DEV330 Visual Studio.NET IDE Tips and Tricks Billy Hollis Author / consultant

Agenda A tour of the Visual Studio IDE Customizing window layouts The code editor Useful Options The Server Explorer Using and extending Help Macros Miscellaneous tips and tricks Introducing VS.NET Power Toys

A tour of the IDE Two types of windows - editor/designer and tool windows Component Tray Toolbox/Server Explorer Solution Explorer / Help Windows Property Window / Dynamic Help Task List / Debug / Output Windows Class View, XML / HTML editors

Customizing Window Layouts Rearrangement Docking / undocking Autohide Notice difference in dragging tab vs. dragging title bar Right click to make floating only – e.g. Search/Replace window Navigate with Ctrl-Tab Restore window layout in options

The Code Editor Outlining Outlining menu Ctrl key shortcuts (Ctrl-M, Ctrl-O, Ctrl-L) Regions Numbering lines (built-in macro) Word wrap (Ctrl-R toggles it) Clipboard ring Go back, go forward Alt-drag for rectangular selection Incremental Search (Ctrl-Alt-i)

Useful Options Startup behaviour Option Strict On for all new projects Fonts / colors (I use Lucida Console for text editor) Default location of solutions Dynamic help Items in MRU list

Server Explorer Performance Counter Event Log Start / Stop Windows Service Database tables and fields Show / edit stored procedures Drag stored procedure to get command object

Using and Extending Help Favorites Change font size for Help Help in external Internet Explorer TOC, Index, Search tools Help Filters Integrating your own help content Download VSHIK authoring kit from MSDNVSHIK authoring kit New topics display just like original help, and appear in index topics and search lists

Macros Record macros, similar to Word Macro IDE (Visual Basic code only) Step through macros while executing Hook keystroke to macro Sample macros included with VS.NET

Miscellaneous Tips and Tricks Drag code snippets to tool box Right-click to reset property Task list - right-click for description tooltip Edit while debugging Old style toolbox Return to start page When in customize mode, can resize text elements in the toolbars (works in Word, too)

Command Line Switches Devenv /? Devenv /command Devenv /safemode Devenv /setup

Introducing… Visual Studio Power Toys! Cool utilities that extend the IDE Developed by the Visual Studio team Available on GotDotNet Discussion forms Signed binaries Full source available Give us your feedback!

Visual Studio PowerToys 1 VSTweak VSEdit VSWindowLayouts

Visual Studio PowerToys 2 VB Commenter Add XML doc comments to VB Code Can be used to generate Help files Custom Help Builder Create Help content for VS Create setup to deploy & install content

Future Visual Studio PowerToys VSMouseBindings VSCMDShell VSTransparency Coming soon to the Visual Studio PowerToys site on GotDotNet!

Ask The Experts Get Your Questions Answered Billy will be in the Ask the Experts booth Wednesday afternoon from 14:00 to 16:00

Community Resources Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Newsgroups Converse online with Microsoft Newsgroups, including Worldwide User Groups Meet and learn with your peers

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