Visual StudioTips and Tricks

AdvancedZain Naboulsi

Developer Evangelist

Microsoft

Email:zainnab@microsoft.comTwitter:@zainnab

Blog:blogs.msdn.com/

visualstudiotips

http://www.amazon.com/Coding-Faster-Getting-Productive-Microsoft/dp/0735649928/

User Groups

.NET User Groups BR, NOLA, Lafayette, Shreveport, and Hammond

ALM User GroupStarting Sept 2011 (Mike Moles)

SharePoint User GroupsBR, NOLA, Lafayette, and Shreveport

Classic Help

Get your contents back

Just like “old school” help

Requires online help option

Item / Project Templates

Roll your own templates for items and projects

Cut down significantly on time to get started coding

ResetSettings Switch

Resets settings to defaults

Useful for multi-layout scenarios

Can export settings (like windows layouts) and modify shortcuts to use them

Multiple Startup Projects

Solution Properties

Can set the order of startup for projects

Customize Find Results

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0\Find

String:Find result format

Sample:$f$e($l,$c):$t\r\n

Files$p      path                        $f      filename                $v      drive/unc share             $d      dir                         $n      name                        $e      .ext                   

Location $l      line                         $c      col                         $x      end col if on first line, else end of first line $L      span end line $C      span end col

Text $0      matched text                 $t      text of first line $s      summary of hit $T      text of spanned lines

Char \n      newline                    \s      space                      \t      tab                         \\      slash                     \$      $                 

Select to Last Go Back Marker

CTRL + =

Selects from current location to last marker

Go Back Markershttp://blogs.msdn.com/b/zainnab/archive/2010/03/01/navigate-backward-and-navigate-forward-vstipedit0024.aspx

Import / Export DataTips

Pinned Data Tips can be imported and exported

Debug -> Import / Export Data Tips

Generate from UsageUsed to automatically create stub code

Enables you to use classes and members before you define them

Call Stack Breakpoints

Breakpoints (and tracepoints) can be set in the Call Stack

Great way to work with deep stacks

DebuggingStart With vs. Start Without

Start Without Debugging just means it doesn’t attach the debugger

Start Without Debugging is NOT a Release build