C# Solution Explorer Extension

A comprehensive VS Code extension that provides Solution Explorer functionality for .NET projects with file template support and code analysis features.

Features

NuGet Management

Advanced Search

Solution Explorer

• Browse .NET solutions (.sln files) with a familiar tree structure
• View projects, folders, and files in a hierarchical view
• Support for solution folders and nested projects
• Drag and drop functionality for moving files

Code Analysis

Unused Symbol Highlighting

The extension automatically detects and highlights unused properties, methods, and fields in C# files by:

• Instant Feedback - Uses C# language server diagnostics for immediate response (same speed as IDE0051 warnings)
• Visual Indication - Unused symbols are greyed out with reduced opacity
• Hover Information - Hover over unused symbols to see detailed information about why they're marked as unused
• Real-time Analysis - Updates instantly as the C# analyzer detects changes
• Configurable - Customize the opacity level and toggle the feature on/off
• Smart Detection - Public methods are excluded from unused detection (they might be API endpoints or library methods)
• Performance Optimized - Primary analysis uses language server diagnostics, with fallback to reference checking

Supported Symbol Types:

• Properties (public and private)
• Methods (private only - public methods are excluded)
• Fields (public and private)
• Events (public and private)

Debugger Hints

The extension provides advanced debugging features that enhance your debugging experience:

Inline Debug Values

• Real-time Variable Display - Shows variable values inline at the end of lines where variables are declared or used during debugging sessions
• Change Highlighting - Optional highlighting of changed variables in red/orange (can be disabled), unchanged variables shown in blue for easy identification
• Smart Detection - Automatically finds variable declarations, assignments, loop variables, and method parameters
• Complex Object Support - Displays summaries for objects, arrays, and collections with expandable hover tooltips
• Collection Viewer - Advanced data table with LINQ query execution, sorting, filtering, and CSV export for inspecting collections
• Monaco Editor Integration - Professional C# code editor with IntelliSense for writing and executing LINQ expressions
• Performance Optimized - Debounced updates and efficient refresh logic for smooth debugging experience
• Fully Configurable - Comprehensive settings to customize display behavior, color highlighting, array limits, and object property display
• Multi-file Support - Works seamlessly across all C# files in your workspace during debugging sessions

Key Features:

• Toggle on/off via command palette or settings
• Automatic activation during .NET debug sessions
• Rich hover tooltips with variable type and full value information
• Intelligent handling of large collections and complex objects
• Professional data exploration with LINQ query capabilities

File Templates

Right-click on any project or folder in the Solution Explorer to access the "Add -> New Item" menu with the following templates:

Test generation

Use the 'Create Tests' code lens to quickly generate test methods for your code.

Bookmarks

Use SHIFT + ALT + DOWN to toggle bookmarks in your code. Bookmarks are saved per file and can be used to quickly navigate to important sections of your code. SHIFT + ALT + LEFT and SHIFT + ALT + RIGHT can be used to navigate between bookmarks. SHIFT + ALT + UP can be used to quick pick from all bookmarks in the current workspace.

C# Templates

• Class - Creates a new C# class file
• Interface - Creates a new C# interface with proper naming (IInterface)
• Enum - Creates a new enumeration
• Record - Creates a new C# record type

Web Development Templates

• Controller - Creates an ASP.NET Core API controller
• Razor Page - Creates a new Razor page (.cshtml) with its code-behind file (.cshtml.cs)
• Razor Component - Creates a new Blazor component (.razor)

Testing Integration

The extension provides comprehensive test support through the VS Code Testing API:

• Native Test Explorer - Tests appear in VS Code's built-in Test Explorer

• Automatic Discovery - Automatically finds test projects and methods using MSTest, xUnit, and NUnit

• Hierarchical Organization - Tests organized by Project → Namespace → Class → Method

• Run and Debug - Run or debug individual tests, classes, or entire projects

• Real-time Results - See test results with detailed error messages and stack traces

• File Navigation - Click on any test to jump to its source code

• Test Framework Support - Supports MSTest, xUnit, NUnit, and ASP.NET Core testing

  

Entity Framework Support

Enhanced Entity Framework Core development with integrated migration management:

Add Migration Dialog

• Interactive Migration Creation - User-friendly dialog for creating new migrations
• Smart Project Selection - Dropdowns with project icons and automatic test project filtering
• Preference Memory - Remembers your project selections per solution for faster workflow
• Visual Project Indicators - Real SVG icons showing project types (web, console, library, test, etc.)
• DbContext Configuration - Specify DbContext class name for multi-context scenarios
• Custom Migration Folders - Configure output folder for migration files
• Command Preview - See the generated dotnet ef command before execution
• One-Click Execution - Execute migrations directly from VS Code

Features:

• Right-click on solution or project → Entity Framework → Add Migration
• Automatic project discovery and validation with proper SVG project icons
• Smart defaults and preference persistence per workspace
• Visual project type identification using the same icons as Solution Explorer
• Terminal integration for command execution
• Support for complex multi-project solutions
• Test projects automatically excluded from selections

Configuration Templates

• JSON File - Creates a new JSON configuration file
• XML File - Creates a new XML file
• Config File - Creates an appsettings.json style configuration file

Smart Features

• Automatic Namespace Generation - Templates automatically generate appropriate namespaces based on folder structure and project context
• Icon Support - All file types display with appropriate icons from the extensive icon library
• File Name Validation - Ensures valid file names and prevents conflicts

Usage

1. Open a workspace containing a .NET solution (.sln file)
2. The Solution Explorer will automatically appear in the Explorer panel
3. Right-click on any project or folder to see the "Add" context menu
4. Select "New Item" to access file templates
5. Choose your desired template and enter a file name
6. The file will be created with appropriate content and opened in the editor

Requirements

• Visual Studio Code 1.100.0 or higher
• A workspace containing .NET solution files (.sln)

Extension Settings

Include if your extension adds any VS Code settings through the contributes.configuration extension point.

Feature Previews

Below are visual previews of the main features:

For example:

Configuration

The extension can be configured through VS Code settings:

Code Analysis Settings

• csharp-dev-tools.editor.highlightUnusedSymbols: Enable/disable unused symbol highlighting (default: true)
• csharp-dev-tools.editor.unusedSymbolOpacity: Opacity level for unused symbols, from 0.1 (very faded) to 1.0 (normal) (default: 0.5)

Solution Explorer Settings

• csharp-dev-tools.solutionViewer.trackActiveFile: Automatically reveal and select the active file in the Solution Explorer (default: true)
• csharp-dev-tools.solutionViewer.collapseOtherPaths: When tracking active file, collapse all other expanded paths (default: false)

Commands

The extension provides the following commands accessible via the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P):

• C# Solution Explorer: Toggle Unused Symbol Highlighting - Toggle the unused symbol highlighting feature on/off
• C# Solution Explorer: Open Extension Walkthroughs (Alt+W) - Open the extension walkthroughs to learn about all features

Known Issues

• Reference analysis may take a moment for large files
• Some symbols may not be detected correctly if the C# language server is not fully initialized

Release Notes

0.0.1

Initial release featuring:

• Solution Explorer with drag & drop support
• Comprehensive file templates for C# development
• Unused symbol highlighting with configurable visual feedback

Following extension guidelines

Ensure that you've read through the extensions guidelines and follow the best practices for creating your extension.

• Extension Guidelines

Working with Markdown

You can author your README using Visual Studio Code. Here are some useful editor keyboard shortcuts:

• Split the editor (Cmd+\ on macOS or Ctrl+\ on Windows and Linux).
• Toggle preview (Shift+Cmd+V on macOS or Shift+Ctrl+V on Windows and Linux).
• Press Ctrl+Space (Windows, Linux, macOS) to see a list of Markdown snippets.

For more information

• Visual Studio Code's Markdown Support
• Markdown Syntax Reference

Enjoy!