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Productivity guide for Visual Studio

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Productivity guide for Visual Studio

  • Article
  • 04/08/2025

If you want to save time while you're writing code, you're in the right place. This productivity guide includes tips that can help you get started with Visual Studio, write code, debug code, handle errors, and use keyboard shortcuts—all on one page.

For information about helpful keyboard shortcuts, see Productivity shortcuts. For a complete list of command shortcuts, see Default keyboard shortcuts.

Get started

Save time digging through menus by quickly searching for anything you need, including commands, settings, documentation, and install options. See keyboard shortcuts for commands within your search results in Visual Studio so you can memorize them more easily.

  • Mock code using task list. If you don't have enough requirements to complete a piece of code, use Task List to track code comments that use tokens such as TODO and HACK, or custom tokens, and to manage shortcuts that take you directly to a predefined location in code. For more information, see Use the Task List.

  • Use Solution Explorer shortcuts. If you're new to Visual Studio, these shortcuts come in handy and save you time while you're coming up to speed on a new codebase. For the full list of shortcuts, see Default keyboard shortcuts in Visual Studio.

  • Use keyboard shortcuts from a different editor. If you're coming from another IDE or coding environment, you can change your keyboard scheme to Visual Studio Code or ReSharper (Visual Studio) using Tools > Options settings for Environment > Keyboard. Some extensions also offer keyboard schemes: HotKeys for Visual Studio (ReSharper/IntelliJ) and VSVim.

Write code

Write code more quickly by using the following features.

  • Use convenience commands. Visual Studio contains various commands to help you accomplish common editing tasks faster. For example, you can choose a command to easily duplicate a line of code without having to copy it, reposition the cursor, and then paste it. Choose Edit > Duplicate or press Ctrl+E,V. You can also quickly expand or contract a selection of text by choosing Edit > Advanced > Expand Selection or Edit > Advanced > Contract Selection, or by pressing Shift+Alt+= or Shift+Alt+-.

  • Use IntelliSense. As you enter code in the editor, IntelliSense information, such as List Members, Parameter Info, Quick Info, Signature Help, and Complete Word, appears. These features support fuzzy matching of text; for example, the results lists for List Members include not only entries that start with the characters that you have entered but also entries that contain the character combination anywhere in their names. For more information, see Use IntelliSense.

  • Change auto-insertion of IntelliSense options as you enter code. By switching IntelliSense to suggestion mode, you can specify that IntelliSense options are inserted only if you explicitly choose them.

    To enable suggestion mode, choose the Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar keys, or, on the menu bar, choose Edit > IntelliSense > Toggle Completion Mode.

  • Use code snippets. You can use built-in snippets, or create your own snippets.

    To insert a snippet, on the menu bar, choose Edit > IntelliSense > Insert Snippet or Surround With, or open the shortcut menu in a file and choose Snippet > Insert Snippet or Surround With. For more information, see Code Snippets.

  • Paste JSON or XML as classes. Copy any JSON or XML text fragment to the clipboard and then paste it as strongly typed .NET classes into any C# or Visual Basic code file. To do so, use Edit > Paste Special > Paste JSON As Classes (or Paste XML As Classes).

  • Fix code errors inline. Quick Actions let you easily refactor, generate, or otherwise modify code with a single action. These actions can be applied using the light bulb Light bulb icon or screwdriver Screwdriver icon icons, or by pressing Alt+Enter or Ctrl+. when your cursor is on the appropriate line of code. See Quick Actions for more information.

  • Show and edit the definition of a code element. You can quickly show and edit the module in which a code element, such as a member, a variable, or a local, is defined.

    To open a definition in a pop-up window, highlight the element and then choose the Alt+F12 keys, or open the shortcut menu for the element and then choose Peek Definition. To open a definition in a separate code window, open the shortcut menu for the element, and then choose Go to Definition.

  • Use sample applications. You can speed up application development by downloading and installing sample applications from Microsoft Developer Network. You can also learn a particular technology or programming concept by downloading and exploring a Sample Pack for that area.

  • Change brace formatting with Formatting/New Lines. Use the Formatting options page to set options for formatting code in the code editor, including new lines. For more information on how to use this setting in C#, see Options dialog box: Text Editor > C# > Code Style > Formatting. For C++, see Set your C++ coding preferences in Visual Studio. For Python, see Format Python code.

  • Change your indentation with Tabs. Use custom editor settings, tailored to each codebase, to enforce consistent coding styles for multiple developers working on the same project across different editors and IDEs. Ensure your whole team follows the same language conventions, naming conventions, and formatting rules. Since these custom settings are portable and travel with your code, you can enforce coding styles even outside of Visual Studio. For more information, see Options, Text Editor, All Languages, Tabs.

  • Enforce code style rules You can use an EditorConfig file to codify coding conventions and have them travel with your source. Add a default or .NET-style EditorConfig file to your project by choosing Add > New Item from the Add context menu fly-out in Solution Explorer. Then, in the Add New Item dialog box, search for "editorconfig". Select either of the editorconfig File item templates and then choose Add.
  • Apply code styles with code cleanup Visual Studio provides on-demand formatting of your code file, including code style preferences, through the Code Cleanup feature. To run Code Cleanup, select the broom icon at the bottom of the editor or press Ctrl+K, Ctrl+E. For detailed instructions, see Code style preferences.
  • Write or generate unit tests Test Explorer automatically discovers unit tests written using supported test frameworks. You can use Copilot or built-in features to generate unit tests. For more information, see Unit test basics and Create unit test method stubs from code.
  • Install and manage NuGet packages in Visual Studio. NuGet is a mechanism through which developers can create, share, and consume useful code. The NuGet Package Manager UI in Visual Studio on Windows allows you to easily install, uninstall, and update NuGet packages in projects and solutions. For more information, see Install and manage packages in Visual Studio using the NuGet Package Manager.

You can use various techniques to find and move to specific locations in your code more quickly. You can also change the layout of your Visual Studio windows based on your preferences.

  • Bookmark lines of code. You can use bookmarks to navigate quickly to specific lines of code in a file.

    To set a bookmark, on the menu bar, choose Edit > Bookmarks > Toggle Bookmark. You can view all of the bookmarks for a solution in the Bookmarks window. For more information, see Set bookmarks in code.

  • Search for symbol definitions in a file. You can search within a solution to locate symbol definitions and file names, but search results don't include namespaces or local variables.

    To access this feature, on the menu bar, choose Edit > Navigate To.

  • Browse the overall structure of your code. In Solution Explorer, you can search and browse classes and their types and members in your projects. You can also search for symbols, view a method's Call Hierarchy, find symbol references, and perform other tasks. If you choose a code element in Solution Explorer, the associated file opens in a Preview tab, and the cursor moves to the element in the file. For more information, see View the structure of code.

  • Jump to a location in a file with map mode. Map mode displays lines of code, in miniature, on the scroll bar. For more information about this display mode, see How to: Customize the scroll bar.

  • Understand your code structure with code map. Code maps can help you visualize dependencies across your code, and see how it fits together without reading through files and lines of code. For more information, see Map dependencies with code maps.

  • See frequently used files with Edit/Go to Recent File. Use the Go To commands in Visual Studio to perform a focused search of your code to help you quickly find specified items. For detailed instructions, see Find code using Go To commands.

  • Jump to any file, type, member, or symbol declaration. Visual Studio has a feature called Go To All that you can use to quickly find the code you want. For detailed instructions, see Find code using Go To commands.

  • Synchronize Solution Explorer For large solutions, use the Sync with Active Document button in Solution Explorer to find the active document within the project hierarchy.

  • Move the Properties window to the right-hand side. If you're looking for a more familiar window layout, you can move the Properties window in Visual Studio by pressing F4.


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