Window Layout in VS2003 IDE

[David Wilkinson]

Apart from the loss of the ClassWizard for MFC work, the thing I have
disliked most about the VS2003 IDE is that I have never been able to
arrange the windows in a way that I like. I have just obtained a new
1680x1050 widescreen monitor, and I would like to revisit this issue.

In VC6 I have the windows arranged in two rows. In the top row, the
"Workspace window" is on the left and the main Edit window is on the
right; the tabs for the different workspace views (File View, Class
view, Resource view) all appear at the bottom of the workspace window.
On the bottom row I have the "Output window", and the tabs for all the
different Output views (Build, Debug, Find in Files ..) appear along the
bottom. I think this is the default arrangement in VC6, but if it isn't
it is very easy to set up.

I would like to reproduce this arrangement as much as possible in
VS2003. In the past in VS2003 I have had all the "Workspace views" and
"Output views" on Auto-hide, which I disliked for a variety of reasons.
After much effort using the "Window" menu I have been able to get the
Output views pretty much the way they are in VC6: all the "Output views"
(Task list, Output, Find Results, Breakpoints..) are "pinned", all their
tabs are along the bottom of the screen, and they all appear in the same
window area at the bottom. But with the "Workspace views" I do not seem
able to do this. I have pinned Solution Explorer and have it displayed
on the left of the upper row, but I cannot get the other views (Class
View, Resource view, Properties...) to be pinned and occupy the same
space -- rather (when pinned) they all appear side-by side, eating into
my Edit window space. So for now I have the other "Workspace views" on
Auto-hide, but I do not like it.

Is it possible to have the "Workspace views" all pinned, in such a way
that they occupy the same area on the left, and can be displayed by
clicking the appropriate tab? It seems to me I must be missing
something, because I was able to do this with the "Output views" at the
bottom (not without difficulty, but I am very GUI-challenged...).

David Wilkinson

 

[Andrew McDonald]

Is it possible to have the "Workspace views" all pinned, in such a way
that they occupy the same area on the left, and can be displayed by
clicking the appropriate tab? It seems to me I must be missing something,
because I was able to do this with the "Output views" at the bottom (not
without difficulty, but I am very GUI-challenged...).

You should be able to set this up, I can certainly get this on mine (though
I actually prefer the newer default, windows auto-hiding on the right).

Since you say you've got one in the right place, just drag the title bars of
the others and drop the cursor on the title bar of the correctly docked one.
You should see VS produce a grey outline of what will happen, and then just
release the mouse. You can drag the tabs around if they're in the wrong
order.

 

[David Lowndes]

Is it possible to have the "Workspace views" all pinned, in such a way

that they occupy the same area on the left, and can be displayed by
clicking the appropriate tab? It seems to me I must be missing
something, because I was able to do this with the "Output views" at the
bottom (not without difficulty, but I am very GUI-challenged...).

David,

You're not the only one who was challenged in working out how to
arrange the windows properly, it was very much a hit and miss affair.


It obviously caused an awful lot of people problems because the VS2005
IDE makes it much easier to position these windows as you want them.
As you drag windows around it displays big helper buttons and overlays
that illustrate what will happen - it's hard to describe, but it is
much better than VS2002/3.

Dave Lowndes

 

[David Wilkinson]

You should be able to set this up, I can certainly get this on mine (though
I actually prefer the newer default, windows auto-hiding on the right).

Since you say you've got one in the right place, just drag the title bars of
the others and drop the cursor on the title bar of the correctly docked one.
You should see VS produce a grey outline of what will happen, and then just
release the mouse. You can drag the tabs around if they're in the wrong
order.

Thanks Andrew, I have it now! I was trying to drop in the wrong place.

David Wilkinson