.

Using the Keyboard in the Class Details Window

NOTE
The following key bindings were chosen to specifically to mimic the experience of typing code.

Use the following keys to navigate the Class Details window:

Key Result

, (comma) If the cursor is in a parameter row, typing a comma moves the

cursor to the Name field of the next parameter. If the cursor is
in the last parameter row of a method, it moves the cursor to
the <add parameter> field, which you can use to create a new
parameter.

If the cursor is elsewhere in the Class Details Window, typing a

comma literally adds a comma in the current field.
 ; (semicolon) Move the cursor to the Name field of the next member row in
the Class Details Window grid.
or

) (close parenthesis)

Tab Moves the cursor to the next field, first moving left to right
and then top to bottom. If the cursor is moving from a field in
which you have typed text, Class Details Window processes
that text and stores it if it does not produce an error.

If the cursor is on an empty field such as <add parameter>,

Tab moves it to the first field of the next row.

<space> Moves the cursor to the next field, first moving left to right
and then top to bottom. If the cursor is on an empty field
such as <add parameter>, it moves to the first field of the
next row. Note that <space> typed immediately after a
comma is ignored.

If the cursor is in the Summary field, typing a space adds a

space character.

If the cursor is in the Hide column of a given row, typing a

space toggles the value of the Hide checkbox.

CTRL+Tab Switch to another document window. For example, switch

from the Class Details Window to an open code file.

ESC (Escape) If you have begun to type text in a field, pressing ESC acts as
an undo key, reverting the field's contents to its previous
value. If the Class Details Window has general focus, but no
specific cell has focus, pressing ESC moves focus away from
the Class Details Window.

Up arrow and down arrow These keys move the cursor from row to row vertically in the
Class Details Window grid.

Left arrow If the cursor is in the Name column, pressing the left arrow
collapses the current node in the hierarchy (if it is open).

Right arrow If the cursor is in the Name column, pressing the right arrow
expands the current node in the hierarchy (if it is collapsed).

See Also
Creating and Configuring Type Members (Class Designer)
 Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer)
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Class Designer uses class diagrams to show you the details of types, for example, their constituent members, and
the relationships that they share. The visualization of these entities is actually a dynamic view into the code. This
means that you can edit types on the designer and then see your edits reflected in the source code of the entity.
Similarly, the class diagram is kept synchronized with changes you make to entities in code.

NOTE
If your project contains a class diagram and if your project references a type that is located in another project, the class
diagram does not show the referenced type until you build the project for that type. Likewise, the diagram does not
display changes to the code of the external entity until you rebuild the project for that entity. For information about type
in referenced assemblies and read-only files, see Display of Read-Only Information (Class Designer).

In This Section
How to: View Existing Types (Class Designer)
Describes how Class Designer can be used to visualize pre-existing code.
How to: View Inheritance Between Types (Class Designer)
Describes how to view the inheritance relationships between types.
How to: Change Between Member Notation and Association Notation (Class Designer)
Describes how to switch between member notation and association notation.

Related Sections
Designing Classes and Types (Class Designer)
Refactoring Classes and Types (Class Designer)
How to: Customize Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
Working with Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
 How to: View Existing Types (Class Designer)
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

To see an existing type and its members, add its shape to a class diagram.
You can see local and referenced types. A local type exists in the currently open project and is read/write. A
referenced type exists in another project or in a referenced assembly and is read-only.
To design new types on class diagrams, see How to: Create Types by using Class Designer.
To see types in a project on a class diagram
1. From a project in Solution Explorer, open an existing class diagram (.cd) file. Or if no class diagram exists,
add a new class diagram to the project. See How to: Add Class Diagrams to Projects (Class Designer).
2. From the project in Solution Explorer, drag a source code file to the class diagram.

WARNING
If your solution has a project that shares code across multiple apps, you can drag files or code to a class diagram
only from these sources:
The app project that contains the diagram
A shared project that was imported by the app project
A referenced project
An assembly

Shapes representing the types defined in the source code file appear on the diagram at the position where
you dragged the file.
You can also view types in the project by dragging one or more types from the project node in Class View
to the class diagram.

TIP
If Class View is not open, open Class View from the View menu. For more information about Class View, see Viewing Classes
and Their Members.

To display types at default locations on the diagram, select one or more types in Class View, right-click the selected
types, and choose View Class Diagram.

NOTE
If a closed class diagram containing the type already exists in the project, the class diagram opens to display the type shape.
However, if no class diagram containing the type exists in the project, Class Designer creates a new class diagram in the
project and opens it to display the type.

When you first display a type on the diagram, its shape appears collapsed by default. You can expand the shape to
view its contents.
To display the contents of a project in a class diagram
1. In Solution Explorer or Class View, right-click the project and choose View, then choose View Class
 Diagram.
An auto-populated Class Diagram is created.

See Also
How to: View Inheritance Between Types (Class Designer)
How to: Customize Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer)
 How to: View Inheritance Between Types (Class
Designer)
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can find the inheritance relationship, if it exists, between a base type and its derived types on a class diagram
in Class Designer. To create an inheritance relationship, if none exist, between two types, see How to: Create
Inheritance Between Types (Class Designer).
To find the base type
1. On the class diagram, click the type for which you want to see the base class or interface.
2. On the Class Diagram menu, choose Show Base Class or Show Base Interfaces.
The type's base class or interface appears selected on the diagram. Any hidden inheritance lines now appear
between the two shapes.
You can also right-click the type whose base type you want to display, and choose Show Base Class or
Show Base Interfaces.
To find the derived types
1. On the class diagram, click the type for which you want to see the derived classes or interfaces.
2. On the Class Diagram menu, choose Show Derived Classes or Show Derived Interfaces.
The type's derived classes or interfaces appear on the diagram. Any hidden inheritance lines now appear
between the shapes.
You can also right-click the type for which you want to see its derived types, and choose Show Derived
Classes or Show Derived Interfaces.

See Also
How to: Create Associations Between Types (Class Designer)
Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer)
 How to: Change Between Member Notation and
Association Notation (Class Designer)
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

In Class Designer, you can change the way the class diagram represents an association relationship between two
types from member notation to association notation and vice versa. Members displayed as association lines often
provide a useful visualization of how types are related.

NOTE
Association relationships can be represented as a member property or field. To change member notation to association
notation, one type must have a member of another type. To change association notation to member notation, the two types
must be connected by an association line. For more information, see How to: Create Associations Between Types (Class
Designer). If your project contains multiple class diagrams, changes that you make to the way a diagram displays association
relationships affect only that diagram. To change the way another diagram displays association relationships, open or display
that diagram and perform these steps.

To change member notation to association notation

1. From the project node in Solution Explorer, open the class diagram (.cd) file.
2. In the type shape on the class diagram, right-click the member property or field representing the
association, and choose Show as Association.

TIP
If no properties or fields are visible in the type shape, the compartments in the shape might be collapsed. To expand
the type shape, double-click the compartment name or right-click the type shape, and choose Expand.

The member disappears from the compartment in the type shape and an association line appears to
connect the two types. The association line is labeled with the name of the property or field.
To change association notation to member notation
On the class diagram, right-click the association line, and choose Show as Property or Show as Field as
appropriate.
The association line disappears, and the property displays in the appropriate compartment within its type
shape on the diagram.

See Also
How to: Create Inheritance Between Types (Class Designer)
How to: View Inheritance Between Types (Class Designer)
Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer)
How to: Visualize a Collection Association (Class Designer)
 Refactoring Classes and Types (Class Designer)
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

When you refactor code, you make it easier to understand, maintain, and more efficient by changing its internal
structure and how its objects are designed, not its external behavior. Use Class Designer and the Class Details
window to reduce the work that you have to do and the chance of introducing bugs when you refactor Visual C#
.NET, Visual Basic .NET, or C++ code in your Visual Studio project.

NOTE
The files of a project might be read-only because the project is under source-code control and is not checked out; it is a
referenced project; or its files are marked as read-only on disk. When you work in a project in one of these states, you will be
presented with various ways to save your work depending on the project's state. This applies to refactoring code and also to
code that you change in another way, such as directly editing it. For more information, see Display of Read-Only
Information (Class Designer).

Common Tasks
TASK SUPPORTING CONTENT

Refactoring classes: You can use refactoring operations to - How to: Split a Class into Partial Classes (Class Designer)
split a class into partial classes or to implement an abstract
base class.

Working with interfaces: In Class Designer, you can - How to: Implement an Interface (Class Designer)
implement an interface on the class diagram by connecting it
to a class that provides code for the interface methods.

Refactoring types, type members, and parameters: By - Renaming Types and Type Members
using Class Designer, you can rename types, override type - Moving Type Members from One Type to Another
members, or move them from one type to another. You can - How to: Create a Nullable Type (Class Designer)
also create nullable types.

Renaming Types and Type Members

In Class Designer, you can rename a type or a member of a type on the class diagram or in the Properties window.
In the Class Details window, you can change the name of a member but not a type. Renaming a type or type
member propagates to all windows and code locations where the old name appeared.
To r e n a m e a n a m e i n t h e C l a ss D e si g n e r

1. On the class diagram, select the type or member and click on the name.
The name of the member becomes editable.
2. Type the new name for the type or type member
To r e n a m e a n a m e i n t h e C l a ss D e t a i l s W i n d o w

1. To display the Class Details window, right-click the type or type member and then click Class Details.
The Class Details window appears.
2. In the Name column, change the name of the type member
3. To move focus away from the cell, press the ENTER key or click away from the cell.
 NOTE
In the Class Details window, you can change the name of a member but not a type.

To r e n a m e a n a m e i n t h e P r o p e r t i e s w i n d o w

1. On the class diagram or the Class Details window, right-click the type or member and then click
Properties.
The Properties window appears and displays properties for the type or type member.
2. In the Name property, change the name of the type or type member.
The new name propagates to all windows and code locations in the current project where the old name
appeared.
Moving Type Members from One Type to Another
Using Class Designer, you can move a type member from one type to another type, if both are visible in the
current class diagram.
To m o v e a t y p e m e m b e r fr o m o n e t y p e t o a n o t h e r

1. In a type that is visible on the design surface, right-click the member you want to move to another type, and
then click Cut.
2. Right-click the destination type and then click Paste.
The property is removed from the source type and appears in the destination type.

Related Topics
TITLE DESCRIPTION

Viewing Types and Relationships (Class Designer)

Designing Classes and Types (Class Designer)

 How to: Implement an Interface (Class Designer)
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

In Class Designer, you can implement an interface on the class diagram by connecting it to a class that provides
code for the interface methods. Class Designer generates an interface implementation and displays the relationship
between the interface and the class as an inheritance relationship. You can implement an interface by drawing an
inheritance line between the interface and the class or by dragging the interface from Class View.

TIP
You can create interfaces the same way you create other types. If the interface exists but does not appear on the class
diagram, then first display it. For more information, see How to: Create Types by using Class Designer and How to: View
Existing Types (Class Designer).

To implement an interface by drawing an inheritance line

1. On the class diagram, display the interface and the class that will implement the interface.
2. Draw an inheritance line from the class and the interface.
A lollipop appears attached to the class and a label with the interface name identifies the inheritance
relationship. Visual Studio generates stubs for all interface members.
For more information, see How to: Create Inheritance Between Types (Class Designer).
To implement an interface from the Class View window
1. On the class diagram, display the class that you want to implement the interface.
2. Open Class View and locate the interface.

TIP
If Class View is not open, open Class View from the View menu. For more information about Class View, see Viewing
Classes and Their Members.

3. Drag the interface node to the class shape on the diagram.

A lollipop appears attached to the class and a label with the interface name identifies the inheritance
relationship. Visual Studio generates stubs for all interface members; at this point, the interface is
implemented.

See Also
How to: Create Types by using Class Designer
How to: View Existing Types (Class Designer)
How to: Create Inheritance Between Types (Class Designer)
Refactoring Classes and Types (Class Designer)
 How to: Split a Class into Partial Classes (Class
Designer)
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

You can divide the declaration of a class or structure among several declarations by using the Partial keyword in
Visual Basic or the partial keyword in Visual C#. You can use as many partial declarations as you want, in as
many different source files as you want, or in one source file. However, all the declarations must be in the same
assembly and the same namespace.
Partial classes are useful in several situations. For example, when you are working on large projects, separating a
class into more than one file enables more than one programmer to work on it at the same time. When you are
working with code that Visual Studio generates, you can change the class without having to re-create the source
file. (Examples of code that Visual Studio generates include Windows Forms and Web Service wrapper code.) You
can thus create code that uses auto-generated classes without having to modify the file that Visual Studio creates.
There are two kinds of partial methods. In Visual C#, they are called declaring and implementing; in Visual Basic,
they are called declaration and implementation.
Class Designer supports partial classes and methods. The type shape in the class diagram refers to a single
declaration location for the partial class. If the partial class is defined in multiple files, you can specify which
declaration location Class Designer will use by setting the New Member Location property in the Properties
window. That is, when you double-click a class shape, Class Designer goes to the source file that contains the class
declaration identified by the New Member Location property. When you double-click a partial method in a class
shape, Class Designer goes to the partial method declaration. Also, in the Properties window, the File Name
property refers to the declaration location. For partial classes, File Name lists all of the files that contain declaration
and implementation code for that class. However, for partial methods, File Name lists only the file that contains the
partial method declaration.
The following examples split the definition of class Employee into two declarations, each of which defines a
different procedure. The two partial definitions in the examples could be in one source file or in two different source
files.

NOTE
Visual Basic uses partial-class definitions to separate Visual Studio—generated code from user-authored code. The code is
separated into discrete source files. For example, the Windows Form Designer defines partial classes for controls such as
Form . You should not modify the generated code in these controls.

For more information about partial types in Visual Basic, see Partial.

Example
To split a class definition in Visual Basic, use the Partial keyword, as shown in the following example.
 ' First part of class definition.
Partial Public Class Employee
Public Sub CalculateWorkHours()
End Sub
End Class

' Second part of class definition.

Partial Public Class Employee
Public Sub CalculateTaxes()
End Sub
End Class

Example
To split a class definition in Visual C#, use the partial keyword, as shown in the following example.

// First part of class definition.

public partial class Employee
{
public void CalculateWorkHours()
{
}
}

// Second part of class definition.

public partial class Employee
{
public void CalculateTaxes()
{
}
}

See Also
Partial Classes and Methods
partial (Type)
partial (Method) (C# Reference)
Partial
 How to: Create a Nullable Type (Class Designer)
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

Certain value types do not always have (or need) a defined value. This is common practice in databases, where
some fields might not be assigned any value. For example, you might assign a null value to a database field to
signify that it has not yet been assigned a value.
A nullable type is a value type that you extend so that it takes the typical range of values for that type and also a
null value. For example, a nullable of Int32 , also denoted as Nullable<Int32>, can be assigned any value from -
2147483648 to 2147483647, or it can be assigned a null value. A Nullable<bool> can be assigned the values
True , False , or null (no value at all).

Nullable types are instances of the Nullable<T> structure. Each instance of a nullable type has two public read-only
properties, HasValue and Value :
HasValue is of type bool and indicates whether the variable contains a defined value. True means that the
variable contains a non-null value. You can test for a defined value by using a statement such as
if (x.HasValue) or if (y != null) .

Value is of the same type as the underlying type. If HasValue is True , Value contains a meaningful value.
If HasValue is False , accessing Value will throw an invalid operation exception.
By default, when you declare a variable as a nullable type, it has no defined value ( HasValue is False ), other
than the default value of its underlying value type.
Class Designer displays a nullable type just as it displays its underlying type.
For more information about nullable types in Visual C#, see Nullable Types. For more information about
nullable types in Visual Basic, see Nullable Value Types.

NOTE
Your computer might show different names or locations for some of the Visual Studio user interface elements in the
following instructions. The Visual Studio edition that you have and the settings that you use determine these
elements. For more information, see Personalizing the IDE.

To add a nullable type by using the Class Designer

1. In the Class Diagram, expand an existing class or create a new class.
2. To add a class to the project, on the Class Diagram menu, click Add, and then click Add Class.
3. To expand the class shape, on the Class Diagram menu, click Expand.
4. Select the class shape. On the Class Diagram menu, click Add, and then click Field. A new field that has the
default name Field will appear in the class shape and also in the Class Details window.
5. In the Name column of the Class Details window (or in the class shape itself), change the name of the new
field to a valid and meaningful name.
6. In the Type column of the Class Details window, declare the type as a nullable type, as shown in the
following code:
0
1
To add a nullable type by using the Code Editor
1. Add a class to the project. Select the project node in Solution Explorer, and, on the Project menu, click Add
Class.
2. In the .cs or .vb file for the new class, add one or more nullable types in the new class to the class declaration.
3. From Class View, drag the new class icon to the Class Designer design surface. A class shape appears in the
class diagram.
4. Expand the details for the class shape and move the mouse pointer over the class members. The tooltip
displays the declaration of each member.
5. Right-click the class shape and click Class Details. You can view or modify the new type's properties in the
Class Details window.

See Also
Nullable<T>
Nullable Types
Using Nullable Types
How to: Identify a Nullable Type
Nullable Value Types
 Working with Visual C++ Code (Class Designer)
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

Class Designer displays a visual design surface called a class diagram that provides a visual representation of the
code elements in your project. You can use class diagrams to design and visualize classes and other types in a
project.
Class Designer supports the following C++ code elements:
Class (resembles a managed class shape, except that it can have multiple inheritance relationships)
Anonymous class (displays Class View's generated name for the anonymous type)
Template class
Struct
Enum
Macro (displays the post-processed view of the macro)
Typedef

NOTE
This is not the same as the UML class diagram, which you can create in a Modeling Project. For more information, see UML
Class Diagrams: Reference.

Troubleshooting Type Resolution and Display Issues

Location of Source Files
Class Designer does not keep track of the location of source files. Therefore, if you modify your project structure or
move source files in your project, Class Designer can lose track of the type (especially the source type of a typedef,
base classes, or association types). You might receive an error such as Class Designer is unable to display this
type. If you do, drag the modified or relocated source code to the class diagram again to redisplay it.
Update and Performance Issues
For Visual C++ projects, it might take 30 to 60 seconds for a change in the source file to appear in the class
diagram. This delay might also cause Class Designer to throw the error No types were found in the selection. If
you receive an error such as this, click Cancel in the error message and wait for the code element to appear in
Class View. After you do this, Class Designer should be able to display the type.
If a class diagram does not update with changes you have made in the code, you might need to close the diagram
and open it again.
Type Resolution Issues
Class Designer might not be able to resolve types for the following reasons:
The type is in a project or assembly that is not referenced from the project that contains the class diagram.
To correct this error, add a reference to the project or assembly that contains the type. For more
information, see Managing references in a project.
The type is not in the correct scope, so Class Designer cannot locate it. Ensure that the code is not missing a
 using , imports , or #include statement. Also make sure that you have not moved the type (or a related
type) out of the namespace in which it was originally located.
The type does not exist (or has been commented out). To correct this error, make sure that you have not
commented out or deleted the type.
The type is located in a library referenced by an #import directive. A possible workaround is to manually
add the generated code (the .tlh file) to an #include directive into the header file.
The error you are most likely to see for a type resolution issue is Code could not be found for one or
more shapes in class diagram '<element>'. This error message does not necessarily indicate that your
code is in error. It indicates only that class designer was unable to display your code. Try the following
measures.
Ensure that the type exists. Ensure that you have not unintentionally commented out or deleted the source
code.
Ensure that Class Designer supports the type that you entered. See Limitations for C++ Code Elements.
Try to resolve the type. The type might be in a project or assembly that is not referenced from the project
that contains the class diagram. To correct this error, add a reference to the project or assembly that
contains the type. For more information, see Managing references in a project.
Try to resolve the type. The type might be in a project or assembly that is not referenced from the project
that contains the class diagram. To correct this error, add a reference to the project or assembly that
contains the type. For more information, see Managing references in a project.
Ensure that the type is in the correct scope so that Class Designer can locate it. Make sure that the code is
not missing a using , imports , or #include statement. Also make sure that you have not moved the type
(or a related type) out of the namespace in which it was originally located.
Troubleshooting Other Error Messages
You can find assistance with troubleshooting errors and warnings in the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN)
public forums. See the Visual Studio Class Designer Forum.

Limitations for C++ Code Elements

When a Visual C++ project is loaded, Class Designer functions in a read-only manner. You can change the
class diagram, but you cannot save changes from the class diagram back to the source code.
Class Designer supports only native C++ semantics. For Visual C++ projects that are compiled into
managed code, Class Designer will only visualize code elements that are native types. Therefore, you can
add a class diagram to a project, but Class Designer will not allow you to visualize elements in which the
IsManaged property is set to true (that is, value types and reference types).

For Visual C++ projects, the Class Designer reads only the definition of the type. For example, assume that
you define a type in a header (.h) file and define its members in an implementation (.cpp) file. If you invoke
"View Class Diagram" on the implementation (.cpp) file, Class Designer displays nothing. As another
example, if you invoke "View Class Diagram" on a .cpp file that uses an #include statement to include other
files but does not contain any actual class definitions, Class Designer again displays nothing.
IDL (.idl) files, which define COM interfaces and type libraries, do not display in diagrams unless they are
compiled to native C++ code.
Class Designer does not support global functions and variables.
Class Designer does not support unions. This is a special type of class in which the memory allocated is only
the amount necessary for the union's largest data member.
 Class Designer does not display basic data types such as int and char .
Class Designer does not display types that are defined outside the current project if the project does not
have correct references to those types.
Class Designer can display nested types but not the relationships between a nested type and other types.
Class Designer cannot display types that are void or that derive from a void type.

See Also
Designing and Viewing Classes and Types
Working with Classes and Other Types (Class Designer)
Working with Class Diagrams (Class Designer)
Designing Classes and Types (Class Designer)
Additional Information About Class Designer Errors
Visual C++ Classes in Class Designer
Visual C++ Structures in Class Designer
Visual C++ Enumerations in Class Designer
Visual C++ Typedefs in Class Designer
 Visual C++ Classes in Class Designer
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

Class Designer supports C++ classes and visualizes native C++ classes in the same way as Visual Basic and Visual
C# class shapes, except that C++ classes can have multiple inheritance relationships. You can expand the class
shape to show more fields and methods in the class or collapse it to conserve space.

NOTE
Class Designer does not support unions (a special type of class in which the memory allocated is only the amount necessary
for the union's largest data member).

Simple Inheritance
When you drag more than one class onto a class diagram, and the classes have a class inheritance relationship, an
arrow connects them. The arrow points in the direction of the base class. For example, when the following classes
are displayed in a class diagram, an arrow connects them, pointing from B to A:

class A {};
class B : A {};

You can also drag only class B to the class diagram, right-click the class shape for B, and then click Show Base
Classes. This displays its base class: A.

Multiple Inheritance
Class Designer supports the visualization of multiple-class inheritance relationships. Multiple inheritance is used
when a derived class has attributes of more than one base class. Following is an example of multiple inheritance:

class Bird {};

class Swimmer {};
class Penguin : public Bird, public Swimmer {};

When you drag more than one class onto the class diagram, and the classes have a multiple-class inheritance
relationship, an arrow connects them. The arrow points in the direction of the base classes.
Right-clicking a class shape and then clicking Show Base Classes displays the base classes for the selected class.

NOTE
The Show Derived Classes command is not supported for C++ code. You can display derived classes by going to Class
View, expanding the type node, expanding the Derived Types subfolder, and then dragging those types onto the class
diagram.

For more information about multiple-class inheritance, see Multiple Inheritance and Multiple Base Classes.

Abstract Classes
Class Designer supports abstract classes (also named "abstract base classes"). These are classes that you never
instantiate, but from which you can derive other classes. Using an example from "Multiple Inheritance" earlier in
this document, you might instantiate the Bird class as individual objects as follows:

int main()
{
Bird sparrow;
Bird crow;
Bird eagle;
}

However, you might not intend to instantiate the Swimmer class as individual objects. You might intend only to
derive other types of animal classes from it, for example, Penguin , Whale , and Fish . In that case, you would
declare the Swimmer class as an abstract base class.
To declare a class as abstract, you can use the abstract keyword. Members marked as abstract, or included in an
abstract class, are virtual and must be implemented by classes that derive from the abstract class.

class Swimmer abstract

{
virtual void swim();
void dive();
};

You can also declare a class as abstract by including at least one pure virtual function:

class Swimmer
{
virtual void swim() = 0;
void dive();
};

When you display these declarations in a Class Diagram, the class name Swimmer and its pure virtual function
swim are in displayed in italic in an abstract class shape, together with the notation Abstract Class. Notice that the
abstract class type shape is the same as that of a regular class, except that its border is a dotted line.
A class derived from an abstract base class must override each pure virtual function in the base class, or the
derived class cannot be instantiated. So, for example, if you derive a Fish class from the Swimmer class, Fish
must override the swim method:

class Fish : public Swimmer

{
void swim(int speed);
};

int main()
{
Fish guppy;
}

When you display this code in a Class Diagram, Class Designer draws an inheritance line from Fish to Swimmer .

Anonymous Classes
Class Designer supports anonymous classes. Anonymous class types are classes declared without an identifier.
They cannot have a constructor or destructor, cannot be passed as arguments to functions, and cannot be returned
as return values from functions. You can use an anonymous class to replace a class name with a typedef name, as
in the following example:

typedef struct
{
unsigned x;
unsigned y;
} POINT;

Structures can also be anonymous. Class Designer displays anonymous classes and structures the same as it
displays the respective type. Although you can declare and display anonymous classes and structures, Class
Designer will not use the tag name that you specify. It will use the name that Class View generates. The class or
structure appears in Class View and Class Designer as an element called __unnamed.
For more information about anonymous classes, see Anonymous Class Types.

Template Classes
Class Designer supports the visualization of template classes. Nested declarations are supported. The following
table shows some typical declarations.

CODE ELEMENT CLASS DESIGNER VIEW

template <class T> A<T>

class A {}; Template Class

template <class T, class U> A<T, U>

class A {}; Template Class

template <class T, int i> A<T, i>

class A {}; Template Class

template <class T, template <class K> class U> A<T, U>

class A {}; Template Class

The following table shows some examples of partial specialization.

CODE ELEMENT CLASS DESIGNER VIEW

template<class T, class U> A<T, U>

class A {}; Template Class

template<class T> A<T, T>

class A<T, T> {}; Template Class

template <class T> A<T, int>

class A<T, int> {}; Template Class

 CODE ELEMENT CLASS DESIGNER VIEW

template <class T1, class T2> A<T1*, T2*>

class A<T1*, T2*> {}; Template Class

The following table shows some examples of inheritance in partial specialization.

CODE ELEMENT CLASS DESIGNER VIEW

template <class T, class U> A<T, U>

class A {}; Template Class

template <class TC> B

class A<T, int> {}; Class

class B : A<int, float> (points to Class A)

{}; C

class C : A<int, int> Class

{};
(points to Class A)

The following table shows some examples of partial specialization template functions.

CODE ELEMENT CLASS DESIGNER VIEW

class A A

{ func<T, U> (+ 1 overload)

template <class T, class U>

void func(T a, U b);

template <class T>

void func(T a, int b);

};

template <class T1> A<T1>

class A { Template Class

template <class T2> B<T2>

class B {}; Template Class

}; (B is contained within class A under Nested Types)

template<> template<>

class A<type>::B<type> {};

 CODE ELEMENT CLASS DESIGNER VIEW

template <class T> A

class C {}; Class

class A : C<int> {}; -> C<int>

C<T>

Template Class

The following table shows some examples of template inheritance.

CODE ELEMENT CLASS DESIGNER VIEW

template <class T> A

class C {}; Class

template<> ->B

class C<int> { C<int>

class B {}; Class

} (B is contained within class C under Nested Types)

C<T>
class A : C<int>::B {};

Template Class

The following table shows some examples of canonical specialized class connection.

CODE ELEMENT CLASS DESIGNER VIEW

template <class T> A

class C {}; Class

template<> ->C<int>

class C<int> {}; C<int>

class A : C<int> {}; Class

class D : C<float> {}; C<T>

Template Class

Class

->C<float>
 CODE ELEMENT CLASS DESIGNER VIEW

class B { B

template <class T> min <T>

T min (const T &a, const T &b);

};

See Also
Working with Visual C++ Code (Class Designer)
Classes and Structs
Anonymous Class Types
Multiple Inheritance
Multiple Base Classes
Templates
 Visual C++ Structures in Class Designer
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Class Designer supports C++ structures, which are declared with the keyword struct . Following is an example:

struct MyStructure
{
char a;
int i;
long j;
};

For more information about using the struct type, see struct.
A C++ structure shape in a class diagram looks and works like a class shape, except that the label reads Struct and
it has square corners instead of rounded corners.

CODE ELEMENT CLASS DESIGNER VIEW

struct StructureName {}; StructureName

Struct

See Also
Working with Visual C++ Code (Class Designer)
Classes and Structs
struct
 Visual C++ Enumerations in Class Designer
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Class Designer supports C++ enum and scoped enum class types. Following is an example:

enum CardSuit {
Diamonds = 1,
Hearts = 2,
Clubs = 3,
Spades = 4
};

// or...
enum class CardSuit {
Diamonds = 1,
Hearts = 2,
Clubs = 3,
Spades = 4
};

A C++ enumeration shape in a class diagram looks and works like a structure shape, except that the label reads
Enum or Enum class, it is pink instead of blue, and it has a colored border on the left and top margins. Both
enumeration shapes and structure shapes have square corners.
For more information about using the enum type, see Enumerations.

See Also
Working with Visual C++ Code (Class Designer)
Enumerations
 Visual C++ Typedefs in Class Designer
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Typedef statements create one or more layers of indirection between a name and its underlying type. The Class
Designer supports C++ typedef types, which are declared with the keyword typedef , for example:

typedef class coord

{
void P(x,y);
unsigned x;
unsigned y;
} COORD;

You can then use this type to declare an instance:

COORD OriginPoint;

Although you can declare a typedef without a name, Class Designer will not use the tag name that you specify; it
will use the name that Class View generates. For example, the following declaration is valid, but it appears in Class
View and Class Designer as an object named __unnamed:

typedef class coord

{
void P(x,y);
unsigned x;
unsigned y;
};

For more information about using the typedef type, see typedef Specifier.
A C++ typedef shape has the shape of the type specified in the typedef. For example, if the source declares
typedef class , the shape has rounded corners and the label Class. For typedef struct , the shape has square
corners and the label Struct.
Classes and structures can have nested typedefs declared within them; therefore, class and structure shapes can
show nested typedef declarations as nested shapes.
Typedef shapes support the Show as Association and Show as Collection Association commands on the
context menu.
The following are some examples of typdef types that the Class Designer supports:
typedef type name

name : type
typedef
Draws an association line connecting to type name, if possible.
typedef void (*func)(int)

func: void (*)(int)

typedef
Typedef for function pointers. No association line is drawn.
Class Designer does not display a typedef if its source type is a function pointer.

typedef int MyInt;

class A {
MyInt I;
};

MyInt: int

typedef
A

Class
Draws an association line pointing from the source type shape to the target type shape.
Class B {};

typedef B MyB;

Class
MyB : B

typedef
Right-clicking a typedef shape and clicking Show As Association displays the typedef or class and an Alias of line
joining the two shapes (similar to an association line).
typedef B MyB;

typedef MyB A;

MyBar : Bar

typedef
Same as above.

Class B {};
typedef B MyB;

class A {
MyB B;
};

Class
MyB : B

typedef
A

Class
MyB is a nested typedef shape.
#include <vector>

...

using namespace std;

...

typedef vector<int> MyIntVect;

vector<T> Class
MyIntVect : vector<int>

typedef
class B {};

typedef B MyB;

class A : MyB {};

MyB : B

typedef
-> B
B

Class
-> MyB
Class Designer does not support displaying this kind of relationship by using a context menu command.
#include <vector>

Typedef MyIntVect std::vector<int>;

Class MyVect : MyIntVect {};

std::vector<T>

Class
MyIntVect : std::vector<int>

typedef
MyVect

Class
-> MyIntVect

See Also
Working with Visual C++ Code (Class Designer)
typedef Specifier
 Additional Information About Class Designer Errors
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Class Designer does not track the location of your source files, so modifying your project structure or moving
source files in the project can cause Class Designer to lose track of the type (especially the source type of a typedef,
base classes, or association types). You might receive an error such as Class Designer is unable to display this
type. If you do, drag the modified or relocated source code to the class diagram again to redisplay it.
You can find assistance with other errors and warnings in the following resources:
Working with Visual C++ Code (Class Designer)
Includes troubleshooting information about displaying C++ in a class diagram.
Visual Studio Class Designer Forum
Provides a forum for questions about the Class Designer.

See Also
Designing and Viewing Classes and Types
 Setting Bookmarks in Code
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can use bookmarks to mark lines in your code so that you can quickly return to a specific location and jump
back and forth between locations.
Bookmark commands and icons are available in two places: the bookmark window (View/Bookmark Window)
and the text editor toolbar.

Managing Bookmarks
To add a bookmark, place the cursor on the line you want to bookmark. Click the Toggle button, or press CTRL+K.
This adds the bookmark. If you click the Toggle button (or press CTRL+K) again, the bookmark is removed. You can
also delete bookmarks by clicking the Delete button in the bookmark window.

IMPORTANT
The bookmark is set to the line number, not to the code. If you modify the code, the bookmark is retained at the line
number, and does not move with the code.

You can navigate between bookmarks by using the Next Bookmark and Previous Bookmark buttons in the
bookmark window.
You can organize bookmarks into virtual folders by clicking New Folder in the bookmark window and then
dragging selected bookmarks into the new folder.
You can turn off bookmarks (without removing them) by clicking the Disable All Bookmarks button in the
bookmark window. You can re-enable them by clicking the same button (which is now called Enable All
Bookmarks).
 Using the Task List
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

Use the Task List to track code comments that use tokens such as TODO and HACK , or custom tokens, and to
manage shortcuts that will take you directly to a predefined location in the code. Click on the item in the list to go to
its location in the source code.
In this topic:
The Task List window
User Tasks
Tokens and comments
Custom tokens
C++ TODO comments
Shortcuts

The Task List window

When the Task List is open, it appears at the bottom of the application window.
To open the Task List
On the View menu, choose Task List (Keyboard: Ctrl+\,T).

To change the sort order of the list

Click the header of any column. To further refine your search results, press Shift and click a second column
header.
As an alternative, on the shortcut menu, choose Sort by, and choose a header. To further refine your search
results, press Shift and choose a second header.
To show or hide columns
On the shortcut menu, choose Show Columns. Choose the columns that you want to show or hide.
To change the order of the columns
Drag any column header to the location that you want.

User Tasks
The user task feature has been removed in Visual Studio 2015. When you open a solution which has user task data
from Visual Studio 2013 and earlier in Visual Studio 2015, the user task data in your .suo file will not be affected,
but the user tasks will not be displayed in the task list.
If you wish to continue to access and update your user task data, you should open the project in Visual Studio 2013
and copy the content of any user tasks into your preferred project management tool (such as Team Foundation
Server).

Tokens and comments

A comment in your code preceded by a comment marker and a predefined token will also appear in the Task List
window. For example, the following C# comment has three distinct parts:
The comment marker ( // )
The token, for example ( TODO )
The comment (the rest of the text)

// TODO: Load state from previously suspended application

Because TODO is a predefined token, this comment appears as a TODO task in the list.
Custom tokens
By default, Visual Studio includes the following tokens: HACK, TODO, UNDONE, NOTE. These are not case sensitive.
You can also create your own custom tokens.
To c r e a t e a c u st o m t o k e n

1. On the Tools menu, choose Options.

2. Open the Environment folder and then choose Task List.
The Task List, Environment, Options Dialog Box is displayed.

3. In the Tokens category, in the Name text box, enter your token name, for example "BUG".
4. In the Priority drop-down list, choose a default priority for the new token. Choose the Add button.
C++ TODO comments
By default, C++ TODO comments are displayed in the Task List window. You can change this behavior.
To t u r n o ff C + + T O D O c o m m e n t s

1. On the Tools menu, go to Options | Text Editor | C/C++ | View | Enumerate Comment Tasks and set
the value to false.
2. In the Options dialog box, open Text Editor.
3. Under C/C++, choose View, and then set Enumerate Comment Tasks to False.

Shortcuts
A shortcut is a bookmark in the code that is tracked in the Task List; it has a different icon than a regular bookmark.
Double-click the shortcut in the Task List to go to the corresponding location in the code.

To create a shortcut
Insert the pointer into the code where you want to place a shortcut. Choose Edit | Bookmarks | Add Task
List Shortcut or press (Keyboard: Ctrl+K, Ctrl+H).
To navigate through the shortcuts in the code, choose a shortcut in the list, and then choose Next Task or
Previous Task from the shortcut menu.

See Also
Task List, Environment, Options Dialog Box
 Find code changes and other history with CodeLens
10/18/2017 • 8 min to read • Edit Online

Stay focused on your work while you find out what happened to your code - without leaving the editor. Find
references and changes to your code, linked bugs, work items, code reviews, and unit tests.

NOTE
CodeLens is available only in Visual Studio Enterprise and Visual Studio Professional editions. It is not available in Visual
Studio Community edition.

See where and how the individual parts of your code are used in your solution:

Contact your team about changes to your code without leaving the editor:

To choose the indicators that you want to see, or to turn CodeLens off and on, go to Tools, Options, Text Editor,
All Languages, CodeLens.

Find references to your code

You'll need:
Visual Studio Enterprise or Visual Studio Professional
Visual C# .NET or Visual Basic .NET code
Choose the references indicator (Alt + 2). If you see 0 references, you have no references from Visual C#
or Visual Basic code. This doesn't include references from other items such as XAML and ASPX files.
 To view the referencing code, move your mouse on top of the reference.

To open the file containing the reference, double-click the reference.

To see relationships between this code and its references, create a code map and choose Show All
References in the code map shortcut menu.

Find your code's history and linked items

Review your code's history to find out what happened to your code. Or, review changes before they're merged into
your code so you can better understand how changes in other branches might affect your code.
You'll need:
Visual Studio Enterprise or Visual Studio Professional
Team Foundation Server 2013 or later, Visual Studio Team Services, or Git
Lync 2010 or later, or Skype for Business, to contact your team from the code editor
For Visual C# .NET or Visual Basic .NET code that's stored with Team Foundation version control (TFVC) or
 Git, you get CodeLens details at the class and method levels (code-element-level indicators). If your Git
repository is hosted in TfGit, you also get links to TFS work items.

For all other types of files that you can open in the Visual Studio editor, you get CodeLens details for the
entire file in one place at the bottom of the window (file-level indicators).

To use the keyboard to select indicators, press and hold the ALT key to display the related number keys.

Find changes in your code

Find who changed your C# or Visual Basic code, and the changes they made, in code-element-level indicators. This
is what you see when you use Team Foundation version control (TFVC) in Team Foundation Server or Visual Studio
Team Services.

The default time period is the last 12 months. If your code is stored in Team Foundation Server, you can change
this by running the TFSConfig command with the CodeIndex command and the /indexHistoryPeriod flag.
To see a detailed history of all the changes, including those from more than a year ago, choose Show all file
changes.

This opens the History window for the changesets.

When your files are in a Git repository and you choose the code-element-level changes indicator, this is what you
see.

Find changes for an entire file (except for C# and Visual Basic files) in the file-level indicators at the bottom of the
window.
To get more details about a change, right-click that item. Depending on whether you are using TFVC or Git you get
a series of options to compare the versions of the file, view details and track the changeset, get the selected version
of the file, and email the author of that change. Some of these details appear in Team Explorer.
You can also see who changed your code over time. This can help you find patterns in your team's changes and
assess their impact.

Find changes in your current branch

Suppose your team has multiple branches - a main branch and a child development - to reduce the risk of
breaking stable code:

Find how many people changed your code and how many changes were made (Alt + 6) in your main branch:

Find when your code was branched

Go to your code in the child branch, for example, the Dev branch here. Choose the changes indicator (Alt + 6):
Find incoming changes from other branches

...like this bug fix in the Dev branch here:

You can review this change without leaving your current branch (Main):

Find when changes got merged

So you can see which changes are included in your branch:

For example, your code in the Main branch now has the bug fix from the Dev branch:

Compare an incoming change with your local version (Shift + F10)

You can also double-click the changeset.
What do the icons mean?

ICON WHERE DID THE CHANGE COME FROM?

The current branch

The parent branch

A child branch

A peer branch

A branch further away than a parent, child, or peer

A merge from the parent branch to a child branch

A merge from a child branch to the parent branch

A merge from an unrelated branch (baseless merge)

Find linked work items

Find linked code reviews

Find linked bugs

Contact the owner of an item

Open the shortcut menu for an item to see the contact options. If you have Lync or Skype for Business installed,
you see these options:

Find unit tests for your code

Find out more about unit tests that exist for your code without opening Test Explorer. You'll need:
Visual Studio Enterprise or Visual Studio Professional
Visual C# .NET or Visual Basic .NET code
 A unit test project that has unit tests for your application code
1. Go to application code that has unit tests.
2. Review the tests for that code (Alt + 3).

3. If you see a warning icon , run the tests.

4. To review a test's definition, double-click the test item in the CodeLens indicator window to open the code
file in the editor.

5. Review the test's results. Choose the test status indicator ( or ), or press Alt + 1.
6. To see how many people changed this test, who changed this test, or how many changes were made to this
test, Find your code's history and linked items.

Q&A
Q: How do I turn CodeLens off or on? Or choose which indicators to see?
A: You can turn indicators off or on, except for the references indicator. Go to Tools, Options, Text Editor, All
Languages, CodeLens.
When the indicators are turned on, you can also open the CodeLens options from the indicators.

Turn CodeLens file-level indicators on and off using the chevron icons at the bottom of the editor window.

Q: Where is CodeLens?
A: CodeLens appears in Visual C# .NET and Visual Basic .NET code at the method, class, indexer, and property level.
CodeLens appears at the file level for all other types of files.
Make sure CodeLens is turned on. Go to Tools, Options, Text Editor, All Languages, CodeLens.
If your code is stored in TFS, make sure that code indexing is turned on by using the CodeIndex command
with the TFS Config command.
TFS-related indicators appear only when work items are linked to the code and when you have permissions
to open linked work items. Confirm that you have team member permissions.
Unit test indicators don't appear when application code doesn't have unit tests. Test status indicators appear
 automatically in test projects. If you know that your application code has unit tests, but the test indicators
don't appear, try building the solution (Ctrl + Shift + B).
Q: Why don't I see the work item details for a commit?
A: This might happen because CodeLens can't find the work items in TFS. Check that you're connected to the team
project that has those work items and that you have permissions to see those work items. This might also happen
if the commit description has incorrect information about the work item IDs in TFS.
Q: Why don't I see the Lync or Skype indicators?
A: They don't appear if you're not signed into Lync or Skype for Business, don't have one of these installed, or
don't have a supported configuration. But you can still send mail:

Which Lync and Skype configurations are supported?

Skype for Business (32-bit or 64-bit)
Lync 2010 or later alone (32-bit or 64-bit), but not Lync Basic 2013 with Windows 8.1
CodeLens doesn't support having different versions of Lync or Skype installed. They might not be localized
for all localized versions of Visual Studio.
Q: How do I change the font and color for CodeLens?
A: Go to Tools, Options, Environment, Fonts and Colors.

To use the keyboard:

1. Press Alt + T + O to open the Options box.
2. Press Up Arrow or Down Arrow to go to the Environment node, then press Left Arrow to expand the
node.
3. Press Down Arrow to go to Fonts and Colors.
4. Press TAB to go to the Show settings for list, and then press Down Arrow to select CodeLens.
Q: Can I move the CodeLens heads-up display?
A: Yes, choose to dock CodeLens as a window.

Q: How do I refresh the indicators?

A: This depends on the indicator:
References: This indicator updates automatically when the code changes. If you have this indicator docked
as a separate window, refresh the indicator manually here:

Team: Refresh these indicators manually here:

 Test: Find unit tests for your code to refresh this indicator.
Q: What's "Local Version"?
A: The Local Version arrow points at the most recent changeset in your local version of this file. When the server
has more recent changesets, they appear above or below the Local Version arrow, depending on the order used
to sort the changesets.
Q: Can I manage how CodeLens processes code to show history and linked items?
A: Yes, if your code is in TFS, use the CodeIndex command with the TFS Config command.
 CodeIndex Command
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

Use the CodeIndex command to manage code indexing on Team Foundation Server. For example, you might
want to reset the index to fix CodeLens information, or turn off indexing to investigate server performance issues.
Required Permissions
To use the CodeIndex command, you must be a member of the Team Foundation Administrators security
group. See Permissions and groups defined for Team Services and TFS.

NOTE
Even if you log on with administrative credentials, you must open an elevated Command Prompt window to run this
command. You must also run this command from the application tier for Team Foundation.

Syntax
TFSConfig CodeIndex /indexingStatus | /setIndexing:[ on | off | keepupOnly ] | /ignoreList:[ add | remove |
removeAll | view ] ServerPath | /listLargeFiles [/fileCount:FileCount] [/minSize:MinSize] | /reindexAll |
/destroyCodeIndex [/noPrompt] | /temporaryDataSizeLimit:[ view | <SizeInGBs> | disable ] |
/indexHistoryPeriod:[ view | all | <NumberOfMonths> ] [/collectionName:CollectionName |
/collectionId:CollectionId]

Parameters

ARGUMENT DESCRIPTION

CollectionName Specifies the name of the team project collection. If the name
has spaces, enclose the name with quotation marks, for
example, "Fabrikam Web Site".

CollectionId Specifies the identification number of the team project

collection.

ServerPath Specifies the path to a code file.

OPTION DESCRIPTION

/indexingStatus Show the status and configuration of the code indexing

service.

/setIndexing:[ on | off | keepupOnly ] - on: Start indexing all changesets.

- off: Stop indexing all changesets.
- keepupOnly: Stop indexing previously created changesets
and start indexing new changesets only.
 OPTION DESCRIPTION

/ignoreList:[ add | remove | removeAll | view ] ServerPath Specifies a list of code files and their paths that you don't
want indexed.
You can use the wildcard character (*) at the start, end, or
both ends of the server path. - add: Add the file that you don't want indexed to the
ignored file list.
- remove: Remove the file that you want indexed from the
ignored file list.
- removeAll: Clear the ignored file list and start indexing all
files.
- view: See all the files that aren't being indexed.

/listLargeFiles [/fileCount: FileCount /minSize: Shows the specified number of files that exceeds the specified
MinSize ] size in KB. You can then use the /ignoreList option to exclude
these files from indexing.

/reindexAll Clear previously indexed data and restart indexing.

/destroyCodeIndex [/noPrompt] Delete the code index and remove all indexed data. Does not
require confirmation if you use the /noPrompt option.

/temporaryDataSizeLimit:[ view | < SizeInGBs > | disable ] Control how much temporary data that CodeLens creates
when processing changesets. The default limit is 2 GB.

- view: Show the current size limit.

- SizeInGBs : Change the size limit.
- disable: Remove the size limit.

This limit is checked before CodeLens processes a new

changeset. If temporary data exceeds this limit, CodeLens will
pause processing past changesets, not new ones. CodeLens
will restart processing after the data is cleaned up and falls
below this limit. Cleanup runs automatically once a day. This
means temporary data might exceed this limit until cleanup
starts running.

/indexHistoryPeriod:[ view | all | < NumberOfMonths >] Control how long to index your change history. This affects
how much history CodeLens shows you. The default limit is
12 months. This means CodeLens shows your change history
from the last 12 months only.

- view: Show the current number of months.

- all: Index all change history.
- NumberOfMonths : Change the number of months used to
index change history.

/collectionName: CollectionName Specifies the name of the team project collection on which to
run the CodeIndex command. Required if you don't use
/CollectionId.

/collectionId: CollectionId Specifies the identification number of the team project

collection on which to run the CodeIndex command.
Required if you don't use /CollectionName.

Examples
 NOTE
The example companies, organizations, products, domain names, email addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted
herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, email address, logo, person,
places, or events is intended or should be inferred.

To see the code indexing status and configuration:

TFSConfig CodeIndex /indexingStatus /collectionName:"Fabrikam Web Site"

To start indexing all changesets:

TFSConfig CodeIndex /setIndexing:on /collectionName:"Fabrikam Web Site"

To stop indexing previously created changesets and start indexing new changesets only:

TFSConfig CodeIndex /setIndexing:keepupOnly /collectionName:"Fabrikam Web Site"

To find up to 50 files that are larger than 10 KB:

TFSConfig CodeIndex /listLargeFiles /fileCount:50 /minSize:10 /collectionName:"Fabrikam Web Site"

To exclude a specific file from indexing and add it to the ignored file list:

TFSConfig CodeIndex /ignoreList:add "$/Fabrikam Web Site/Catalog.cs" /collectionName:"Fabrikam Web Site"

To see all the files that aren't indexed:

TFSConfig CodeIndex /ignoreList:view

To clear previously indexed data and restart indexing:

TFSConfig CodeIndex /reindexAll /collectionName:"Fabrikam Web Site"

To save all changeset history:

TFSConfig CodeIndex /indexHistoryPeriod:all /collectionName:"Fabrikam Web Site"

To remove the size limit on CodeLens temporary data and continue indexing regardless of temporary data size:

TFSConfig CodeIndex /temporaryDataSizeLimit:disable /collectionName:"Fabrikam Web Site"

To delete the code index with confirmation:

TFSConfig CodeIndex /destroyCodeIndex /collectionName:"Fabrikam Web Site"

See Also
Find code changes and other history with CodeLens
Managing server configuration with TFSConfig
Command-line tools for TFS
 Compiling and building in Visual Studio
10/19/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

Running a build creates assemblies and executable applications from your source code at any point during a
development cycle. In general, the build process is very similar across many different project types such as
Windows, ASP.NET, mobile apps, and others. The build process is also very similar across programming
languages such as C#, Visual Basic, C++, and F#.
By building your code often, you can quickly identify compile-time errors, such as incorrect syntax, misspelled
keywords, and type mismatches. You can also quickly detect and correct run-time errors, such as logic errors and
semantic errors, by frequently building and running debug versions of the code.
A successful build is essentially a validation that the application's source code contains correct syntax and that all
static references to libraries, assemblies, and other components have been resolved. This produces an application
executable that can then be tested for proper functioning in both a debugging environment and through a variety
of manual and automated tests to validate code quality. Once the application has been fully tested, you can then
compile a release version to deploy to your customers. For an introduction to this process, see Walkthrough:
Building an Application.
Within the Visual Studio product family, there are three methods you can use to build an application: the Visual
Studio IDE, the MSBuild command-line tools, and Team Foundation Build on Visual Studio Team Services:

BUILD METHOD BENEFITS

IDE - Create builds immediately and test them in a debugger.

- Run multi-processor builds for C++ and C# projects.
- Customize different aspects of the build system.

MSBuild command line - Build projects without installing Visual Studio.

- Run multi-processor builds for all project types.
- Customize most areas of the build system.

Team Foundation Build - Automate your build process as part of a continuous

integration/continuous delivery pipeline.
- Apply automated tests with every build.
- Employ virtually unlimited could-based resources for build
processes.
- Modify the build workflow and create build activities to
perform deeply customized tasks.

The documentation in this section goes into further details of the IDE-based build process. For more information
on the other methods, see MSBuild and Continuous integration and deployment, respectively.

Overview of building from the IDE

When you create a project, Visual Studio created default build configurations for the project and the solution that
contains the project. These configurations define how the solutions and projects are built and deployed. Project
configurations in particular are unique for a target platform (such as Windows pr Linux) and build type (such as
debug or release). You can edit these configurations however you like, and can also create your own
configurations as needed.
For a first introduction to building within the IDE, see Walkthrough: Building an Application.
Next, see Building and cleaning projects and solutions in Visual Studio to learn about the different aspects
customizations you can make to the process. Customizations include changing output directories, specifying
custom build events, managing project dependencies, managing build log files, and suppressing compiler
warnings.
From there, you can explore a variety of other tasks:
Understand build configurations
Understand build platforms
Manage Project and Solution Properties.
Specify build events in C# and Visual Basic.
Set build options
Build Multiple Projects in Parallel.

See Also
Building (Compiling) Web Site Projects
 Walkthrough: Building an Application
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

By completing this walkthrough, you'll become more familiar with several options that you can configure when
you build applications with Visual Studio. You'll create a custom build configuration, hide certain warning
messages, and increase build output information for a sample application.
This topic contains the following sections:
Install the Sample Application
Create a Custom Build Configuration
Build the Application
Hide Compiler Warnings
Display Additional Build Details in the Output Window
Create a Release Build

Install the Sample Application

Download the Introduction to Building WPF Applications sample. Choose either C# or Visual Basic. After the .zip
file has downloaded, extract it and open the ExpenseItIntro.sln file using Visual Studio.

Create a Custom Build Configuration

When you create a solution, debug and release build configurations and their default platform targets are defined
for the solution automatically. You can then customize these configurations or create your own. Build
configurations specify the build type. Build platforms specify the operating system that an application targets for
that configuration. For more information, see Understanding Build Configurations, Understanding Build Platforms,
and Debug and Release Project Configurations.
You can change or create configurations and platform settings by using the Configuration Manager dialog box.
In this procedure, you'll create a build configuration for testing.
To create a build configuration
1. Open the Configuration Manager dialog box.

2. In the Active solution configuration list, choose <New...>.

3. In the New Solution Configuration dialog box, name the new configuration Test , copy settings from the
existing Debug configuration, and then choose the OK button.

4. In the Active solution platform list, choose <New...>.

5. In the New Solution Platform dialog box, choose x64, and don't copy settings from the x86 platform.

6. Choose the OK button.

The active solution configuration has been changed to Test with the active solution platform set to x64.

7. Choose Close.
You can quickly verify or change the active solution configuration by using the Solution Configurations list on
the Standard toolbar.
Build the Application
Next, you'll build the solution with the custom build configuration.
To build the solution
On the menu bar, choose Build, Build Solution.
The Output window displays the results of the build. The build succeeded.

Hide Compiler Warnings

Next we'll introduce some code that causes a warning to be generated by the compiler.
1. In the C# project, open the ExpenseReportPage.xaml.cs file. In the ExpenseReportPage method, add
the following code: int i; .
OR
In the Visual Basic project, open the ExpenseReportPage.xaml.vb file. In the custom constructor Public
Sub New..., add the following code: Dim i .
2. Build the solution.
The Output window displays the results of the build. The build succeeded, but warnings were generated:
Figure 1: Visual Basic warnings

Figure 2: Visual C# warnings

You can temporarily hide certain warning messages during a build rather than have them clutter up the build
output.
To hide a specific Visual C# warning
1. In Solution Explorer, choose the top-level project node.
2. On the menu bar, choose View, Property Pages.
The Project Designer opens.
3. Choose the Build page and then, in the Suppress warnings box, specify the warning number 0168.

For more information, see Build Page, Project Designer (C#).

4. Build the solution.
The Output window displays only summary information for the build.

To suppress all Visual Basic build warnings

1. In Solution Explorer, choose the top-level project node.
2. On the menu bar, choose View, Property Pages.
The Project Designer opens.
3. On the Compile page, select the Disable all warnings check box.
 For more information, see Configuring Warnings in Visual Basic.
4. Build the solution.
The Output window displays only summary information for the build.

For more information, see How to: Suppress Compiler Warnings.

Display Additional Build Details in the Output Window

You can change how much information about the build process appears in the Output window. Build verbosity is
usually set to Minimal, which means that the Output window displays only a summary of the build process along
with any high priority warnings or errors. You can display more information about the build by using the Options
Dialog Box, Projects and Solutions, Build and Run.

IMPORTANT
If you display more information, the build will take longer to complete.

To change the amount of information in the Output window

1. Open the Options dialog box.
2. Choose the Projects and Solutions category, and then choose the Build and Run page.
3. In the MSBuild project build output verbosity list, choose Normal, and then choose the OK button.
4. On the menu bar, choose Build, Clean Solution.
5. Build the solution, and then review the information in the Output window.
The build information includes the time that the build started (located at the beginning) and the order in
which files were processed. This information also includes the actual compiler syntax that Visual Studio
runs during the build.
For example, in the Visual C# build, the /nowarn option lists the warning code, 1762, that you specified
earlier in this topic, along with three other warnings.
In the Visual Basic build, /nowarn doesn't include specific warnings to exclude, so no warnings appear.

TIP
You can search the contents of the Output window if you display the Find dialog box by choosing the Ctrl+F keys.

For more information, see How to: View, Save, and Configure Build Log Files.

Create a Release Build

You can build a version of the sample application that's optimized for shipping it. For the release build, you'll
specify that the executable is copied to a network share before the build is kicked off.
For more information, see How to: Change the Build Output Directory and Building and Cleaning Projects and
Solutions in Visual Studio.
To specify a release build for Visual Basic
1. Open the Project Designer.

2. Choose the Compile page.

3. In the Configuration list, choose Release.
4. In the Platform list, choose x86.
5. In the Build output path box, specify a network path.
For example, you can specify \\myserver\builds.

IMPORTANT
A message box might appear, warning you that the network share that you've specified might not be a trusted
location. If you trust the location that you've specified, choose the OK button in the message box.

6. Build the application.

To specify a release build for Visual C#

1. Open the Project Designer.

2. Choose the Build page.

3. In the Configuration list, choose Release.
4. In the Platform list, choose x86.
5. In the Output path box, specify a network path.
For example, you could specify \\myserver\builds.

IMPORTANT
A message box might appear, warning you that the network share that you've specified might not be a trusted
location. If you trust the location that you've specified, choose the OK button in the message box.

6. On the Standard toolbar, set the Solution Configurations to Release and the Solution Platforms to x86.
7. Build the application.
 The executable file is copied to the network path that you specified. Its path would be
\\myserver\builds\FileName.exe.
Congratulations: you've successfully completed this walkthrough.

See Also
Walkthrough: Building a Project (C++)
ASP.NET Web Application Project Precompilation Overview
Walkthrough: Using MSBuild
 Building and Cleaning Projects and Solutions in
Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

By using the procedures in this topic, you can build, rebuild, or clean all or some of the projects or project items in
a solution. For a step-by-step tutorial, see Walkthrough: Building an Application.

NOTE
The UI in your edition of Visual Studio might differ from what this topic describes, depending on your active settings. To
change your settings, open the Tools menu, and then choose Import and Export Settings. For more information, see
Personalize the Visual Studio IDE.

To build, rebuild, or clean an entire solution

1. In Solution Explorer, choose or open the solution.
2. On the menu bar, choose Build, and then choose one of the following commands:
Choose Build or Build Solution to compile only those project files and components that have
changed since the most recent build.

NOTE
The Build command becomes Build Solution when a solution includes more than one project.

Choose Rebuild Solution to "clean" the solution and then build all project files and components.
Choose Clean Solution to delete any intermediate and output files. With only the project and
component files left, new instances of the intermediate and output files can then be built.
To build or rebuild a single project
1. In Solution Explorer, choose or open the project.
2. On the menu bar, choose Build, and then choose either BuildProjectName or RebuildProjectName.
Choose BuildProjectName to build only those project components that have changed since the
most recent build.
Choose RebuildProjectName to "clean" the project and then build the project files and all project
components.
To build only the startup project and its dependencies
1. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Options.
2. In the Options dialog box, expand the Projects and Solutions node, and then choose the Build and Run
page.
The Build and Run, Projects and Solutions, Options dialog box opens.
3. Select the Only build startup projects and dependencies on Run check box.
When this check box is selected, only the current startup project and its dependencies are built when you
 perform either of the following steps:
On the menu bar, choose Debug, Start (F5).
On the menu bar, choose Build, Build Solution (CTRL+SHIFT+B).
When this check box is cleared, all projects, their dependencies, and the solution files are built when
you run either of the preceding commands. By default, this check box is cleared.
To build only the selected Visual C++ project
1. Choose a Visual C++ project, and then, on the menu bar, choose Build, Project Only, and one of the
following commands:
Build Only ProjectName
Rebuild Only ProjectName
Clean Only ProjectName
Link Only ProjectName
These commands apply only to the Visual C++ project that you chose, without building, rebuilding,
cleaning, or linking any project dependencies or solution files. Depending on your version of Visual
Studio, the Project Only submenu might contain more commands.
To compile multiple C++ project items
1. In Solution Explorer, choose multiple files that have can be compiled actions, open the shortcut menu for
one of those files, and then choose Compile.
If the files have dependencies, the files will be compiled in dependency order. The compile operation will
fail if the files require a precompiled header that isn't available when you compile. The compile operation
uses the current active solution configuration.
To stop a build
1. Perform either of the following steps:
On the menu bar, choose Build, Cancel.
Choose the Ctrl + Break keys.

See Also
How to: View, Save, and Configure Build Log Files
Obtaining Build Logs
Compiling and Building
Understanding Build Configurations
Debug and Release Project Configurations
C/C++ Building Reference
Devenv Command Line Switches
Solutions and Projects
 How to: Change the Build Output Directory
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can specify the location of output on a per-configuration basis (for debug, release, or both) generated by your
project.

NOTE
If you have a Setup project see the note at the end of this article.

Changing the Build Output directory

To change the build output directory
1. On the menu bar, choose Project, Appname Properties. You can also right-click the project node in the
Solution Explorer and select Properties.
2. If you have a Visual Basic project, select the Compile tab. If you have a Visual C# project, select the Build
tab. If you have a C++ project or a JavaScript project, select the General tab.
3. In the configuration drop-down at the top, choose the configuration whose output file location you want to
change (debug, release, or all).
Find the output path entry (Build output path in Visual Basic, Output Directory in Visual C++, Output
Path in JavaScript and C#). Specify a new build output directory relative to the project directory.

NOTE
In a Setup Project, the Output file name box changes only the location of the Setup.exe file, not the location of the project
files. For more information, see Build, Configuration Properties, Deployment Project Properties Dialog Box.

See Also
Build Page, Project Designer (C#)
General Property Page (Project)
Compiling and Building
 How to: Build to a Common Output Directory
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

By default, Visual Studio builds each project in a solution in its own folder inside the solution. You can change the
build output paths of your projects to force all outputs to be placed in the same folder.
To place all solution outputs in a common directory
1. Click on one project in the solution.
2. On the Project menu, click Properties.
3. Depending on the type of project, click on either the Compile tab or the Build tab, and set the Output path
to a folder to use for all projects in the solution.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for all projects in the solution.

See Also
Compiling and Building
How to: Change the Build Output Directory
 Specifying Custom Build Events in Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

By specifying a custom build event, you can automatically run commands before a build starts or after it finishes.
For example, you can run a .bat file before a build starts or copy new files to a folder after the build is complete.
Build events run only if the build successfully reaches those points in the build process.
For specific information about the programming language that you're using, see the following topics:
Visual Basic--How to: Specify Build Events (Visual Basic).
Visual C# and F#--How to: Specify Build Events (C#).
Visual C++--Specifying Build Events.

Syntax
Build events follow the same syntax as DOS commands, but you can use macros to create build events more easily.
For a list of available macros, see Pre-build Event/Post-build Event Command Line Dialog Box.
For best results, follow these formatting tips:
Add a call statement before all build events that run .bat files.
Example: call C:\MyFile.bat

Example: call C:\MyFile.bat call C:\MyFile2.bat

Enclose file paths in quotation marks.

Example (for Windows 8): "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\Bin\NETFX 4.0
Tools\gacutil.exe" -if "$(TargetPath)"
Separate multiple commands by using line breaks.
Include wildcards as needed.
Example: for %I in (*.txt *.doc *.html) do copy %I c:\ mydirectory \

NOTE
%I in the code above should be %%I in batch scripts.

See Also
Compiling and Building
Pre-build Event/Post-build Event Command Line Dialog Box
MSBuild Special Characters
Walkthrough: Building an Application
 How to: Set Multiple Startup Projects
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio allows you to specify how more than one project is run when you start the debugger.
To set multiple startup projects
1. In the Solution Explorer, select the solution (the very top node).
2. Choose the solution node's context (right-click) menu and then choose Properties. The Solution Property
Pages dialog box appears.
3. Expand the Common Properties node, and choose Startup Project.
4. Choose the Multiple Startup Projects option and set the appropriate actions.

See Also
Compiling and Building
Creating Solutions and Projects
Managing Project and Solution Properties
 How to: Create and Remove Project Dependencies
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

When building a solution that contains multiple projects, it can be necessary to build certain projects first, to
generate code used by other projects. When a project consumes executable code generated by another project, the
project that generates the code is referred to as a project dependency of the project that consumes the code. Such
dependency relationships can be defined in the Project Dependencies Dialog Box.
To assign dependencies to projects
1. In Solution Explorer, select a project.
2. On the Project menu, choose Project Dependencies.
The Project Dependencies dialog box opens.

NOTE
The Project Dependencies option is only available in a solution with more than one project.

3. On the Dependencies tab, select a project from the Project drop-down menu.
4. In the Depends on field, select the check box of any other project that must build before this project does.
Your solution must consist of more than one project before you can create project dependencies.
To remove dependencies from projects
1. In Solution Explorer, select a project.
2. On the Project menu, choose Project Dependencies.
The Project Dependencies dialog box opens.

NOTE
The Project Dependencies option is only available in a solution with more than one project.

3. On the Dependencies tab, select a project from the Project drop-down menu.
4. In the Depends on field, clear the check boxes beside any other projects that are no longer dependencies of
this project.

See Also
Building and Cleaning Projects and Solutions in Visual Studio
Compiling and Building
Understanding Build Configurations
Managing Project and Solution Properties
 How to: View, Save, and Configure Build Log Files
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

After you build a project in the Visual Studio IDE, you can view information about that build in the Output
window. By using this information, you can, for example, troubleshoot a build failure. For C++ projects, you can
also view the same information in a .txt file that's created and saved automatically. For managed-code projects,
you can copy and paste the information from the Output window into a .txt file and save it yourself. You can also
use the IDE to specify what kinds of information you want to view about each build.
If you build any kind of project by using MSBuild, you can create a .txt file to save information about the build. For
more information, see Obtaining Build Logs.
To view the build log file for a C++ project
1. In Windows Explorer or File Explorer, open the following file: \...\Visual Studio
Version\Projects\ProjectName\ProjectName\Debug\ProjectName.txt
To create a build log file for a managed-code project
1. On the menu bar, choose Build, Build Solution.
2. In the Output window, highlight the information from the build, and then copy it to the Clipboard.
3. Open a text editor, such as Notepad, paste the information into the file, and then save it.
To change the amount of information included in the build log
1. On the menu bar, choose Tools, Options.
2. On the Projects and Solutions page, choose the Build and Run page.
3. In the MSBuild project build output verbosity list, choose one of the following values, and then choose
the OK button.

VERBOSITY LEVEL DESCRIPTION

Quiet Displays a summary of the build only.

Minimal Displays a summary of the build and errors, warnings, and

messages that are categorized as highly important.

Normal Displays a summary of the build; errors, warnings, and

messages that are categorized as highly important; and
the main steps of the build. You'll use this level of detail
most frequently.

Detailed Displays a summary of the build; errors, warnings, and

messages that are categorized as highly important; all of
the steps of the build; and messages that are categorized
as of normal importance.

Diagnostic Displays all data that's available for the build. You can use
this level of detail to help debug issues with custom build
scripts and other build issues.

For more information, see Options Dialog Box, Projects and Solutions, Build and Run and LoggerVerbosity.
 IMPORTANT
You must rebuild the project for your changes to take effect in the Output window (all projects) and the
ProjectName.txt file (C++ projects only).

See Also
Obtaining Build Logs
Building and Cleaning Projects and Solutions in Visual Studio
Compiling and Building
 How to: Exclude Projects from a Build
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can build a solution without building all projects that it contains. For example, you might exclude a project that
breaks the build. You could then build the project after you investigate and address the issues.
You can exclude a project by taking the following approaches:
Removing it temporarily from the active solution configuration.
Creating a solution configuration that doesn't include the project.
For more information, see Understanding Build Configurations.
To temporarily remove a project from the active solution configuration
1. On the menu bar, choose Build, Configuration Manager.
2. In the Project contexts table, locate the project you want to exclude from the build.
3. In the Build column for the project, clear the check box.
4. Choose the Close button, and then rebuild the solution.
To create a solution configuration that excludes a project
1. On the menu bar, choose Build, Configuration Manager.
2. In the Active solution configuration list, choose <New>.
3. In the Name box, enter a name for the solution configuration.
4. In the Copy settings from list, choose the solution configuration on which you want to base the new
configuration (for example, Debug), and then choose the OK button.
5. In the Configuration Manager dialog box, clear the check box in the Build column for the project that you
want to exclude, and then choose the Close button.
6. On the Standard toolbar, verify that the new solution configuration is the active configuration in the
Solution Configurations box.
7. On the menu bar, choose Build, Rebuild Solution.

See Also
Understanding Build Configurations
How to: Create and Edit Configurations
How to: Build Multiple Configurations Simultaneously
 How to: Suppress Compiler Warnings
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

You can declutter a build log by specifying one or more kinds of compiler warnings that you don't want it to
contain. For example, you might use this technique to review some but not all of the information that's generated
automatically when you set the build-log verbosity to Normal, Detailed, or Diagnostic. For more information about
verbosity, see How to: View, Save, and Configure Build Log Files.
To suppress specific warnings for Visual C# or F#
1. In Solution Explorer, choose the project in which you want to suppress warnings.
2. On the menu bar, choose View, Property Pages.
3. Choose the Build page.
4. In the Suppress warnings box, specify the error codes of the warnings that you want to suppress,
separated by semicolons, and then rebuild the solution.
To suppress specific warnings for Visual C++
1. In Solution Explorer, choose the project or source file in which you want to suppress warnings.
2. On the menu bar, choose View, Property Pages.
3. Choose the Configuration Properties category, choose the C/C++ category, and then choose the
Advanced page.
4. Perform one of the following steps:
In the Disable Specific Warnings box, specify the error codes of the warnings that you want to
suppress, separated by a semicolon.
In the Disable Specific Warnings box, choose Edit to display more options.
5. Choose the OK button, and then rebuild the solution.

Suppressing Warnings for Visual Basic

You can hide specific compiler warnings for Visual Basic by editing the .vbproj file for the project. You can also use
the Compile Page, Project Designer to suppress warnings by category. For more information, see Configuring
Warnings in Visual Basic.
To suppress specific warnings for Visual Basic
1. In Solution Explorer, choose the project in which you want to suppress warnings.
2. On the menu bar, choose Project, Unload Project.
3. In Solution Explorer, open the shortcut menu for the project, and then choose EditProjectName.vbproj.
The project file is opened in the code editor.
4. Locate the <NoWarn></NoWarn> element in the build configuration with which you're building.
The following example shows the <NoWarn></NoWarn> element in bold text for the Debug build configuration
on an x86 platform:
 <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|x86' ">
<PlatformTarget>x86</PlatformTarget>
<DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
<DebugType>full</DebugType>
<Optimize>false</Optimize>
<OutputPath>bin\Debug\</OutputPath>
<DefineDebug>true</DefineDebug>
<DefineTrace>true</DefineTrace>
<ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
<NoWarn></NoWarn>
<WarningLevel>1</WarningLevel>
</PropertyGroup>

5. Add one or more warning numbers as the value of the <NoWarn> element. If you specify multiple warning
numbers, separate them with a comma, as the following example shows.

<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|x86' ">

<PlatformTarget>x86</PlatformTarget>
<DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
<DebugType>full</DebugType>
<Optimize>false</Optimize>
<OutputPath>bin\Debug\</OutputPath>
<DefineDebug>true</DefineDebug>
<DefineTrace>true</DefineTrace>
<ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
<NoWarn>40059,42024</NoWarn>
<WarningLevel>1</WarningLevel>
</PropertyGroup>

6. Save the changes to the .vbproj file.

7. On the menu bar, choose Project, Reload Project.
8. On the menu bar, choose Build, Rebuild Solution.
The Output window no longer shows the warnings that you specified.
For more information, see /nowarn.

See Also
Walkthrough: Building an Application
How to: View, Save, and Configure Build Log Files
Compiling and Building
 Understanding Build Configurations
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

You can store different configurations of solution and project properties to use in different kinds of builds. To
create, select, modify, or delete a configuration, you can use the Configuration Manager. To open it, on the
menu bar, choose Build, Configuration Manager, or just type Configuration in the Quick Launch box. You
can also use the Solution Configurations list on the Standard toolbar to select a configuration or open the
Configuration Manager.

NOTE
If you can't find solution configuration settings on the toolbar and can't access the Configuration Manager, Visual Basic
development settings may be applied. For more information, see How to: Manage Configurations with Visual Basic
Developer Settings Applied.

By default, Debug and Release configurations are included in projects that are created by using Visual Studio
templates. A Debug configuration supports the debugging of an app, and a Release configuration builds a
version of the app that can be deployed. For more information, see How to: Set Debug and Release
Configurations. You can also create custom solution configurations and project configurations. For more
information, see How to: Create and Edit Configurations.

Solution Configurations
A solution configuration specifies how projects in the solution are to be built and deployed. To modify a solution
configuration or define a new one, in the Configuration Manager, under Active solution configuration,
choose Edit or New.
Each entry in the Project contexts box in a solution configuration represents a project in the solution. For every
combination of Active solution configuration and Active solution platform, you can set how each project is
used. (For more information about solution platforms, see Understanding Build Platforms.)

NOTE
When you define a new solution configuration and select the Create new project configurations check box, Visual
Studio automatically assigns the new configuration to all of the projects. Likewise, when you define a new solution platform
and select the Create new project platforms check box, Visual Studio automatically assigns the new platform to all of the
projects. Also, if you add a project that targets a new platform, Visual Studio adds that platform to the list of solution
platforms and assigns it to all of the projects.
You can still modify the settings for each project.

The active solution configuration also provides context to the IDE. For example, if you're working on a project and
the configuration specifies that it will be built for a mobile device, the Toolbox displays only items that can be
used in a mobile device project.

Project Configurations
The configuration and platform that a project targets are used together to specify the properties to use when it's
built. A project can have a different set of property definitions for each combination of configuration and
platform. To modify the properties of a project, you can use its Property Pages. (In Solution Explorer, open the
shortcut menu for the project and then choose Properties.)
For each project configuration, you can define configuration-dependent properties as needed. For example, for a
particular build, you can set which project items will be included, and what output files will be created, where
they will be put, and how they will be optimized.
Project configurations can differ considerably. For example, the properties of one configuration might specify
that its output file be optimized to occupy the minimum space, while another configuration might specify that its
executable runs at the maximum speed.
Project configurations are stored by solution—not by user—so that they can be shared by a team.
Although project dependencies are configuration-independent, only the projects that are specified in the active
solution configuration will be built.

How Visual Studio Assigns Project Configurations

When you define a new solution configuration and don't copy settings from an existing one, Visual Studio uses
the following criteria to assign default project configurations. The criteria are evaluated in the order shown.
1. If a project has a configuration name (<configuration name> <platform name>) that exactly matches the
name of the new solution configuration, that configuration is assigned. Configuration names are not case-
sensitive.
2. If the project has a configuration name in which the configuration-name part matches the new solution
configuration, that configuration is assigned, whether the platform portion matches or not.
3. If there is still no match, the first configuration that's listed in the project is assigned.

How Visual Studio Assigns Solution Configurations

When you create a project configuration (in the Configuration Manager, by choosing New on the drop-down
menu in the Configuration column for that project) and select the Create new solution configurations check
box, Visual Studio looks for a like-named solution configuration to build the project on each platform it supports.
In some cases, Visual Studio renames existing solution configurations or defines new ones.
Visual Studio uses the following criteria to assign solution configurations.
If a project configuration doesn't specify a platform or specifies just one platform, then a solution
configuration whose name matches that of the new project configuration is either found or added. The
default name of this solution configuration does not include a platform name; it takes the form <project
configuration name>.
If a project supports multiple platforms, a solution configuration is either found or added for each
supported platform. The name of each solution configuration includes both the project configuration
name and the platform name, and has the form <project configuration name> <platform name>.

See Also
Walkthrough: Building an Application
Compiling and Building
Solutions and Projects
C/C++ Building Reference
Devenv Command Line Switches
 How to: Create and Edit Configurations
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

You can create several build configurations for a solution. For example, you can configure a debug build that your
testers can use to find and fix problems, and you can configure different kinds of builds that you can distribute to
different customers.
> [!NOTE] > Your computer might show different names or locations for some of the Visual Studio user interface
elements in the following instructions. The Visual Studio edition that you have and the settings that you use
determine these elements. For more information, see Personalizing the IDE.

Creating Build Configurations

You can use the Configuration Manager dialog box to select or modify existing build configurations, or you can
create new ones.
To open the Configuration Manager dialog box
In Solution Explorer, open the shortcut menu for the solution and then choose Configuration Manager.

NOTE
If the Configuration Manager command doesn't appear on the shortcut menu, look under the Build menu on the
menu bar. If it doesn't appear there either, on the menu bar, choose Tools, Options, and then in the left pane of the
Options dialog box, expand Projects and Solutions, General, and in the right pane, select the Show advanced
build configurations check box.

In the Configuration Manager dialog box, you can use the Active solution configuration drop-down
list to select a solution-wide build configuration, modify an existing one, or create a new configuration. You
can use the Active solution platform drop-down list to select the platform that the configuration targets,
modify an existing one, or add a new platform. The Project contexts pane lists the projects in the solution.
For each project, you can select a project-specific configuration and platform, modify existing ones, or
create a new configuration or add a new platform. You can also select check boxes that indicate whether
each project is included when you use the solution-wide configuration to build or deploy the solution.
After you set up the configurations you want, you can set project properties that are appropriate for those
configurations.
To set properties based on configurations
In Solution Explorer, open the shortcut menu for a project and then choose Properties.
The Property Pages window opens.
You can set properties for your configurations. For example, for a Release configuration, you can specify
that code is optimized when the solution is built, and for a Debug configuration, you can specify that the
DEBUG conditional compilation symbol is included. For more information about property page settings, see
Managing Project and Solution Properties.

Creating and Modifying Project Configurations

To create a project configuration
1. Open the Configuration Manager dialog box.
2. Select a project in the Project column.
3. In the Configuration drop-down list for that project, choose New.
The New Project Configuration dialog box opens.
4. In the Name box, enter a name for the new configuration.
5. To use the property settings from an existing project configuration, in the Copy settings from drop-down
list, choose a configuration.
6. To create a solution-wide configuration at the same time, select the Create new solution configuration
check box.
To rename a project configuration
1. Open the Configuration Manager dialog box.
2. In the Project column, select the project that has the project configuration you want to rename.
3. In the Configuration drop-down list for that project, choose Edit.
The Edit Project Configurations dialog box opens.
4. Select the project configuration name you want to change.
5. Select Rename, and then enter a new name.

Creating and Modifying Solution-wide Build Configurations

To create a solution-wide build configuration
1. Open the Configuration Manager dialog box.
2. In the Active solution configuration drop-down list, choose New.
The New Solution Configuration dialog box opens.
3. In the Name text box, enter a name for the new configuration.
4. To use the settings from an existing solution configuration, in the Copy settings from drop-down list,
choose a configuration.
5. If you want to create project configurations at the same time, select the Create new project
configurations check box.
To rename a solution-wide build configuration
1. Open the Configuration Manager dialog box.
2. In the Active solution configuration drop-down list, choose Edit.
The Edit Solution Configurations dialog box opens.
3. Select the solution configuration name you want to change.
4. Select Rename, and then enter a new name.
To modify a solution-wide build configuration
1. Open the Configuration Manager dialog box.
2. In the Active solution configuration drop-down list, select the configuration you want.
3. In the Project contexts pane, for every project, select the Configuration and Platform you want, and
select whether to Build it and whether to Deploy it..
See Also
Understanding Build Configurations
Building and Cleaning Projects and Solutions in Visual Studio
Managing Project and Solution Properties
 How to: Manage Build Configurations with Visual
Basic Developer Settings Applied
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

By default, all advanced build configuration options are hidden with Visual Basic Developer settings applied. This
topic explains how to manually enable these settings.

Enabling advanced build configurations

By default, the Visual Basic Developer settings hide the option to open the Configuration Manager dialog box
and the Configuration and Platform lists in the Project Designer.
To enable advanced build configurations
1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Expand Projects and Solutions, and click General.

NOTE
The General node is visible even if the Show all settings option is unchecked. If you want to see every option
available, click Show all settings.

3. Click Show advanced build configurations.

4. Click OK.
On the Build menu, Configuration Manager is now available, and the Configuration and Platform lists
are visible in the Project Designer.

See Also
Understanding Build Configurations
Compiling and Building
 How to: Build Multiple Configurations Simultaneously
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can build most types of projects with multiple, or even all, of their build configurations at the same time by
using the Batch Build dialog box. However, you can't build the following types of projects in multiple build
configurations at the same time:
1. Windows 8.x Store apps built for Windows using JavaScript.
2. All Visual Basic projects.
For more information about build configurations, see Understanding Build Configurations.
To build a project in multiple build configurations
1. On the menu bar, choose Build, Batch Build.
2. In the Build column, select the check boxes for the configurations in which you want to build a project.

TIP
To edit or create a build configuration for a solution, choose Build, Configuration Manager on the menu bar to
open the Configuration Manager dialog box. After you have edited a build configuration for a solution, choose the
Rebuild button in the Batch Build dialog box to update all build configurations for the projects in the solution.

3. Choose the Build or Rebuild buttons to build the project with the configurations that you specified.

See Also
How to: Create and Edit Configurations
Understanding Build Configurations
Building Multiple Projects in Parallel
 Understanding Build Platforms
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can store different versions of solution and project properties that apply to different target platforms. For
example, you can create a Debug configuration that targets an x86 platform and a Debug configuration that
targets an x64 platform. You can quickly change the active platform so that you can easily build multiple
configurations.

In This Section
How to: Configure Projects to Target Platforms
Explains how to configure a project to target a specific platform.
How to: Configure Projects to Target Multiple Platforms
Explains how to configure a project to target multiple platforms.

See Also
Walkthrough: Building an Application
Building and Cleaning Projects and Solutions in Visual Studio
Compiling and Building
 How to: Configure Projects to Target Platforms
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio enables you to set up your applications to target different platforms, including 64-bit platforms. For
more information on 64-bit platform support in Visual Studio, see 64-bit Applications.

Targeting Platforms with the Configuration Manager

The Configuration Manager provides a way for you to quickly add a new platform to target with your project. If
you select one of the platforms included with Visual Studio, the properties for your project are modified to build
your project for the selected platform.
To configure a project to target a 64-bit platform
1. On the menu bar, choose Build, Configuration Manager.
2. In the Active solution platform list, choose a 64-bit platform for the solution to target, and then choose
the Close button.
a. If the platform that you want doesn't appear in the Active solution platform list, choose New.
The New Solution Platform dialog box appears.
b. In the Type or select the new platform list, choose x64.

NOTE
If you give your configuration a new name, you may have to modify the settings in the Project Designer to
target the correct platform.

c. If you want to copy the settings from a current platform configuration, choose it, and then choose the
OK button.
The properties for all projects that target the 64-bit platform are updated, and the next build of the project
will be optimized for 64-bit platforms.

Targeting Platforms in the Project Designer

The Project Designer also provides a way to target different platforms with your project. If selecting one of the
platforms included in the list in the New Solution Platform dialog box does not work for your solution, you can
create a custom configuration name and modify the settings in the Project Designer to target the correct
platform.
Performing this task varies based on the programming language you are using. See the following links for more
information:
For Visual Basic projects, see /platform (Visual Basic).
For Visual C# projects, see Build Page, Project Designer (C#).
For Visual C++ projects, see /clr (Common Language Runtime Compilation).

See Also
Understanding Build Platforms
/platform (C# Compiler Options)
64-bit Applications
Visual Studio IDE 64-Bit Support
 How to: Configure Projects to Target Multiple
Platforms
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio provides a way for a solution to target several different CPU architectures, or platforms, at once. The
properties to set these are accessed through the Configuration Manager dialog box.

Targeting a Platform
The Configuration Manager dialog box allows you to create and set solution-level and project-level
configurations and platforms. Each combination of solution-level configurations and targets can have a unique set
of properties associated with it, allowing you to easily switch between, for example, a Release configuration that
targets an x64 platform, a Release configuration that targets an x86 platform, and a Debug configuration that
targets an x86 platform.
To set your configuration to target a different platform
1. On the Build menu, click Configuration Manager.
2. In the Active solution platform box, select the platform you want your solution to target, or select
<New> to create a new platform. Visual Studio will compile your application to target the platform that is
set as the active platform in the Configuration Manager dialog box.

Removing a Platform
If you realize that you have no need for a platform, you can remove it using the Configuration Manager dialog box.
This will remove all solution and project settings that you configured for that combination of configuration and
target.
To remove a platform
1. On the Build menu, click Configuration Manager.
2. In the Active solution platform box, select <Edit>. The Edit Solution Platforms dialog box opens.
3. Click the platform you want to remove, and click Remove.

Targeting Multiple Platforms with One Solution

Because you can change the settings based on the combination of configuration and platform settings, you can set
up a solution that can target more than one platform.
To target multiple platforms
1. Use the Configuration Manager to add at least two target platforms for the solution.
2. Select the platform you want to target from the Active solution platform list.
3. Build the solution.
To build multiple solution configurations at once
1. Use the Configuration Manager to add at least two target platforms for the solution.
2. Use the Batch Build window to build several solution configurations at once.
It is possible to have a solution-level platform set to, for example, x64, and have no projects within that
 solution targeting the same platform. It is also possible to have multiple projects in your solution, each
targeting different platforms. It is recommended that if you have one of these situations, you create a new
configuration with a descriptive name to avoid confusion.

See Also
How to: Create and Edit Configurations
Understanding Build Configurations
Building and Cleaning Projects and Solutions in Visual Studio
 How to: Specify Build Events (Visual Basic)
10/18/2017 • 4 min to read • Edit Online

Build events in Visual Basic can be used to run scripts, macros, or other actions as a part of the compilation
process. Pre-build events occur before compilation; post-build events occur after compilation.
Build events are specified in the Build Events dialog box, available from the Compile page of the Project
Designer.

NOTE
Visual Basic Express does not support entry of build events. This is supported only in the full Visual Studio product.

How to Specify Pre-Build and Post-Build Events

To specify a build event
1. With a project selected in Solution Explorer, on the Project menu, click Properties.
2. Click the Compile tab.
3. Click the Build Events button to open the Build Events dialog box.
4. Enter the command-line arguments for your pre-build or post-build action, and then click OK.

NOTE
Add a call statement before all post-build commands that run .bat files. For example, call C:\MyFile.bat or
call C:\MyFile.bat call C:\MyFile2.bat .

NOTE
If your pre-build or post-build event does not complete successfully, you can terminate the build by having your
event action exit with a code other than zero (0), which indicates a successful action.

Example: How to Change Manifest Information Using a Post-Build

Event
The following procedure shows how to set the minimum operating system version in the application manifest
using an .exe command called from a post-build event (the .exe.manifest file in the project directory). The
minimum operating system version is a four-part number such as 4.10.0.0. To do this, the command will change
the <dependentOS> section of the manifest:

<dependentOS>
<osVersionInfo>
<os majorVersion="4" minorVersion="10" buildNumber="0" servicePackMajor="0" />
</osVersionInfo>
</dependentOS>

To create an .exe command to change the application manifest

1. Create a console application for the command. From the File menu, click New, and then click Project.
2. In the New Project dialog box, in the Visual Basic node, select Windows and then the Console
Application template. Name the project ChangeOSVersionVB .
3. In Module1.vb, add the following line to the other Imports statements at the top of the file:

Imports System.Xml

4. Add the following code in Sub Main :

Sub Main()
Dim applicationManifestPath As String
applicationManifestPath = My.Application.CommandLineArgs(0)
Console.WriteLine("Application Manifest Path: " & applicationManifestPath.ToString)

'Get version name

Dim osVersion As Version
If My.Application.CommandLineArgs.Count >= 2 Then
osVersion = New Version(My.Application.CommandLineArgs(1).ToString)
Else
Throw New ArgumentException("OS Version not specified.")
End If
Console.WriteLine("Desired OS Version: " & osVersion.ToString())

Dim document As XmlDocument

Dim namespaceManager As XmlNamespaceManager
namespaceManager = New XmlNamespaceManager(New NameTable())
With namespaceManager
.AddNamespace("asmv1", "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1")
.AddNamespace("asmv2", "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2")
End With

document = New XmlDocument()

document.Load(applicationManifestPath)

Dim baseXPath As String

baseXPath = "/asmv1:assembly/asmv2:dependency/asmv2:dependentOS/asmv2:osVersionInfo/asmv2:os"

'Change minimum required OS Version.

Dim node As XmlNode
node = document.SelectSingleNode(baseXPath, namespaceManager)
node.Attributes("majorVersion").Value = osVersion.Major.ToString()
node.Attributes("minorVersion").Value = osVersion.Minor.ToString()
node.Attributes("buildNumber").Value = osVersion.Build.ToString()
node.Attributes("servicePackMajor").Value = osVersion.Revision.ToString()

document.Save(applicationManifestPath)
End Sub

The command takes two arguments. The first argument is the path to the application manifest (that is, the
folder in which the build process creates the manifest, typically Projectname.publish). The second argument
is the new operating system version.
5. On the Build menu, click Build Solution.
6. Copy the .exe file to a directory such as C:\TEMP\ChangeOSVersionVB.exe .
Next, invoke this command in a post-build event to change the application manifest.
To invoke a post-build event to change the application manifest
1. Create a Windows application for the project to be published. From the File menu, click New, and then click
Project.
2. In the New Project dialog box, in the Visual Basic node, select Windows Classic Desktop and then the
Windows Forms App template. Name the project VBWinApp .
3. With the project selected in Solution Explorer, on the Project menu, click Properties.
4. In the Project Designer, go to the Publish page and set Publishing location to C:\TEMP\ .
5. Publish the project by clicking Publish Now.
The manifest file will be built and put in C:\TEMP\VBWinApp_1_0_0_0\VBWinApp.exe.manifest . To view the
manifest, right-click the file and click Open with, then click Select the program from a list, and then click
Notepad.
Search in the file for the <osVersionInfo> element. For example, the version might be:

<os majorVersion="4" minorVersion="10" buildNumber="0" servicePackMajor="0" />

6. In the Project Designer, go to the Compile tab and click the Build Events button to open the Build Events
dialog box.
7. In the Post-build Event Command Line box, enter the following command:
C:\TEMP\ChangeOSVersionVB.exe "$(TargetPath).manifest" 5.1.2600.0

When you build the project, this command will change the minimum operating system version in the
application manifest to 5.1.2600.0.
The $(TargetPath) macro expresses the full path for the executable being created. Therefore,
$(TargetPath).manifest will specify the application manifest created in the bin directory. Publishing will copy
this manifest to the publishing location that you set earlier.
8. Publish the project again. Go to the Publish page and click Publish Now.
View the manifest again. To view the manifest, go to the publish directory, right-click the file and click Open
with and then Select the program from a list, and then click Notepad.
The version should now read:

<os majorVersion="5" minorVersion="1" buildNumber="2600" servicePackMajor="0" />

See Also
Managing Compilation Properties
Compile Page, Project Designer (Visual Basic)
Publish Page, Project Designer
Pre-build Event/Post-build Event Command Line Dialog Box
How to: Specify Build Events (C#)
 How to: Specify Build Events (C#)
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

Use build events to specify commands that run before the build starts or after the build finishes. Build events are
executed only if the build successfully reaches those points in the build process.
When a project is built, pre-build events are added to a file that is named PreBuildEvent.bat and post-build events
are added to a file that is named PostBuildEvent.bat. If you want to ensure error checking, add your own error-
checking commands to the build steps.
> [!NOTE] > Your computer might show different names or locations for some of the Visual Studio user interface
elements in the following instructions. The Visual Studio edition that you have and the settings that you use
determine these elements. For more information, see Personalizing the IDE.

How to Specify Pre-Build and Post-Build Events

To specify a build event
1. In Solution Explorer, select the project for which you want to specify the build event.
2. On the Project menu, click Properties.
3. Select the Build Events tab.
4. In the Pre-build event command line box, specify the syntax of the build event.

NOTE
Pre-build events do not run if the project is up to date and no build is triggered.

5. In the Post-build event command line box, specify the syntax of the build event.

NOTE
Add a call statement before all post-build commands that run .bat files. For example, call C:\MyFile.bat or
call C:\MyFile.bat call C:\MyFile2.bat .

6. In the Run the post-build event box, specify under what conditions to run the post-build event.

NOTE
To add lengthy syntax, or to select any build macros from the Pre-build Event/Post-build Event Command Line
Dialog Box, click the Ellipsis button (...) to display an edit box.

The build event syntax can include any command that is valid at a command prompt or in a .bat file. The
name of a batch file should be preceded by call to ensure that all subsequent commands are executed.
Note If your pre-build or post-build event does not complete successfully, you can terminate the build by
having your event action exit with a code other than zero (0), which indicates a successful action.

Example: How to Change Manifest Information by Using a Post-Build

Event
The following procedure shows how to set the minimum operating system version in the application manifest by
using an .exe command that is called from a post-build event (the .exe.manifest file in the project directory). The
minimum operating system version is a four-part number such as 4.10.0.0. To do this, the command will change
the <dependentOS> section of the manifest:

<dependentOS>
<osVersionInfo>
<os majorVersion="4" minorVersion="10" buildNumber="0" servicePackMajor="0" />
</osVersionInfo>
</dependentOS>

To create an .exe command to change the application manifest

1. Create a console application for the command. From the File menu, point to New, and then click Project.
2. In the New Project dialog box, expand Visual C#, click Windows, and then click the Console Application
template. Name the project ChangeOSVersionCS .
3. In Program.cs, add the following line to the other using statements at the top of the file:

using System.Xml;

4. In the ChangeOSVersionCS namespace, replace the Program class implementation with the following code:
 class Program
{
/// <summary>
/// This function will set the minimum operating system version for a ClickOnce application.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="args">
/// Command Line Arguments:
/// 0 - Path to application manifest (.exe.manifest).
/// 1 - Version of OS
///</param>
static void Main(string[] args)
{
string applicationManifestPath = args[0];
Console.WriteLine("Application Manifest Path: " + applicationManifestPath);

// Get version name.

Version osVersion = null;
if (args.Length >=2 ){
osVersion = new Version(args[1]);
}else{
throw new ArgumentException("OS Version not specified.");
}
Console.WriteLine("Desired OS Version: " + osVersion.ToString());

XmlDocument document;
XmlNamespaceManager namespaceManager;
namespaceManager = new XmlNamespaceManager(new NameTable());
namespaceManager.AddNamespace("asmv1", "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1");
namespaceManager.AddNamespace("asmv2", "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2");

document = new XmlDocument();

document.Load(applicationManifestPath);

string baseXPath;
baseXPath = "/asmv1:assembly/asmv2:dependency/asmv2:dependentOS/asmv2:osVersionInfo/asmv2:os";

// Change minimum required operating system version.

XmlNode node;
node = document.SelectSingleNode(baseXPath, namespaceManager);
node.Attributes["majorVersion"].Value = osVersion.Major.ToString();
node.Attributes["minorVersion"].Value = osVersion.Minor.ToString();
node.Attributes["buildNumber"].Value = osVersion.Build.ToString();
node.Attributes["servicePackMajor"].Value = osVersion.Revision.ToString();

document.Save(applicationManifestPath);
}
}

The command takes two arguments: the path of the application manifest (that is, the folder in which the
build process creates the manifest, typically Projectname.publish), and the new operating system version.
5. Build the project. On the Build menu, click Build Solution.
6. Copy the .exe file to a directory such as C:\TEMP\ChangeOSVersionVB.exe .
Next, invoke this command in a post-build event to modify the application manifest.
To invoke a post-build event to modify the application manifest
1. Create a Windows application for the project to be published. From the File menu, point to New, and then
click Project.
2. In the New Project dialog box, expand Visual C#, click Windows Classic Desktop, and then click the
Windows Forms App template. Name the project CSWinApp .
3. With the project selected in Solution Explorer, on the Project menu, click Properties.
4. In the Project Designer, locate the Publish page and set Publishing location to C:\TEMP\ .
5. Publish the project by clicking Publish Now.
The manifest file will be built and put in C:\TEMP\CSWinApp_1_0_0_0\CSWinApp.exe.manifest . To view the
manifest, right-click the file, click Open with, select Select the program from a list, and then click
Notepad.
Search in the file for the <osVersionInfo> element. For example, the version might be:

<os majorVersion="4" minorVersion="10" buildNumber="0" servicePackMajor="0" />

6. In the Project Designer, click the Build Events tab and click the Edit Post-build button.
7. In the Post-build Event Command Line box, type the following command:
C:\TEMP\ChangeOSVersionCS.exe "$(TargetPath).manifest" 5.1.2600.0

When you build the project, this command will change the minimum operating system version in the
application manifest to 5.1.2600.0.
Because the $(TargetPath) macro expresses the full path for the executable being created, the
$(TargetPath) .manifest will specify the application manifest created in the bin directory. Publishing will
copy this manifest to the publishing location that you set earlier.
8. Publish the project again. Go to the Publish page and click Publish Now.
View the manifest again. To view the manifest, open the publish directory, right-click the file, click Open
with, select Select the program from a list, and then click Notepad.
The version should now read:

<os majorVersion="5" minorVersion="1" buildNumber="2600" servicePackMajor="0" />

See Also
Build Events Page, Project Designer (C#)
Pre-build Event/Post-build Event Command Line Dialog Box
How to: Specify Build Events (Visual Basic)
Compiling and Building
 Configuring Warnings in Visual Basic
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

The Visual Basic compiler includes a set of warnings about code that may cause run-time errors. You can use that
information to write cleaner, faster, better code with fewer bugs. For example, the compiler will produce a warning
when the user attempts to invoke a member of an unassigned object variable, return from a function without
setting the return value, or execute a Try block with errors in the logic to catch exceptions.
Sometimes the compiler provides extra logic on the user's behalf so that the user can focus on the task at hand,
rather than on anticipating possible errors. In previous versions of Visual Basic, Option Strict was used to limit
the additional logic that the Visual Basic compiler provides. Configuring warnings allows you to limit this logic in a
more granular way, at the level of the individual warnings.
You may want to customize your project and turn off some warnings not pertinent to your application while
turning other warnings into errors. This page explains how to turn individual warnings on and off.

Turning Warnings Off and On

There are two different ways to configure warnings: you can configure them using the Project Designer, or you
can use the /warnaserror and /nowarn compiler options.
The Compile tab of the Project Designer page allows you to turn warnings on and off. Select the Disable All
Warnings check box to disable all warnings; select the Treat All Warnings as Errors to treat all warnings as
errors. Some individual warnings can be toggled as error or warning as desired in the displayed table.
When Option Strict is set to Off, Option Strict related warnings cannot be treated independently of each other.
When Option Strict is set to On, the associated warnings are treated as errors, no matter what their status is.
When Option Strict is set to Custom by specifying /optionstrict:custom in the command line compiler, Option
Strict warnings can be toggled on or off independently.
The /warnaserror command-line option of the compiler can also be used to specify whether warnings are treated
as errors. You can add a comma delimited list to this option to specify which warnings should be treated as errors
or warnings by using + or -. The following table details the possible options.

COMMAND-LINE OPTION SPECIFIES

/warnaserror+ Treat all warnings as errors

/warnsaserror - Do not treat as warnings as errors. This is the default.

/warnaserror+:<warning list > Treat specific warnings as errors, listed by their error ID
number in a comma delimited list r.

/warnaserror-:<warning list> Do not treat specific warnings as errors, listed by their error ID
number in a comma delimited list.

/nowarn Do not report warnings.

/nowarn:<warning list> Do not report specified warnings, listed by their error ID

number in a comma delimited list.
The warning list contains the error ID numbers of the warnings that should be treated as errors, which can be used
with the command-line options to turn specific warnings on or off. If the warning list contains an invalid number,
an error is reported.

Examples
This table of examples of command line arguments describes what each argument does.

ARGUMENT DESCRIPTION

vbc /warnaserror Specifies that all warnings should be treated as errors.

vbc /warnaserror:42024 Specifies that warning 42024 should be treated as an error.

vbc /warnaserror:42024,42025 Specifies that warnings 42024 and 42025 should be treated
as errors.

vbc /nowarn Specifies that no warnings should be reported.

vbc /nowarn:42024 Specifies that warning 42024 should not be reported.

vbc /nowarn:42024,42025 Specifies that warnings 42024 and 42025 should not be
reported.

Types of Warnings
Following is a list of warnings that you might want to treat as errors.
Implicit Conversion Warning
Generated for instances of implicit conversion. They do not include implicit conversions from an intrinsic numeric
type to a string when using the & operator. Default for new projects is off.
ID: 42016
Late bound Method Invocation and Overload Resolution Warning
Generated for instances of late binding. Default for new projects is off.
ID: 42017
Operands of Type Object Warnings
Generated when operands of type Object occur that would create an error with Option Strict On . Default for
new projects is on.
ID: 42018 and 42019
Declarations Require 'As' Clause Warnings
Generated when a variable, function, or property declaration lacking an As clause would have created an error
with Option Strict On . Variables that do not have a type assigned to them are assumed to be type Object .
Default for new projects is on.
ID: 42020 (variable declaration), 42021 (function declaration), and 42022 (property declaration).
Possible Null Reference Exception Warnings
Generated when a variable is used before it has been assigned a value. Default for new projects is on.
ID: 42104, 42030
Unused Local Variable Warning
Generated when a local variable is declared but never referred to. Default is on.
ID: 42024
Access of Shared member through Instance Variable Warning
Generated when accessing a shared member through an instance may have side effects, or when accessing a
shared member through an instance variable is not the right-hand side of an expression or is being passed in as a
parameter. Default for new projects is on.
ID: 42025
Recursive Operator or Property Access Warnings
Generated when the body of a routine uses the same operator or property it is defined in. Default for new projects
is on.
ID: 42004 (operator), 42026 (property)
Function or Operator without Return Value Warning
Generated when the function or operator does not have a return value specified. This includes omitting a Set to
the implicit local variable with the same name as the function. Default for new projects is on.
ID: 42105 (function), 42016 (operator)
Overloads Modifier Used in a Module Warning
Generated when Overloads is used in a Module . Default for new projects is on.
ID: 42028
Duplicate or Overlapping Catch Blocks Warnings
Generated when a Catch block is never reached due to its relation to other Catch blocks that have been defined.
Default for new projects is on.
ID: 42029, 42031

See Also
Error Types
Try...Catch...Finally Statement
/nowarn
/warnaserror (Visual Basic)
Compile Page, Project Designer (Visual Basic)
Compiler Warnings That Are Off by Default
 How to: Disable the Hosting Process
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Calls to certain APIs can be affected when the hosting process is enabled. In these cases, it is necessary to disable
the hosting process to return the correct results.
To disable the hosting process
1. Open an executable project in Visual Studio. Projects that do not produce executables (for example, class
library or service projects) do not have this option.
2. On the Project menu, click Properties.
3. Click the Debug tab.
4. Clear the Enable the Visual Studio hosting process check box.
When the hosting process is disabled, several debugging features are unavailable or experience decreased
performance. For more information, see Debugging and the Hosting Process.
In general, when the hosting process is disabled:
The time needed to begin debugging .NET Framework applications increases.
Design-time expression evaluation is unavailable.
Partial trust debugging is unavailable.

See Also
Debugging and the Hosting Process
Hosting Process (vshost.exe)
Builds During Application Development
 Hosting Process (vshost.exe)
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

The hosting process is a feature in Visual Studio that improves debugging performance, enables partial trust
debugging, and enables design time expression evaluation. The hosting process files contain vshost in the file
name and are placed in the output folder of your project. For more information, see Debugging and the Hosting
Process.

NOTE
Hosting process files (.vshost.exe) are for use by Visual Studio and should not be run directly or deployed with your
application.

Improved Debugging Performance

The hosting process creates an application domain and associates the debugger with the application. Performing
these tasks can introduce a noticeable delay between the time debugging is started and the time the application
begins running. The hosting process helps increase performance by creating the application domain and
associating the debugger in the background, and saving the application domain and debugger state between runs
of the application. For more information on application domains, see Application Domains.

Partial Trust Debugging

An application can be specified as a partial trust application in the Security page of the Project Designer.
Debugging a partial trust application requires special initialization of the application domain. This initialization is
handled by the hosting process.

Design-Time Expression Evaluation

Design-time expression evaluation enables you to test code from the Immediate window without having to run
the application. The hosting process executes this code during design time expression evaluation. For more
information, see Immediate Window.

See Also
Debugging and the Hosting Process
How to: Disable the Hosting Process
Immediate Window
Application Domains
 Walkthrough: Creating a Multiple-Computer Build
Environment
10/18/2017 • 12 min to read • Edit Online

You can create a build environment within your organization by installing Visual Studio on a host computer and
then copying various files and settings to another computer so that it can participate in builds. You don't have to
install Visual Studio on the other computer.
This document does not confer rights to redistribute the software externally or to provide build environments to
third parties.

Disclaimer

This document is provided on a "as-is" basis. While we have tested the steps outlined, we are not able to
exhaustively test every configuration. We will attempt to keep the document current with any additional
information learned. Information and views expressed in this document, including URL and other Internet
website references, may change without notice. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect
to the information provided here. You bear the risk of using it.

This document does not provide you with any legal rights to any intellectual property in any Microsoft product.
You may copy and use this document for your internal, reference purposes.

You have no obligation to give Microsoft any suggestions, comments or other feedback ("Feedback") relating to
this document. However, any Feedback you voluntarily provide may be used in Microsoft Products and related
specifications or other documentation (collectively, "Microsoft Offerings") which in turn may be relied upon by
other third parties to develop their own products. Accordingly, if you do give Microsoft Feedback on any
version of this document or the Microsoft Offerings to which they apply, you agree: (a) Microsoft may freely
use, reproduce, license, distribute, and otherwise commercialize your Feedback in any Microsoft Offering; (b)
You also grant third parties, without charge, only those patent rights necessary to enable other products to use
or interface with any specific parts of a Microsoft Product that incorporate Your Feedback; and (c) You will not
give Microsoft any Feedback (i) that you have reason to believe is subject to any patent, copyright or other
intellectual property claim or right of any third party; or (ii) subject to license terms which seek to require any
Microsoft Offering incorporating or derived from such Feedback, or other Microsoft intellectual property, to be
licensed to or otherwise shared with any third party.

This walkthrough has been validated against the following operating systems, by executing MSBuild on the
command line and by using Team Foundation Build.
Windows 8 (x86 and x64)
Windows 7 Ultimate
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard
After you complete the steps in this walkthrough, you can use the multiple-computer environment to build
these kinds of apps:
C++ desktop apps that use the Windows 8 SDK
Visual Basic or C# desktop apps that target the .NET Framework 4.5
 The multiple-computer environment can't be used to build these kinds of apps:
Windows 8.x Store apps. To build Windows 8.x Store apps, you must install Visual Studio on the build
computer.
Desktop apps that target the .NET Framework 4 or earlier. To build these kinds of apps, you must install
either Visual Studio or the .NET Reference Assemblies and Tools (from the Windows 7.1 SDK) on the build
computer.
This walkthrough is divided into these parts:
Installing software on the computers
Copying files from the host computer to the build computer
Creating registry settings
Setting environment variables on the build computer
Installing MSBuild assemblies to the Global Assembly Cache (GAC) on the build computer
Building projects
Creating the build environment so that it can be checked into source control

Prerequisites
A licensed copy of Visual Studio Ultimate, Visual Studio Premium, or Visual Studio Professional
A copy of the .NET Framework 4.5.1, which you can download from the Visual Studio website.

Installing software on the computers

First, set up the host computer and then set up the build computer.
By installing Visual Studio on the host computer, you create the files and settings that you will copy to the build
computer later. You can install Visual Studio on an x86 or an x64 computer, but the architecture of the build
computer must match the architecture of the host computer.
To install software on the computers
1. On the host computer, install Visual Studio.
2. On the build computer, install the .NET Framework 4.5. To verify that it's installed, make sure that the value
of the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework
Setup\NDP\v4\Full@Version starts with "4.5".

Copying files from the host computer to the build computer

This section covers the copying of specific files, compilers, build tools, MSBuild assets, and registry settings from
the host computer to the build computer. These instructions assume that you've installed Visual Studio in the
default location on the host computer; if you installed in another location, adjust the steps accordingly.
On an x86 computer, the default location is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\
On an x64 computer, the default location is C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\
Notice that the name of the Program Files folder depends on the operating system that's installed. On an
x86 computer, the name is \Program Files\; on an x64 computer, the name is \Program Files (x86)\.
Irrespective of the system architecture, this walkthrough refers to the Program Files folder as
%ProgramFiles%.
 NOTE
On the build computer, all of the relevant files must be on the same drive; however, the drive letter for that drive can be
different than the drive letter for the drive where Visual Studio is installed on the host computer. In any case, you must
account for the location of files when you create registry entries as described later in this document.

To copy the Windows SDK files to the build computer

1. If you have only the Windows SDK for Windows 8 installed, copy these folders recursively from the host
computer to the build computer:
%ProgramFiles%\Windows Kits\8.0\bin\
%ProgramFiles%\Windows Kits\8.0\Catalogs\
%ProgramFiles%\Windows Kits\8.0\DesignTime\
%ProgramFiles%\Windows Kits\8.0\include\
%ProgramFiles%\Windows Kits\8.0\Lib\
%ProgramFiles%\Windows Kits\8.0\Redist\
%ProgramFiles%\Windows Kits\8.0\References\
If you also have these other Windows 8 kits...
Microsoft Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit
Microsoft Windows Driver Kit
Microsoft Windows Hardware Certification Kit
...they might have installed files into the %ProgramFiles%\Windows Kits\8.0\ folders that are listed in
the previous step, and their license terms might not allow build-server rights for those files. Check the
license terms for every installed Windows kit to verify whether files may be copied to your build
computer. If the license terms don't allow build-server rights, then remove the files from the build
computer.
2. Copy the following folders recursively from the host computer to the build computer:
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\bin\NETFX 4.0 Tools\
%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Merge Modules\
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\VC\
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\Tools\ProjectComponents\
%ProgramFiles%\MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\V110\
%ProgramFiles%\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETCore\v4.5\
%ProgramFiles%\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework\v4.5\
3. Copy these files from the host computer to the build computer:
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\msobj110.dll
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\mspdb110.dll
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\mspdbcore.dll
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\mspdbsrv.exe
 %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\msvcdis110.dll
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\Tools\makehm.exe
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\Tools\VCVarsQueryRegistry.bat
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\Tools\vsvars32.bat
4. The following Visual C++ runtime libraries are required only if you run build outputs on the build computer
—for example, as part of automated testing. The files are typically located in subfolders under the
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\VC\redist\x86\ or %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio
11.0\VC\redist\x64\ folder, depending on the system architecture. On x86 systems, copy the x86 binaries to
the \Windows\System32\ folder. On x64 systems, copy the x86 binaries to the Windows\SysWOW64\
folder, and the x64 binaries to the Windows\System32\ folder.
\Microsoft.VC110.ATL\atl110.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.CRT\msvcp110.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.CRT\msvcr110.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.CXXAMP\vcamp110.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFC\mfc110.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFC\mfc110u.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFC\mfcm110.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFC\mfcm110u.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFCLOC\mfc110chs.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFCLOC\mfc110cht.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFCLOC\mfc110deu.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFCLOC\mfc110enu.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFCLOC\mfc110esn.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFCLOC\mfc110fra.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFCLOC\mfc110ita.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFCLOC\mfc110jpn.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFCLOC\mfc110kor.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.MFCLOC\mfc110rus.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.OPENMP\vcomp110.dll
5. Copy only the following files from the \Debug_NonRedist\x86\ or \Debug_NonRedist\x64\ folder to the
build computer, as described in Preparing a Test Machine To Run a Debug Executable. No other files may be
copied.
\Microsoft.VC110.DebugCRT\msvcp110d.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.DebugCRT\msvcr110d.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.DebugCXXAMP\vcamp110d.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.DebugMFC\mfc110d.dll
 \Microsoft.VC110.DebugMFC\mfc110ud.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.DebugMFC\mfcm110d.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.DebugMFC\mfcm110ud.dll
\Microsoft.VC110.DebugOpenMP\vcomp110d.dll

Creating registry settings

You must create registry entries to configure settings for MSBuild.
To create registry settings
1. Identify the parent folder for registry entries. All of the registry entries are created under the same parent
key. On an x86 computer, the parent key is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\. On an x64
computer the parent key is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\. Irrespective of
the system architecture, this walkthrough refers to the parent key as %RegistryRoot%.

NOTE
If the architecture of your host computer differs from that of your build computer, make sure to use the appropriate
parent key on each computer. This is especially important if you're automating the export process.
Also, if you're using a different drive letter on the build computer than the one that you're using on the host
computer, make sure to change the values of the registry entries to match.

2. Create the following registry entries on the build computer. All of these entries are strings (Type ==
"REG_SZ" in the registry). Set the values of these entries the same as the values of the comparable entries on
the host computer.
%RegistryRoot%\.NETFramework\v4.0.30319\AssemblyFoldersEx\VCMSBuild Public
Assemblies@(Default)
%RegistryRoot%\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0@InstallationFolder
%RegistryRoot%\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A@InstallationFolder
%RegistryRoot%\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\WinSDK-NetFx40Tools@InstallationFolder
%RegistryRoot%\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\WinSDK-NetFx40Tools-x86@InstallationFolder
%RegistryRoot%\VisualStudio\11.0@Source Directories
%RegistryRoot%\VisualStudio\11.0\Setup\VC@ProductDir
%RegistryRoot%\VisualStudio\SxS\VC7@FrameworkDir32
%RegistryRoot%\VisualStudio\SxS\VC7@FrameworkDir64
%RegistryRoot%\VisualStudio\SxS\VC7@FrameworkVer32
%RegistryRoot%\VisualStudio\SxS\VC7@FrameworkVer64
%RegistryRoot%\VisualStudio\SxS\VC7@11.0
%RegistryRoot%\VisualStudio\SxS\VS7@11.0
%RegistryRoot%\Windows Kits\Installed Roots@KitsRoot
%RegistryRoot%\MSBuild\ToolsVersions\4.0\11.0@VCTargetsPath
%RegistryRoot%\MSBuild\ToolsVersions\4.0\11.0@VCTargetsPath10
 %RegistryRoot%\MSBuild\ToolsVersions\4.0\11.0@VCTargetsPath11
On an x64 build computer, also create the following registry entry and refer to the host computer to
determine how to set it.
%RegistryRoot%\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\WinSDK-NetFx40Tools-x64@InstallationFolder
If your build computer is x64 and you want to use the 64-bit version of MSBuild, or if you're using
Team Foundation Server Build Service on an x64 computer, you must create the following registry
entries in the native 64-bit registry. Refer to the host computer to determine how to set these entries.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0\Setup\VS@ProductDir
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSBuild\ToolsVersions\4.0\11.0@VCTargetsPath
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSBuild\ToolsVersions\4.0\11.0@VCTargetsPath10
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSBuild\ToolsVersions\4.0\11.0@VCTargetsPath11

Setting environment variables on the build computer

To use MSBuild on the build computer, you must set the PATH environment variables. You can use vcvarsall.bat to
set the variables, or you can manually configure them.
To use vcvarsall.bat to set environment variables
Open a Command Prompt window on the build computer and run %Program Files%\Microsoft Visual
Studio 11.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat. You can use a command-line argument to specify the toolset you want to use
—x86, native x64, or x64 cross-compiler. If you don't specify a command-line argument, the x86 toolset is
used.
This table describes the supported arguments for vcvarsall.bat:

BUILD COMPUTER BUILD OUTPUT

VCVARSALL.BAT ARGUMENT COMPILER ARCHITECTURE ARCHITECTURE

x86 (default) 32-bit Native x86, x64 x86

x86_amd64 x64 Cross x86, x64 x64

amd64 x64 Native x64 x64

If vcvarsall.bat runs successfully—that is, no error message is displayed—you can skip the next step and
continue at the Installing MSBuild assemblies to the Global Assembly Cache (GAC) on the build computer
section of this document.
To manually set environment variables
1. To manually configure the command-line environment, add this path to the PATH environment variable:
%Program Files%\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE
2. Optionally, you can also add the following paths to the PATH variable to make it easier to use MSBuild to
build your solutions.
If you want to use the native 32-bit MSBuild, add these paths to the PATH variable:
%Program Files%\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\bin\NETFX 4.0 Tools
%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319
If you want to use the native 64-bit MSBuild, add these paths to the PATH variable:
 %Program Files%\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\bin\NETFX 4.0 Tools\x64
%windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319

Installing MSBuild assemblies to the Global Assembly Cache (GAC) on

the build computer
MSBuild requires some additional assemblies to be installed to the GAC on the build computer.
To copy assemblies from the host computer and install them on the build computer
1. Copy the following assemblies from the host computer to the build computer. Because they will be installed
to the GAC, it doesn't matter where you put them on the build computer.
%ProgramFiles%\MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\v110\Microsoft.Build.CPPTasks.Common.v110.dll
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio
11.0\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\Microsoft\VC\Project\Microsoft.VisualStudio.Project.VisualC
.VCProjectEngine.dll
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio
11.0\Common7\IDE\PublicAssemblies\Microsoft.VisualStudio.VCProjectEngine.dll
2. To install the assemblies to the GAC, locate gacutil.exe on the build computer—typically, it's in
%ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\bin\NETFX 4.0 Tools\. If you can't locate this folder, repeat
the steps in the Copying files from the host computer to the build computer section of this walkthrough.
Open a Command Prompt window that has administrative rights and run this command for each file:
gacutil -i <file>

NOTE
A reboot may be required for an assembly to fully install into the GAC.

Building projects
You can use Team Foundation Build to build Visual Studio 2012 projects and solutions, or you can build them on
the command line. When you use Team Foundation Build to build projects, it invokes the MSBuild executable that
corresponds to the system architecture. On the command line, you can use either 32-bit MSBuild or 64-bit MSBuild,
and you can choose the architecture of MSBuild by setting the PATH environment variable or by directly invoking
the architecture-specific MSBuild executable.
To use msbuild.exe at the command prompt, run the following command, in which solution.sln is a placeholder for
the name of your solution.
msbuild solution.sln
For more information about how to use MSBuild on the command line, see Command-Line Reference.

NOTE
To build Visual Studio 2012 projects, you must use the "v110" Platform Toolset. If you don't want to edit the Visual Studio
2012 project files, you can set the Platform Toolset by using this command-line argument:
msbuild solution.sln /p:PlatformToolset=v110
Creating the build environment so that it can be checked into source
control
You can create a build environment that can be deployed to various computers and doesn't require GAC'ing files or
modifying registry settings. The following steps are just one way to accomplish this. Adapt these steps to the
unique characteristics of your build environment.

NOTE
You must disable incremental building so that tracker.exe will not throw an error during a build. To disable incremental
building, set this build parameter:
msbuild solution.sln /p:TrackFileAccess=false

To create a build environment that can be checked into source control

1. Create a "Depot" directory on the host computer.
These steps refer to the directory as %Depot%.
2. Copy the directories and files as described in the Copying files from the host computer to the build
computer section of this walkthrough, except paste them under the %Depot% directory that you just created.
For example, copy from %ProgramFiles%\Windows Kits\8.0\bin\ to %Depot%\Windows Kits\8.0\bin\.
3. When the files are pasted in %Depot%, make these changes:
In %Depot%\MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\v110\Microsoft.CPP.Targets,
\Microsoft.Cpp.InvalidPlatforms.targets\, \Microsoft.cppbuild.targets\, and
\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets\, change every instance of
AssemblyName="Microsoft.Build.CppTasks.Common.v110, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,
PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a"
to
AssemblyFile="$(VCTargetsPath11)Microsoft.Build.CppTasks.Common.v110.dll".
The former naming relies on the assembly being GAC'ed.
In %Depot% \MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\v110\Microsoft.CPPClean.Targets, change every instance
of
AssemblyName="Microsoft.Build.CppTasks.Common.v110, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,
PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a"
to
AssemblyFile="$(VCTargetsPath11)Microsoft.Build.CppTasks.Common.v110.dll".
4. Create a .props file—for example, Partner.AutoImports.props—and put it at the root of the folder that
contains your projects. This file is used to set variables that are used by MSBuild to find various resources. If
the variables are not set by this file, they are set by other .props files and .targets files that rely on registry
values. Because we aren't setting any registry values, these variables would be empty and the build would
fail. Instead, add this to Partner.AutoImports.props:
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!-- This file must be imported by all project files at the top of the project file. -->
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<PropertyGroup>
<VCTargetsPath>$(DepotRoot)MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\v110\</VCTargetsPath>
<VCTargetsPath11>$(DepotRoot)MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\v110\</VCTargetsPath11>
<MSBuildExtensionsPath>$(DepotRoot)MSBuild</MSBuildExtensionsPath>
<MSBuildExtensionsPath32>$(DepotRoot)MSBuild</MSBuildExtensionsPath32>
<VCInstallDir_110>$(DepotRoot)Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\VC\</VCInstallDir_110>
<VCInstallDir>$(VCInstallDir_110)</VCInstallDir>
<WindowsKitRoot>$(DepotRoot)Windows Kits\</WindowsKitRoot>
<WindowsSDK80Path>$(WindowsKitRoot)</WindowsSDK80Path>
<WindowsSdkDir_80>$(WindowsKitRoot)8.0\</WindowsSdkDir_80>
<WindowsSdkDir>$(WindowsSDKDir_80)</WindowsSdkDir>
<WindowsSdkDir_80A>$(DepotRoot)Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\</WindowsSdkDir_80A>
</PropertyGroup>
</Project>

5. In each of your project files, add the following line at the top, after the <Project Default Targets...> line.

<Import Project="$([MSBuild]::GetDirectoryNameOfFileAbove($(MSBuildThisFileDirectory),
Partner.AutoImports.props))\Partner.AutoImports.props"/>

6. Change the command-line environment as follows:

Set Depot=location of the Depot directory that you created in step 1
Set path=%path%;location of MSBuild on the
computer;%Depot%\Windows\System32;%Depot%\Windows\SysWOW64;%Depot%\Microsoft
Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\
For native 64-bit building, point to the 64-bit MSBuild.

See Also
Preparing a Test Machine To Run a Debug Executable
Command-Line Reference
 Feature Tour of the Visual Studio Debugger
10/18/2017 • 8 min to read • Edit Online

This topic introduces the features of the Visual Studio debugger. If you want to follow along by opening your own
app in Visual Studio, you can do that, or you can follow along with a sample app using the Beginner's Guide.
The features described here are applicable to C#, C++, Visual Basic, JavaScript, and other languages supported by
Visual Studio (except where noted).

Set a breakpoint and start the debugger

To debug, you need to start your app with the debugger attached to the app process. F5 (Debug > Start
Debugging) is the most common way to do that. However, right now you may not have set any breakpoints to
examine your app code, so we will do that first and then start debugging.
If you have a file open in the code editor, you can set a breakpoint by clicking in the margin to the left of a line of
code.

Press F5 (Debug > Start Debugging) and the debugger runs to the first breakpoint that it encounters. If the app
is not yet running, F5 starts the debugger and stops at the first breakpoint.
Breakpoints are a useful feature when you know the line of code or the section of code that you want to examine in
detail.

Navigate code in the debugger using step commands

We provide the keyboard shortcuts for most commands because they make navigation of your app code quicker.
(Equivalent commands such as menu commands are shown in parentheses.)
To start your app with the debugger attached, press F11 (Debug > Step Into). F11 is the Step Into command and
advances the app execution one statement at a time. When you start the app with F11, the debugger breaks on the
first statement that gets executed.
The yellow arrow represents the statement on which the debugger paused, which also suspends app execution at
the same point (this statement has not yet executed).
F11 is a good way to examine the execution flow in the most detail. (To move faster through code, we show you
some other options as well.) By default, the debugger skips over non-user code (if you want more details, see Just
My Code).

NOTE
In managed code, you will see a dialog box asking if you want to be notified when you automatically step over properties and
operators (default behavior). If you want to change the setting later, disable Step over properties and operators setting in
the Tools > Options menu under Debugging.

Step over code to skip functions

When you are on a line of code that is a function or method call, you can press F10 (Debug > Step Over) instead
of F11.
F10 advances the debugger without stepping into functions or methods in your app code (the code still executes).
By pressing F10, you can skip over code that you're not interested in. This way, you can quickly get to code that you
are more interested in.

Step into a property

As mentioned earlier, by default the debugger skips over managed properties and fields, but the Step Into
Specific command allows you to override this behavior.
Right-click on a property or field and choose Step Into Specific, then choose one of the available options.

In this example, Step Into Specific gets us to the code for Path.set .
Run to a point in your code quickly using the mouse
While in the debugger, hover over a line of code until the Run to Click (Run execution to here) button appears
on the left.

NOTE
The Run to Click (Run execution to here) button is new in Visual Studio 2017.

Click the Run to Click (Run execution to here) button. The debugger advances to the line of code where you
clicked.
Using this button is similar to setting a temporary breakpoint. This command is also handy for getting around
quickly within a visible region of app code. You can use Run to Click in any open file.

Advance the debugger out of the current function

Sometimes, you might want to continue your debugging session but advance the debugger all the way through the
current function.
Press Shift + F11 (or Debug > Step Out).
This command resumes app execution (and advances the debugger) until the current function returns.

Run to cursor
Stop the debugger by pressing the Stop Debugging red button or Shift + F5.
Right-click a line of code in your app and choose Run to Cursor. This command starts debugging and sets a
temporary breakpoint on the current line of code.
If you have set breakpoints, the debugger pauses on the first breakpoint that it hits.
Press F5 until you reach the line of code where you selected Run to Cursor.
This command is useful when you are editing code and want to quickly set a temporary breakpoint and start the
debugger.

NOTE
You can use Run to Cursor in the Call Stack window while you are debugging.

Restart your app quickly

Click the Restart button in the Debug Toolbar (Ctrl + Shift +F5).
When you press Restart, it saves time versus stopping the app and restarting the debugger. The debugger pauses
at the first breakpoint that is hit by executing code.
If you do want to stop the debugger and get back into the code editor, you can press the red stop button instead
of Restart.

Inspect variables with data tips

Now that you know your way around a little, you have a good opportunity to start inspecting your app state
(variables) with the debugger. Features that allow you to inspect variables are some of the most useful features of
the debugger, and there are different ways to do it. Often, when you try to debug an issue, you are attempting to
find out whether variables are storing the values that you expect them to have in a particular app state.
While paused in the debugger, hover over an object with the mouse and you see its default property value (in this
example, the file name market 031.jpg is the default property value).
Expand the object to see all its properties (such as the FullPath property in this example).
Often, when debugging, you want a quick way to check property values on objects, and the data tips are a good
way to do it.

TIP
In most supported languages, you can edit code in the middle of a debugging session. For more info, see Edit and Continue.

Inspect variables with the Autos and Locals windows

While debugging, look at the Autos window at the bottom of the code editor.

In the Autos window, you see variables along with their current value and their type. The Autos window shows all
variables used on the current line or the preceding line (In C++, the window shows variables in the preceding three
lines of code. Check documentation for language-specific behavior).

NOTE
In JavaScript, the Locals window is supported but not the Autos window.

Next, look at the Locals window. The Locals window shows you the variables that are currently in scope.
In this example, the this object and the object f are in scope. For more info, see Inspect Variables in the Autos
and Locals Windows.

Set a watch
You can use a Watch window to specify a variable (or an expression) that you want to keep an eye on.
While debugging, right-click an object and choose Add Watch.

In this example, you have a watch set on the File object, and you can see its value change as you move through
the debugger. Unlike the other variable windows, the Watch windows always show the variables that you are
watching (they're grayed out when out of scope).
For more info, see Set a Watch using the Watch and QuickWatch Windows

Examine the call stack

Click the Call Stack window while you are debugging, which is by default open in the lower right pane.

The Call Stack window shows the order in which methods and functions are getting called. The top line shows the
current function (the Update method in this example). The second line shows that Update was called from the
Path.set property, and so on. The call stack is a good way to examine and understand the execution flow of an
app.

NOTE
The Call Stack window is similar to the Debug perspective in some IDEs like Eclipse.

You can double-click a line of code to go look at that source code and that also changes the current scope being
inspected by the debugger. This does not advance the debugger.
You can also use right-click menus from the Call Stack window to do other things. For example, you can insert
breakpoints into specific functions, restart your app using Run to Cursor, and to go examine source code. See How
to: Examine the Call Stack.
Examine an exception
When your app throws an exception, the debugger takes you to the line of code that threw the exception.

In this example, the Exception Helper shows you a System.Argument exception and an error message that says
that the path is not a legal form. So, we know the error occurred on a method or function argument.
In this example, the DirectoryInfo call gave the error on the empty string stored in the value variable.
The Exception Helper is a great feature that can help you debug errors. You can also do things like view error
details and add a watch from the Exception Helper. Or, if needed, you can change conditions for throwing the
particular exception.

NOTE
The Exception Helper replaces the Exception Assistant in Visual Studio 2017.

Expand the Exception Settings node to see more options on how to handle this exception type, but you don't
need to change anything for this tour!

More features to look at

Debugger Tips and Tricks Learn how to increase your productivity with the debugger.
Edit and Continue For a subset of languages (C#, C++, Visual Basic), the Edit and Continue feature allows
you to edit code in the middle of a debugging session.
Debug Multithreaded Applications Describes how to debug multithreaded applications.
Remote Debugging Describes how to debug apps running on other machines or devices.
IntelliTrace Describes the IntelliTrace feature in Visual Studio Enterprise. You can use it to record and trace
your code's execution history.
Network Usage Describes a profiling tool that you can use to debug web services and other network
resources in Universal Windows Apps (UWP). Use the tool to examine payloads.
Debug Interface Access SDK Describes the Microsoft Debug Interface Access Software Development Kit (DIA
SDK). The DIA SDK provides access to debug information stored in program database (.pdb) files generated
by Microsoft postcompiler tools.

See Also
Debugging in Visual Studio
 Deploying Applications, Services, and Components
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

By deploying an application, service, or component, you distribute it for installation on other computers, devices,
servers, or in the cloud. You choose the appropriate method in Visual Studio for the type of deployment that you
need.
The following table describes different deployment scenarios and provides links to more information for each
scenario.
For a discussion of options to create a setup experience for a Windows app, see Desktop to Universal Windows
Platform (UWP) Bridge.

In This Section
DEPLOYMENT SCENARIO SUPPORTING CONTENT

Publish to the cloud: You can make applications, services, Publishing Applications to Microsoft Azure
and data available from anywhere by using Visual Studio to
deploy them to Microsoft Azure.

Publish a Windows app: You can easily build, submit, and Publish Windows apps
sell your apps from the Windows Store to customers around
the world.

Deploy an ASP.NET application or service: You can deploy Deploying ASP.NET web applications and services
ASP.NET applications and services in a number of different
ways.

Publish an add-in for Office: You can publish an add-in for Deploy and publish your Office add-in
Office from Visual Studio.

Deploy a WCF or OData service: Other applications can use Developing and deploying WCF Data Services
WCF RIA services that you deploy to a web server.

Deploy a desktop application: By using ClickOnce ClickOnce Security and Deployment

deployment, you can publish a desktop application to a web
server or a network file share. Users can then install the
application with a single click.

Deploy a Visual C++ application: You can deploy the Visual Deploying Native Desktop Applications (Visual C++)
C++ runtime with an application by using central deployment,
local deployment, or static linking.

Create an installer: an MSI-based WiX installer can be

created using the WiX Toolset Visual Studio 2017 Extension.
Note that InstallShield Limited Edition is no longer included
with Visual Studio; check with Flexera Software about
availability for Visual Studio 2017.

Deploy an application for testing: You can enable more Test on a lab environment
sophisticated development and testing by deploying your
applications into virtual environments.
DEPLOYMENT SCENARIO SUPPORTING CONTENT

Install prerequisites: You can install prerequisite components Application Deployment Prerequisites
for desktop applications by configuring a generic installer,
which is known as a bootstrapper.

Deploy a LightSwitch application or service: LightSwitch is Deploying LightSwitch Applications

no longer supported in Visual Studio 2017, but can still be
deployed from Visual Studio 2015 and earlier.
 Profiling Feature Tour
10/24/2017 • 8 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio provides a variety of profiling tools to help you diagnose different kinds of performance issues
depending on your app type.
The profiling tools that you can access during a debugging session are available in the Diagnostic Tools window.
The Diagnostic Tools window appears automatically unless you have turned it off. To bring up the window, click
Debug / Windows / Show Diagnostic Tools. With the window open, you can select tools for which you want to
collect data.

While you are debugging, you can use the Diagnostic Tools window to analyze CPU and memory usage, and you
can view events that show performance-related information.
The Diagnostic Tools window is often the preferred way to profile apps, but you can also do a post-mortem
analysis of your app instead. If you want more information on different approaches, see Running Profiling Tools
With or Without the Debugger.

Analyze CPU Usage

The CPU Usage tool is a good place to start analyzing your app's performance. It will tell you more about CPU
resources that your app is consuming. For a more detailed walkthrough of the CPU Usage tool, see Beginner's
Guide to Performance Profiling.
From the Summary view of the Diagnostic Tools, choose Enable CPU Profiling (you must be in a debugging
session).

To use the tool most effectively, set two breakpoints in your code, one at the beginning and one at the end of the
function or the region of code you want to analyze. Examine the profiling data when you are paused at the second
breakpoint.
The CPU Usage view shows you a list of functions ordered by longest running, with the longest running function at
the top. This can help guide you to functions where performance bottlenecks are happening.

Double-click on a function that you are interested in, and you will see a more detailed three-pane "butterfly" view,
with the selected function in the middle of the window, the calling function on the left, and called functions on the
right. The Function Body section shows the total amount of time (and the percentage of time) spent in the
function body excluding time spent in calling and called functions. This data can help you evaluate whether the
function itself is a performance bottleneck.

Analyze Memory Usage

The Diagnostic Tools window also allows you to evaluate memory usage in your app. For example, you can look at
the number and size of objects on the heap. For more detailed instructions to analyze memory, see Analyze
Memory Usage.
To analyze memory usage, you need to take at least one memory snapshot while you are debugging. Often, the
best way to analyze memory is to take two snapshots; the first right before a suspected memory issue, and the
second snapshot right after a suspected memory issue occurs. Then you can view a diff of the two snapshots and
see exactly what changed.
When you select one of the arrow links, you are given a differential view of the heap (a red up arrow shows an
increasing object count (left) or an increasing heap size (right)). If you click the right link, you get a differential heap
view ordered by objects that increased the most in heap size. This can help you pinpoint memory problems. For
example, in the illustration below, the bytes used by ClassHandlersStore objects increased by 3,492 bytes in the
second snapshot.

If you click the link on the left instead in the Memory Usage view, the heap view is organized by object count; the
objects of a particular type that increased the most in number are shown at the top (sorted by Count Diff column).

Examine Performance Events

The Events view in the Diagnostic Tools shows you different events that occur while you are debugging, such as
the setting of a breakpoint or a code stepping operation. You can check information such as the duration of the
event (measured from when the debugger was last paused, or when the app started). For example, if you step
through code (F10, F11), the Events view shows you the app runtime duration from the previous step operation to
the current step.
 NOTE
If you have Visual Studio Enterprise, you can also see IntelliTrace events in this tab.

The same events also show up in the code editor, which you can view as PerfTips.

Examine UI Performance and Accessibility Events (UWP)

In your UWP apps, you can enable UI Analysis in the Diagnostic Tools window. The tool searches for common
performance or accessibility issues and displays them in the Events view while you are debugging. The event
descriptions provide information that can help resolve issues.
Profile Release Builds without the Debugger
Profiling tools like CPU Usage and Memory Usage can be used with the debugger (see earlier sections), or you can
run profiling tools using the Performance Profiler, which is intended to provide analysis for Release builds. In the
Performance Profiler, you can collect diagnostic info while the app is running, and then examine the collected
information after the app is stopped. For more information on these different approaches, see Running Profiling
Tools With or Without the Debugger.
Open the Performance Profiler by choosing Debug / Performance Profiler.
The window will allow you to select multiple profiling tools in some scenarios. Tools such as CPU Usage may
provide complementary data that you can use to help in your analysis.

Analyze Resource Consumption (XAML)

In XAML apps, such as Windows desktop WPF apps and Windows Store apps, you can analyze resource
consumption using the Application Timeline tool. For example, you can analyze the time spent by your application
preparing UI frames (layout and render), servicing network and disk requests, and in scenarios like application
startup, page load, and Window resize. To use the tool, choose Application Timeline in the Performance Profiler,
and then choose Start. In your app, go through the scenario with a suspected resource consumption issue, and
then choose Stop collection to generate the report.
Low framerates in the Visual throughput graph may correspond to visual problems that you see when running
your app. Similarly, high numbers in the UI thread utilization graph may also correspond to UI responsiveness
issues. In the report, you can select a time period with a suspected performance issue, and then examine the
detailed UI thread activities in the Timeline details view (lower pane).
In the Timeline details view, you can find information such as the type of activitiy (or the UI element involved) along
with the duration of the activity. For example, in the illustration, a Layout event for a Grid control takes 57.53 ms.
For more information, see Application Timeline.

Analyze GPU Usage (Direct3D)

In Direct3D apps (Direct3D components must be in C++), you can examine activity on the GPU and analyze
performance issues. For more information, see GPU Usage. To use the tool, choose GPU Usage in the Performance
Profiler, and then choose Start. In your app, go through the scenario that you're interested in profiling, and then
choose Stop collection to generate a report.
When you select a time period in the graphs and choose view details, a detailed view appears in the lower pane. In
the detailed view, you can examine how much activity is happening on each CPU and GPU. Select events in the
lowest pane to get popups in the timeline. For example, select the Present event to view Present call popups. (The
light gray vertical Vsync lines can be used as a reference to understand whether certain Present calls missed Vsync.
There must be one Present call between every two Vsyncs in order for the app to steadily hit 60 FPS.)
You can also use the graphs to determine whether there are CPU bound or GPU bound performance bottlenecks.

Analyze Performance (JavaScript)

For Windows Universal HTML apps, you can use the JavaScript Memory tool and the HTML UI Responsiveness tool.
The JavaScript Memory tool is similar to the Memory Usage tool available for other app types. You can use this tool
to understand memory usage and find memory leaks in your app. For more details about the tool, see JavaScript
Memory.

To diagnose UI responsiveness, slow loading time, and slow visual updates in Windows Universal HTML apps, use
the HTML UI Responsiveness tool. Usage is similar to the Application Timeline tool for other app types. For more
information, see HTML UI responsiveness.

Analyze Network Usage (UWP)

In UWP apps, you can analyze network operations performed using the Windows.Web.Http API.This tool may help
you to resolve issues like access and authentication problems, incorrect cache-use, and poor display and download
performance. To use the tool, choose Network in the Performance Profiler, and then choose Start. In your app, go
through the scenario that uses Windows.Web.Http , and then choose Stop collection to generate the report.

Select an operation in the summary view to view more details.

For more information, see Network Usage.

Analyze Performance (Legacy Tools)

If you need features such as instrumentation that are not currently present in CPU Usage or Memory Usage tools,
and you are running desktop or ASP.NET apps, you can use the Performance Explorer for profiling. (Not supported
in UWP apps). For more info, see Performance Explorer.

Which Tool Should I Use?

Here is a table that lists the different tools Visual Studio offers and the different project types you can use them
with:
 PERFORMANCE TOOL WINDOWS DESKTOP WINDOWS UNIVERSAL/STORE ASP.NET/ASP.NET CORE

Memory Usage yes yes yes

CPU Usage yes yes yes

GPU Usage yes yes no

Application Timeline yes yes no

PerfTips yes yes for XAML, no for HTML yes

Performance Explorer yes no yes (no for ASP.NET Core)

IntelliTrace .NET Enterprise only .NET Enterprise only .NET Enterprise only

Network Usage no yes no

HTML UI responsiveness no yes for HTML, no for XAML no

JavaScript Memory no yes for HTML, no for XAML no

See Also
Debugging in Visual Studio
 Finding and Using Visual Studio Extensions
10/18/2017 • 6 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio extensions are code packages that run inside Visual Studio and provide new or improved Visual
Studio features. You can find more information about Visual Studio extensions here: Visual Studio SDK.
You can use the Extensions and Updates dialog box to install Visual Studio extensions and samples from
websites and other locations, and then enable, disable, update, or uninstall them. (Tools / Extensions and
Updates, or type Extensions in the Quick Launch window). The dialog box also shows updates for installed
samples and extensions. You can also download extensions from websites, or get them from other developers.

NOTE
Starting in Visual Studio 2015, extensions hosted on the Visual Studio Gallery will be automatically updated. You can change
this setting through the Extensions and Updates dialog. See the section on Automatic Extension Updates below for
details.

Finding Visual Studio Extensions

You can install extensions from the Visual Studio Gallery or the Sample Gallery on the Microsoft website.
Extensions may be controls, samples, templates, tools, or other components that add functionality to Visual Studio.
Visual Studio supports extensions in the VSIX package format—these include project templates, item templates,
Toolbox items, Managed Extension Framework (MEF) components, and VSPackages. You can also download and
install MSI-based extensions, but the Extensions and Updates dialog box can't enable or disable them. The Visual
Studio Gallery contains both VSIX and MSI extensions.

Installing or Uninstalling Visual Studio Extensions

In the Extensions and Updates, find the extension you want to install. (If you know the name or part of the name
of the extension, you can search in the Search Visual Studio Gallery window.) Click Download, then Install. You
must restart Visual Studio in order to load the extension.
If you try to install an extension that has dependencies, the installer verifies whether they're already installed. If
they aren't installed, the Extensions and Updates dialog box lists the dependencies that must be installed before
you can install the extension.
If you want to stop using an extension, you can either disable it or uninstall it. Disabling an extension keeps it
installed but unloaded. You can disable only VSIX extensions; extensions that were installed using an MSI can only
be uninstalled. Find the extension and click Uninstall or Disable. You must restart Visual Studio in order to unload
a disabled extension.

Per-User and Administrative Extensions

Most extensions are per-user extensions and are installed in the %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\VisualStudio\
<Visual Studio version>\Extensions\ folder. A few extensions are administrative extensions, and are installed in
the <Visual Studio installation folder>\Common7\IDE\Extensions\ folder.
To protect your system against extensions that may contain errors or malicious code, you can restrict per-user
extensions to load only when Visual Studio is run with normal user permissions. This means that per-user
extensions are disabled when Visual Studio is run with administrative user permissions. To do this, go to the
Extensions and Updates options page (Tools / Options, Environment, Extensions and Updates, or just type
Extension in the Quick Launch window). Clear the Load per user extensions when running as administrator
check box, then restart Visual Studio.

Automatic Extension Updates

Per-user extensions are automatically updated when a new version is available for the Visual Studio Gallery. The
new version of the extension is detected and installed in the background and on the next restart of Visual Studio,
the new version of the extension will be running.
Only per-user extensions can be automatically updated. Administrative extensions which are installed for all users
will not be updated and you still manually install new versions through the Extensions and Updates dialog's
Updates node. You can see which extensions will be automatically updated in the extension's details pane of
Extensions and Updates dialog.
If you wish to disable automatic updates, you can disable the feature for all extensions or only specific extensions.
To disable automatic updates for all extensions, choose the Change your Extensions and Updates
settings link in the Extensions and Updates dialog and uncheck Automatically update extensions.
To disable automatic updates for a specific extension, uncheck the Automatically update this extension
option in the extension's details pane on the right side of the Extensions and Updates dialog.

NOTE
Starting in Visual Studio 2015 Update 2, you can specify (in Tools / Options / Environment / Extensions and Updates)
whether you want automatic updates for per-user extensions, all user extensions or both (the default setting).

Extension Crash Notifications

In Visual Studio 2017 (version 15.3 - Preview), Visual Studio notifies you if it suspects that an extension was
involved in a crash during a previous session. When Visual Studio crashes, it stores the exception stack. The next
time Visual Studio launches, it examines the stack, starting with the leaf and working towards the base. If Visual
Studio determines that a frame belongs to a module that is part of an installed and enabled extension, it notifies
you with a message such as,
"A previous session terminated unexpectedly. Disabling extension 'extension_name' might help prevent similar
issues."
You can ignore the notification or take one of the following actions:
Choose Disable this extension. Visual Studio disables the extension and lets you know whether you need
to restart your system for the disabling to take effect. You can re-enable the extension in the Extensions
and Updates dialog box if you want.
Choose Don’t show again for this extension. The IDE will no longer show notifications for crashes
associated with this extension, but it will show notifications for crashes associated with other extensions.
Choose Learn more to view this Help topic in your default browser.
Choose the X button at the end of the notification to dismiss the notification. If the same extension is
involved with a crash in a future session, the notification will appear again.
 NOTE
A crash notification means only that one of the extension’s modules was on the stack for the crash. It does not necessarily
mean that the extension itself caused the crash. It's possible that the extension called code which is part of Visual Studio, and
that code caused the crash. However, the notification may still be useful if the scenario which led to the crash is not
important to you. In this case, disabling the extension avoids the same crash in the future without impacting your
productivity.

Sample Master Copies and Working Copies

When you install an online sample, the solution is stored in two locations:
A working copy is stored in the location that you specified in the New Project dialog box.
A separate master copy is stored on your computer.
You can use the Extensions and Updates dialog box to perform these samples-related tasks:
List the master copies of samples that you have installed.
Disable or uninstall the master copy of a sample.
Install Sample Packs, which are collections of samples that relate to a technology or feature.
Install individual online samples. (You can also do this in the New Project dialog box.)
View update notifications when source code changes are published for installed samples.
Update the master copy of an installed sample when there is an update notification.

Installing Without Using the Extensions and Updates Dialog Box

Extensions that have been packaged in .vsix files may be available in locations other than the Visual Studio Gallery.
The Extensions and Updates dialog box can't detect these files, but you can install a .vsix file by double-clicking
the file, or selecting the file and pressing the ENTER key. After that, just follow the instructions. When the extension
is installed, you can use the Extensions and Updates dialog box to enable it, disable it, or uninstall it.

Extension Types Not Supported by the Extensions and Updates Dialog

Box
Visual Studio continues to support extensions that are installed by the Microsoft Installer (MSI) but not through the
Extensions and Updates dialog box without modification.

TIP
If an MSI-based extension includes an extension.vsixmanifest file, the extension will appear in the Extensions and Updates
dialog box.
 Improve Code Quality
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

What is code quality? Correctness, maintainability, and even elegance are all involved in creating great code.
However you define it, Visual Studio test tools can help you and your team to develop and sustain high standards
of code excellence.
Requirements
Some of the tools and features that are described in this section are available only in specific editions of Visual
Studio—they aren't universally available in Visual Studio. We list the specific edition requirements in the
documentation for these tools and features.

In this section
In the following table, you can find descriptions of common tasks and links to more information about how you
can successfully complete those tasks.

Unit Test Your Code Test Explorer makes it easy to integrate unit tests in your
development practice. You can use the Microsoft unit test
framework or one of several third-party and open source
frameworks.

Live Unit Testing with Visual Studio Live Unit Testing automatically runs unit tests in the
background and graphically displays code coverage and test
results in the Visual Studio code editor.

Analyzing Application Quality Static code analysis tools find design, usage, maintainablity,
and style issues in C++ and managed code. Many of these
issues can lead to bugs that are hard to reproduce in standard
testing environment.

Measuring Complexity and Maintainability of Managed Code Code metrics is a set of software measures that provide
developers better insight into the code they are developing.
The metrics include a maintainability index for functions and
classes, cyclomatic complexity of functions, the inheritance
depth of classes, and the amount of coupling among classes.

Related Scenarios
DevOps overview for Team Services and TFS
If you are unfamiliar with Visual Studio Team Foundation and Visual Studio Team Services, you can learn more
about how you can use it in a team development environment to improve productivity and reduce risks that are
associated with application development.
Analyzing and Modeling Architecture
You can use Microsoft Visual Studio Premium to manage the challenges and complexity of designing software.
Visual Studio Premium lets you visually model your application, both as it exists now and as you want it to exist in
the future. You can create and maintain diagrams to help you visualize the logical models of your application at the
same time that they map to the physical models; this enables you to change, validate, and analyze the software that
is "under design."
Testing the application
You can use Visual Studio Premium and Visual Studio Ultimate to be more productive throughout the testing life
cycle. Visual Studio Premium or Visual Studio Ultimate let you plan your testing effort. You can create, manage,
edit, and run both manual and automated tests. You can also review your testing progress based on your plan.
Protecting the application with PreEmptive Protection - Dotfuscator
You can use the free Dotfuscator Community Edition to help secure trade secrets and other intellectual property
(IP), reduce piracy and counterfeiting, and protect against tampering and unauthorized debugging. Dotfuscator
protects and hardens compiled assemblies without the need for additional programming or even access to source
code.
Building the application
You can use Team Foundation Build to create and manage automated builds for your code. Team Foundation Build
lets you create drop servers to deploy builds. In addition, you can analyze build trends.
Tracking work using Visual Studio Online or Team Foundation Server
You can use Visual Studio Team Foundation Server to plan and track your projects whether you use the agile
process, the formal process, or a variation on those processes. By planning your projects, tracking your progress
against the plan, and making necessary adjustments, you can reduce risks, avoid unpleasant surprises, and manage
the cost of your projects.
 Designing User Interfaces
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can create and design the user interface for your application by using a variety of tools in Visual Studio.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SEE

The features of the XAML designers in Visual Studio and Blend Designing XAML in Visual Studio and Blend for Visual Studio
for Visual Studio

Designing any XAML-based app using Visual Studio Creating a UI by using XAML Designer in Visual Studio

Designing any XAML-based app using Blend for Visual Studio Creating a UI by using Blend for Visual Studio

Designing desktop applications that use the WPF flavor of Create Modern Desktop Applications with Windows
XAML Presentation Foundation

Developing a DirectX application in Visual Studio Working with 3-D Assets for Games and Apps

Standard icons available for your programs The Visual Studio Image Library
 Analyze and model your architecture
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

Make sure your app meets architectural requirements by using Visual Studio architecture and modeling tools to
design and model your app.
Understand existing program code more easily by using Visual Studio to visualize the code's structure,
behavior, and relationships.
Educate your team in the need for respecting architectural dependencies.
Create models at different levels of detail throughout the application lifecycle as part of your development
process.
See Scenario: Change your design using visualization and modeling.

To

Visualize code: - Visualize code

- Working with Classes and Other Types (Class Designer)
- See the code's organization and relationships by creating - Video: Understand design from code with Visual Studio 2015
code maps. Visualize dependencies between assemblies, code maps
namespaces, classes, methods, and so on. - Video: Validate your architecture dependencies in real time
- See the class structure and members for a specific project by
creating class diagrams from code.
- Find conflicts between your code and its design by creating
dependency diagrams to validate code.

Define the architecture: - Video: Validate architecture dependencies with Visual Studio
(Channel 9)
- Define and enforce constraints on dependencies between the
components of your code by creating dependency diagrams.

Validate your system with the requirements and intended - Video: Validate architecture dependencies with Visual Studio
design: (Channel 9)

- Validate code dependencies with dependency diagrams that

describe the intended architecture and prevent changes that
might conflict with the design.

Share models, diagrams, and code maps using Team When you have multiple users who work with these items
Foundation version control: under Team Foundation version control, use these guidelines
to help you avoid version control issues:
- Put code maps, projects, and deoendency diagrams under
Team Foundation version control so you can share them. - Manage models and diagrams under version control

Customize models and diagrams: - Modeling SDK for Visual Studio - Domain-Specific Languages

- Create your own domain-specific languages.

 Generate text using T4 templates: - Code Generation and T4 Text Templates

- Use text blocks and control logic inside templates to

generate text-based files.
- T4 template build with MSBuild included in Visual Studio

To see which versions of Visual Studio support each feature, see Version support for architecture and modeling
tools

Types of Models and Their Uses

MODEL TYPE AND TYPICAL USES

Code maps

Code maps help you see the organization and relationships in your code.

Typical uses:

- Examine program code so you can better understand its structure and its dependencies, how to update it, and estimate the cost
of proposed changes.

See:

- Map dependencies across your solutions

- Use code maps to debug your applications
- Find potential problems using code map analyzers

Dependency diagram

Dependency diagrams let you define the structure of an application as a set of layers or blocks with explicit dependencies. You can
run validation to discover conflicts between dependencies in the code and dependencies described on a dependency diagram.

Typical uses:

- Stabilize the structure of the application through numerous changes over its life.
- Discover unintentional dependency conflicts before checking in changes to the code.

See:

- Create dependency diagrams from your code

- Dependency Diagrams: Reference
- Validate code with dependency diagrams

Domain-specific language (DSL)

A DSL is a notation that you design for a specific purpose. In Visual Studio, it is usually graphical.

Typical uses:

- Generate or configure parts of the application. Work is required to develop the notation and tools. The result can be a better fit
to your domain than a UML customization.
- For large projects or in product lines where the investment in developing the DSL and its tools is returned by its use in more
than one project.

See:

- Modeling SDK for Visual Studio - Domain-Specific Languages

Where can I get more information?
Visual Studio Visualization & Modeling Tools Forum

See Also
What's new
DevOps and Application Lifecycle Management
 Visual Studio IDE 64-Bit Support
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio enables you to set up your applications to target different platforms, including 64-bit platforms. For
more information on 64-bit platform support in Visual Studio, see 64-bit Applications.

Deploying a 64-bit application

The following topics discuss deploying 64-bit applications.
Deploying Prerequisites for 64-bit Applications
How to: Create a Windows Installer for a 64-bit Platform

Configuring projects as 64-bit applications

The following topics discuss configuring projects to be built to 64-bit applications.
How to: Configure Projects to Target Platforms

Debugging a 64-bit application

Edit and Continue does not work when Visual Studio 2005 is running on a 64-bit Windows operating system. The
following topics discuss debugging 64-bit applications.
How to: Debug on 64-bit Platforms
Debug 64-Bit Applications
Using Dump Files

See Also
How to: Configure Projects to Target Platforms
 Security in Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You should consider security in all aspects of your application development, from design to deployment. Start by
running Visual Studio as securely as possible. See User Permissions.
To help you effectively develop secure applications, you should have a fundamental understanding of security
concepts and the security features of the platforms for which you develop. You should also understand secure
coding techniques.

Understanding Security
Security
Describes .NET Framework code access security, role-based security, security policy, and security tools.
Defend Your Code with Top Ten Security Tips Every Developer Must Know
Describes the issues that you should watch out for so that you don't compromise your data or your system.

Coding for Security

Most coding errors that result in security vulnerabilities occur because developers make incorrect assumptions
when working with user input or because they don't fully understand the platform for which they're developing.
Secure Coding Guidelines
Provides guidelines for classifying your components to address security issues.
Security Best Practices
Discusses buffer overruns and the complete picture of the Microsoft Visual C++ security checks feature provided
by the /GS compile-time flag.

Building for Security

Security is also an important consideration in the build process. A few additional steps can improve the security of
a deployed app, and help prevent unauthorized reverse engineering, spoofing, or other attacks.
Dotfuscator Community Edition (CE)
Explains how to set up and start using the free PreEmptive Protection - Dotfuscator Community Edition to protect
.NET assemblies from reverse-engineering and unauthorized use (such as unauthorized debugging).
Managing Assembly and Manifest Signing
Discusses strong-name signing, which can be used to uniquely identify software components, preventing name
spoofing.
 Securing Applications
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

While most applications possess common security challenges, each application domain possesses security
challenges of its own.

General Security Considerations

Each language has its own security considerations and challenges.
Security Best Practices
Provides information on security features and practices available when working in Visual C++.
Security and Programming (C# and Visual Basic)
Provides information about the top three security concerns for Visual Basic and C# developers: privileges, Web
applications, and Visual Studio setup.

Securing Mobile Applications

As the popularity of mobile devices increases, the security of the information and data on these devices becomes
more important.
Security Considerations for Devices
Describes several factors influencing security policy for devices.
Security Goals for the .NET Compact Framework
Describes goals for .NET Compact Framework security.
Designing Secure Mobile Web Form Pages
Discusses planning, implementing, and supporting security in wireless networks and mobile devices.

Securing Web Applications

A poorly written Web page can compromise the integrity and security of an entire server and potentially an entire
network. Therefore, you must review security considerations in planning your Web application.
ASP.NET Security Architecture
Provides an overview of ASP.NET infrastructure and subsystem relationships, as related to security.
ASP.NET Web Application Security
Details how to address authorization and authentication issues in ASP.NET.
Security Considerations for JScript
Details some security pitfalls that JScript programmers may encounter.
How to: Use Transport Security
Describes how to use transport security for authentication when you connect to a WCF service.

Securing Desktop Applications

Designing security for desktop applications is an essential step in application development.
Windows Forms Security
Provides an overview of the Windows Forms security implementation.
See Also
Security
 Maintaining Security
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

It is often said that the price of security is constant vigilance. Despite your best dedication to security during the
design and development of your application, you should assume that security flaws will arise after deployment. By
auditing your application and analyzing event logs, you may discover some previously hidden flaws.
In addition, not only must you remain vigilant about your own application, you must also keep current on security
threats and flaws for the platform on which your application runs and for other products on which your application
depends.
Security, Privacy, and Accounts
Get help with security, privacy, and user accounts, including info about viruses, passwords, parental controls,
firewalls, and drive encryption..
Microsoft Security Bulletin Search
This page makes it easy to find previously released bulletins. Intended for IT professionals, security bulletins
provide detailed information regarding security updates.
Windows Server 2003 Security Guide
Delivers the guidance necessary for IT Professionals to securely operate a Windows Server 2003 environment while
ensuring the right access to the right content by the right people.
Best Practices for Enterprise Security
A collection of whitepapers focusing on the different aspects of security in enterprise networks.
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
The Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) is a tool that enables an individual home user, a corporate user, or
an administrator to scan one or more Windows-based computers for common security configuration mistakes.
 User Permissions and Visual Studio
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

For reasons of security you should run Visual Studio as a normal user whenever possible.

WARNING
You should also make sure not to compile, launch, or debug any Visual Studio solution that does not come from a trusted
person or a trusted location.

You can do nearly everything in the Visual Studio IDE as a normal user, but, you need administrator permissions to
complete the following tasks:

AREA TASK FOR MORE INFORMATION

Installation Install Visual Studio. Install Visual Studio

Installing, updating, or removing local Install and Manage Local Content

Help content.

Application types Developing solutions for SharePoint. Requirements for Developing

SharePoint Solutions

Acquiring a developer license for Get a developer license (Windows Store

Windows Store. apps)

Toolbox Adding classic COM controls to the Using the Toolbox

Toolbox.

Add-ins Installing and using add-ins that were Creating Add-ins and Wizards
written by using classic COM in the IDE.

Building Using post-build events that register a Understanding Custom Build Steps and
component. Build Events

Including a registration step when you Understanding Custom Build Steps and
build C++ projects. Build Events

Debugging Debugging applications that run with Debugger Settings and Preparation
elevated permissions.

Debugging applications that a run Debugging ASP.NET and AJAX

under a different user account, such as Applications
ASP.NET websites.

Debugging in Zone for XAML Browser WPF Host (PresentationHost.exe)

Applications (XBAP).

Using the emulator to debug cloud Debugging a Cloud Service in Visual

service projects for Microsoft Azure. Studio
 AREA TASK FOR MORE INFORMATION

Configuring a firewall for remote Remote Debugging

debugging.

Performance tools Profiling an application. Beginners Guide to Performance

Profiling

Deployment Deploying a web application to Internet Deploying an ASP.NET Web Application

Information Services (IIS) on a local to a Hosting Provider using Visual
computer. Studio or Visual Web Developer:
Deploying to IIS as a Test Environment

Running Visual Studio as an Administrator

You can launch Visual Studio with administrative permissions each time you start the IDE, or you can modify the
application shortcut to always run with administrative permissions. For more information, see Windows Help.
To run Visual Studio with administrative permissions on Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, or Windows Server 2012 R2
1. On the Start screen, type Visual Studio. You should see the version or versions of Visual Studio you have
installed.
2. Select the version of Visual Studio you want to start, and then bring up the shortcut menu (it appears at the
bottom of the screen). Choose Run as administrator.
When Visual Studio starts, (Administrator) appears after the product name in the title bar.
To run Visual Studio with administrative permissions on Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2
1. On the Start menu, choose All Programs.
2. In the Microsoft Visual Studio Version folder select Visual Studio Version open the shortcut menu, and
then choose Run as administrator.
When Visual Studio starts, (Administrator) appears after the product name in the title bar.

See Also
Porting, Migrating, and Upgrading Visual Studio Projects
Install Visual Studio
 Security Bibliography
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Following are selected resources available online and in print on the subject of developing secure applications and
configuring secure environments:

Microsoft Web sites

Microsoft Security
Learn how Microsoft is working to help you keep your applications and systems secure, from the desktop to
network-level systems, with links to security resources for IT professionals, developers, and home users.
Security Resources on MSDN
Guides you to developer-oriented documentation, code samples, technical articles, and other resources for
developing secure applications.
Microsoft TechNet Security
Contains pointers to the most important technical information about security for information technology
professionals and "Power Users".
 Visual Studio Samples
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can find Visual Studio samples on the MSDN Code Gallery website.

Finding Samples
Here are some other places to look for samples.

AREA DESCRIPTION

Windows Developer Center Samples Shows how to develop Windows 8.x Store apps.

.NET Framework Samples Shows various aspects of the .NET Framework in C# and
Visual Basic.

C# Samples Shows how to use different features of C#.

Visual Basic Samples Shows how to use different features of Visual Basic.

F# Samples Shows how to use different features of F#.

JavaScript Samples Shows how to use different features in JavaScript.

C++ Samples Shows how to use different features in C++.

DirectX Samples Shows how to use DirectX.

Office Development Samples Shows how to use Office development tools in Visual Studio.
For the most current samples, see MSDN Developer Samples:
Learn Through Code.

VSSDK Samples Shows how to extend Visual Studio.

See Also
Getting Started with Visual C# and Visual Basic
 Microsoft Help Viewer
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

You can install and view content for various products and technologies on your local computer by using Microsoft
Help Viewer.

WARNING
When you install Visual Studio, you have the option of installing the Help Viewer. To start reading help topics in the Help
Viewer rather than on the MSDN download site, after installing the Help Viewer, go to the Help menu in Visual Studio,
choose Set Help Preference, and then choose Launch in Help Viewer. The off-line help topics for a given version of Visual
Studio are available only after the final release of that version.

You can do the following:

Find and download sets of content, which are also referred to as books.
Browse and search the table of contents to find topics by title.
Look up subjects in the index.
Find information by using full-text search.
View, bookmark, and print topics.

Navigating the Help Viewer

You can find information in installed content by using the navigation tabs, view installed content in the topic tab or
tabs, and manage content by using the Manage Content tab. You can also perform additional tasks by using the
buttons on the toolbar and find additional information in the lower-right corner of the window.

Navigation By using the Contents tab, you can display installed content
as a hierarchy and specify criteria to filter the titles that
appear.

By using the Search tab, you can search for terms anywhere
in the content, including code and topic titles.

By using the Index tab, you can search the index, specify
criteria to filter the entries, and require that index entries
either contain or start with text that you specify.

By using the Favorites tab, you can save links to topics that
you use frequently, and you can display a list of topics that
you've viewed recently.

Topic viewing Each topic appears in a tab, and you can open multiple topics
at the same time.
 Managing content You can install, update, move, and delete content by using the
Manage Content tab. At the top of the tab, you can use the
Installation source control to specify whether to install books
from a network location or from a disk or URI. The Local
store path box shows where books are installed on the local
computer, and you can move them to a different location by
choosing the Move button.

The content list shows which books you can install or have
already installed, whether an update is available, and how
large each book is. You can install or remove one or more
books by choosing the appropriate Add or Remove links and
then choosing the Update button under the Pending
changes pane. If updates are available for any books that
you've already installed, you can refresh that content by
choosing the Click here to download now link at the
bottom of the window. In addition, all installed books will be
refreshed if updates are available when you install additional
books. Note: The functionality of the Manage Content tab
may differ if the Help Viewer administrator deactivates these
features, or if no internet access is available.

The toolbar in the Help Viewer window contains the following buttons:
The Show Topic in Contents button shows the location of the topic in the Contents tab.
The Add to Favorites button adds the active topic to the Favorites tab.
The Find in Topic button highlights search text in the active topic.
The Print button prints or shows a preview of the active topic.
The Viewer Options button displays settings such as how large the text appears, how many search results
to return, how many topics to show in history, and whether to check for updates online.
The Manage Content button makes the Manage Content tab active.
The small triangle opens a list of tabs, including topic tabs and the Manage Content tab. You can make any
of those tabs active by choosing it.
The lower area of the Help Viewer window contains information about the total size of pending downloads,
the amount of disk space that they require, and the amount of disk space that's available. This area also
contains information about errors that may have occurred and a link that you can choose to refresh installed
content, if updates are available.

See Also
Help Viewer Administrator Guide
Install and Manage Local Content
Locate Information
Troubleshooting the Help Viewer
 Microsoft Help Viewer Installation
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Several products display Help in Microsoft Help Viewer. Installation instructions will vary based on which product
installed the Help Viewer.

Locating setup information

For information that's specific to your product, see its readme file.
 Help Viewer Administrator Guide
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

The Help Viewer allows you to manage local Help installations for network environments with or without internet
access. Local help content is configured on a per machine basis. By default, users must have administrator rights to
update their local Help installation.
If your network environment allows clients to access the internet, the Help Viewer allows you to use command line
scripts to deploy local Help content from the internet.
If your network environment does not allow clients to access the internet, the Help Viewer can deploy local Help
content from the intranet or a network share. You can also disable Visual Studio IDE Help options, such as
online/offline help, content installation at first launch of the IDE, specifying an intranet content service, and
managing content, using registry key overrides.
The basic syntax is as follows:
<path to>\HlpCtntmgr.exe /operation <argument> /catalogname <name> /locale <locale> /sourceuri <.msha
path or URL>
For more information about HlpCtntMgr.exe command line syntax, see Command-Line Arguments for the Help
Content Manager.
For more information about creating content, creating an intranet service endpoint, and similar types of activities,
see the Help Viewer SDK.

Deploying Local Help Content from the Internet

You can use the MSDN Content Package service to deploy local Help content from the Internet to client computers.
Use the following syntax:
\<path to>\v2.2\HlpCtntmgr.exe /operation <name> /catalogname <catalog name> /locale <locale>
For more information about HlpCtntMgr.exe command line syntax, see Command-Line Arguments for the Help
Content Manager.
Requirements:
Client computers must have access to the Internet.
Users must have administrator rights to update, add, or remove the local Help content after it has been
installed.
Caveats:
The default source for Help will still be Online.

TIP
You can change the default source for Help by modifying the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\help\UseOnlineHelp registry key. For more
information, see Help Content Manager Overrides.

Clients will still be prompted to install the basic Help content on the first launch of Visual Studio. You can
 disable this prompt by modifying the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\Help\DisableFirstRunHe
lpSelection registry key.
Example
The following example installs English content for Visual Studio to a client computer.
To i n st a l l En g l i sh c o n t e n t fr o m t h e I n t e r n e t

1. Choose Start and then choose Run.

2. Type the following:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Help Viewer\v2.2\hlpctntmgr.exe /operation install /catalogname
VisualStudio14 /locale en-us
3. Press ENTER.

Deploying Pre-Installed Local Help Content on Client Computers

You can install a set of content from online to one computer, and then copy that installed set of content to other
computers.
Requirements:
The computer you install the set of content to must have access to the Internet.
Users must have administrator rights to update, add, or remove the local Help content after it has been
installed.

TIP
If users do not have administrator rights, it is recommended that you disable the Manage Content tab in the Help
Viewer. For more information, see Help Content Manager Overrides.

Caveats:
If users do not have administrator rights, it is recommended that you disable the Manage Content tab in the
Help Viewer. For more information, see Help Content Manager Overrides.
The default source for Help will still be Online.
Clients will still be prompted to install the basic Help content on the first launch of Visual Studio. For more
information, see Help Content Manager Overrides.
Create the content set
Before you can create the base content set, you must first uninstall all local Visual Studio content on the target
computer.
To u n i n st a l l l o c a l h e l p

1. In the Help Viewer, choose the Manage Content tab.

2. Under Available Documentation, navigate to the Visual Studio document set.
3. Choose Remove next to each sub-item.
4. Choose Start to uninstall
5. Browse to n:\ProgramData\Microsoft\HelpLibrary2\Catalogs\VisualStudio12 and verify that the folder only
contains the file catalogType.xml.
 Once you have removed all previously installed local Visual Studio Help content, you are ready to download
the base content set.
To d o w n l o a d t h e c o n t e n t

1. In the Help Viewer, choose the Manage Content tab.

2. Under Available Documentation, navigate to the documentation sets you want to download and then
choose Add.
3. Choose Start.
Next, you need to package the content so it can be deployed to client computers.
To p a c k a g e t h e c o n t e n t

1. Create a folder to copy the content to for later deployment.

For example: c:\VS12Help.
2. Open cmd.exe with Administrator permissions.
3. Navigate to the folder you created in step 1.
4. Type the following:
Xcopy %SYSTEMDRIVE%\ProgramData\Microsoft\HelpLibrary2 <foldername>\ /y /e /k /o
For example: Xcopy %SYSTEMDRIVE%\ProgramData\Microsoft\HelpLibrary2 c:\VS12Help\ /y /e /k /o

Deploying the content

To d e p l o y t h e c o n t e n t

1. Create a network share and copy theee help content to that location.
For example, copy the content in c:\VS12Help to \\myserver\VS12Help.
2. Create a .bat file to contain the deployment script for the help content. Since the client could possibly have a
read lock on any of the files being deleted as part of the push, you should have the client shut down prior to
pushing updates.
For example:
 REM - copy pre-ripped content to ProgramData
Xcopy %~dp0HelpLibrary2 %SYSTEMDRIVE%\ProgramData\Microsoft\HelpLibrary2\ /y /e /k /o
if ERRORLEVEL 1 ECHO *** ERROR COPYING Help Library files to Programdata (%ERRORLEVEL%)

REM - get processor type and create/run registry update file

IF "%PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE%"=="AMD64" GOTO AMD64

@echo Architecture type is x86

ECHO Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 > x86.reg

ECHO [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Help\v2.2\Catalogs] >> x86.reg

ECHO "ContentStore"="%SYSTEMDRIVE%\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\HelpLibrary2\\Catalogs\\" >> x86.reg

ECHO [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Help\v2.2\Catalogs\VisualStudio12] >> x86.reg

ECHO "LocationPath"="%SYSTEMDRIVE%\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\HelpLibrary2\\Catalogs\\VisualStudio12\\"
>> x86.reg
ECHO "FirstTimeRun"="False" >> x86.reg

ECHO [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Help\v2.2\Catalogs\VisualStudio12\en-US] >> x86.reg

ECHO "ContentStore"="%SYSTEMDRIVE%\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\HelpLibrary2\\Catalogs\\VisualStudio12\\"
>> x86.reg
ECHO "catalogName"="Visual Studio version Help Documentation" >> x86.reg

ECHO [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VSWinExpress\14.0\help] >> x86.reg

ECHO "UseOnlineHelp"=dword:00000000 >> x86.reg

regedit.exe /s x86.reg
if ERRORLEVEL 1 ECHO *** ERROR inserting the x86 reg (%ERRORLEVEL%)

GOTO CONTINUE

:AMD64
@echo Architecture type is AMD64

ECHO Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 > x64.reg

ECHO [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Help\v2.2\Catalogs] >> x64.reg

ECHO "ContentStore"="%SYSTEMDRIVE%\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\HelpLibrary2\\Catalogs\\" >> x64.reg

ECHO [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Help\v2.2\Catalogs\VisualStudio14] >> x64.reg

ECHO "LocationPath"="%SYSTEMDRIVE%\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\HelpLibrary2\\Catalogs\\VisualStudio14\\"
>> x64.reg
ECHO "FirstTimeRun"="False" >> x64.reg

ECHO [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Help\v2.2\Catalogs\VisualStudio14\en-US] >>

x64.reg
ECHO "ContentStore"="%SYSTEMDRIVE%\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\HelpLibrary2\\Catalogs\\VisualStudio12\\en-
US\\" >> x64.reg
ECHO "catalogName"="Visual Studio version Help Documentation" >> x64.reg

ECHO [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\VSWinExpress\14.0\help] >> x64.reg

ECHO "UseOnlineHelp"=dword:00000000 >> x64.reg

regedit.exe /s x64.reg
if ERRORLEVEL 1 ECHO *** ERROR inserting the x64 reg (%ERRORLEVEL%)

:CONTINUE

3. Run the bat file on the local machines that the Help content is to be installed onto.

See Also
Command-Line Arguments for the Help Content Manager
Help Content Manager Overrides
 Command-Line Arguments for the Help Content
Manager
10/18/2017 • 5 min to read • Edit Online

You can specify how to deploy and manage local Help content by using command-line arguments for Help
Content Manager (HlpCtntmgr.exe). You must run scripts for this command-line tool with administrator
permissions, and you can't run these scripts as a service. You can perform the following tasks by using this tool:
Add or update local Help content from a disk or the cloud.
Remove local Help content.
Move the local Help content store.
Add, update, remove, or move local Help content silently.
Syntax:

HlpCtntmgr.exe /operation Value /catalogname CatalogName /locale Locale /sourceuri InstallationPoint

For example:

hlpctntmgr.exe /operation install /catalogname VisualStudio14 /locale en-us /sourceuri

d:\productDocumentation\HelpContentSetup.msha

Switches and Arguments

The following table defines the switches and arguments that you can use for the command-line tool for Help
Content Manager:

SWITCH REQUIRED? ARGUMENTS

SWITCH REQUIRED? ARGUMENTS

/operation Yes - Install--Adds books from the

specified installation source to the local
content store.
This switch requires the /booklist
argument, the /sourceURI argument, or
both. If you don't specify the
/sourceURI argument, the default Visual
Studio URI is used as the installation
source. If you don't specify the /booklist
argument, all books on the /sourceUri
are installed.
- Uninstall--Removes the books that
you specify from the local content
store.
This switch requires the /booklist
argument or the /sourceURI argument.
If you specify the /sourceURI argument,
all books are removed, and the
/booklist argument is ignored.
- Move--Moves the local store to the
path that you specify. The default local
store path is set by Help setup under
%PROGRAMDATA%
This switch requires the /locationPath
and /catalogName arguments. Error
messages will be logged in the event
log if you specify a path that isn't valid
or if the drive doesn't contain enough
free space to hold the content.
- Refresh--Updates topics that have
changed since they were installed or
most recently updated.
This switch requires the /sourceURI
argument.

/catalogName Yes Specifies the name of the content

catalog.

/locale No Specifies the product locale that's used

to view and manage content for the
current instance of the Help viewer. For
example, you specify EN-US for
English-United States.

If you don't specify a locale, the locale

of the operating system is used. If that
locale can't be determined, EN-US is
used.

If you specify a locale that isn't valid, an

error message is logged in the event
log.

/e No Elevates the Help Content Manager to

Administrative priviledges if the current
user has administrative credentials.
SWITCH REQUIRED? ARGUMENTS

/sourceURI No Specifies the URL from which content is

installed (Service API) or the path to the
content installation file (.msha). The URL
can point to the Product Group (top-
level node) or to the Product Books
(leaf-level node) in a Visual Studio 2010
style endpoint. You don't need to
include a slash (/) at the end of the URL.
If you do include a trailing slash, it will
be handled appropriately.

An error message is logged in the event

log if you specify a file that isn't found,
isn't valid, or isn't accessible or if a
connection to the Internet isn't
available or is interrupted while content
is being managed.

/vendor No Specifies the vendor for the product

content that will be removed (for
example, Microsoft ). The default
argument for this switch is Microsoft.

/productName No Specifies the product name for the

books that will be removed. The
product name is identified in the
helpcontentsetup.msha or books.html
files that shipped with the content. You
can remove books from only one
product at a time. To remove books
from multiple products, you must
perform multiple installations.

/booklist No Specifies the names of the books to be

managed, separated by spaces. Values
must match the book names as listed
on the installation media.

If you don't specify this argument, all

recommended books for the specified
product in the /sourceURI are installed
if the installation source is in Visual
Studio 2012 format.

If the name of a book contains one or

more spaces, surround it with double
quotes (") so that the list is delimited
appropriately.

Error messages will be logged if you

specify a /sourceURI that isn't valid or
isn't reachable.

/skuId No Specifies the stock keeping unit (SKU) of

the product from the installation
source, and filters books that the
/SourceURI switch identifies.
 SWITCH REQUIRED? ARGUMENTS

/membership No - Minimum-- Installs a minimum set of

Help content based on the SKU that
you specify by using the /skuId switch.
The mapping between the SKU and the
content set is exposed in the Service
API.
- Recommended—Installs a set of
recommended books for the SKU that
you specify by using the /skuId
argument. The Installation source is the
service API or .MSHA.
- Full-- Installs the entire set of books
for the SKU that you specify by using
the /skuId argument. The Installation
source is the service API or .MSHA.

/locationpath No Specifies the default folder for local Help

content. You must use this switch only
to install or move content. If you
specify this switch, you must also
specify the /silent switch.

/silent No Installs or removes Help content

without prompting the user or
displaying any UI, including the icon in
the status notification area. Output is
logged to a file in the %Temp%
directory. Important: To install content
silently, you must use digitally signed
.cab files, not .mshc files.

/launchingApp No Defines the application and catalog

context when the Help viewer is
launched without the parent
application. The arguments for this
switch are CompanyName,
ProductName, and VersionNumber (for
example,
/launchingApp
Microsoft,VisualStudio,11.0
).

This is required for installing content

with the /silent parameter."

/wait Seconds No Pauses install, uninstall, and refresh

operations. If an operation is already in
progress for the catalog, the process
will wait up to the given number of
seconds to continue. Use 0 to wait
indefinitely.

/? No Lists the switches and their descriptions

for the command-line tool for Help
Content Manager.

Exit Codes
When you run the command-line tool for the Help Content Manager in silent mode, it returns the following exit
codes:
 Success = 0,

FailureToElevate = 100
InvalidCmdArgs = 101,
FailOnFetchingOnlineContent = 110,
FailOnFetchingContentFromDisk = 120,
FailOnFetchingInstalledBooks = 130,
NoBooksToUninstall = 200,
NoBooksToInstall = 300,
FailOnUninstall = 400,
FailOnInstall = 500,
FailOnMove = 600,
FailOnUpdate = 700,
FailOnRefresh = 800,
Cancelled = 900,
Others = 999,
ContentManagementDisabled = 1200,
OnlineHelpPreferenceDisabled = 1201
UpdateAlreadyRunning = 1300 - (Signals that the update didn't run because another was in progress.)

See Also
Help Viewer Administrator Guide
Help Content Manager Overrides
 Help Content Manager Overrides
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can modify the registry to change the default behavior of the Help Viewer and Help-related features in the
Visual Studio IDE.

TASK REGISTRY KEY VALUE AND DEFINITION

Define unique service endpoint HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\M NewContentAndUpdateService-

icrosoft\VSWinExpress\14.0\Help -HTTPValueForTheServiceEndpoint.

Define online/offline default HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Micr UseOnlineHelp--Enter 0 to specify

osoft\VSWinExpress\14.0\help local Help, and enter 1 to specify
online Help.

Define unique F1 endpoint HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\M OnlineBaseUrl-

icrosoft\VSWinExpress\14.0\Help -HTTPValueForTheServiceEndpoint

Override BITS job priority HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\W BITSPriority--Use one of the following

ow6432Node (on a 64-bit values: foreground, high, normal, or
machine)\Microsoft\Help\v2.2 low.

Disable Online (and IDE Online option) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\W OnlineHelpPreferenceDisabled--Set to

ow6432Node (on a 64-bit 1 to disable access of online Help
machine)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\ content.
Help

Disable Manage Content HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\W ContentManagementDisabled--Set to

ow6432Node (on a 64-bit 1 to disable the Manage Content tab
machine)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\ in Help Viewer.
Help

Point to local content store on network HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\M LocationPath="ContentStoreNetworkS

share icrosoft\Help\v2.2\Catalogs\VisualStudi hare"
o11

Disable installation of content at first HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\W DisableFirstRunHelpSelection--Set to 1

launch of Visual Studio feature. ow6432Node (on a 64-bit to disable help features that are
machine)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0\ configured the first time that Visual
Help Studio starts.

See Also
Help Viewer Administrator Guide
 Install and Manage Local Content
10/18/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

By using the Microsoft Help Viewer, you can add, remove, update, and move the Help content that is installed on
your computer to fit your software-development needs.
To manage content on your local computer, you must log on with an account that has administrative permissions.
In addition, you might not be able to manage local content if you work in an enterprise environment because
system administrators might make those decisions for your organization. For more information, see the Help
Viewer Administrator Guide.

Changing the content installation source

By default, the Help Viewer installs content by using a Microsoft online service as the source. You generally
shouldn't change your content source unless you work in an enterprise environment for which a system
administrator has already installed content in another location.
To change the content installation source
1. On the Manage Content tab, choose the Disk option button.

NOTE
The Disk option won't be available if your administrator has prevented you from modifying the content installation
source. For more information, see the Help Viewer Administrator Guide.

2. Perform one of the following steps:

Enter the path of an .msha file or the URL of a service endpoint.
Choose the Browse (...) button to navigate to an .msha file.
In the list, choose the entry that was used most recently.

Download and install content locally

You can view topics without an Internet connection if you download and install content on your local computer.

IMPORTANT
To install content, you must log on with an account that has administrative permissions.

If the Visual Studio IDE is set to a language other than English, you can install English content, localized content, or
both. However, no content will appear if you install only the English version and the Include English content in
all navigation tabs and F1 requests check box in the Viewer Options dialog box is cleared.
To download and install content
1. Choose the Manage Content tab.
2. In the content list, choose the Add link next to the book or books that you want to download and install.
The book is added to the Pending changes list, and the estimated size of the book or books that you
specified appears below that list. Because some books share topics, the total download size of multiple
 books might be smaller than the result of adding together the sizes of every book that you specified.
3. Choose the Update button.
The book or books that you specified are installed along with any updates for books that you already have
on your computer. Installation times vary, but you can view the progress in the status bar.

Removing local content

You can save disk space by removing unwanted content from your computer.

IMPORTANT
You must have administrative permissions to remove content.

No content will appear if the Visual Studio IDE is set to a language other than English, you remove localized
content, and the Include English content in all navigation tab and F1 requests check box in the Viewer
Options dialog box is cleared.
To remove content
1. Choose the Manage Content tab.
2. In the content list, choose the Remove link next to the book or books that you want to remove.
The book is added to the Pending changes list.
3. Choose the Update button.
The book or books that you specified are removed from your computer.

Updating local content

The status bar indicates when updates to your installed content are available.

IMPORTANT
If you want the Help Viewer to automatically check for online updates, you must open the Viewer Options dialog box and
then select the Go online to check for content updates check box.

To update local content

In the lower-right corner of the status bar, choose the Click here to download now link.
Update times can vary, but you can view the update progress in the status bar.

Moving local content

You can save disk space by moving installed content from your local computer to a network share or to another
partition on your local computer.

IMPORTANT
To move content, you must log on with an account that has administrative permissions.

To move local content

1. On the Manage Content tab, choose the Move button under Local Store Path.
The Move Content dialog box opens.
2. In the To text box, enter a different location for the content, and then choose the OK button.
3. Choose the Close button when the content has been moved.

See Also
Microsoft Help Viewer
 Locate Information
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

The Help Viewer provides several different ways for you to locate information in Help. Depending on what kind of
information you're looking for, certain strategies might be more effective than others.

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT TRY

An element of the user interface The F1 key

Other topics that are in the same area of the table of contents The Show Topic in Contents button on the toolbar
as the current topic

A feature or technology Index

Language elements such as methods and events Search

In this Section
Full-Text Search Tips
How to: Find Topics in the Table of Contents
 How to: Find Topics in the Index
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

The index contains a list of keywords that are associated with topics in the installed content. Each topic might have
more than one keyword associated with it, and each keyword might be associated with more than one topic. Use
this index in the same way as you would use an index in a book.
To find a topic by using the index
1. On the Index tab, perform either of the following tasks:
Specify the keyword to search for in the text box. For example, specify "update" to find topics with
keywords such as "update," "updated," and "updating."
By choosing the filter button near the top of the tab, you can display either all entries that contain the
text that you specify or only those entries that start with the text that you specify.

NOTE
When the filter button appears on a darker background with a border, entries must contain the text that you
specify. If the background and border don't appear, entries must start with the text that you specify.

Scroll through the index, and choose a keyword.

If the keyword that you specify is associated with only one topic, it appears. Otherwise, a list of all
topics that are associated with that keyword appears.

See Also
Index Search Tips
 Index Search Tips
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can locate information in the Index by entering keywords. This topic suggests useful ways to search Help using
the Index.

Index Search Tips

Using the index is a straight-forward process; however, understanding how to best enter keywords can make your
index searches more productive.
General Guidelines
Scroll through the index entries. Not all topics are indexed the same way, and the one that could most help
you might be higher or lower in the list than you expected.
Omit articles such as "an" or "the" because the index ignores them.
Reverse the words you enter if you do not find the entries you expect.
For example, if "debugging inline assembly code" did not display any relevant entries, try typing, "assembly
code, debugging inline".
Use filters with the Index tab to decrease the number of results.
Syntax Tips
If you do not find an entry for the word or phrase you entered, try the following:
Type the first few letters, or root, of the word. By entering a partial string, you can get to topics that have
been indexed with keywords that are singular or plural.
For example, enter "propert" to start your search above properties and property.
Enter gerund (-ing) forms of the verb for the task you want to complete. To find more specific index entries,
append a word that describes exactly what you want.
For example, type "running" to get more entries or "running programs" to get fewer.
Enter standalone adjectives. To narrow the results, append a word that describes exactly what you want.
For example, enter "COM+" to get a wide range of entries or "COM+ components" to get fewer.
Enter a synonym of the word or verb you are looking for.
For example, if you entered the gerund "building" try "creating" instead.

See Also
Full-Text Search Tips
Locate Information
 How to: Find Topics in the Table of Contents
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

In the Contents tab, you can use the table of contents (TOC) to find information. The table of contents is an
expandable list that contains all of the topics in the installed books. For accessibility information about how to
navigate through the TOC, see Shortcut Keys (Help Viewer).

IMPORTANT
The scope of topics available in the TOC depends on the filter you have selected.

Filter the TOC

You can filter the TOC to narrow the scope of topics that appear in the Contents tab. Titles appear in the list only if
they contain the root of the term that you specify. For example, if you specify "troubleshooting" as a filter, only
titles that contain "troubleshoot" or "troubleshooting" appear. Nodes whose titles don't contain the term are
collapsed to a single node with an ellipsis (...).
To filter the TOC
1. Choose the Contents tab.
2. In the Filter Contents text box, enter a term.

NOTE
If the filter takes a long time to run, you might display results more quickly by using the title: advanced search operator.

Synchronize a topic with the TOC

If you have opened a topic using the index or full-text search features, you can determine where this topic is in the
TOC by synchronizing the TOC with the topic window.
To synchronize the TOC with the topic window
1. View a topic.
2. Click the Show Topic in Contents button on the toolbar, or press Ctrl+S.
The Contents tab opens and displays the topic's location in the TOC.

See Also
Locate Information
Microsoft Help Viewer
 How to: Search for Topics
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can use the full-text search feature to locate all topics that contain a particular word. You can also refine and
customize your search by using wildcard expressions, logical operators, and advanced search operators.
To open the Search tab
Choose the Search tab in the Help Viewer window, or choose the Ctrl + E keys.
To perform a full-text search
1. In the search box, type the word that you want to find.
2. In the search query, specify which logical or advanced search operators to apply to the search, if any. To
search all available Help, don't use operators.

NOTE
In the Viewer Options dialog box, you can specify additional preferences such as the maximum number of search
results to display at a time and whether to include English content if your primary locale is not English.

3. Choose the Enter key.

A search returns a maximum of 200 hits, by default, and displays them in the search results area.
Additional version information for each result may appear depending on the content.
4. To view a topic, choose its title from the results list.

See Also
Full-Text Search Tips
Logical Operators in Search Expressions
Advanced Search Operators in Search Expressions
How to: Customize Search Results
 Full-Text Search Tips
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

One of the more useful methods of locating information in Help is by performing a full-text search. To refine and
customize your results, you must understand how syntax affects your query. This topic provides tips, procedures,
and detailed syntax information to help you better craft your queries.

Full-Text Search Tips

You can create more targeted searches that return only those topics that interest you if you understand how Help
interprets the formatting that you use in queries. These formats include special characters, reserved words, and
filters.
General Guidelines
The following table includes some basic rules and guidelines for developing search queries in Help.

SYNTAX DESCRIPTION

Case sensitivity Searches aren't case-sensitive. Develop your search criteria

using uppercase or lowercase characters. For example, "OLE"
and "ole" return the same results.

Character combinations You can't search only for individual letters (a-z) or numbers
(0-9). If you try to search for certain reserved words, such as
"and", "from", and "with", they will be ignored. For more
information, see "Words Ignored in Searches (Stop Words)"
later in this topic.

Evaluation order Search queries are evaluated from left to right.

Search Syntax
If you specify a search string that includes multiple words, such as "word1 word2," that string is equivalent to
typing "word1 AND word2", which returns only topics that contain all of the individual words in the search string.

IMPORTANT
1. Phrase searches are not supported. If you specify more than one word in a search string, returned topics will contain all
of the words that you specified but not necessarily the exact phrase that you specified.
a. Use logical operators to specify the relationship between words in your search phrase. You can include logical
operators, such as AND, OR, NOT, and NEAR, to further refine your search. For example, if you search for
"declaring NEAR union", search results will include topics that contain the words "declaring" and "union" no more
than a few words apart from each other. For more information, see Logical Operators in Search Expressions.

Filters
You can further restrict search results by using advanced search operators. Help includes three categories that you
can use to filter results of a full-text search: Title, Code, and Keyword. For more information, see Advanced Search
Operators in Search Expressions.
Ranking of Search Results
The search algorithm applies certain criteria to help rank search results higher or lower in the results list. In
general:
1. Content that includes search words in the title is ranked higher than content that doesn't.
2. Content that includes search words in close proximity is ranked higher than content that doesn't.
3. Content that contains a higher density of the search words is ranked higher than content that has a lower
density of the search words.
Words Ignored in Searches (Stop Words)
Commonly occurring words or numbers, which are sometimes called stop words, are automatically ignored
during a full-text search. For example, if you search for the phrase "pass through", search results will display topics
that contain the word "pass" but not "through".

See Also
Locate Information
Logical Operators in Search Expressions
 Logical Operators in Search Expressions
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

By using logical operators, you can refine your search for content by creating more complicated search
expressions from simpler ones. As the following table shows, logical operators specify how multiple search terms
should be combined in a search query.

IMPORTANT
You must enter logical operators in all capital letters for the search engine to recognize them.

TO SEARCH FOR USE EXAMPLE RESULT

Both terms in the same AND dib AND palette Topics that contain both
topic "dib" and "palette".

Either term in a topic OR raster OR vector Topics that contain either

"raster" or "vector".

First term without the NOT "operating system" NOT Topics that contain
second term in the same DOS "operating system" but not
topic "DOS".

Both terms, close together NEAR user NEAR kernel Topics that contain "user"
in a topic within close proximity of
"kernel".

See Also
Full-Text Search Tips
Locate Information
 Advanced Search Operators in Search Expressions
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

By using advanced search operators in the Help Viewer, you can refine your search for content by creating more
complicated search expressions from simpler ones. As the following table shows, these operators restrict the
context in which a query runs.

WARNING
You must enter advanced search operators with a final colon and no intervening space before the colon for the search engine
to recognize them.

TO SEARCH FOR USE EXAMPLE RESULT

A term in the title of the title: title:binaryreader Topics that contain

topic "binaryreader" in their titles.

A term in a code example code: code:readdouble Topics that contain

"readdouble" in a code
example.

A term in an example of a code:vb: code:vb:string Topics that contain "string"

specific programming in a Visual Basic example.
language

A topic that is associated keyword: keyword:readbyte Topics that are associated

with a specific index keyword with the "readbyte" index
keyword.

You can use the code: operator to find content about any of several programming languages, but it returns results
only for content that is marked up with a specific programming language. The following table lists the
programming languages that this operator supports:

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE USE

Visual Basic code:vb

or

code:visualbasic

C# code:c#

or

code:csharp
 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE USE

C++ code:cpp

or

code:c++

or

code:cplusplus

F# code:f#

or

code:fsharp

JavaScript code:javascript

or

code:js

XAML code:xaml

See Also
Logical Operators in Search Expressions
Full-Text Search Tips
 How to: Customize Search Results
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

You can customize how search results appear in the Search tab in several ways.

Change the number of topics that appear on a search results page

You can specify the number of topics that appear on a single search results page.
To change the number of topics displayed at a time
1. On the Toolbar, choose Viewer Options.
The Viewer Options dialog box appears.
2. In the Maximum Search Results list, choose 25, 50, 100, or 200.

Search for content by language

Documentation may include content in a language other than English. You can narrow your search results to
content in a particular language. You can also include any content in English that matches your search query.

WARNING
This feature is enabled only if the primary language of installed content isn't English.

To include English content alongside content in another language

1. On the Toolbar, choose Viewer Options.
The Viewer Options dialog box appears.
2. Select the Include English content in all navigation tabs and F1 requests check box.

See Also
Full-Text Search Tips
 Manage the Help Viewer Window
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In the Help Viewer you can customize the window layout.

Docking Tabs
The Help Viewer supports standard docking functionality. By default, all tabs in the Help Viewer are docked, but you
can move them, resize them, dock them in other locations, and "float" them so that they appear as independent
child windows.
To restore the Help Viewer window to its default layout, open the Viewer Options dialog box, and then choose the
Reset button.

Opening a Topic in a New Tab

Choose the topic in any navigation tab, and then choose the Ctrl + Enter keys.

Minimize a Navigation Tab

Create more space for viewing topics by choosing the pin icon for the navigation tabs. When these tabs are
minimized, only their labels appear on the closest edge of the window. To restore the tabs, choose the label of any
tab, and then choose the pin icon again.
 Retain Topics for Later Use
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When you locate a useful topic, you can access it later by copying it and pasting it into a text file, printing it, or
saving it as a favorite. For example, you can retain content for later use by opening the shortcut menu for topics
and the choosing the Copy, Print, Print Preview, and Add to Favorites options.

Using the Favorites tab

On the Favorites tab, you can open the shortcut menu for any entry and then rename it, delete it, or organize
entries into folders.

See Also
Shortcut Keys (Help Viewer)
 Customize the Help Viewer
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You can configure several features of the Help Viewer by using the Viewer Options dialog box.

Setting Viewer Options

You open the Viewer Options dialog box by choosing the Viewer Options button on the toolbar.

TO PERFORM THIS TASK: TAKE THIS STEP:

Change the size of the font in which text appears Choose a size in the Text Size list.

Change the maximum number of search results that appear in Choose a value in the Maximum Search Results list.
the Search tab

Change the maximum number of history entries that appear Choose a value in the Maximum History entries saved list.
in the Favorites window

Include or exclude English content when you view content for Select or clear the Include English content in all navigation
a non-English version of a product. tabs and F1 requests check box. Caution: This feature also
controls whether you can download English content in the
Manage Content tab.
 Troubleshooting the Help Viewer
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This topic discusses issues that you might encounter with the Help Viewer.

Audio doesn't work.

The Help Viewer doesn't include an audio player. If you download content that contains audio and nothing happens
when you choose Play, install an audio player.

Search doesn't work in Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008

with SP1, or Windows Server 2008 R2.
The search and filter features in the Help Viewer require the Windows Search service to be installed and on. By
default, this service is off in Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 with Service Pack 1 (SP1), and Windows
Server 2008 R2.
To activate Windows Search service
1. Start Server Manager.
2. In the left navigation pane, choose Roles.
3. In the Roles Summary pane, choose Add Role.
4. Choose the File Services role, and then choose the Next button.
5. Choose the Windows Search role service.

Additional Resources
You can get more information and provide feedback on the Help Viewer by using the following resources:
To provide feedback, see Microsoft Connect on the Microsoft website or send email to
hlpfdbk@microsoft.com.
For more information, see the Developer Documentation and Help System forum and The Help Guy blog.

See Also
Help Viewer 2.1 Administrator Guide
 Accessibility Features of the Help Viewer
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Microsoft is committed to making its products and services easier for everyone to use. This topic includes
information about the features, products, and services that help make Microsoft Help Viewer 2.2 accessible for
people with a wide range of abilities.

Keyboard access
You can access all features of the Help Viewer by using the keyboard. For more information, see Shortcut Keys
(Help Viewer).

Font size
You can modify the font size in which topic text appears in the document window. For more information, see
Customize the Help Viewer.

Window size
You can change the width of the navigation or document windows by pointing to the divider between the two
windows. When the cursor changes to a double-headed arrow, use the primary mouse button to drag the divider to
the right or left.

Help Viewer position

You can reposition the Help Viewer by dragging its title bar to a different position.

Internet Explorer options

You can make the Help Viewer more accessible by changing Internet Explorer options that relate to how webpages
appear. For more information, see Customize the Help Viewer.

See Also
Microsoft Help Viewer
 Shortcut Keys (Help Viewer)
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You can navigate in the Microsoft Help Viewer by using the shortcut keys in the following table:

AREA KEYSTROKE ACTION

General Application Space Use instead of Enter anywhere except in

edit fields.

General Application F1 Open Help about current UI element.

General Application F11 Toggle between full-screen view and

regular view.

Toolbar Backspace Display the previous page.

-OR-

Alt + Left Arrow

Toolbar Alt + Right Arrow Display the next page.

Toolbar Alt + Home Display the Help Reviewer Home page.

Toolbar Ctrl + S Highlight the current topic in the table

of contents (on the Contents tab).

Toolbar Ctrl + D Add the current topic to the Favorites

tab.

Toolbar Ctrl + F Display the Find bar in the topic area so

that you can search for text within the
current topic.

Toolbar Ctrl + P Print the current page.

Toolbar Ctrl + F2 Display a print preview of the current

page.

Toolbar Ctrl + O Display the Viewer Options dialog box.

Toolbar Ctrl + Shift + M Display the Manage Contents tab.

Navigators Alt + C Display the Contents tab.

-OR-

Ctrl + Shift + C
AREA KEYSTROKE ACTION

Navigators Alt + I Display the Index tab.

-OR-

Ctrl + Shift + I

Navigators Alt + F Display the Favorites tab.

-OR-

Ctrl + Shift + F

Navigators Alt + S Display the Search tab.

-OR-

Ctrl + E

-OR-

Ctrl + Shift + S

Navigators Alt + M Display the Manage Content tab.

-OR-

Ctrl + Shift + M

Topic Shortcut Menu key Display the shortcut menu for the
current UI element.
OR

Shift + F10

Topic Up Arrow Scroll toward the start of the document

one line at a time.

Topic Down Arrow Scroll toward the end of the document

one line at a time.

Topic Page Up Scroll toward the start of the document

one screen at a time.

Topic Page Down Scroll toward the end of the document

one screen at a time.

Topic Home Move to the start of the document.

Topic End Move to the end of the document.

Topic Ctrl + F Find search text on this page.

Topic F5 Refresh the current page.

Topic Ctrl + P Print the current page.

AREA KEYSTROKE ACTION

Topic Ctrl + F2 Display a print preview of the current

page.

Topic F4 Display the Properties dialog box for

the current page.

Topic Ctrl + T Open another content tab in the

foreground.

Topic Ctrl + Click Open a link on a new tab in the

foreground.

Topic Ctrl + Tab Switch among tabs from left to right.

Topic Ctrl + Shift + Tab Switch among tabs from right to left.

Topic Ctrl + W Close the current tab.

Topic Ctrl + Number Switch to a specific tab where Number

is between 1 and 9 and indicates which
tab in sequence.

Topic Ctrl +Alt + F4 Close other content tabs.

Topic Ctrl + Shift + Plus Sign Increase zoom by 10%.

Topic Ctrl + Minus Sign Decrease zoom by 10%.

Topic Ctrl + 0 (zero) Change zoom to 100%.

Index Tab Shift focus from keyword entry to

keyword list.

Index Ctrl + K Switch between showing entries that

contain the keyword that you specify
and entries that start with the keyword
that you specify.

Favorites Ctrl + Shift + Del Clear your browsing history.

Favorites Del Delete the specified item.

Favorites Ctrl + N Create a folder within Favorites.

Favorites F2 Rename the specified favorite or folder.

Contents & Index & Search Ctrl + D Add the specified topic to the
Favorites tab.

Contents & Index & Search & Favorites Ctrl + P Print the specified topic.
 AREA KEYSTROKE ACTION

Contents & Index & Search & Favorites Ctrl + F2 Display a print preview of the specified
topic.

Contents & Index & Search & Favorites Ctrl + Click Open the topic in a new tab.

Search Esc Clear the search text box.

Viewer Options Alt + T Change focus to the Text Size list.

Viewer Options Alt + S Change focus to the Maximum Search

Results list.

Viewer Options Alt + H Change focus to the Maximum

History entries saved list.

Viewer Options Alt + E Select or clear the Include English

content in all navigation tabs and F1
requests check box if it is enabled.

Viewer Options Alt + O Select or clear the Go online to check

for content updates check box.

Find Enter Change focus to the next item.

Find Shift + Enter Change focus to the previous item.

Find Esc Hides the Find text box.

Status bar Alt + E Open the Error dialog box if the status
bar shows that an error has occurred.

Status bar Alt + U Download content if the status bar

shows that updates are available

Window Management

Keystroke Action

Ctrl + L Reset the Help Viewer layout to the default layout, and close
all topic tabs.

Ctrl + Tab The first keystroke gives focus to the Tab Selection menu.
The next keystroke gives focus to the top menu item, and
subsequent keystrokes give focus to the menu items in
sequence from top to bottom. When a menu item has focus,
the Enter key makes that item the active tab.

Ctrl + Shift + Tab The first keystroke gives focus to the Tab Selection menu.
The next keystroke gives focus to the bottom menu item, and
subsequent keystrokes give focus to the menu items in
sequence from bottom to top. When a menu item has focus,
the Enter key makes that item the active tab.
 Alt + I, Alt + S, Alt + C, Alt + F, Alt + M These shortcut keys don't work when the navigation and
content-management tabs are undocked.

Manage Content

Keystroke Action

Alt + D Change the installation source to disk.

Alt + O Change the installation source to online.

Tab Change focus to the Local store path text box.

Tab Change focus to the Move... button.

Alt + V Open the Move Content dialog box.

Ctrl + Alt + F Change focus to the Filter Documentation text box.

Tab Change focus to the documentation list.

Up Arrow and Down Arrow Scroll through the documentation list.

Space Add an item to the Pending changes list.

Tab Change focus to the Pending changes list.

Up Arrow and Down Arrow Scroll through the Pending changes list.

Space Remove an item from the Pending changes list.

Alt + T Apply all pending changes.

 Dotfuscator Community Edition (CE)
10/19/2017 • 3 min to read • Edit Online

PreEmptive Protection - Dotfuscator provides comprehensive .NET application protection that easily fits into your
secure software development lifecycle. Use it to harden, protect, and prune desktop, mobile, server, and embedded
applications to help secure trade secrets and other intellectual property (IP), reduce piracy and counterfeiting, and
protect against tampering and unauthorized debugging. Dotfuscator works on compiled assemblies without the
need for additional programming or even access to source code.

Why Protection Matters

It's important to protect your intellectual property (IP). Your application's code contains design and
implementation details which can be considered IP. However, applications built on the .NET Framework contain
significant metadata and high-level intermediate code, making them very easy to reverse engineer, just by using
one of many free, automated tools. By disrupting and stopping reverse-engineering, you can prevent unauthorized
IP disclosure, as well as demonstrate that your code contains trade secrets. Dotfuscator can obfuscate your .NET
assemblies to hinder reverse-engineering, while maintaining original application behavior.
It's also important to protect the integrity of your application. In addition to reverse-engineering, bad actors
may attempt to pirate your application, alter the application's behavior at runtime, or manipulate data. Dotfuscator
can inject your application with the capability to detect, report, and respond to unauthorized uses, including
tampering and third-party debugging.
For more information on how Dotfuscator fits into a secure software development lifecycle, see PreEmptive
Solutions' SDL App Protection page.

About Dotfuscator CE
Your copy of Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 includes a copy of PreEmptive Protection - Dotfuscator Community
Edition, also known as Dotfuscator CE, free for personal use. For instructions on how to install the version of
Dotfuscator CE included with Visual Studio 2017, see the Installation page.
Dotfuscator CE offers a range of software protection and hardening services for developers, architects and testers.
Examples of .NET Obfuscation and other Application Protection features included in Dotfuscator CE are:
Renaming of identifiers to make reverse-engineering of the compiled assemblies more difficult.
Anti-tamper to detect the execution of tampered applications, transmit incident alerts, and terminate tampered
sessions.
Anti-debug to detect the attachment of a debugger to a running application, transmit incident alerts, and
terminate debugged sessions.
Application expiration behaviors that encode an "end-of-life" date, transmit alerts when applications are
 executed after their expiration date, and terminate expired application sessions.
Exception tracking to monitor unhandled exceptions occurring within the application.
Session and feature usage tracking to determine what applications have been executed, what versions of those
applications, and what features are used in those applications.
For details on these features, including how they fit into your application protection strategy, see the Capabilities
page.
Dotfuscator CE offers basic protection out-of-the-box. Even more application protection measures are available to
registered users of Dotfuscator CE, and to users of PreEmptive Protection - Dotfuscator Professional Edition, the
world's leading .NET Obfuscator. For information about enhancing Dotfuscator, see the Upgrades page.

Getting Started
To begin using Dotfuscator CE from Visual Studio, type dotfuscator into the Quick Launch (Ctrl+Q) search bar.
If Dotfuscator CE is already installed, this will bring up the Menu option to start the Dotfuscator CE user
interface. For details, see the Getting Started page of the full Dotfuscator CE User Guide.
If Dotfuscator CE is not yet installed, this will bring up the relevant Install option. See the Installation page for
details.
You can also get the latest version of Dotfuscator CE from the Dotfuscator Downloads page on preemptive.com.

Full Documentation
This page and its sub-pages provide a high-level overview of Dotfuscator CE's features, as well as instructions for
installing the tool.
Please see the full Dotfuscator CE User Guide at preemptive.com for detailed usage instructions, including how to
start using the Dotfuscator CE user interface.
 Capabilities of Dotfuscator
10/19/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

This page focuses on the capabilities of Dotfuscator Community Edition (Dotfuscator CE) with some references to
advanced options available through upgrades.
Dotfuscator is a post-build system for .NET applications. With Dotfuscator CE, Visual Studio users are able to
obfuscate assemblies and inject active defense and analytics tracking into the application - all without Dotfuscator
needing to access the original source code. Dotfuscator protects your application in multiple ways, creating a
layered protection strategy.
Dotfuscator CE supports a wide range of .NET assembly and application types, including Universal Windows
Platform (UWP) and Xamarin.

Intellectual Property Protection

Your application's design, behavior, and implementation are forms of intellectual property (IP). However,
applications created for the .NET Framework are essentially open books; it's very easy to reverse engineer .NET
assemblies, as they contain high-level metadata and intermediate code.
Dotfuscator CE includes basic .NET obfuscation in the form of renaming. Obfuscating your code with Dotfuscator
reduces the risk of unauthorized access to source code through reverse engineering, as important naming
information will no longer be public. Obfuscation also shows effort on your part to protect your code from
examination - a valuable step in establishing that your IP is legally protected as trade secret.
Many of the application integrity protection features of Dotfuscator CE further hinder reverse engineering. For
instance, a bad actor may attempt to attach a debugger to a running instance of your application in order to
understand the program logic. Dotfuscator can inject anti-debug behavior into your application to obstruct this.

Application Integrity Protection

In addition to protecting your source code, it's also important to ensure your application is used as designed.
Attackers can attempt to hijack your application in order to circumvent licensing policies (i.e., software piracy), to
steal or manipulate sensitive data handled by the application, or to change the behavior of the application.
Dotfuscator CE can inject application validation code into your assemblies, including anti-tamper and anti-debug
measures. When an invalid application state is detected, the validation code can call upon application code to
address to the situation in an appropriate way. Or, if you prefer not to write code to handle invalid uses of the
application, Dotfuscator can also inject telemetry reporting and response behaviors, without requiring any
modification to your source code.
Many of these same methods may also be used to enforce end-of-life deadlines for evaluation or trial software.

Application Monitoring
When developing an application, it is critical to understand the behavior patterns of users, including beta testers
and users of prior versions. Application analytics allows you to track how frequently the application is used and
how it is used, including what errors customers experience.
Dotfuscator CE can inject exception-tracking, session-tracking, and feature-tracking code into your application.
When run, the processed application will transmit analytics data to a configured PreEmptive Analytics endpoint.
See Also
This topic in the full Dotfuscator CE User Guide
 Install Dotfuscator Community Edition (CE)
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Visual Studio 2017 introduces a new low-impact installation experience. As a result, Dotfuscator Community
Edition (Dotfuscator CE) is not installed by default. However, it is easy to install Dotfuscator CE even if you have
already installed Visual Studio.

NOTE
In addition to the versions of Dotfuscator CE shipped with releases of Visual Studio, PreEmptive Solutions also periodically
provides updated versions on its website. If you want to download the latest version directly instead of installing from
Visual Studio, click here to go to the Dotfuscator Downloads page.

Within Visual Studio

You can install Dotfuscator CE from the Visual Studio IDE:
1. In the Quick Launch (Ctrl+Q) search bar, type dotfuscator .

2. In the Quick Launch results shown, under the Install heading, select PreEmptive Protection - Dotfuscator
(Individual Component).
If you instead see, under the Menus heading, Tools - PreEmptive Protection - Dotfuscator, then
Dotfuscator CE is already installed. For usage details, see the Getting Started page of the full Dotfuscator
CE User Guide.
3. A Visual Studio Installer window will launch, pre-configured with to install Dotfuscator CE.
You may be required to provide administrator credentials to continue.
4. Close all instances of the Visual Studio IDE.
5. In the Visual Studio Installer window, click Install.
Once the installation is complete, you can start using Dotfuscator CE. For details, see the Getting Started page of
the full Dotfuscator CE User Guide.

During Visual Studio Installation

If you have not yet installed Visual Studio 2017, you can obtain the installer from the Visual Studio website. When
run, it will display installation options for the selected Visual Studio edition.

You can then install Dotfuscator CE as an individual component of Visual Studio 2017:
1. Select the Individual components tab.
2. Under Code tools, check the PreEmptive Protection - Dotfuscator item.
3. The Summary panel displays PreEmptive Protection - Dotfuscator under the Individual Components section.

4. Configure any further installation settings as appropriate for your environment.

5. When ready to install Visual Studio, click the Install button.
Once the installation is complete, you can start using Dotfuscator CE. For details, see the Getting Started page of
the full Dotfuscator CE User Guide.

See Also
This topic in the full Dotfuscator CE User Guide
 Upgrade Dotfuscator Community Edition (CE)
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Dotfuscator Community Edition (Dotfuscator CE) offers many application protection and hardening features
immediately to all developers using Microsoft Visual Studio. However, there are more features available to users
who upgrade their version of Dotfuscator.

Registering Dotfuscator CE
Registered users of Dotfuscator CE get access to additional features, such as command line support, which makes
it easy to integrate Dotfuscator CE into your automated build process. In addition, registering will grant access to
Lucidator, a built-in tool used for decoding obfuscated stack traces.
Registration is quick, simple, and free of charge. To register Dotfuscator CE, see the Registering Dotfuscator CE
section on the Getting Started page of the full Dotfuscator CE User Guide.

Dotfuscator Professional
While Dotfuscator Community Edition provides a basic level of protection, PreEmptive Protection - Dotfuscator
Professional Edition includes enhanced obfuscation transforms and protection capabilities. These include:
Intellectual Property Protection
Additional renaming options, including Enhanced Overload Induction™ and randomized identifier
selection.
Tooling for decoding obfuscated stack traces.
Access to enterprise-level obfuscation transforms, including transforms targeted at defeating automated
code decompilation.
The ability to obscure sensitive strings, making a simple search of the decompiled code impossible.
The ability to discreetly embed ownership and distribution strings into your assemblies (software
watermarking), allowing you to determine the source of unauthorized software leaks.
The ability to combine multiple assemblies into one, making it even more difficult for attackers to
determine the roles of code elements, as separation of concerns has been eliminated.
The ability to automatically remove unused code from your application, reducing the amount of sensitive
code that is shipped.
Application Integrity Protection
Additional application defense behaviors.
The ability to provide a warning period before an application's end-of-life deadline.
The ability to notify application code during an end-of-life warning period or after the deadline.
Telemetry encryption.
Application Monitoring
The ability to collect and save collected information during temporary network outages.
The ability to collect personally-identifiable information.
Unlimited use of feature tracking.
The ability to track exceptions caught and thrown by your code, in addition to unhandled exceptions.
The ability to track exceptions in .dll assemblies.
Telemetry encryption.
Dotfuscator Professional is the industry standard .NET Obfuscator and is suitable for enterprise developers
requiring ongoing support, maintenance, and product updates. Additionally, Dotfuscator Professional offers tighter
integration with Visual Studio and is licensed for commercial use.
For more information on the advanced application protection features of Dotfuscator Professional, please visit
PreEmptive Solutions' Dotfuscator Overview page and compare it to Community Edition. Fully-supported trials are
available on request at preemptive.com.

See Also
This topic in the full Dotfuscator CE User Guide
 Globalizing and Localizing Applications
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

If you plan on distributing your application to an international audience, you'll need to keep several things in mind
during the design and development phases. Even if you don't have such plans, a small effort up front can make
things considerably easier should your plans change in future versions of your application. Services built into the
.NET Framework make it easy to develop a single application that can adapt to different locales using managed
development with Visual Studio.
Visual Studio was designed from the start to make developing for an international audience easy by taking
advantage of services built into the .NET Framework. The following pages will help introduce you to the
internationalization features built into Visual Studio.

In This Section
Introduction to International Applications Based on the .NET Framework
Introduces the concepts related to developing software for an international market using Visual Studio and the
.NET Framework.
Localizing Applications
Provides links to pages about customizing applications for a given culture.
Globalizing Applications
Provides links to pages about creating applications that support multiple cultures.

Related Sections
Globalizing your app (Windows Store apps using JavaScript and HTML)
Contains how-to topics and guidelines to help you globalize and localize your Windows 8.x Store app built using
JavaScript and HTML.
Globalizing your app (Windows Store apps using C#/VB/C++ and XAML)
Contains how-to topics and guidelines to help you globalize and localize your Windows 8.x Store app built using
XAML and Visual C#, Visual Basic, or Visual C++.
Best Practices for Developing World-Ready Applications
Provides background information on programming for an international audience.
Class Library Overview
Introduces the classes, interfaces, and value types that expedite and optimize the development process and
provide access to system functionality.
System.Globalization
Points out the classes in this namespace, which define culture-related information, including the language, the
country/region, the calendars in use, the format patterns for dates, currency and numbers, and the sort order for
strings.
System.Resources
Points out the classes and interfaces in this namespace, which allows developers to create, store, and manage
various culture-specific resources used in an application.
 Introduction to International Applications Based on
the .NET Framework
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

In Visual Studio, there are two parts to creating a world-ready application: globalization, the process of designing
applications that can adapt to different cultures, and localization, the process of translating resources for a specific
culture. For general information on designing applications for an international audience, see Best Practices for
Developing World-Ready Applications.
The .NET Framework localization model consists of a main assembly that contains both the application code and
the fallback resources — strings, images, and other objects for the language in which the application is originally
developed. Each localized application will have satellite assemblies, or assemblies which contain only the localized
resources. Because the main assembly always contains the fallback resources, if a resource is not found in the
localized satellite assembly, the ResourceManager will attempt to load it in a hierarchical manner, eventually
falling back to the resource in the main assembly. The resource fallback system is explained in greater detail in
Hierarchical Organization of Resources for Localization.
One localization resource you should consider using is the glossary for all Microsoft localized products. This CSV
file contains over 12,000 English terms plus the translations of the terms in up to 59 different languages. The
glossary is available for download on the Microsoft Terminology Translations Web page.
The project system for Windows Forms applications can generate resource files for both the fallback and each
desired additional UI culture. The fallback resource file is built into the main assembly, and the culture-specific
resource files are then built into satellite assemblies, one for each UI culture. When you build a project, the
resource files are compiled from the Visual Studio XML format (.resx) to an intermediate binary format
(.resources), which are then embedded in satellite assemblies.
The project system for both Windows Forms and Web Forms allows you to build resource files using an Assembly
Resource File template, access the resources, and build your project. Satellite assemblies will be created along with
the main assembly.
When a localized application executes, its appearance is determined by two culture values. (A culture is a set of
user preference information related to the user's language, environment, and cultural conventions.) The UI culture
setting determines which resources will be loaded. The UI culture is set as UICulture in Web.config files and page
directives, and CurrentUICulture in Visual Basic or Visual C# code. The culture setting determines formatting of
values such as dates, numbers, currency, and so on. The culture is set as Culture in Web.config files and page
directives, CurrentCulture in Visual Basic or Visual C# code.

See Also
System.Globalization
System.Resources
Globalizing and Localizing Applications
Security and Localized Satellite Assemblies
 Localizing Applications
10/18/2017 • 1 min to read • Edit Online

Localization is the process of customizing your application for a given culture or locale. Localization consists
primarily of translating the user interface.

In This Section
Hierarchical Organization of Resources for Localization
Explains how localized resources are stored and accessed in Visual Studio.
Security and Localized Satellite Assemblies
Discusses signing satellite assemblies with public-private key pairs.
Version Numbers for Main and Localized Satellite Assemblies
Introduces the SatelliteContractVersionAttribute class, which determines which satellite assemblies work with an
application's main assembly.
Neutral Resources Languages for Localization
Introduces the NeutralResourcesLanguageAttribute class, which specifies the culture of the resources included in
an application's main assembly.

Related Sections
Introduction to International Applications Based on the .NET Framework
Discusses the concepts related to developing software for an international market using Visual Basic or Visual C#.
Globalizing Windows Forms
Provides links to pages about creating Windows applications that support multiple cultures.
Globalization and Localization
Provides links to pages about creating Web applications that support multiple cultures.
Best Practices for Developing World-Ready Applications
Provides information on programming for an international audience, such as design issues and terminology.
 Hierarchical Organization of Resources for
Localization
10/18/2017 • 2 min to read • Edit Online

In Visual Studio, localized resources (data such as strings and images appropriate to each culture) are stored in
separate files and loaded according to the UI culture setting. To understand how localized resources are loaded, it
is useful to think of them as organized in a hierarchical manner.

Kinds of Resources in the Hierarchy

At the top of the hierarchy sit the fallback resources for your default culture, for example English ("en").
These are the only resources that do not have their own file; they are stored in the main assembly.
Below the fallback resources are the resources for any neutral cultures. A neutral culture is associated with a
language but not a country/region. For example, French ("fr") is a neutral culture. (Note that the fallback
resources are also for a neutral culture, but a special one.)
Below those are the resources for any specific cultures. A specific culture is associated with a language and a
country/region. For example, French Canadian ("fr-CA") is a specific culture.
If an application tries to load any localized resource, such as a string, and does not find it, it will travel up the
hierarchy until it finds a resource file containing the requested resource.
The best way to store your resources is to generalize them as much as possible. That means to store
localized strings, images, and so forth in resource files for neutral cultures rather than specific cultures
whenever possible. For instance, if you have resources for the French Belgian ("fr-BE") culture and the
resources immediately above are the fallback resources in English, a problem may result when someone
uses your application on a system configured for the French Canadian culture. The system will look for a
satellite assembly for "fr-CA", not find it, and load the main assembly containing the fallback resource,
which is English, instead of loading the French resources. The following picture shows this undesirable
scenario.

If you follow the recommended practice of placing as many resources as possible in a neutral resource file
for the "fr" culture, the French Canadian user would not see resources marked for the "fr-BE" culture, but he
or she would be shown strings in French. The following situation shows this preferred scenario.

See Also
Neutral Resources Languages for Localization
Security and Localized Satellite Assemblies
Localizing Applications
Globalizing and Localizing Applications
How to: Set the Culture and UI Culture for Windows Forms Globalization
How to: Set the Culture and UI Culture for ASP.NET Web Page Globalization
 Security and Localized Satellite Assemblies
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If your main assembly uses strong naming, satellite assemblies must be signed with the same private key as the
main assembly. If the public/private key pair does not match between the main and satellite assemblies, your
resources will not be loaded. For more information on signing assemblies, see How to: Sign an Assembly with a
Strong Name.
In general, you may need to have your organization's signing group or an external signing organization sign with
the private key. This is due to the sensitive nature of the private key: access is often restricted to a few individuals.
You can use delayed signing during development. For more information, see Delay Signing an Assembly.

See Also
Assembly Security Considerations
Key Security Concepts
Introduction to International Applications Based on the .NET Framework
Localizing Applications
Globalizing and Localizing Applications
 Version Numbers for Main and Localized Satellite
Assemblies
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The SatelliteContractVersionAttribute class provides versioning support for a main assembly that uses localized
resources by means of the resource manager. Applying the SatelliteContractVersionAttribute to an application's
main assembly allows you to update and re-deploy the assembly without updating its satellite assemblies. For
example, you can use the SatelliteContractVersionAttribute class with a service pack that doesn't introduce new
resources without rebuilding and redeploying your satellite assemblies. For your localized resources to be
available, the satellite contract version of your main assembly must match the AssemblyVersionAttribute class of
your satellite assemblies. You must specify an exact version number in the SatelliteContractVersionAttribute;
wildcard characters such as "*" are not allowed. For more information, see Retrieving Resources.

Updating Assemblies
The SatelliteContractVersionAttribute class allows you to update a main assembly without having to update your
satellite assembly, or vice versa. When the main assembly is updated, its assembly version number is changed. If
you want to continue using the existing satellite assemblies, change the main assembly's version number but leave
the satellite contract version number the same. For example, in your first release your main assembly version may
be 1.0.0.0. The satellite contract version and the assembly version of the satellite assembly will also be 1.0.0.0. If
you need to update your main assembly for a service pack, you can change the assembly version to 1.0.0.1, while
keeping the satellite contract version and the satellite's assembly version as 1.0.0.0.
If you need to update a satellite assembly but not your main assembly, you change the AssemblyVersionAttribute
of the satellite assembly. Along with your satellite assembly, you will have to ship a policy assembly that states that
your new satellite assembly is compatible with your old satellite assembly. For more information on policies, see
How the Runtime Locates Assemblies.
The following code shows how to set the satellite contract version. The code can be placed in either a build script or
in the AssemblyInfo.vb or AssemblyInfo.cs file.

<Assembly: SatelliteContractVersionAttribute("4.3.2.1")>

[assembly: SatelliteContractVersionAttribute("4.3.2.1")]

See Also
How the Runtime Locates Assemblies
Setting Assembly Attributes
Security and Localized Satellite Assemblies
Localizing Applications
Globalizing and Localizing Applications
 Neutral Resources Languages for Localization
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The NeutralResourcesLanguageAttribute class specifies the culture of the resources included in the main assembly.
This attribute is used as a performance enhancement, so that the ResourceManager object does not search for
resources that are included in the main assembly.
The following code shows how to set the neutral resources language. The code can be placed in either a build
script or in the AssemblyInfo.vb or AssemblyInfo.cs file.

' Set neutral resources language for assembly.

<Assembly: NeutralResourcesLanguageAttribute("en")>

// Set neutral resources language for assembly.

[assembly: NeutralResourcesLanguageAttribute("en")]

See Also
ResourceManager
Introduction to International Applications Based on the .NET Framework
Hierarchical Organization of Resources for Localization
Localizing Applications
Globalizing and Localizing Applications
 Globalizing Applications
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Globalization is the process of designing and developing a software product that functions for multiple cultures.
This section applies to both Windows Forms and Web Forms pages.

In This Section
Culture-Specific Classes for Global Windows Forms and Web Forms
Discusses classes that format dates, time, numbers, currency, and other information according to the culture
setting.

Related Sections
Globalizing Windows Forms
Provides links to Help pages about globalization of Windows Forms.
Globalization and Localization
Provides links to Help pages about globalization of Web Forms pages.
Introduction to International Applications Based on the .NET Framework
Discusses the essential concepts about developing software for an international market using Visual Basic or Visual
C#.
Best Practices for Developing World-Ready Applications
Provides information on programming for an international audience, such as design issues and terminology.
 Culture-Specific Classes for Global Windows Forms
and Web Forms
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Each culture has different conventions for displaying dates, time, numbers, currency, and other information. The
System.Globalization namespace contains classes that can be used to modify how culture-specific values are
displayed, such as DateTimeFormatInfo, Calendar, and NumberFormatInfo.

Using the Culture Setting

But most of the time you will use the culture setting, stored either in the application or in the Regional Options
control panel, to automatically determine the conventions at run time and format the information accordingly. For
more information on setting the culture, see How to: Set the Culture and UI Culture for Windows Forms
Globalization or How to: Set the Culture and UI Culture for ASP.NET Web Page Globalization. Classes that
automatically format information according to the culture setting are called culture-specific. Some culture-specific
methods are IFormattable.ToString, Console.WriteLine, and String.Format. Some culture-specific functions (in the
Visual Basic language) are MonthName and WeekDayName .
For example, the following code shows how you can use the ToString method to format currency for the current
culture:

' Put the Imports statements at the beginning of the code module
Imports System.Threading
Imports System.Globalization
' Display a number with the culture-specific currency formatting
Dim MyInt As Integer = 100
Console.WriteLine(MyInt.ToString("C", Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture))

// Put the using statements at the beginning of the code module

using System.Threading;
using System.Globalization;
// Display a number with the culture-specific currency formatting
int myInt = 100;
Console.WriteLine(myInt.ToString("C", Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture));

If the culture is set to "fr-FR", you will see this in the output window:
100,00

If the culture is set to "en-US", you will see this in the output window:
$100.00

See Also
IFormattable.ToString
DateTimeFormatInfo
NumberFormatInfo
Calendar
Console.WriteLine
String.Format
Globalizing and Localizing Applications
 Creating Applications in Bi-directional Languages
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You can use Visual Studio to create applications that correctly display text in languages written right-to-left,
including Arabic and Hebrew. For some features, you can simply set properties. In other cases, you must implement
features in code.

NOTE
In order to enter and display bi-directional languages, you must be working with a version of Windows that is configured
with the appropriate language. This can either be an English version of Windows with the appropriate language pack installed,
or the appropriately localized version of Windows.

Types of Application that Support Bi-Directional Languages

1. Windows applications. You can create fully bi-directional applications that include support for bi-directional
text, right-to-left reading order, and mirroring (reversing the layout of windows, menus, dialog boxes, and so
on). Except for mirroring, these features are available by default or as property settings. Mirroring is
supported inherently for some features, such as message boxes. However, in other cases you must
implement mirroring in code. For more information, see Bi-Directional Support for Windows Forms
Applications.
2. Web applications. Web services support and receiving sending UTF-8 and Unicode text, making them
suitable for applications involving bi-directional languages. Web client applications rely on browsers for
their user interface, so the degree of bi-directional support in a Web application is dependent on how well
the user's browser supports those bi-directional features. In Visual Studio, you can create applications with
support for Arabic or Hebrew text, right-to-left reading order, file encoding, and local culture settings. For
more information, see Bidirectional Support for ASP.NET Web Applications.
3. Console applications. Console applications do not include text support for bi-directional languages. This is a
consequence of how Windows works with console applications.

Visual Studio Features That Are Fully Supported

At design time in Visual Studio, you can use bi-directional languages in these ways:
Text entry Visual Studio supports Unicode, so if your system is set to the appropriate locale and input
language, you can enter text in Arabic or Hebrew. (Arabic support includes Kashida and Diacritics.)
Object names You can use bi-directional languages to assign names to solutions, projects, files, folders, and
so on. In code, you can use bi-directional languages for the names of variables, classes, object, attributes,
metadata, and other elements.
File encoding You can save and open files with a language-specific or Unicode encoding. For more
information, see How to: Save and Open Files with Encoding.

Features with Limited or No Support

Other features common to bi-directional language applications are not fully supported in Visual Studio, or in some
cases, not at all. These include:
 Right-to-left reading order By default, text-entry controls you use in Visual Studio use left-to-right reading
order. In most cases, you can use standard Windows gestures to switch reading order. For example, you can
press Ctrl+Right Shift to switch the Properties window to support right-to-left reading order for property
values.
However, right-to-left reading order is not supported everywhere in Visual Studio. Exceptions include:
Check boxes, drop-down lists, and other controls in Visual Studio dialog boxes always use left-to-right
reading order.
The code editor (and text editor) does not support right-to-left reading order. You can enter text in a
bi-directional language, but the reading order is always left-to-right.

Naming Things Using Arabic or Hebrew Text

You can use Arabic or Hebrew text to assign names to folders, variables, or other objects. When working with
Arabic, you can use any Arabic characters including Kashida and Diacritics.
The following elements can be named using Arabic or Hebrew and will be handled correctly in Visual Studio:
Solution, project, and file names, including any folders you include in the project path. Solution Explorer will
display solution and element names correctly.
File contents. You can open or save files with Unicode encoding or with a selected code page.

NOTE
The code editor is a special case. For details, see below.

Data elements. Server Explorer will display these elements correctly and allow you to edit them.
Elements copied to the Windows Clipboard.
Attributes and metadata.
Property values. You can use Arabic or Hebrew text in the Properties window. The window allows you to
switch between right-to-left and left-to-right reading order using standard Windows keystrokes
(CTRL+RightShift for right-to-left, and CTRL+LeftShift for left-to-right).
Code and literal text. In the code editor (which is also the text editor), you can use Arabic or Hebrew to name
classes, functions, variables, properties, string literals, attributes, and so on. However, the editor does not
support right-to-left reading order; text always starts at the left margin.

TIP
It is recommended that you place string literals in resource files instead of hard-coding them into your programs. For
more information, see Walkthrough: Localizing Windows Forms.

NOTE
You must be consistent in how you refer to objects named in these languages. For example, if you use Kashida in
naming an Arabic variable, you must always use Kashida when referring to that variable, or errors will result.

Code comments. You can create comments in Arabic or Hebrew. You can also use these languages in the
comment builder tool.
See Also
Bi-Directional Support for Windows Forms Applications
Bidirectional Support for ASP.NET Web Applications
Globalizing Applications
Localizing Applications
 How to: Save and Open Files with Encoding
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You can save files with specific character encoding to support bi-directional languages. You can also specify an
encoding when opening a file, so that Visual Studio displays the file correctly.
To save a file with encoding
1. From the File menu, choose Save File As, and then click the drop-down button next to the Save button.
The Advanced Save Options dialog box is displayed.
2. Under Encoding, select the encoding to use for the file.
3. Optionally, under Line endings, select the format for end-of-line characters.
This option is useful if you intend to exchange the file with users of a different operating system.
If you want to work with a file that you know is encoded in a specific way, you can tell Visual Studio to use
that encoding when opening the file. The method you use depends on whether the file is part of your
project.
To open an encoded file that is part of a project
1. In Solution Explorer, right-click the file and choose Open With.
2. In the Open With dialog box, choose the editor to open the file with.
Many Visual Studio editors, such as the forms editor, will auto-detect the encoding and open the file
appropriately. If you choose an editor that allows you to choose an encoding, the Encoding dialog box is
displayed.
3. In the Encoding dialog box, select the encoding that the editor should use.
To open an encoded file that is not part of a project
1. On the File menu, point to Open, choose File or File From Web, and then select the file to open.
2. Click the drop-down button next to the Open button and choose Open With.
3. Follow Steps 2 and 3 from the preceding procedure.

See Also
Encoding and Windows Forms Globalization
Globalizing and Localizing Applications
 Adding Visual Studio editor support for other
languages
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Learn about how the Visual Studio editor supports reading and navigating through different computer languages
and how you can add Visual Studio editor support for other languages.

Syntax colorization, statement completion, and Navigate To support

Features in the Visual Studio editor such as syntax colorization, statement completion, and Navigate To can help
you more easily read, create, and edit your code. The following screenshot shows an example of editing a Perl script
in Visual Studio. The syntax is automatically colorized. For example, remarks in the code are colored green, code is
black, paths are red, and statements are blue. The Visual Studio editor automatically applies syntax colorization to
any language it supports. In addition, when you begin to enter a known language keyword or object, statement
completion displays a list of possible statements and objects. Statement completion can help you create code more
quickly and easily.

Visual Studio currently provides syntax colorization and basic statement completion support for the following
languages using TextMate Grammars. If your favorite language isn't in the table, though, don't worry - you can add
it.

Bat F# Java Markdown Rust Visual Basic

Clojure Go JavaDoc Objective-C ShaderLab Visual C#

CMake Groovy JSON Perl ShellScript Visual C++

 CoffeeScript HTML LESS Python SQL VBNet

CSS INI LUA R Swift XML

Docker Jade Make Ruby TypeScript YAML

In addition to syntax colorization and basic statement completion, Visual Studio also has a feature called Navigate
To. This feature enables you to quickly search code files, file paths and code symbols. Visual Studio provides
Navigate To support for the following languages.
Go
Java
JavaScript
PHP
TypeScript
Visual Basic
Visual C++
Visual C#
All of these file types have the features described earlier even if support for a given language hasn't yet been
installed. Installing specialized support for some languages may provide additional language support, such
as IntelliSense or other advanced language features such as Light Bulbs.

Adding support for non-supported languages

Visual Studio 2015 Update 1 and later versions provide language support in the editor by using TextMate
Grammars. If your favorite programming language currently isn't supported in the Visual Studio editor, first, search
the web - a TextMate bundle for the language may already exist. If you can't find one, though, you can add support
for it yourself in Visual Studio 2015 Update 1 or later by creating a TextMate bundle model for language grammars
and snippets.
Add any new TextMate Grammars for Visual Studio in the following folder:
%userprofile%\.vs\Extensions
Under this base path, add the following folder(s) if they apply to your situation:

FOLDER NAME DESCRIPTION

\<language name> The language folder. Replace <language name> with the
name of the language. For example, \Matlab.

\Syntaxes The grammar folder. Contains the grammar .json files for the
language, such as Matlab.json.

\Snippets The snippets folder. Contains snippets for the language.

In Windows, %userprofile% resolves to the path: c:\Users\<user name>. If the extensions folder does not exist on
your system, you will need to create it. If the folder already exists, it will be hidden.
For details about how to create TextMate Grammars, see TextMate - Introduction to Language Grammars: How to
add source code syntax highlighting embedded in HTML and Notes on how to create a Language Grammar and
Custom Theme for a Textmate Bundle.

See Also
Visual Studio 2013 Navigate To Improvements
Walkthrough: Creating a Code Snippet
Walkthrough: Displaying Statement Completion
 Using the Visual Studio Development Environment
for C#
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The Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE) is a collection of development tools exposed through
a common user interface. Some of the tools are shared with other Visual Studio languages, and some, such as the
C# compiler, are unique to Visual C#. This topic provides links to the most important Visual C# tools.

Related Topics
TITLE DESCRIPTION

Walkthrough: Create a Simple Application Provides an overview of many of the features and tools
included in Visual Studio for application development.

Creating Solutions and Projects Describes how to create a project that contains all the source
code files, resource files such as icons, references to external
files, and configuration data such as compiler settings.

Writing Code Describes Visual Studio tools that help you modify and
manipulate text, code, and markup, insert and configure
controls and other objects and namespaces, and add
references to external components and resources.

Visual C# IntelliSense Provides links to topics that describe Visual C#-specific

features, such as automatic code generation and IntelliSense
for most recently used members.

Visual C# Code Snippets Provides an overview of using Code Snippets in Visual C# to

automatically add common code constructs to your
application

Writing Code Provides links to procedures about how to use the Find and
Replace window, Bookmarks, and the Task List and Error List
to locate lines of code.

Viewing the Structure of Code Explains how to browse hierarchies of classes, class members,
and resources.

How to: Add an Application Configuration File to a C# Project Describes how to add a configuration file (app.config) to a C#
project.

Metadata as Source Describes how the IDE enables you to view metadata as
source code.

Refactoring (C#) Lists refactoring operations that help you modify your code
without changing the behavior of your application.

Code Generation (C#) Lists code generation tools that will write portions of code for
you.
 TITLE DESCRIPTION

Compiling and Building Explains how to configure debug, release, and special builds of
your Visual Studio solution.

Debugging in Visual Studio Describes how to run the Visual Studio Debugger to resolve
logic and semantic errors.

Managing Application Resources (.NET) Shows how to add or edit resources for your project, such as
strings, images, icons, audio, and files.

Dotfuscator Community Edition (CE) Explains how to set up and start using the free PreEmptive
Protection - Dotfuscator Community Edition to protect .NET
assemblies from reverse-engineering and unauthorized use
(such as unauthorized debugging).

See Also
C#
Getting Started with C#
C# Reference
 Visual Studio Reference
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This section includes user interface reference, language equivalents, and other reference documents.

In This Section
General User Interface Elements (Visual Studio)
Contains documents about dialog boxes and windows that are not described elsewhere in the table of contents.
Devenv Command Line Switches
Lists devenv command line switches.
Visual Studio Commands
Explains how to use Visual Studio commands from the Commands window.
XML Tools in Visual Studio
Contains documents about the XML tools in Visual Studio and provides links to more information.
MSBuild Contains documents about how to use the Microsoft build platform, which is integrated into Visual Studio.
Resources for Troubleshooting IDE Errors
Contains links to resources to help you resolve IDE error messages
Talk to Us
Contains information about how to locate customer support for Visual Studio.
Accessibility for People with Disabilities
Contains tips about how to change accessibility options.

Related Sections
Visual Basic Reference
Contains Visual Basic upgrading information and the Visual Basic language and run-time reference.
C/C++ Language and Standard Libraries
Contains language reference documentation.
JScript Reference
Contains documents about the JScript programming language. Includes properties, methods, objects, and
functions, and other elements.
.NET Framework Reference Information
Contains documents about the .NET Framework class library, compiler and language reference, and also ASP.NET
syntax, XSD reference, and other topics.