How to Use IntelliSense in Visual Studio

Edited 20 hours ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) used by many developers to build a wide variety of applications. One of the key features that makes Visual Studio a powerful tool is IntelliSense. IntelliSense is a code-completion tool that helps developers write code more efficiently by suggesting completions, providing parameter information, listing members, and much more. This feature significantly reduces the chances of syntax errors and greatly enhances the coding experience by saving time and effort.

What is Intellisense?

IntelliSense is a collection of features that make coding easier. It provides code suggestions as you type, displays helpful tooltips that describe the various programming languages, frameworks, libraries, or APIs you might be using, and completes code for you in real time. Below are some of the tasks that IntelliSense can perform:

• Suggest possible completions for partially typed words.
• Show parameter information for functions and methods.
• Provide quick tips or hints based on context.
• Highlight syntax errors while writing code.
• Display a list of all available members from classes or modules.

Basic uses of IntelliSense

When you start typing code in Visual Studio, IntelliSense actively guesses what you want to do next. It shows suggestions through a dropdown list that appears automatically. You can press the "Tab" key to autocomplete your selection from the dropdown list.

For example, if you're working with C# and you declare a new instance of a class, typing a dot after the instance name will cause IntelliSense to show all the available properties and methods for that class.

    MyClass obj = new MyClass(); obj.<cursor_here>; // IntelliSense displays list of available members

Understanding and optimizing IntelliSense

By default, Visual Studio has a broad set of features enabled for IntelliSense, but these can be customized to suit your needs. To manage the settings, go to:

Tools > Options > Text Editor > [your language] > IntelliSense

Using these settings, you can choose to turn on/off features like automatic list members, parameter information, or even performance optimization.

Code completion

The code completion feature automatically provides possible matches for partially typed text. This is especially useful for long class names, functions, or properties. If you type the first few letters, IntelliSense will present a list of matching options.

Example:

    System.Console.<cursor_here> // IntelliSense suggests WriteLine, ReadLine, etc.

Quick info and parameter info

Quick Info provides a tooltip with details about the variable, property, function, or type you're currently working on. For example, hovering over a variable can show its type and the namespace it's part of.

When you call a function or method, parameter information appears. It shows the function signature and the parameters expected by the function.

    Console.WriteLine(<cursor_here>); // IntelliSense shows parameter info for WriteLine method

Error highlighting

As you type, IntelliSense flags errors and suggests corrections. For example, if you call a method that doesn't exist, IntelliSense can underline this part of the code, just like spell-checking works.

    obj.MethdName(); // IntelliSense underlines for misspelling

Advanced IntelliSense features

Intellicode

A recent innovation from Microsoft is the introduction of IntelliCode, an AI-assisted enhancement to IntelliSense. IntelliCode uses machine learning models to provide recommendations based on practices developed on several open-source projects. This feature prioritizes variables and code snippets that are used more frequently, making them the default suggestions.

To enable IntelliCode, go to:

Extensions > Manage extensions > Microsoft IntelliCode

Peek definition

Peek Definition allows you to view or navigate inline to the code of the definition you are interested in using in your current coding session without having to switch between files. By right-clicking on a variable or method and selecting "Peek Definition" or by pressing "Alt+F12", you can view a window with the function or method code inline.

Code snippets and templates

Snippets and templates are predefined blocks of code that you can insert into your code files. IntelliSense can suggest snippets when you type certain keywords. This feature significantly reduces the effort required to write common structures over and over again.

For example, the "for" type in a C# class might suggest creating a complete "for" loop snippet like so:

    for (int i = 0; i < length; i++) { // useful code here }

Tips for using IntelliSense effectively

Becoming proficient at using IntelliSense can greatly speed up your coding and improve the accuracy of your code. Here are some tips for getting the most out of IntelliSense:

• Use auto-completion frequently: Whenever possible, use the "Tab" key to complete suggested codes.
• Learn keyboard shortcuts: Learn the keyboard shortcuts associated with IntelliSense for efficient browsing through suggestions, for example, using “Ctrl+Space” to trigger IntelliSense manually.
• Keep IntelliSense organized: Use regions and proper code structure to ensure that IntelliSense makes relevant suggestions.
• Update settings regularly: As your coding style evolves, make adjustments to your IntelliSense settings to meet your specific needs.

Conclusion

IntelliSense in Visual Studio is an exceptional tool that can make your coding tasks far more manageable and effective. By providing timely code suggestions, instant information display, and accurate completion, it supports the faster development of error-free, high-quality code. By familiarizing yourself with its multiplicity of customizable features, you can significantly enhance not only your productivity but also the quality and maintainability of your code. Although it does not replace in-depth programming knowledge, it serves as a helpful, intelligent assistant that constantly adapts to your needs as a developer.

Understanding and mastering IntelliSense is crucial for any developer using Visual Studio, which paves the way for a more innovative, simpler coding workflow. As you continue to explore its capabilities, you'll find ways to streamline your work and write code with more confidence and efficiency.

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