Microsoft Visual Studio Tips and Tricks!

Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 contains hundreds of productivity enhancing features. Perhaps you didn't know you could do these. Perhaps you've used some of these before and have just forgotten. Here is a short list of quick tips to keep you moving along in Visual Studio.

You can find many, many more in these printable charts from Microsoft found at the following links:

Visual C++ 2005 Keyboard Shortcuts

Visual C# 2005 Keyboard Shortcuts

Visual Basic 2005 Keyboard Shortcuts

Editor's Favorites

• CTRL-SHIFT-B or F7 to build your solution
• CTRL-] to jump between matching braces!

The IntelliSense Suggestion Box

• If you press and hold Ctrl then press "k" and "p," it re-opens the suggestion box. For instance, if you type:
  
  Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics(

  after the first parenthesis, a bubble pops up suggesting what to write next. If you accidently exit from there, you can easily re-open it by pressing the above keys.

• CTRL-J shows only members in the IntelliSense completion list.

Format your Code

• CTRL-K-D to auto-format your code
• CTRL-K-C to Comment a block of code
• CTRL-K-U to Uncomment a block of code or CTRL-e-d and CTRL-e-c and CTRL-e-u
• CTRL-M and CTRL-L will collapse/expand all outlining.
• CTRL-M-O and CTRL-M-P to open and close all regions of code.
• CTRL-K, CTRL-C/CTRL-U to comment/uncomment a selection.
• Type three slashes above any method prototype to comment your methods, and the information is displayed in a drop down box.

The Powerful Command Window

• Type prop and tab and it will insert a code snippet to assist with property and backing fields for variables.
• Type threads in the command window to display the Threads window.

Debugging

• F10, F11 Step Over, Step Into a statement
• CTRL-ALT-H display the Thread List window.
• CTRL-ALT-M,1 display the Memory window.
• CTRL-ALT-C or ALT-7 display the call stack window.
• ALT-3 display the Watch window

Customize Your Own Shortcuts!

You can create your own custom shortcuts! Simply click Tools > Options... > Environment > Keyboard. You can save different versions of shortcuts in settings files by exporting them. Choose Tools > Import and Export Settings. . . to start the import/export wizard.