Datasheet

The following list describes the Options dialog box’s most important categories:
❑ Environment — Contains general IDE settings such as whether the IDE uses a Multiple Docu-
ment Interface (MDI) or Single Document Interface (SDI), the number of items shown in the
MRU lists, and how often the IDE saves AutoRecover information. The Fonts and Colors sub-
section lets you determine the colors used by the editors for different types of text. For example,
comments are shown in green by default, but you can change this color.
❑ Performance Tools — Contains settings for performance testing such as a flag indicating whether
times should be displayed in clock ticks or milliseconds.
❑ Projects and Solutions — Contains the default settings for Option Explicit, Option Strict, and
Option Compare.
❑ Source Control — Contains entries that deal with the source code control system (for example,
Source Safe).
❑ Text Editor — Contains entries that specify the text editor’s features. For example, you can use
these pages to determine whether delimiters are highlighted, the editor provides drag-and-drop
editing, scroll bars are visible, long lines are automatically wrapped, line numbers are displayed,
and the editor provides smart indentation. The Basic ➪ VB Specific subsection lets you specify
options such as whether the editor uses outlining, whether it displays procedure separators, and
suggested corrections for errors.
❑ Database Tools — Contains database parameters such as default lengths for fields of various types.
❑ Debugging — Contains debugging settings such as whether the debugger displays messages
as modules are loaded and unloaded, whether it should make you confirm when deleting all
breakpoints, and whether it should allow Edit-and-Continue.
❑ Device Tools — Contains options for development on devices such as Smartphones, Pocket PCs,
or Windows CE.
❑ HTML Designer — Contains options for configuring HTML Designer. These options determine
such settings as whether the designer starts in source or design view, and whether it displays
Smart Tags for controls in design view.
❑ Microsoft Office Keyboard Settings — Contains settings that specify how the keyboard should
work when you use Excel or Word files within Visual Studio.
❑ Test Tools — Contains settings that determine how testing tools behave.
❑ Windows Form Designer — Contains settings that control the Form Designer. For example, this
section lets you determine whether the designer uses a snap-to grid or snap lines.
Test
The Test menu contains commands that control the Visual Studio testing tools. These tools let you per-
form such actions as coverage testing (to see if every line of code is executed), regression testing (to see
if changes to the code broke anything), and load testing (to see how the application performs with a lot
of simulated users running at the same time). Figure 1-46 shows the Test menu.
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Part I: Getting Started
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