I add buttons on the toolbar for the following 3 macros. Each will take the currently selected text in any file and google it (or MSDN-it, or spell-check-it). Make up a nifty icon for the toolbar for extra style-points.
Private Const BROWSER_PATH As String = "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"
Sub SearchGoogle()
Dim cmd As String
cmd = String.Format("{0} http://www.google.com/search?hl-en&q={1}", BROWSER_PATH, DTE.ActiveDocument.Selection.Text)
Shell(cmd, AppWinStyle.NormalFocus)
End Sub
Sub SearchMSDN()
Dim cmd As String
cmd = String.Format("{0} http://www.google.com/search?hl-en&q={1}+site%3Amsdn.microsoft.com", BROWSER_PATH, DTE.ActiveDocument.Selection.Text)
Shell(cmd, AppWinStyle.NormalFocus)
End Sub
Sub SpellCheck()
Dim cmd As String
cmd = String.Format("{0} http://www.spellcheck.net/cgi-bin/spell.exe?action=CHECKWORD&string={1}", BROWSER_PATH, DTE.ActiveDocument.Selection.Text)
Shell(cmd, AppWinStyle.NormalFocus)
End Sub
Show build duration in the Output window
Put this code in your EnvironmentEvents module. This will write the duration directly to the build window for any action on a solution (build, rebuild, clean, deploy).
You can change the IsBuild function to specify the actions you want to see this information for.
Dim buildStart As Date
Private Function IsBuild(ByVal scope As EnvDTE.vsBuildScope, ByVal action As EnvDTE.vsBuildAction) As Boolean
Return scope = vsBuildScope.vsBuildScopeSolution
End Function
Private Sub BuildEvents_OnBuildBegin(ByVal Scope As EnvDTE.vsBuildScope, ByVal Action As EnvDTE.vsBuildAction) Handles BuildEvents.OnBuildBegin
If (IsBuild(Scope, Action)) Then
buildStart = Date.Now
End If
End Sub
Private Sub BuildEvents_OnBuildDone(ByVal Scope As EnvDTE.vsBuildScope, ByVal Action As EnvDTE.vsBuildAction) Handles BuildEvents.OnBuildDone
If (IsBuild(Scope, Action)) Then
Dim buildTime = Date.Now - buildStart
WriteToBuildWindow(String.Format("Build time: {0}", buildTime.ToString))
End If
End Sub
Private Sub WriteToBuildWindow(ByVal message As String)
Dim win As Window = DTE.Windows.Item(EnvDTE.Constants.vsWindowKindOutput)
Dim ow As OutputWindow = CType(win.Object, OutputWindow)
For Each owPane As OutputWindowPane In ow.OutputWindowPanes
If (owPane.Name.Equals("Build")) Then
owPane.OutputString(message)
Exit For
End If
Next
End Sub
Show the start page after you close a solution (but keep Visual Studio open)
Put this code in your EnvironmentEvents module:
Private Sub SolutionEvents_AfterClosing() Handles SolutionEvents.AfterClosing
DTE.ExecuteCommand("View.StartPage")
End Sub
Hide the start page after you open a solution
Put this code in your EnvironmentEvents module:
Private Sub SolutionEvents_Opened() Handles SolutionEvents.Opened
Dim startPageGuid As String = "{387CB18D-6153-4156-9257-9AC3F9207BBE}"
Dim startPage As EnvDTE.Window = DTE.Windows.Item(startPageGuid)
If startPage IsNot Nothing Then startPage.Close()
End Sub
These two together will cause your Start Page to hide itself when you open a solution. When you close the solution, the Start Page comes back.
I use the following lesser-known shortcuts very often:
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