 | Understanding Visual Studio's Default Namespaces
When files for classes and some other types are added to a project, Visual Studio automatically adds a namespace definition. The decision of which namespace to apply is based upon the structure of the project and a simple setting. |
| Visual Studio Code Definition Window
When working with large projects with numerous classes and references, it can be difficult to remember how every method works. The Code Definition Window helps by automatically looking up definitions and displaying their signatures or source code. |
| Using the Simplest Type Name in a Snippet
Code snippets are used to insert commonly-used fragments into source code files. When those snippets include type names the inserted name must be fully qualified or relative to a using directive. This can be automated with the SimpleTypeName function. |
| Visual Studio IDE Navigator Thumbnails
The IDE Navigator provides a quick tool for switching between open code and designer windows or to cycle through tool windows. In Visual Studio 2008 this included a thumbnail preview. In Visual Studio 2010 this has been removed but may be re-enabled. |
| Visual Studio IDE Navigator
Some software developers like to have many code windows and tool windows open at the same time, whilst others prefer to minimise the number, as it can be difficult to find a desired window. The Visual Studio IDE Navigator attempts to simplify navigation. |
| Compiling Unsafe Code in Visual Studio
Classes, structures and their members can be marked as unsafe when developing using C#. Unsafe code is required for some interoperability scenarios and can improve performance. As the compiled code can be unstable, normal compilation is not supported. |
| Visual Studio Automatic File Recovery
Visual Studio 2005 and later editions include a feature that automatically creates recovery data for unsaved project files. If the IDE closes unexpectedly, this recovery data can be used to recreate the unsaved files, minimising the loss of work. |
| Show Assemblies in the Add Reference Dialog Box
Visual Studio's Add Reference dialog box allows assemblies to reference each other in order that code from one assembly can be accessed from another. The use of the dialog box can be improved by including custom assemblies in the standard list. |
| Tracking Changes in Visual Studio
The Visual Studio code editor includes lots of features to assist developers. One of these is the ability to track changes. When code is modified, a colour coded bar in the margin indicates the current status of the code compared to the saved file. |
| Visual Studio 2010 Visual Experience
Visual Studio 2010 was the first version of Microsoft's integrated development environment to use Windows Presentation Foundation for its graphical rendering. This allows richer graphics and animations with hardware acceleration but can cause problems. |