Menus in C#

Creation Code128 in C# Menus

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Bookmarks are useful for marking spots in your code and easily navigating from marked spot to marked spot. There are several context-sensitive commands on the Bookmarks submenu (listed in Table 2-2). Note that, unless you add the item to the task list, bookmarks are lost when you close the file, although they are saved when you close the solution (as long as the file was still open).

Table 2-2. Bookmark commands Command Toggle Bookmark Description Places or removes a bookmark at the current line. When a bookmark is set, a blue rectangular icon will appear in the column along the left edge of the code window. Enables or disables the checkboxes for all bookmarks in the Bookmarks window (does not remove bookmarks). Moves to the previous bookmark. Moves to the next bookmark. Removes the bookmark. Moves to the previous bookmark in the folder. Moves to the next bookmark in the folder. Moves to the previous bookmark in the current document. Moves to the next bookmark in the current document. Adds an entry to the task list (described in The View Menu later in this chapter) for the current line. When a task list entry is set, a curved arrow icon appears in the column along the left edge of the code window.

Enable/Disable Previous Bookmark Next Bookmark Clear Previous Bookmark in Folder (Visual Studio only) Next Bookmark in Folder (Visual Studio only) Previous Bookmark in Document Next Bookmark in Document Add Task List Shortcut

C# Express 2008 allows you to outline, or collapse and expand, sections of your code to make it easier to view the overall structure. When a section is collapsed, it appears with a plus sign in a box along the left edge of the code window. Clicking on the plus sign expands the region. You can nest the outlined regions so that one section can contain one or more other collapsed sections. Several commands are available to facilitate outlining (shown in Table 2-3).

Table 2-3. Outlining commands Command Toggle Outlining Expansion Toggle All Outlining Description Reverses the current outlining state of the innermost section in which the cursor lies. Sets all sections to the same outlining state. If some sections are expanded and some are collapsed, all will become collapsed.

Table 2-3. Outlining commands (continued) Command Stop Outlining Collapse to Definitions Description Expands all sections and removes the outlining symbols from view. Automatically creates sections for each procedure in the code window and collapses them all.

You can set the default behavior of outlining using the Tools Options menu item. Go to Text Editor, and then the specific language for which you want to set the options.

Microsoft IntelliSense technology makes your life much easier. It has real-time, context-sensitive help available, which appears right under your cursor. Code completion automatically completes your thoughts for you, drastically reducing your typing (and therefore, your typing errors). Drop-down lists provide all methods and properties possible in the current context, available at a keystroke or mouse click. You can configure the default IntelliSense features by going to Tools Options and then the language-specific pages under Text Editor. Most of the IntelliSense features appear as you type inside a code window or allow the mouse to hover over a portion of the code. In addition, the Edit IntelliSense menu item offers numerous commands, the most important of which are shown in Table 2-4.

Table 2-4. IntelliSense commands Command List Members Description Displays a list of all possible members available for the current context. Keystrokes incrementally search the list. Press any key to insert the highlighted selection into your code; that key becomes the next character after the inserted name. Use the Tab key to select without entering any additional characters. This can also be accessed by right-clicking and selecting List Member from the context-sensitive menu. Displays a list of numbers, names, and types of parameters required for a method, sub, function, or attribute. Displays the complete declaration for any identifier (such as a variable name or class name) in your code. This is also enabled by hovering the mouse cursor over any identifier. Automatically completes the typing of any identifier once you type in enough characters to uniquely identify it. This works only if the identifier is being entered in a valid location in the code. Displays a selection of code snippets to insert, such as the complete syntax for a switch case block or an if block. Displays a selection of code snippets to surround a block of code, such as a class declaration.