Tool Windows Tool windows are the outlying windows surrounding the source code view which contain specialized functions and views that complement the item currently being edited. Common Tool Windows The following is a list of the default tool windows within the IDE and the functions that they perform: -
Solution Explorer ” This window displays the hierarchical organization of the files within your project. The layout of the files directly mirrors the layout of the files on the file system. Additionally, deleting a file from the Solution Explorer also deletes the file from the hard drive. You can also remove a project from the Solution Explorer, but the files remain on the file system. By default, any supporting files for a file in your project are hidden, such as resource files for Windows Form projects. To view the extra files, click on the Show All Files button in the Solution Explorer window. -
Class View ” This window displays all the data types within a project. Double-clicking on a class name , method, variable, interface, or other data type takes you to that type's definition within the source window. You can customize the layout of this window by clicking the organize toolbar button. For instance, selecting the Group by Type places all classes within a single group , and within each class a folder is created for all methods , variables , properties, delegates, and other language constructs. -
Resource Window ” The Resource window displays any resources that you have created for your application. However, the Resource Window is used for Visual C++ resource files ( .rc ), which means that it is empty for C# projects. -
Properties ” Otherwise known as the Property Browser, the Properties window uses a Property Grid .NET control and reflection techniques to show a list of properties for a selected type. For instance, selecting a Button control within the Window Form Designer displays the properties for the Button class, allowing you to change them as you see fit. You also use the Properties window to create event handlers for control events by selecting the lightning bolt icon within the Properties window toolbar. -
Dynamic Help ” The first version of Visual Studio .NET introduced a unique concept of obtaining help, which automatically displays MSDN help items based on the current context you are editing in. For instance, clicking on the class keyword within the source code window displays relevant topics associated with creating and using classes. -
Server Explorer ” The Server Explorer window displays any data connections that you have established within the IDE, allowing you to view and edit databases. For instance, installing SQL Server and creating data connections to a particular database allows you to edit the tables, perform database queries, and even edit stored procedures using the Visual Studio .NET Query Builder designer. Additionally, the Server Explorer displays local Windows-specific technologies related to the system such as performance counters, event logs, message queues, and services. You can add these items to a Windows Form application, and the necessary .NET object is created to interact with that item. -
Toolbox ” The Toolbox window contains all the controls and components that you can use in a Windows application, ASP.NET Web application, and .NET applications that use the .NET Compact Framework. Several tabs are available within the toolbox, but you see only those that are relevant to the designer you are working in. In other words, if you are creating a Windows Form application, the Web Forms Toolbox tab is hidden from view. To view all the available tabs in the toolbox, right-click on it and select the Show All Tabs menu item. Preset Layouts and Developer Profiles Visual Studio .NET ships with several defined window layouts tailored to a particular developer's style and experience level. To access the list of profiles, select the Profiles tab from the Visual Studio .NET start page. The default profile is named Visual Studio Developer, but you can change the profile to appear more like Visual C++ 6.0, for instance, by setting the profile to Visual C++ Developer or more like Visual Basic 6.0 by setting the profile to Visual Basic Developer. Changing these profiles also changes the keyboard scheme, window layout, and help filter. Docking A docking window is a window that is anchored to a particular area of the IDE surrounding the main source view window. For instance, the Solution Explorer and Class View windows are docked along the top-right edge of the IDE with the Properties window and Dynamic Help along the bottom-right edge. You can change the location of the windows by dragging their toolbars and dropping them in a location. As you drag the windows, a gray rectangle shows the location of the window if it were dropped at that time. If multiple windows occupy the same space, a tab control allows you to tab between the different tool windows. To add a new item to a tab group, drag the toolbar of the window you want to dock onto the tab groups, and you see the outline of a new tab. You can also create a floating window, which is not anchored to the IDE. On the main development system, for instance, you might keep a floating output window that is displayed on a second monitor as well as a debug watch window. Auto-Hiding With so many available tool windows, the IDE can soon get cluttered, especially on monitors running in low resolutions . The Visual Studio .NET IDE allows you to auto-hide windows. Click on the upper-right push-pin button in the tool window's title bar to auto-hide that window. When you do so, the window collapses to the edge of the IDE and a tab appears with a label denoting the name of the tool window. If you hover your mouse over the tool window, it slides into place. If you auto-hide a tool window that is within a tab group, all the tab windows within that group collapse. |
