Visual Studio Essential Training

4h 48mIntermediate2024-12-09

Authors

Walt Ritscher

Programmer, UI Designer, Staff Instructor at LinkedIn Learning

Learn-it Labs

Course details

Integrated development environments (IDE) make it faster and easier to write high-quality code. Visual Studio, the IDE from Microsoft, has every tool you need to be a productive developer—regardless of your language, programming style, or project type. This course offers a comprehensive introduction to Visual Studio, allowing you to explore the tools and features and configure Visual Studio to support your needs. Microsoft MVP Walt Ritscher shows how to install and configure Visual Studio, work with files and projects, add a project to Git, configure editor settings, change tracking code, and more. Plus, learn about debugging code, as well as how to add extensions to enhance Visual Studio.

Learning objectives
Install and configure Visual Studio
Work with files and projects
Add a project to Git
Use checkout to open files from Git
Configure editor settings
Write code in the editor
Use IntelliSense and snippets
Change tracking code
Learn about refactoring
Practice formatting code
Explore classes
Find references
Debug code
Add Visual Studio extensions

Skills covered

Visual StudioWeb Development ToolsSoftware Development ToolsEssential TrainingWeb DevelopmentMicrosoftSoftware Development

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Explore the wide world of Visual Studio
02 - What you should know before starting this course
03 - Work with newer or older versions of Visual Studio
04 - Clone the exercise files from GitHub

1. Set Up Your Environment

05 - How to install Visual Studio
06 - Download the Visual Studio installer
07 - Choose the workloads and components
08 - Verify the install
09 - Initial configuration of Visual Studio

2. Get Started

10 - Visual Studio overview for beginners
11 - Rapid guide to the IDE features

3. Get Comfortable with the Visual Studio IDE

12 - Work with individual files
13 - Work with folders
14 - What are projects and solutions
15 - Work with project and solution
16 - How to create a project
17 - Identifying the IDE tool and document window types
18 - Work with the Solution Explorer
19 - Use folder view in Solution Explorer
20 - Use filter and scope in Solution Explorer

4. Work with Tabbed Editors

21 - Working with tabbed editors
22 - Preview tab contents
23 - Pinning tabbed editors
24 - Arranging and grouping tabbed editors
25 - Change layout with vertical tabs
26 - Discern different projects with colorized tabs

5. Windows Management

27 - Save and recall windows layout
28 - See more code in full screen mode
29 - Navigate the IDE with the nav helper
30 - Docking tool windows with the visualizer
31 - Use Split View within an editor
32 - Quickly launch commands with the Search tool

6. Configure the Editor Settings

33 - Save or restore your preferred settings
34 - Explore the general settings for editors
35 - Explore the display settings for editors
36 - Configure the language editor settings
37 - Navigate with the enhanced scrollbar
38 - Display reference and Git info with Code Lens
39 - Add line numbers for better document readability
40 - See more code at-a-glance with word wrap
41 - See more context with sticky scroll
42 - Choose a programming font
43 - Change the IDE color theme
44 - Customize the code font colors

7. Code and Markup Editors

45 - Explore the code editor windows
46 - How the proper editor window is loaded
47 - Write and edit code
48 - Use outliners and regions in your code
49 - Use hover tips
50 - Instant code fixes and refactorings with Quick Actions
51 - Use IntelliSense effectively
52 - Change tracking for code edits
53 - Refactor your existing code
54 - Accelerate coding with expandable code snippets

8. Format Your Code

55 - Prettify and format your code
56 - Get consistent code with Code Styles
57 - Get consistent names with Code Styles
58 - Use EditorConfig for consistent code settings
59 - Modify and export EditorConfig settings

9. Navigate and Explore

60 - Use the enhance editor scrollbar
61 - Use the Class View to explore classes
62 - View class relationships with class diagram
63 - Explore the code navigation and analysis tools
64 - Tip - Colorize local variables
65 - Lookup type and member information
66 - Lookup definitions with Peek Definition
67 - View call hierarchy
68 - Find all references to a code construct
69 - See critical reference info inline with CodeLens
70 - Explore the All-In-One search tool
71 - Use the All-In-One code search tool
72 - Use the All-In-One feature search tool

10. Debugging Code

73 - Explore the debug tools
74 - Set the startup project
75 - Attaching the debugger
76 - The ways to add breakpoints
77 - Valid breakpoint locations
78 - Step through code in the debugger
79 - Navigate through code while debugging
80 - Step over and step out debugging
81 - Modify code while debugging with Hot Reload
82 - See debug information with DataTips
83 - Pinning DataTips
84 - Autos and Local - dynamic watch windows
85 - Custom expressions in the watch window
86 - Use breakpoint conditions
87 - Trace debug information with Action breakpoint
88 - Use hit count breakpoints
89 - Target all method overloads with a Function breakpoint
90 - Manage breakpoints with the Breakpoint window
91 - Evaluate performance with PerfTips

11. Continue Your Journey

92 - Source control and branches
93 - Source control and commits
94 - Add extensions to enhance the IDE
95 - Additional features and what's next