"Pimp My IDE": 101 Visual Studio tips, tricks, and add-ins

May 12, 2008 · 3 min read

Here are the links from my May 12, 2008 presentation at the St. Louis C# User Group:

1.VS 2008 Product Comparisonhttp://shrinkster.com/XH1  VS2008
2.Change startup optionshttp://shrinkster.com/XYD VS2005VS2008
3.Change home pagehttp://shrinkster.com/XYD VS2005VS2008
4.LINQPadhttp://shrinkster.com/XGZ  VS2008
5.Importing/Exporting Settingshttp://shrinkster.com/XZJVS2003VS2005VS2008
6.Consolas font on Windows XPhttp://shrinkster.com/XQ7VS2003VS2005VS2008
7.Tab groups (code editor windows)http://shrinkster.com/XZKVS2003VS2005VS2008
8.line numberinghttp://shrinkster.com/XZKVS2003VS2005VS2008
9.Navigate forward (Ctrl-minus) and backward (Ctrl-plus)http://shrinkster.com/XM8VS2003VS2005VS2008
10.Incremental Search: Ctrl-Ihttp://shrinkster.com/XHCVS2003VS2005VS2008
11.Ctrl-Tab to select from open windowshttp://shrinkster.com/XPWVS2003VS2005VS2008
12.Type-ahead in Solution Explorerhttp://shrinkster.com/XQ4VS2003VS2005VS2008
13.Flat Solution Explorerhttp://shrinkster.com/XWK VS2005 
14.Sonic File Finderhttp://shrinkster.com/XR3 VS2005VS2008
15.Source Code Outlinerhttp://shrinkster.com/XWJ VS2005VS2008
16.Document Outlinehttp://shrinkster.com/XR7 VS2005VS2008
17.Hide Solution Foldershttp://shrinkster.com/XQ3 VS2005VS2008
18.PowerCommands for Visual Studio 2008: Clear All Paneshttp://shrinkster.com/WI3  VS2008
19.PowerCommands for Visual Studio 2008: Show All Fileshttp://shrinkster.com/WI3  VS2008
20.PowerCommands for Visual Studio 2008: Undo Closehttp://shrinkster.com/WI3  VS2008
21.PowerCommands for Visual Studio 2008: Open Containing Folderhttp://shrinkster.com/WI3  VS2008
22.Open in HTML view instead of designer: Tools | Options | HTML Designer | Start pages in…http://shrinkster.com/XZLVS2003VS2005VS2008
23.Editor Guidelineshttp://shrinkster.com/XH2VS2003VS2005VS2008
24.Select Block Text: Alt-Draghttp://shrinkster.com/XHBVS2003VS2005VS2008
25.Hide Selection: Edit | Advanced | Hide Selection or Ctrl-M, Ctrl-Hhttp://shrinkster.com/XIKVS2003VS2005VS2008
26.Select Entire String literal: Double-click to left of opening quotehttp://shrinkster.com/XWZVS2003VS2005VS2008
27.Ctrl-] - finds matching closing token: }, ), #endregionhttp://shrinkster.com/XX2VS2003VS2005VS2008
28.Convert to upper (Ctrl-Shift-U) or lower (Ctrl-U) casehttp://shrinkster.com/XQ8VS2003VS2005VS2008
29.Multi-line Search And Replacehttp://shrinkster.com/XZ8VS2003VS2005VS2008
30.Transpose: Ctrl-T (character), Ctrl-Shift-T (word), Alt-Shift-T (line)http://shrinkster.com/XIMVS2003VS2005VS2008
31.VS2008 C# Keyboard Shortcuts posterhttp://shrinkster.com/XPQ  VS2008
32.Visual Studio 2008 Keyboard Shortcuts Referencehttp://shrinkster.com/XYC  VS2008
33.Keyboard Jedihttp://shrinkster.com/XWLVS2003VS2005VS2008
34.Shift-F10 launches context menu (like right-click)http://shrinkster.com/XX3VS2003VS2005VS2008
35.Toggle between Designer (Shift-F7) and code-behind (F7)http://shrinkster.com/XPVVS2003VS2005VS2008
36.Tab to next (F8) / previous (Shift-F8) errorhttp://shrinkster.com/XPYVS2003VS2005VS2008
37.Ctrl-F4 closes current documenthttp://shrinkster.com/XQ5VS2003VS2005VS2008
38.Ctrl-. (dot) shows "smart tags" (e.g. add Using)http://shrinkster.com/XY9  VS2008
39.F12: Go to definitionhttp://shrinkster.com/XYHVS2003VS2005VS2008
40.Shift-F12 = find all referenceshttp://shrinkster.com/XZLVS2003VS2005VS2008
41.Comment (Ctrl-K, Ctrl-C) / uncomment (Ctrl-K, Ctrl-U)http://shrinkster.com/XZKVS2003VS2005VS2008
42.Format document (Ctrl-K, Ctrl-D) or selection (Ctrl-K, Ctrl-F)http://shrinkster.com/XZKVS2003VS2005VS2008
43.Outlining: Collapse All (Ctrl-M, Ctrl-O) / Expand All (Ctrl-M, Ctrl-L)http://shrinkster.com/XZKVS2003VS2005VS2008
44.Ctrl-C, Ctrl-X, Ctrl-L, Shift-Delete without selection operate on the current linehttp://shrinkster.com/XWUVS2003VS2005VS2008
45.Drag/Drop code to Toolboxhttp://shrinkster.com/XH8VS2003VS2005VS2008
46.Clipboard Ring - Ctrl-Shift-Vhttp://shrinkster.com/XHAVS2003VS2005VS2008
47.SmartPasterhttp://shrinkster.com/XR4VS2003VS2005VS2008
48.Code Snippets Managerhttp://shrinkster.com/XYW VS2005VS2008
49.Edit / Create snippetshttp://shrinkster.com/XYU VS2005VS2008
50.GotCodeSnippets.nethttp://shrinkster.com/XYV VS2005VS2008
51."Export as Code Snippet" Add-Inhttp://shrinkster.com/XYJ  VS2008
52.<code:keep>http://shrinkster.com/XZ4 VS2005VS2008
53.T4 Code Generation Templateshttp://shrinkster.com/XR2 VS2005VS2008
54.T4 Editorhttp://shrinkster.com/XYT VS2005VS2008
55.PowerCommands for Visual Studio 2008: Transform Templateshttp://shrinkster.com/WI3  VS2008
56.Step into framework codehttp://shrinkster.com/XYP  VS2008
57.DataTable visualizerhttp://shrinkster.com/Y0A VS2005VS2008
58.Molehttp://shrinkster.com/WI7 VS2005VS2008
59.GhostDochttp://shrinkster.com/XH6VS2003VS2005VS2008
60.Sandcastle: msdn-style documentation builderhttp://shrinkster.com/XYZ VS2005VS2008
61.Sandcastle Help File Builder: nDoc-style GUIhttp://shrinkster.com/XZ1 VS2005VS2008
62.Refactor! for ASP.NET: ASP.NET refactoringshttp://shrinkster.com/XM2 VS2005VS2008
63.Refactor!: Extract Methodhttp://shrinkster.com/XM2 VS2005VS2008
64.Refactor!: Extract Propertyhttp://shrinkster.com/XM2 VS2005VS2008
65.Refactor!: Introduce Constanthttp://shrinkster.com/XM2 VS2005VS2008
66.Refactor!: Flatten Conditionalhttp://shrinkster.com/XM2 VS2005VS2008
67.Refactor!: Reverse Conditionalhttp://shrinkster.com/XM2 VS2005VS2008
68.Refactor!: Create Overloadhttp://shrinkster.com/XM2 VS2005VS2008
69.Refactor!: Reorder Parametershttp://shrinkster.com/XM2 VS2005VS2008
70.Refactor!: Encapsulate Fieldhttp://shrinkster.com/XM2 VS2005VS2008
71.Ctrl-K, Ctrl-S = "surround with"http://shrinkster.com/XZLVS2003VS2005VS2008
72.PowerCommands for Visual Studio 2008: Remove and Sort Usingshttp://shrinkster.com/WI3  VS2008
73.PowerCommands for Visual Studio 2008: Format Document / Remove & Sort Usings on Savehttp://shrinkster.com/WI3  VS2008
74.PowerCommands for Visual Studio 2008: Copy / Paste Classhttp://shrinkster.com/WI3  VS2008
75.PowerCommands for Visual Studio 2008: Copy / Paste Referenceshttp://shrinkster.com/WI3  VS2008
76.PowerCommands for Visual Studio 2008: Copy as Project Referencehttp://shrinkster.com/WI3  VS2008
77.Regioneratehttp://shrinkster.com/XQX VS2005VS2008
78.ClearRegions Macrohttp://shrinkster.com/XYXVS2003VS2005VS2008
79.Ctrl-Shift-R: Record Macrohttp://shrinkster.com/XZKVS2003VS2005VS2008
80.TestDriven.nethttp://shrinkster.com/XR1VS2003VS2005VS2008
81.NUnit For VShttp://shrinkster.com/XM3 VS2005VS2008
82.Go to Reflector - via TestDriven.net add-inhttp://shrinkster.com/XR1VS2003VS2005VS2008
83.Class Designerhttp://shrinkster.com/XYE VS2005VS2008
84.ModelingPowerToys: Layout toolbar enabledhttp://shrinkster.com/XYF  VS2008
85.ModelingPowerToys: Floating property gridhttp://shrinkster.com/XYF  VS2008
86.ModelingPowerToys: Ctrl-Alt-Draghttp://shrinkster.com/XYF  VS2008
87.ModelingPowerToys: Export as Image or HTMLhttp://shrinkster.com/XYF  VS2008
88.ModelingPowerToys: Filteringhttp://shrinkster.com/XYF  VS2008
89.ModelingPowerToys: Thumbnail viewhttp://shrinkster.com/XYF  VS2008
90.StickyNoteshttp://shrinkster.com/XZB  VS2008
91.Microsoft Robotics Studiohttp://shrinkster.com/XZC VS2005VS2008
92.XNA Game Studiohttp://shrinkster.com/XZ7  VS2008
93.PowerCommands for Visual Studio 2008: Email Code Snippethttp://shrinkster.com/WI3  VS2008
94.ComponentOne IntelliSpell Community Editionhttp://shrinkster.com/XZ5 VS2005VS2008
95.OxyProject Metricshttp://shrinkster.com/XZA VS2005VS2008
96.SlickEdit Gadgetshttp://shrinkster.com/XZ9 VS2005VS2008
97.Visual Studio Hacks: The Bookhttp://shrinkster.com/XZ2VS2003VS2005VS2008
98.Visual Studio Hacks: The web sitehttp://shrinkster.com/XZ3VS2003VS2005VS2008
99.Sara Ford\'s Tip of the Dayhttp://shrinkster.com/XPXVS2003VS2005VS2008
100.Visual Studio 2008 Developer\'s Centerhttp://shrinkster.com/XYA  VS2008
101.Visual Studio Galleryhttp://shrinkster.com/XH5 VS2005VS2008
This article is part of the GWB Archives. Original Author: Brian Schroer

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