Full Description
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 of 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.
Table of Contents
Credits
Preface
Chapter 1. Master Projects and Solutions
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Index
