Options, Text Editor, C#, Advanced

Use the Advanced options page to modify the settings for editor formatting, code refactoring, and XML documentation comments for C#. To access this options page, choose Tools > Options, and then choose Text Editor > C# > Advanced.

Analysis

Using Directives

• Place 'System' directives first when sorting usings

  When selected, the Remove and Sort Usings command in the right-click menu sorts the using directives and places the 'System' namespaces at the top of the list.

  Before sorting:

  using AutoMapper;
  using FluentValidation;
  using System.Collections.Generic;
  using System.Linq;
  using Newtonsoft.Json;
  using System;
  

  After sorting:

  using System;
  using System.Collections.Generic;
  using System.Linq;
  using AutoMapper;
  using FluentValidation;
  using Newtonsoft.Json;
  

• Separate using directive groups

  When selected, the Remove and Sort Usings command in the right-click menu separates using directives by inserting an empty line between groups of directives that have the same root namespace.

  Before sorting:

  using AutoMapper;
  using FluentValidation;
  using System.Collections.Generic;
  using System.Linq;
  using Newtonsoft.Json;
  using System;
  

  After sorting:

  using AutoMapper;
  
  using FluentValidation;
  
  using Newtonsoft.Json;
  
  using System;
  using System.Collections.Generic;
  using System.Linq;
  

• Suggest usings for types in .NET Framework assemblies

• Suggest usings for types in NuGet packages

  When these options are selected, a Quick Action is available to install a NuGet package and add a using directive for unreferenced types.

  

• Add missing using directives on paste

  When this option is selected, using directives will automatically get added to your code when you paste a type to a file.

Highlighting

• Highlight references to symbol under cursor

  When the cursor is positioned inside a symbol, or when you click a symbol, all the instances of that symbol in the code file are highlighted.

Outlining

• Enter outlining mode when files open

  When selected, automatically outlines the code file, which creates collapsible blocks of code. The first time a file is opened, #regions blocks and inactive code blocks collapse.

• Show procedure line separators

  The text editor indicates visual scope of procedures. A line is drawn in the .cs source files of your project at locations listed in the following table:

  Location in .cs Source File	Example of Line Location
  After the close of a block declaration construct	- At the end of a class, structure, module, interface, or enum - After a property, function, or sub - Not between the get and set clauses in a property
  After a set of single line constructs	- After the import statements, before a type definition in a class file - After variables declared in a class, before any procedures
  After single line declarations (non-block level declarations)	- Following import statements, inherits statements, variable declarations, event declarations, delegate declarations, and DLL declare statements

Block Structure Guides

Select these check boxes to display dotted vertical lines between the curly brackets ({}) in your code. You can then easily see individual blocks of code for your declaration level and code level constructs.

Comments

• Generate XML documentation comments for ///

  When selected, inserts the XML elements for XML documentation comments after you type the /// comment introduction. For more information about XML documentation, see XML Documentation Comments (C# Programming Guide).

Extract Method

• Don't put ref or out on custom struct

  Uncheck this checkbox to avoid potentionally unintended cloning of structs by refencing existing struct objects when extracting an expression into a method call.

  Example

  Supposed the following class and struct exist in your code:

  public struct CustomStruct
  {
      private int Count;
  
      public int Bump => ++Count;
  }
  
  public class CustomClass
  {
      public void DoIt()
      {
         CustomStruct cs = new CustomStruct();
         int i = 0;
  
         i += cs.Bump;   // select this line
      }
  }
  

  If the "Don't put ref or out on custom struct" option is unchecked, then the "Extract method" feature generates the following:

  public class CustomClass
  {
      public void DoIt()
      {
         CustomStruct cs = new CustomStruct();
         int i = 0;
  
         NewMethod(ref cs, ref i);
      }
  
      private static void NewMethod(ref CustomStruct cs, ref int i)
         => i += cs.Bump;
  }
  

  If the "Don't put ref or out on custom struct" option is checked, then the "Extract method" feature generates the following:

  public class CustomClass
  {
      public void DoIt()
      {
         CustomStruct cs = new CustomStruct();
         int i = 0;
  
         i = NewMethod(cs, i);
      }
  
      private static int NewMethod(CustomStruct cs, int i)
      {
         i += cs.Bump;
         return i;
      }
  }
  

Inline Hints

• Inline Parameter Name Hints

  When selected, inserts parameter name hints for literals, cast literals, and object instantiations prior to each argument in function calls.

  

• Inline Type Hints

  When selected, inserts type hints for variables with inferred types and lambda parameter types.

  

Inheritance Margin

• When selected, adds icons to the margins representing your code's implementations and overrides. Clicking on the inheritance margin icons will display inheritance options that you can select to navigate to.

  

See also

• How to: Insert XML comments for documentation generation
• Document your code with XML comments (C# Guide)
• Set language-specific editor options
• C# IntelliSense