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Solution Explorer

The Solution Explorer is a core feature of C# Dev Tools, providing a Visual Studio-like experience for managing .NET projects.

Overview​

The Solution Explorer gives you a complete hierarchical view of your .NET solution, including:

  • Solution files and properties
  • Projects and project references
  • Solution folders
  • File system folders and files
  • Dependencies (NuGet packages and project references)
Solution Explorer

Basic Navigation​

  • Expand/Collapse: Click the arrow icons to expand or collapse items
  • Open Files: Double-click on a file to open it in the editor
  • Select Multiple Items: Use Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click to select multiple items
  • Context Menu: Right-click on items to see available actions

Managing Solutions​

Opening Solutions​

The Solution Explorer will automatically load the first .sln file found in your workspace. If you have multiple solutions:

  1. Click the Solution Explorer icon in the Activity Bar
  2. Use the dropdown at the top of the Solution Explorer to switch between solutions

Creating a New Solution​

  1. Click the "Create New Solution" button in the Solution Explorer title bar
  2. Enter a name and location for your solution
  3. Select an initial project template if desired
  4. Click "Create" to generate the solution

Working with Projects​

Adding a New Project​

  1. Right-click on the solution or a solution folder
  2. Select Add > New Project
  3. Choose a project template
  4. Configure the project options and click "Create"

Adding an Existing Project​

  1. Right-click on the solution or a solution folder
  2. Select Add > Existing Project
  3. Navigate to the project file (.csproj, .fsproj, etc.)
  4. Click "Open" to add the project to the solution

Setting a Startup Project​

  1. Right-click on an executable project
  2. Select Set as Startup Project
  3. The project name will appear in bold in the Solution Explorer

Building Projects​

Right-click on a project or the solution and select one of:

  • Build: Build the selected item
  • Rebuild: Clean and build the selected item
  • Clean: Remove build artifacts

Managing Files and Folders​

Adding Items​

Quick Add:

  1. Select a project or folder in the Solution Explorer
  2. Press Shift+F2 to open the Quick Add dialog
  3. Choose a template and provide a name

Context Menu:

  1. Right-click on a project or folder
  2. Navigate to Add and select the item type
  3. Enter a name for the new item

Organizing Items​

  • Create Folder: Right-click and select Add > Folder
  • Move Items: Drag and drop items to new locations
  • Copy/Paste: Use the context menu or keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+V)
  • Rename: Select an item, press F2, and enter a new name
  • Delete: Select an item, press Delete, and confirm the deletion

Dependencies Management​

NuGet Packages​

  1. Right-click on a project or the solution
  2. Select Manage NuGet Packages
  3. Use the NuGet Package Manager to add, update, or remove packages

Project References​

  1. Right-click on a project
  2. Select Manage Project References
  3. Check the projects you want to reference
  4. Click "OK" to add the references

User Secrets​

For projects that support user secrets:

  1. Right-click on a project
  2. Select Manage User Secrets
  3. Edit the secrets.json file that opens

Advanced Features​

File Path Operations​

Right-click on an item and select:

  • Copy Path: Copy the full path to the clipboard
  • Copy Relative Path: Copy the path relative to the workspace
  • Reveal in File Explorer: Open the item's location in File Explorer
  • Open in Integrated Terminal: Open a terminal at the item's location

Active File Tracking​

The Solution Explorer can automatically highlight the currently active file:

  1. Open VS Code settings
  2. Search for "csharp-dev-tools.solutionViewer.trackActiveFile"
  3. Toggle the setting as desired

You can also press Shift+Alt+L to reveal the current file in the Solution Explorer at any time.