Visual Studio .NET IDE

Solution Explorer Window

The Solution Explorer window gives an overview of the solution we are working with and lists all the files in the project. An image of the Solution Explorer window is shown below.

Server Explorer Window

The Server Explorer window is a great tool that provides "drag and drop" feature and helps us work with databases in an easy graphical environment. For example, if we drag and drop a database table onto a form, VB .NET automatically creates connection and command objects that are needed to access that table. The image below displays Server Explorer window.

Intellisense

Intellisense is what that is responsible for the boxes that open as we type the code. IntelliSense provides a list of options that make language references easily accessible and helps us to find the information we need. They also complete the typing for us. The image below displays that.

Intellisense

Code Designer Window

Code Designers like the image below allows us to edit and write code. This is the window that opens when we double-click on a form or any control. This is the place where we write all the code for the application. Notice the two drop-down list boxes at the top of the code window in the image below. The left box allows us to select the object's code we are working with and the right box allows us to select the part of code that we want to work. Also notice the "+" and "-" boxes in the code designer. You can use those boxes to display code Visual Basic .NET already created, like, Windows Forms Designer generated code, etc.

Code Designer Window

Properties Window

The properties window allows us to set properties for various objects at design time. For example, if you want to change the font, font size, backcolor, name, text that appears on a button, textbox etc, you can do that in this window. Below is the image of properties window. You can view the properties window by selecting
View->Properties Window from the main menu or by pressing F4 on the keyboard.

Dynamic Help Window

The dynamic help window displays help which looks up for things automatically. For example, if you want to get help with a form, select the form and select Help->Dynamic Help from the main menu. Doing that displays all the information relating to forms. The image below displays that. You can get help relating to anything with this feature. Say, if you want to know more about the form, select the form and select Dynamic Help from the Help menu. Doing that displays information about the form as shown in the image below..

Dynamic Help Window