Code Lens

Contextual information and actions displayed above code elements.

Overview

Code Lens shows actionable information above methods, classes, and other code elements.

Available Code Lens Features

Test Generation Code Lens

Appears above public methods and classes to create tests:

// Create Tests
public void MyMethod()
{
    // method implementation
}

Click to:

• Open test generation dialog
• Create AI-powered unit tests
• Configure test framework and project

Configuration: csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableTestGeneration

Test Runner Code Lens

Appears above test methods and test classes in test files:

// Run | Debug
[Fact]
public void Should_Pass() { ... }

Click to:

• Run the individual test (or whole class)
• Debug the test directly from the editor

Configuration: csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableTestRunner

Go to Implementation Code Lens

Appears above interface methods:

// 3 implementations
void DoSomething();

Click to:

• View all implementations
• Navigate to specific implementation
• See implementation count

Configuration: csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableGoToImplementation

References Code Lens

Appears above types and members:

// 12 references
public class OrderService { }

Click to:

• See all places where the type or member is referenced
• Navigate to a specific reference
• See total reference count

Configuration: csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableReferences

Type Initializations Code Lens

Appears above class, struct and interface declarations to show where the type is instantiated (e.g. new MyType(...), MyType x = ...):

// 7 initializations
public class OrderRepository { }

Click to navigate through every place the type is being created.

Configuration: csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableTypeInitializations

Member Assignments Code Lens

Appears above public properties and fields, indicating where they are being assigned values:

public class Order
{
    // 4 assignments
    public string Status { get; set; }
}

Click to navigate through every assignment site.

Configuration: csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableMemberAssignments

Enum Assignments Code Lens

Appears above enum values:

public enum Status
{
    // 5 assignments
    Active,
    // 2 assignments
    Inactive
}

Click to:

• See where each enum value is assigned
• Navigate to assignments
• View usage count

Configuration: csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableEnumAssignments

Enabling/Disabling

Global Toggle

Enable/disable all Code Lens:

1. Open Settings (Ctrl+,)
2. Search for editor.codeLens
3. Toggle on/off

Per-Feature Toggle

Each code lens can be toggled independently in Settings → C# Dev Tools → Code Lens:

• csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableTestGeneration
• csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableTestRunner
• csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableGoToImplementation
• csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableReferences
• csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableTypeInitializations
• csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableMemberAssignments
• csharp-dev-tools.codeLens.enableEnumAssignments

Usage Tips

Test Generation

• Click to quickly create tests for methods
• Works best with public methods
• Integrates with GitHub Copilot

Implementation Navigation

• Useful for interface-based development
• Quickly see all implementations
• Navigate to specific implementation

Enum Usage

• Track enum value usage
• Find all assignments
• Refactor enums safely

Benefits

• Quick access to common actions
• Visual indication of code relationships
• Reduced navigation time
• Better code understanding

Performance

Code Lens:

• Computed incrementally
• Cached for performance
• Updated as code changes
• Minimal performance impact

Customization

Configure Code Lens appearance:

{
  "editor.codeLensFontFamily": "monospace",
  "editor.codeLensFontSize": 12
}

Troubleshooting

Code Lens Not Appearing

• Ensure feature is enabled in settings
• Check C# Language Server is running
• Verify file is part of project
• Restart VS Code if needed

Incorrect Information

• Allow time for indexing
• Rebuild project
• Check for unsaved changes
• Verify project references