So I'm using double monitors to code in Visual Studio 2012, and I've been putting files on both windows.
So there will be the main window, where I have my Tools and Toolbars, and on my secondary monitor I have a floating window with only a view of some other files in my solution.
Whenever I click on my main window, it will force my floating window to the front of the screen.
This is a hassle if I am trying do research and apply it to my main window, if I try to click on my main window to make changes, it will force my floating window on my secondary monitor to come to the front and block out whatever page I was researching
Is there a setting I can change in visual studio to keep the floating window from coming to the front whenever I click on my main window?
Thanks!
Not possible as far as I found :(
With a 14" LCD monitor (1366x768), my VS2010 can only display 21 lines in code editor. There are too many tool bars occupied upper and bottom part (see below screenshot). When writing codes, it's OK to use fullscreen mode. However, when reading codes, I need some of the toolbar like the bookmark bar, open file tab. Is there any suggestion to increase the viewing area?
Create a single custom toolbar with just the commands you really use in it. Remove the other toolbars. Close tool windows docked at the bottom.
There is an addon that can even remove the menu bar – you'll need to learn keyboard shortcuts (this is a good idea anyway: moving a hand to/from the mouse is much slower).
Increase secreen resolution
Use a different font such as Terminal or Consolas. I guess you must be already using Consolas, try Terminal.
Decrease the font size.
Turn monitor by 90 degree, so it is higher not wider.
Besides that - get a decent monitor. 14" is barely legal acording to some european laws for office use. Programmers tyically get a lot bigger.
Customize your toolbars and get rid of the buttons you don't use. You'll probably be able to fit everything on one row after that.
For example, I don't think I have used the toolbar buttons for cut/copy/paste, using the keyboard instead, so those were the first buttons I removed.
On the right side of each toolbar, there is a button with an arrow, click on that and you should see "customize this toolbar" in the drop-down menu.
Well, if you are having an older notebook, you might not able to change your display, increase your screen resolution or turn the monitor by 90 degrees, like the others suggested. Here are my suggestions for when this is the case:
Place your toolbars left or right instead at the top or bottom
close output window
use fullscreen mode and learn keyboard shortcuts for bookmarks and file menu functions, so you can work without the specfic toolbars
I use Full Screen mode (ALT+SHIFT+ENTER to toggle) when doing the actual editing, with only the solution explorer open on the right hand side.
I am working in Visual Studio 2010. The main feature of VS 2010 is Multi-Monitering. How to do that. I am having 2 systems (CRT, 17 inches). I had opened my appliction, by right clicking the tab, i got the FLOAT option.That particular screen comes seperately, i had draged to the edge of my system, but the screen is not shared to my next system. Whether any Specific Configuration needed for this.
Have you tried dragging the tab you want to show up on the second monitor onto it?
Clicking and dragging the tab out of the group will automatically undock it and allow you to move it around wherever you want. This works the same way as you would move any other window to your second display, like in Windows Explorer.
Are both monitors recognized and supported by Windows?
Remember that you must to have Windows itself configured to recognize and work with multiple displays in order for these features in VS 2010 to work. Check your "Display" control panel and make sure that it shows two screens in the correct physical configuration, and that both are enabled (the "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor" option must be checked).
It's also hard to tell from your question if both of the monitors that you want to use are connected to the same physical machine. VS 2010's multiple monitor support is not going to let you move windows onto a screen connected to a different physical computer without the aid of some third-party utility.
When developing on a system with dual monitors, I like to make the most of the extra space by stretching Visual Studio across both. It is fantastic to be able to see the Output, Breakpoints, Error List, Object Browser, and ReSharper windows at the same time without having to make them tiny and dock them in the main window, which leaves less space for code.
I place the main VS window on one monitor with the tabbed document and Solution Explorer windows. Any other windows I want to display are placed on the second monitor and docked together. The only problem I encounter with this method is that the main tabbed document window with the VS menu bar is the only window that can be maximized. The additional windows such as Solution Explorer, Breakpoints and Error List can only be stretched, docked or closed. I often go through the tedious work of selecting and laying out secondary windows only to have that layout be erased when I close VS.
Does anyone know of a VS add-in that gives you a window that (1) is maximizable, and (2) other windows can be docked in (ReSharper only does 2) ? Barring that, does anyone know of a good resource to learn how to develop VS add-ins? I am keen to do so myself if necessary.
I don't know of either of your suggestions, although I would also love to see better multiple-monitor support in VS. What I have done, though, is saved various window layouts (Tools > Import and Export Settings, and check only Window Layout) so that I can switch easily when I feel like it.
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Ultramon is a great program for dual monitors (stretching screen across monitors), but I was wondering if there is any way do to something in Visual Studio like have one tab of code open on one monitor and a second tab of code open on the second monitor with only one instance of Visual Studio running?
Or are there any other suggestions on getting most bang for buck on dual monitors and Visual Studio?
have one tab of code open on one monitor and a second tab of code open on the second monitor with only one instance of Visual Studio running
you can simply drag a Tab outside of VS onto your other screen.
Personally, I have my windows set up so that one my main monitor, I have the main visual studio monitor, so therefore my code window, maximized, with only the toolbox docked, on the left. This means the code window takes up as much space as possible, while keeping the left hand edge of the code close to the middle of the screen, where my eyes naturally look. My main monitor is a wide screen, so I find that gives me more than enough room for my code.
My secondary monitor has a second window, which contains the tool windows that I use. So I have solution explorer, error list, task list (//todo: comments), output window, find results etc. all taking up as much space as they like on my secondary monitor.
When debugging, the solution explorer moves the main monitor, and the watch, autos and locals windows take its place.
I find this gives me a very large area to write code, and really helps usage of all of those additional windows, by giving them more real estate than they'd usually have.
Update: In response to everyone talking about using the second monitor for documentation or running the app, I wholeheartedly agree, and forgot to mention how I do that. I use PowerMenu alot to acheive this. Basically I can right-click on any window and set Always On Top. So while i'm debugging, i want to see my output window, but then if I have to refer to some documentation, I just flick to Mozilla (on the second monitor), set it on top, and go back to visual studio. I find this lets me manage the tool windows without having to either shuffle them around a lot, or take up valuable space in the code window.
I have three monitors, so I usually run with this configuration:
Left Monitor: documentation / ebooks.
Middle Monitor: code / debugging
Right Monitor: Test application / scrolling logfiles (if needed)
This usually works pretty well, and since the monitors are fairly big I rarely need to use the test application in full-screen, so there's plenty of room for my tail -f windows.
I also use AutoHotkey to assign hotkeys that flip to the most important windows, like Firefox or my SSH session. That way I can simply use a shortcut key to access them when necessary.
The left monitor is actually a separate computer running Linux and keyboard/mouse shared with Synergy, so I have multiple ebooks or documentation pages open, one on each virtual desktop... I can flip between the documentation by moving my mouse to the left and using a shortcut key.
When I first got two monitors I wanted to do the same as you, use all the space for visual studio, but I think that you come to realize that it's best to keep VS on one monitor and use the second monitor for documentation, external resources etc. You wouldn't think it at first, but all the little touches like just being able to maximize other resources without them hiding your code is a great feature.
For GUI debugging is awesome being able to run the app into one screen and having the debugger in another screen. That's one of the most practical uses..
But really, depends on which kind of application you're developing, i.e., if you need to monitor open file handles, logs, etc.
I have VS in my left monitor and the GUI/running window in the right. However, if you want to have to code tabs open on each monitor, you could use UltraMon's option to expand a window across both monitors, then drag a code page over such that it puts up a divider. Then, you align that divider with the break in your monitors.
I've done that before, just to test it out. It's not a bad setup.
Three monitors -- all 1600x1200
Left: Email, IM, SQL Server Management Studio, Remote Desktops to servers
Middle: VisualStudio -- maybe multiple instances -- maximized, solution explorer and team explorer docked on right, errors/output docked bottom, others auto-hide
Right: Web browsers -- app debugging and normal web work, ADUC (if needed)
Other apps get moved around depending on what I'm working on and how crowded the monitors are and the interaction between the app that's open and what I need the info from it for.
I have three monitors, set up where Visual Studio is full screen on the middle monitor, the right hand monitor has all the tool windows configured and the left monitor is for browser, help, SSMS, email, etc..
Works well except if I have to remote in, so I have a separate exported configuration to bring move the tool windows back into Visual Studio, and one to set them back up for multiple monitors.
Though I use StudioTools for other purposes, it has a "Tear off Editor" option, with which you can "tear off" the file to a window and resize the window. Find it quite helpful
I find the Code Definition window absolutely invaluable to have open in my other monitor. As the cursor moves over a type name in your editor the other window shows its definition.
You could try right-clicking a file in solution explorer, Open With, and then go find devenv.exe. That will open it up in a new instance of VS. Plus, it saves devenv as one of your default options in the future, so you don't have to go hunting around for devenv all the time. Not beautiful, but an option.