<PAVE OVER> Solution Explorer

You use the Solution Explorer to manage solution or project items and browse through your code. To display the Solution Explorer choose View Solution Explorer, press CTRL + ALT L, or type Solution Explorer in the Quick Launch window. The Solution Explorer helps you do the following:

  • Add projects to a solution

  • Add items to a project

  • Copy or move items and projects

  • Rename solutions, projects, and items

  • Delete, remove, or unload projects

Some Solution Explorer commands work differently in different project types. For example, the Delete command deletes a file permanently in a Visual C# Web project, but in a Visual C++ project it removes the link between the file and the project, without deleting the physical file.

Managing Items

The Solution Explorer shows a hierarchy of solutions, projects, files, and code. It provides updated information about the status of the solution and its projects and items so that you can work on several projects at the same time. For more information, see Creating Solutions and Projects and Creating Projects from Templates.

Browsing Through Code

You can use the Solution Explorer to browse the types and members in your projects, search for symbols, and find symbol references. You can determine the Call Hierarchy of a method, which files use an interface, and other characteristics of your code. To move among the code browsing views, use the Back and Forward buttons on the Solution Explorer toolbar. To return to the default file view for projects and solutions, use the Home button.

See Also

Concepts

Solution and Project Basics

Other Resources

Viewing the Structure of Code