Visual Studio Hacks

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Chapter 4, Customizing Visual Studio

#26 Create Custom Window Layouts

HACK

These new menu items allow you to create your own custom window lay-

outs and switch between these layouts at any time. To try out this new fea-

ture, first customize your window layout for when you design forms,

whether Windows Forms or ASP.NET—for example, you might customize

it so as to keep the toolbox or the Solution Explorer open, and so on. Once

you have configured the window layout the way you like it for design, click

on the Save Window Layout As… menu item and select My Design Layout.

This will save the current window layout as your design layout.

Next, configure the window layout for when you are writing code. The tool-

box is probably hidden; perhaps the task list is now visible. Once you have

the windows laid out the way you want, click on Save Window Layout As…

again, and this time choose My Coding Layout.

Now that you have two different layouts saved, you can quickly switch

between the two layouts using the Apply Windows Layout menu item. You

simply need to click that menu item, then select the window layout that you

want to switch to. Visual Studio will then relatively quickly switch to the

other window layout.

The VSWindowManager power toy is a great tool that allows you to save

custom window layouts and then quickly switch between those window lay-

outs. Creating and using different window layouts is