Chapter 1. The Visual Studio .NET IDE

IN BRIEF

This chapter explains and demonstrates the features and capabilities of the Visual Studio .NET integrated development environment (IDE). The first section talks about the basics of the IDE. You will learn how to customize the Help system, lay out the keyboard according to your preferences, maximize your viewable area, and get a basic understanding of developer profiles. In addition, we will explore the different tool windows within the IDE.

In the next section, we will discuss how to work with different document types. You will learn how to enhance the text editor, edit HTML files, binary files, Extensible Markup Language (XML) files, and how to find help where you need it.

Finally, the chapter will explain how to use external tools within the Visual Studio .NET environment. You will learn how to define your own tools and launch them from within the IDE.

WHAT YOU NEED

RECOMMENDED SOFTWARE	Visual Studio .NET
RECOMMENDED HARDWARE	.NET-enabled desktop client
SKILLS REQUIRED	Basic computer operation

THE VISUAL STUDIO .NET IDE AT A GLANCE

Window Management and Customization		7
	Customized Interfaces with Visual Studio .NET's "Developer Profiles"	7	Maximizing Your Viewable Area	9
	Configuring Keyboard Shortcuts	8	Using Visual Studio .NET 2003's Dockable Windows	10
	Filtering the MSDN Help	9
Understanding Visual Studio .NET 2003's Tool Windows		14
Working with Documents		18
	Enhancing the Text Editor	18	Editing XML	29
	Finding Help Where You Need It	22	Editing Binary Files	30
	Editing HTML	26
Using External Tools		30
	Defining Your Own Tools	31
Summary		32
Further Reading		32