I've set up Visual Studio 2008, exactly as I want it with one screen (got dual monitors) used only for coding and the other setup with multiple tab groups, each containing different tabs, like one group contains the output, error list and todo list tabs, another group has tabs for the toolbox and properties windows.
Now this is all cool and everything, except when if I debug something and I'm done debugging it throws all the tabs together into one group and screws up all my nicely separate tab groups.
Anyone know of anything that will stop Visual Studio from doing this and remember which tabs goes into what groups?
This is because VS has separate layout settings for coding and debugging. The idea being that when coding you don't want things like the output window etc, you want solution explorer and a nice large code window. When debugging, you still want to see code, but also possibly lots of other windows to help you (threads, breakpoints etc).
In fact I believe there are lots of window layouts available (in additional to your own customisation). This is one of the things Visual Studio asks you when you first start it up and are setting up your environment.
The only way I know to resolve this is to also re-arrange your windows "while" debugging. It should remember those settings and switch to them when you are debugging.
Related
I use different window-setups for Visual Studio depending on whether I'm at work, and have three monitors available, or e.g. at home, where I typically only have my laptop.
I've found a setup I like for each situation, and saved these using the export wizard, as shown below; for those who might not be aware, this can be done with the opton Tools -> Import and Export Settings.
I like the ability to do this, but I'd like it even more if I could do it without having to click a whoping 9 (!!) times to switch from one mode to the other. Ideally, I'd like to be able to "quick-switch" between home- and office-mode with just one or two clicks, but any improvement would help.
I know this might sound like an insignificant issue (which I suppose is true), but it's been bugging me for a while, and the only "improvement" I've been able to come up with so far is to add a button to the toolbar, as shown below. All this does though, is let me start the wizard without opening the Tools menu.
I can't possibly be the only one using this, so I'd like to know if there are any better ideas or solutions out there?
Visual Studio 2015 and 2017 support Loading and Saving different Window Layouts without using the Import/Export settings feature.
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/4k7zyeba.aspx
Switch between the layouts
To switch between layouts, use the Keyboard shortcuts, or from the main menu choose Window > Apply Window Layout.
You can also create toolbar buttons that switch directly to a layout:
I have a multi-monitor system, and Visual Studio set up like this:
The main windows on the left, stuff like Solution Explorer, Output and Error windows on the right. When I want to open any file from the second monitor, the new tab also gets opened there. However, I rather want new tabs to appear in the tab well on my main monitor. Is there any setting (or extension) that can achieve that?
It is difficult to tell what causing it. Resharper and Productivity Power Tools both have an influence on how your document windows are managed.
A few options:
Try dragging the new window that is opening on the wrong screen and dock it; VS might remember this.
Check/review all the options for Resharper and the Productivity Power Tools.
Check that you don't have any additional R# extensions installed.
Export your current settings and reset your environment.
Disable extensions one at a time. A common approach to solving a problem by stripping things back until it works again.
I remember having some problems years ago when I ran a multi-monitor setup (at one stage 3+ screens), however now I do all development on a Surface Pro 3.
Summary: Is there an easy way to save alternate command arguments used by the Visual Studio debugger?
Details:
Visual Studio has an option to set Command Argument that are used by the debugger. For example in the screenshot shown here I've set them to FOO BAR. Sometimes when debugging a project I want to switch the arguments to test different input sets. And often the arguments are much longer than just FOO BAR. It would be nice if there was a way to save the arguments that I've typed and switch between them quickly. Ideally it would also be possible to change the working directory at the same time. But I haven't found a way to do this yet so that's why I'm asking here. I'm using Visual Studio Professional 2012.
You can just create new configuration(s) for this project. I see that your current active configuration is Debug (top left corner of project settings dialog). You can create new configuration(s), which will be based on this one, and name them like Debug-Test1, Debug-Test2, etc. After you will do this you will have a choice to switch between this configurations in VS Debug Toolbar.
I believe there is a setting (or combination of settings) in Visual Studio that allow you to see in the Immediate Window (or Output Window, I can't remember which), the timestamp and name of an assembly as it is loaded while debugging. I used to have this switched on as it is very useful for finding performance issue areas. Sadly however, when VS recently decided to undock all my windows for no good reason, I had to reset my VS settings and have now lost this.
I can't find for the life of me which setting it was that I had switched on.
Any help appreciated.
Apart from reading Debug output messages in Output window, you can also use Modules Window (at least in Visual Studio 2013) which gives you a nice searchable list of loaded modules with various additional details:
Debug -> Windows -> Modules
In the Output window, change the "Show output from" combo to Debug if necessary. Right-click the window and tick "Module load messages". And any others you might want to see.
I don't have the need to have my Visual Studio windows in different locations when editing versus debugging. In fact, I'd prefer my windows to stay where I put them, and not jump around as I switch between editing and debugging.
Is there a way to tell VS to not keep different window settings for the two modes?
I'm currently using VS 2005 if that matters.
Thanks,
-Dave
Other than manual editing of an exported settings file, to copy one layout over another then importing, no.
Remember it isn't just window positions, but which ones are open, and debug generally includes additional debug only windows (call stack, threads, watch, ...).