In Eclipse, there is a view called "ABAP Element Info", which can show details about language elements such as functions, classes, etc. when they are clicked on. It will display details such as function/method signature, class/struct members, element documentation, etc. as you can see on the image below:
It is a great help for me and it's very quick to find out details of elements, but I cannot find anything like it in Visual Studio standard package (except Object Browser, but I does not show what I click on, I need to look it up). Is there any extension or something with similar functionality I could make use of? I'm using C++ desktop version if it helps. Thanks a lot for any input.
Instead of using Visual Studio, try to check if your project is fully supported and operational in Visual Studio Code.
In VSCode there are various plugins for ABAP development, including syntax highlighting which is your main concern.
Check out the following article on how to prepare your environment:
https://blogs.sap.com/2019/12/06/abap-development-in-vs-code/
I am starting to write in C#. I use VisualStudio, but I don't like the autocomplete. I was mainly writing in Android and I really like the autocomplete of AndroidStudio and Eclipse. It there a way to make the VisualStudio's one the same? I don't like that when I have a one method which can take a different set of arguments (overloaded) I have to click up and down arrow, to see the parameters. Can it just show me a scroll list like AndroidStudio and Eclipse? And is there a way when autocomplete some method to put automatically the braces and semicolon- "();"? I am really new to VisualStudio and I don't know can I modified it in this way or I should have to use to it. I just don't find anything about this.
Thanks in advance.
I suggest to have a look at ReSharper plugin for VS. It is a complete package for enhancing Productivity, but it is not a free plugin. It also have some features you mentioned. also you can check this videos:
Resharper features video list
Here is the website:
Resharper website
Visual Studio 2010 contains error corrections for VB programmers, for example, it will allow you to import a namespace or generate a stub class/method where you get compiler errors.
For example, if you type:
Dim mm As MailMessage without an Imports System.Net.Mail, you'll get a handy little tooltip that just allows you to import the namespace with a single click.
I've recently switched to C# developing, and I really miss this little tool - if you're not sure of a namespace you have to go looking on Google to find out and then add the using manually.
Is there no way to enable the error corrections like you get when writing VB?
I've done the usual Googling, and there seems to be no mention of it for C#- just VB.
I use C# in VS2010 daily and it does all the things you mention. As an example, usually when you paste code into a class without the relevant using statements already being present VS will ask you if you want to add usings for the code you pasted. It is worth checking your settings to make sure you have things like this enabled such as 'Auto List Members' etc. There are other useful settings in there too. It is worth familiarising yourself with your options.
One thing I would recommend for C# development is Resharper 7. It is a great tool and speeds up coding an awful lot. It will also make suggestions to improve code, enforce standards etc. You can also configure it to enforce the coding standards your company uses. I believe you can get a trial version. I would get that to try it out and then if required make a purchase request to your company or buy it yourself. Its worth it.
Resharper 7
P.S. As a side note, in case you didn't know, you can press ctrl+spacebar to get your intellisense options to open up.
C# editor has that. Just click on the class name and you'll see a colored underscore. Click on it and you'll get suggestions on how to resolve class (or interface, or whatever).
Or put code editor cursor on the class name and press ALT + SHIFT + F10 and the same suggestions will popup for you.
I am wondering if it is possible to set VisualStudio IDE so it highlights private/protected/public variables of the class differently as well as change formatting on locals (i.e. variables that are either passed in or declared inside a function, like this).
I did not find any such options in the normal Fonts and Colors menu of VS. Also a search on SO reveals that (at least as of 2 years ago) only add-ons provide such features. But is there a way to manually edit some file? Just because we don't get a nice UI to edit, doesn't mean underlying framework automatically doesn't support it. I mean add-ons have to plug into something to do their magic in the editor. Any insights into this issue?
Thanks!
EDIT: I have found the following information on MSDN Syntax Highlighting (Managed Package Framework). But the explanation/examples given are woefully inadequate. Does anyone know of a more extensive docs/tutorials/etc. for MPF?
I could be wrong (probably am) but I think plugins that do what you want replace the default highlighter in Visual Studio, so I don't think there is a file you can edit. As far as I know, you need a plugin. ReSharper might do this...I'm not sure though (I don't use it)
I heard that R#5.0 (still in beta) will support VS 2010. My question is
VS2010 == VS2008 + ReSharper ?
I know there are many improvements to VS2010, so I 'm not sure weather is it really worth purchasing the R#5.0 for VS2010?
Well, I haven't explored VS 2010 new refactoring features that much, but its my understanding that VS has some but definitely not all of resharpers features implemented (From MSDN):
Navigate To
You can use the Navigate
To feature to search for a symbol or
file in the source code.
Navigate To lets you find a specific
location in the solution or explore
elements in the solution. It helps you
pick a good set of matching results
from a query.
You can search for keywords that are
contained in a symbol by using Camel
casing and underscore characters to
divide the symbol into keywords.
For more information, see How to:
Search for Objects, Definitions, and
References (Symbols).
Generate From Usage
The Generate From
Usage feature lets you use classes and
members before you define them. You
can generate a stub for any undefined
class, constructor, method, property,
field, or enum that you want to use
but have not yet defined. You can
generate new types and members without
leaving your current location in code,
This minimizes interruption to your
workflow.
Generate From Usage supports
programming styles such as test-first
development.
IntelliSense Suggestion Mode
IntelliSense now provides two
alternatives for IntelliSense
statement completion, completion mode
and suggestion mode. Use suggestion
mode for situations where classes and
members are used before they are
defined.
In suggestion mode, when you type in
the editor and then commit the entry,
the text you typed is inserted into
the code. When you commit an entry in
completion mode, the editor shows the
entry that is highlighted on the
members list.
When an IntelliSense window is open,
you can press CTRL+ALT+SPACEBAR to
toggle between completion mode and
suggestion mode.
So I guess it would depend on which of Resharpers features you want to use. If you are satisfied with the above which is certainly great improvements, then you don't need Resharper.
On the performance question, well it might perform better because of tighter integration.
Personally the above leaves me still needing a lot of features like (just the ones i can think of right now - might be more):
There are as far as I can tell only about 6 refactorings, where resharper currently has more than 30
No import type completion, which i use ALL the time. One shortcut adds to references and adds import statement
No smart completion
Change namespace to follow navigation structure and update all references with one shortcut
Goto is more advanced in R# you can go to inheritors and bases,
file member, recent files and edits and theres the fast goto feature
Resharpers static analysis is far more comprehensive than what you get from VS
So what do you need? (I am definitely not giving up Resharper)
Peter,
Best person that can answer this question is yourself. What I suggest is you download it, learn it (and note I said learn it, not just play with it). Then decide. However, I'll warn you that it's quite addictive.
My question is VS2010 == VS2008 + ReSharper ?
Oh hell no. VS2010 has more features than VS2008, and some of those feature ideas were stolen from ReSharper, but vanilla VS2010 is still a long way behind VS2010 + ReSharper 5 or even VS2008 + ReSharper 5.
From a quick glance at my 31 Days of ReSharper blog posts (written back in the R# 2.5 days), here are just a few ReSharper features that are still not present in VS2010: (Please correct me if VS2010 does have any of these -- I haven't actually used it that much without ReSharper!)
Unused code highlighted in gray and with quick-fixes to delete the unused code for you (this is just one of many hints and warnings R# does that VS does not)
Visual indication of where you have hints, warnings, and errors in a source file (colored stripe next to the vertical scroll bar)
Integrated unit-test runner that's not locked down to only MS's test framework
Shared settings for code formatting, code templates, etc. -- check these settings into version control, and they'll be picked up automatically by other computers (no manual export/import)
Go To Type -- a pop-up window where you can enter a type name (or part of the name) and jump straight to the right source file
Navigate to derived types / overriding methods
Code Structure View -- view a list of members in your type, and drag/drop to reorder them in your source code
R# will suggest variable names for you
You can invoke an Intellisense dropdown that shows types from all namespaces (and then it adds the using for you)
It's eerily good at guessing what you meant when you tell it to fix an error for you
Remove unused braces and Invert If
Generate Code (I particularly like Generate Equals and GetHashCode, even though I use them very rarely)
Viral Rename (if you rename a type, it'll also suggest that you rename any variables that were named after the type)
And best of all, Safe Delete.
Safe Delete rocks.
And that's just the features that R# had in 2.5 when I wrote the 31 Days of ReSharper. They've added plenty of new features since (I just don't have a comprehensive list handy). A couple of my favorites are the background solution-wide analysis, which will tell you in nearly real-time if you have compiler errors anywhere in your solution, and Inspect > Value Origin, which is just wicked cool.
If your having to ask the question, my guess is that you're not using ReSharper to its full potential. Personally I find that R# writes most of my code for me and I feel like a noob using visual studio without it.
YES. unequivocably YES.
After migrating to Visual Studio 2010 we asked our development team if buying Resharper upgrades is worth the investment. The votes were unanimous: yes!
Btw: we use VS2010 Premium and the devteam has its own budget.
Why don't you try out the R# 5 betas and then you can decide if you're using enough of its features to justify purchasing it.
http://confluence.jetbrains.net/display/ReSharper/ReSharper+5.0+Nightly+Builds
ReSharper has been around long enough that developers might purchase the upgrade just out of habit! :)
I recall that when VS2008 was released, R# wasn't quite ready, and there was griping among the .NET community about it. "Must...have...ReSharper!". Heh. Jetbrains appear to be on top of it this time though.