Productivity guide for Visual Studio

Article • 08/08/2023

Applies to: Visual Studio Visual Studio for Mac Visual Studio Code

If you want to save time while you're writing code, you're in the right place. This productivity
guide includes tips that can help you get started with Visual Studio, write code, debug code,
handle errors, and use keyboard shortcuts—all on one page.

For information about helpful keyboard shortcuts, see Productivity shortcuts. For a complete
list of command shortcuts, see Default keyboard shortcuts.

Get started
Save time digging through menus by quickly searching for anything you need, including
commands, settings, documentation, and install options. See keyboard shortcuts for
commands within your search results in Visual Studio so you can memorize them more easily.

• Mock code using task list. If you don't have enough requirements to complete a piece
of code, use Task List to track code comments that use tokens such as TODO and HACK ,
or custom tokens, and to manage shortcuts that take you directly to a predefined
location in code. For more information, see Use the Task List.

• Use Solution Explorer shortcuts. If you're new to Visual Studio, these shortcuts come in
handy and save you time while you're coming up to speed on a new codebase. For the
full list of shortcuts, see Default keyboard shortcuts in Visual Studio.

• Identify and customize keyboard shortcuts in Visual Studio. You can identify keyboard
shortcuts for Visual Studio commands, customize those shortcuts, and export them for
others to use. You can always find and change a keyboard shortcut in the Options
dialog box.

• Make Visual Studio more accessible. Visual Studio has built-in accessibility features that
are compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies. See Accessibility
tips and tricks for Visual Studio for the full list of available features.

• Check out the Visual Studio Product Lifecycle and Servicing. For information on how
to get updates for Visual Studio, support options for Enterprise and Professional
customers, support for older versions of Visual Studio, and components not covered by
Visual Studio servicing, see Visual Studio Product Lifecycle and Servicing.

• Install and manage NuGet packages in Visual Studio. The NuGet Package Manager UI
in Visual Studio on Windows allows you to easily install, uninstall, and update NuGet
 packages in projects and solutions. For more information, see Install and manage
packages in Visual Studio using the NuGet Package Manager.

Write code
Write code more quickly by using the following features.

• Use convenience commands. Visual Studio contains various commands to help you
accomplish common editing tasks faster. For example, you can choose a command to
easily duplicate a line of code without having to copy it, reposition the cursor, and then
paste it. Choose Edit > Duplicate or press Ctrl+E,V. You can also quickly expand or
contract a selection of text by choosing Edit > Advanced > Expand Selection or Edit >
Advanced > Contract Selection, or by pressing Shift+Alt+= or Shift+Alt+-.

• Use IntelliSense. As you enter code in the editor, IntelliSense information, such as List
Members, Parameter Info, Quick Info, Signature Help, and Complete Word, appears.
These features support fuzzy matching of text; for example, the results lists for List
Members include not only entries that start with the characters that you have entered
but also entries that contain the character combination anywhere in their names. For
more information, see Use IntelliSense.

• Change auto-insertion of IntelliSense options as you enter code. By switching

IntelliSense to suggestion mode, you can specify that IntelliSense options are inserted
only if you explicitly choose them.

To enable suggestion mode, choose the Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar keys, or, on the menu bar,
choose Edit > IntelliSense > Toggle Completion Mode.

• Use code snippets. You can use built-in snippets, or create your own snippets.

To insert a snippet, on the menu bar, choose Edit > IntelliSense > Insert Snippet or
Surround With, or open the shortcut menu in a file and choose Snippet > Insert
Snippet or Surround With. For more information, see Code Snippets.

• Paste JSON or XML as classes. Copy any JSON or XML text fragment to the clipboard
and then paste it as strongly typed .NET classes into any C# or Visual Basic code file. To
do so, use Edit > Paste Special > Paste JSON As Classes (or Paste XML As Classes).

• Fix code errors inline. Quick Actions let you easily refactor, generate, or otherwise
modify code with a single action. These actions can be applied using the screwdriver
or light bulb icons, or by pressing Alt+Enter or Ctrl+. when your cursor is on the
appropriate line of code. See Quick Actions for more information.

• Show and edit the definition of a code element. You can quickly show and edit the
module in which a code element, such as a member, a variable, or a local, is defined.
 To open a definition in a pop-up window, highlight the element and then choose the
Alt+F12 keys, or open the shortcut menu for the element and then choose Peek
Definition. To open a definition in a separate code window, open the shortcut menu for
the element, and then choose Go to Definition.

• Use sample applications. You can speed up application development by downloading

and installing sample applications from Microsoft Developer Network . You can also
learn a particular technology or programming concept by downloading and exploring a
Sample Pack for that area.

• Change brace formatting with Formatting/New Lines. Use the Formatting options
page to set options for formatting code in the code editor, including new lines. For
more information on how to use this setting in C#, see Options dialog box: Text Editor >
C# > Code Style > Formatting. For C++, see Set your C++ coding preferences in Visual
Studio. For Python, see Format Python code.

• Change your indentation with Tabs. Use custom editor settings, tailored to each
codebase, to enforce consistent coding styles for multiple developers working on the
same project across different editors and IDEs. Ensure your whole team follows the same
language conventions, naming conventions, and formatting rules. Since these custom
settings are portable and travel with your code, you can enforce coding styles even
outside of Visual Studio. For more information, see Options, Text Editor, All Languages,
Tabs.

• Try automatic copy and trim indentation. Copy code from Visual Studio to another
program (Outlook, Teams, etc.), without having to manually fix indentation after you
paste your code. Available in Visual Studio 2022 version 17.7 and later.

Navigate within your code and the IDE

You can use various techniques to find and move to specific locations in your code more
quickly. You can also change the layout of your Visual Studio windows based on your
preferences.

• Bookmark lines of code. You can use bookmarks to navigate quickly to specific lines of
code in a file.

To set a bookmark, on the menu bar, choose Edit > Bookmarks > Toggle Bookmark.
You can view all of the bookmarks for a solution in the Bookmarks window. For more
information, see Set bookmarks in code.

• Search for symbol definitions in a file. You can search within a solution to locate
symbol definitions and file names, but search results don't include namespaces or local
variables.
 To access this feature, on the menu bar, choose Edit > Navigate To.

• Browse the overall structure of your code. In Solution Explorer, you can search and
browse classes and their types and members in your projects. You can also search for
symbols, view a method's Call Hierarchy, find symbol references, and perform other
tasks. If you choose a code element in Solution Explorer, the associated file opens in a
Preview tab, and the cursor moves to the element in the file. For more information, see
View the structure of code.

• Jump to a location in a file with map mode. Map mode displays lines of code, in
miniature, on the scroll bar. For more information about this display mode, see How to:
Customize the scroll bar.

• Understand your code structure with code map. Code maps can help you visualize
dependencies across your code, and see how it fits together without reading through
files and lines of code. For more information, see Map dependencies with code maps.

• See frequently used files with Edit/Go to Recent File. Use the Go To commands in
Visual Studio to perform a focused search of your code to help you quickly find
specified items. For detailed instructions, see Find code using Go To commands.

• Move the Properties window to the right-hand side. If you're looking for a more
familiar window layout, you can move the Properties window in Visual Studio by
pressing F4.

Find items faster

You can search across the IDE for commands, files, and options, in addition to filtering the
contents of tool windows to show only relevant information for your current task.

• Filter the contents of tool windows. You can search within the contents of many tool
windows, such as the Toolbox, the Properties window, and Solution Explorer, but
display only items whose names contain the characters that you specify.

• Display only the errors you want to address. If you choose the Filter button on the
Error List toolbar, you can reduce the number of errors that appear in the Error List
window. You can display only the errors in the files that are open in the editor, only the
errors in the current file, or only the errors in the current project. You can also search
within the Error List window to find specific errors.

• Find dialog boxes, menu commands, options, and more. In the search box, enter
keywords or phrases for the items that you're trying to find. For example, the following
options appear if you enter new project:
 Press Ctrl+Q to jump straight to the search box.

Debug code
Debugging can take time, but the following tips can help you speed up the process.

• Use the Visual Studio debugger tools. In the Visual Studio context, when you debug
your app, it usually means that you're running the application in debugger mode. The
debugger provides many ways to see what your code is doing while it runs. See First
look at the Visual Studio Debugger for a guide to getting started.

• Set temporary breakpoints. You can create a temporary breakpoint in the current line
of code and start the debugger simultaneously. When you hit that line of code, the
debugger enters break mode. For more information, see Navigate through code with
the debugger.

To use this feature, choose the Ctrl+F10 keys, or open the shortcut menu for the line of
code on which you want to break, and then choose Run To Cursor.

• Move the execution point during debugging. You can move the current execution
point to a different section of code and then restart debugging from that point. This
technique is useful if you want to debug a section of code without having to recreate all
of the steps that are required to reach that section. For more information, see Navigate
through code with the debugger.

To move the execution point, drag the yellow arrowhead to a location where you want
to set the next statement in the same source file, and then choose the F5 key to
 continue debugging.

• Capture value information for variables. You can add a DataTip to a variable in your
code and pin it so that you can access the last known value for the variable after
debugging has finished. For more information, see View data values in Data Tips.

To add a DataTip, the debugger must be in break mode. Place the cursor on the
variable, and then choose the pin button on the DataTip that appears. When debugging
is stopped, a blue pin icon appears in the source file next to the line of code that
contains the variable. If you point to the blue pin, the value of the variable from the
most recent debugging session appears.

• Clear the Immediate window. You can erase the contents of the Immediate window at
design time by entering >cls or >Edit.ClearAll

For more information about other commands, see Visual Studio command aliases.

• Find code changes and other history with CodeLens. CodeLens lets you stay focused
on your work while you find out what happened to your code—without leaving the
editor. You can find references to a piece of code, changes to your code, linked bugs,
work items, code reviews, and unit tests.

• Use Live Share to debug in real time with others. Live Share enables you to
collaboratively edit and debug with others in real time, regardless of the programming
languages you're using or app types you're building. For more information, see What is
Visual Studio Live Share?

• Use Interactive Window to write and test small code. Visual Studio provides an
interactive read-evaluate-print-loop (REPL) window that lets you enter arbitrary code
and see immediate results. This way of coding helps you to learn and experiment with
APIs and libraries, and to interactively develop working code to include in your projects.
For Python, see Work with the Python Interactive window. The Interactive Window
feature is also available for C#.

Access Visual Studio tools

You can quickly access the Developer Command Prompt, or another Visual Studio tool, if you
pin it to the Start menu or the taskbar.

1. In Windows Explorer, browse to %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start

Menu\Programs\Visual Studio 2019\Visual Studio Tools.

2. Right-click or open the context menu for Developer Command Prompt, and then
choose Pin to Start or Pin to taskbar.
Manage files, toolbars, and windows
At any one time, you may be working in multiple code files and moving among several tool
windows as you develop an application. You can keep organized by using the following tips:

• Keep files that you frequently use visible in the editor. You can pin files to the left side
of the tab so that they remain visible regardless of how many files are open in the editor.

To pin a file, choose the file's tab, and then choose the Toggle Pin Status button.

• Move documents and windows to other monitors. If you use more than one monitor
when you develop applications, you can work on portions of your application more
easily by moving files that are open in the editor to another monitor. You can also move
tool windows, such as debugger windows, to another monitor and tab dock document
and tool windows together to create "rafts." For more information, see Customize
window layouts and personalize tabs in Visual Studio.

You can also manage files more easily by creating another instance of Solution Explorer
and moving it to another monitor. To create another instance of Solution Explorer, open
a shortcut menu in Solution Explorer, and then choose New Solution Explorer View.

• Customize the fonts that appear in Visual Studio. You can change the font face, size,
and color that's used for text in the IDE. For example, you can customize the color of
specific code elements in the editor and the font face in tool windows or throughout the
IDE. For more information, see How to: Change fonts and colors and How to: Change
fonts and colors in the editor.

See also
• Visual Studio tips and tricks blog post
• Default keyboard shortcuts for frequently used commands
• How to: Customize menus and toolbars
• Walkthrough: Create an application
• Accessibility tips and tricks