How to: Rename a Symbol that is Declared in XAML

Starting with Visual Studio 2008 SP1, you can rename a symbol that is declared in XAML by using the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) Designer for Visual Studio. You can also change the x:Class definition of a class that is declared in XAML.

To rename a symbol declared in XAML

1. Create a new WPF Application project in Visual C# named WPFApplication1. For more information, see How to: Create a New WPF Application Project.

   Window1.xaml opens in the WPF Designer.

2. In XAML view, replace the default <Grid> element with the following text.

   <Grid x:Name="grid1">
   </Grid>
   

3. In XAML view, right-click and select View Code from the context menu.

   The Code Editor opens the code-behind file.

4. In the Code Editor, insert the following line in the Window1 class constructor.

   this.grid1.AllowDrop = true;
   

5. Right-click grid1, point to Refactor, and select Rename from the context menu.

   The Rename dialog box opens.

6. Type _grid in the New name: text box and click OK.

   The Preview Changes - Rename dialog box opens.

7. Click Apply.

   The symbol grid1 is renamed to _grid.

8. Right-click _grid and select Go To Definition from the context menu.

   XAML view opens with the cursor in the <Grid> element named _grid.

To change the x:Class definition

1. Add a WPF User Control item to the project. Name the control UserControl1.xaml. For more information, see How to: Add New Items to a WPF Project.

2. In XAML view, right-click and select View Code from the context menu.

   The Code Editor opens the code-behind file.

3. Highlight the UserControl1 class name and right-click. In the context menu, point to Refactor, and select Rename.

   The Rename dialog box opens.

4. Type MediaElement in the New name: text box and click OK.

   The Preview Changes - Rename dialog box opens.

5. Click Apply.

6. Right-click the MediaElement class name and select Go To Definition from the context menu.

7. XAML view opens with the caret in the <UserControl> element. The x:Class assignment reads x:Class="WpfApplication1.MediaElement".

See Also

Reference

Rename Dialog Box

Refactoring and Rename Dialog Box (Visual Basic)