Visual Studio Hacks - Tips & Tools for Turbocharging the IDE

With start-up templates for projects ranging from Windows applications to web services, and extensive help and on-line documentation, Visual Studio .NET might be mistaken for a tool for unsophisticated users. It's true that most developers soon discover that the basic operation of Visual Studio is fairly self-explanatory; less obvious are some of the suite's more advanced built-in features.
Visual Studio .Net includes a wealth of little-used capabilities, is very customizable, has a complete automation model, and much more. On top its regular feature set, there are hosts of free add-ins, macros, and power toys that can further enhance the functionality of Visual Studio. This book is all about exploring these things, and in doing so, becoming a better and more efficient developer.
Developers will learn how to: Get the most out of projects and solutions, including getting down and dirty with the undocumented format of project and solution files - Use these editor features to the fullest, and add additional functionality to the editor through the use of third-party add-ins - Learn smarter ways to navigate the application and your own source code - Customize shortcut keys, toolbars, menus, the toolbox, and much more - Use the debugger successfully not only on your source code, but with T-SQL and scripting languages as well - Automatically generate code - Learn how the server can be used to interface with databases, services, and performance counters, as well as WMI - Use and create Visual Studio add-ins to extend its functionality.
Offering valuable tips, tools, and tricks, Visual Studio Hacks takes you far beyond the suite's usual capabilities. You can read this book from cover to cover or, because each hack stands its own, you can feel free to browse and jump to the different sections that interest you most. If there's a prerequisite you need to know about, a cross-reference will guide you to the right hack.
If you want to experience the full spectrum of Visual Studio's functionality and flexibility, you'll find the perfect guide for exploration in Visual Studio Hacks. Once the final page is turned, you can confidently say that you've been exposed to everything that Visual Studio .NET is capable of doing.

List of contents

Credits;
About the Author;
Contributors;
Acknowledgments;
Preface;
Preface;
Why Visual Studio Hacks?;
How to Use This Book;
An Important Note About Keyboard Shortcuts;
How This Book Is Organized;
Conventions;
Using Code Examples;
Safari Enabled;
How to Contact Us;
Got a Hack?;
Chapter 1: Master Projects and Solutions;
1.1 Hacks 1-5;
1 Manage Projects and Solutions;
2 Master Assembly and Project References;
3 Organize Projects and Solutions;
4 Hack the Project and Solution Files;
5 Remove SourceSafe Bindings;
Chapter 2: Master the Editor;
2.1 Hacks 6-15;
6 Master the Clipboard;
7 Make Pasting into Visual Studio Easier;
8 Master IntelliSense;
9 Master Regions;
10 Add Guidelines to the Text Editor;
11 Select the Best Editor;
12 Customize Syntax Coloring;
13 Edit the Most Recent File and Project Lists;
14 Refactor Your Code;
15 Use and Share Code Snippets;
Chapter 3: Navigating Visual Studio;
3.1 Hacks 16-23;
16 Take Control of Your Workspace;
17 Find Files Quickly;
18 Search Files Quickly;
19 Search for Patterns in Your Files;
20 Navigate Your Source Code;
21 Never Forget a TODO Again;
22 Hack the Mouse;
23 Enhance the Tabs in Visual Studio;
Chapter 4: Customizing Visual Studio;
4.1 Hacks 24-35;
24 Create Your Own Shortcuts;
25 Customize Menus and Toolbars;
26 Create Custom Window Layouts;
27 Customize the Toolbox;
28 Package Your Toolbox Settings;
29 Add Support for Nonstandard File Extensions;
30 Hack the Registry;
31 Save and Move Your IDE Settings;
32 Enable IntelliSense for HTML and XML Documents;
33 Add an External Tool;
34 Customize Your Project Build Process;
35 Modify the Build Output and Navigate the Results;
Chapter 5: Debugging;
5.1 Hacks 36-43;
36 Set Breakpoints;
37 Troubleshoot Breakpoints;
38 Customize Visual Studio's Reaction to Exceptions;
39 Debug Scripting Code;
40 Debug SQL Server;
41 Debug a Running Process;
42 Debug a Failing Application;
43 Write a Custom Visualizer;
Chapter 6: Speed Hacks;
6.1 Hacks 44-58;
44 Speed Up Visual Studio;
45 Load Files from the Command Prompt;
46 Master the Command Window;
47 Build a Custom Tool;
48 Extend the Application Configuration File;
49 Generate Strongly Typed DataSets;
50 Define Templates for Generating Code;
51 Create a Macro;
52 Generate Code with Macros;
53 Create Connection Strings Quickly;
54 Quickly Sign Assemblies;
55 Update Project References Quickly;
56 Automatically Add using and Imports Statements;
57 Insert Commonly Used Code Automatically;
58 Move Quickly Between Source Control Providers;
Chapter 7: Help and Research;
7.1 Hacks 59-67;
59 Get Help;
60 Search the Internet from Visual Studio;
61 Redirect Help to Google;
62 Use P/Invoke with Ease;
63 Examine the IL Generated by Your Code;
64 Examine the Innards of Assemblies;
65 Follow the Rules with FxCop;
66 Generate Statistics on Your C# Code;
67 Profile Heap Allocations;
Chapter 8: Comments and Documentation;
8.1 Hacks 68-72;
68 Master C# XML Comments;
69 Create Comments Faster;
70 Create XML Comments with VB.NET;
71 Create Documentation from XML Comments;
72 Integrate Your Own Documentation into Visual Studio;
Chapter 9: Server Explorer Hacks;
9.1 Hacks 73-76;
73 Access Performance Counters;
74 Diagram and Modify a Database;
75 Script Your Database;
76 Enumerate Processes, Drives, Shares, and More;
Chapter 10: Work with Visual Studio Tools;
10.1 Hacks 77-82;
77 Master the Visual Studio Command Prompt;
78 Launch Visual Studio from the Command Prompt;
79 Stress Test Web Applications;
80 Obfuscate Your Code;
81 Generate Code from UML;
82 Generate UML Design Documents from Code;
Chapter 11: Visual Studio Tools for Office;
11.1 Hacks 83-85;
83 Install Visual Studio Tools for Office 2003;
84 Create a Command Bar in Word 2003;
85 Display a Windows Form from Excel 2003;
Chapter 12: Extending Visual Studio;
12.1 Hacks 86-91;
86 Automate Visual Studio;
87 Access Visual Studio from Standalone Applications;
88 Create a File Template;
89 Writing a Visual Studio Add-in;
90 Find the Name of That Command Bar;
91 Change the Icon for Your Add-in;
Chapter 13: Enhancing Visual Studio;
13.1 Hacks 92-100;
92 Manage Add-ins;
93 Run Unit Tests Inside Visual Studio;
94 Spellcheck Your Code and Comments;
95 View an Outline of Your Controls;
96 Blog Code from Visual Studio;
97 Collapse and Expand Your Code;
98 Combine the Visual Studio Command Prompt and the Command Window;
99 Generate Web Services Code;
100 Test Regular Expressions in Visual Studio;
Colophon;

About the author

James Avery has been programming with Microsoft technologies for the last 7 years and has been working with .NET since the second beta release. He is currently working as a consultant in the Cincinnati area building enterprise-level .NET applications. James has worked on a number of different books. He has also written articles for MSDN magazine, ASPToday, and is a frequent blogger. James Avery has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP, ASPInsider, and is an MCSD.NET.

Summary

This hands-on guide is designed for developers who want to go far beyond the obvious features of Visual Studio, a feature-rich Integrated Development Environment (IDE). It takes the reader on a detailed tour through code editor hacks, all manners of customization, even external tools such as PowerToys. Full of valuable tips, tools, and tricks.

Product details

• Authors: James Avery, James Henry Avery, Avery James
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.01.2005
• EAN: 9780596008475
• ISBN: 978-0-596-00847-5
• No. of pages: 478
• Weight: 680 g
• Illustrations: w. figs.
• Series: Hacks; Hacks
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > IT, data processing > Application software; Visual Studio, hacks