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Visual Studio
VS 2010+

Visual Studio 2010 Multi-Monitor Support

Support for developers with more than one monitor was limited in Visual Studio 2008 and earlier versions, only permitting tool windows to be undocked from the integrated development environment. Multi-monitor support is improved with Visual Studio 2010.

Floating Document Windows

In earlier versions of Visual Studio, support for users with multiple monitors was limited. Toolboxes could be undocked from the integrated development environment (IDE) and moved onto separate screens. However, the code editor windows were fixed in place when using tabbed layout and restricted to remain within the IDE's main window in MDI layout. In Visual Studio 2010, the ability to undock code editor windows has been introduced. These windows can then be repositioned and resized independently of the IDE, allowing true multi-monitor support.

To undock a tabbed window, you can right-click the appropriate tab and choose "Float" from the context-sensitive menu that appears. Alternatively, you can drag the tab away from its tab group. Once unodcked, the editor window can be resized and moved like any other window.

If you wish to redock a floating window within the IDE, simple drag it back towards the middle of the main window. A docking tool, as pictured below, will appear automatically. This has five zones that you can release the window into. Dropping the window into the central zone makes the window dock within the full document area or tab group. The other four zones cause the creation of a new tab group containing the newly docked editor. You can also redock a window by right-clicking its title bar and choosing "Dock as Tabbed Document".

NB: Both docking commands are also available from the Window menu.

Visual Studio 2010 Multi Monitor Support

26 April 2010