Visual Studio .NET window

The Visual Studio .NET window has the following components: Start page, product menu, toolbar, Script Explorer, Solution Explorer, code and text editor, Server Explorer, Class view, Properties window, and Dynamic Help.

Start Page , which is displayed each time you start the integrated development environment (IDE). The Start Page contains three tabs: Projects (default tab), Online Resources, and My Profile. You can use the Projects tab to create a new project or open an existing project. The Online Resources tab provides the latest developer news, helps you create new solutions, and promotes interaction with the online developer community. The My Profile tab enables you to personalize settings for the keyboard layout, Visual Studio .NET window layout, and online Help. For more information, see the Visual Basic .NET online help.

After you open a project and select a script, the Visual Studio .NET window contains the following components:

Rational® Functional Tester menu

Rational® Functional Tester toolbar

Functional Test Script Explorer

Solution Explorer, which provides an organized view of your projects and their files and ready access to the commands that pertain to them. By default, the Solution Explorer displays on the right side of the Visual Studio .NET window.

Note: If you want to simplify the Visual Studio .NET user interface, you can click the My Profile tab on the Start page, select Student Window Layout in the Window Layout list, and select (no filter) in the Help Filter list. The Solution Explorer and Dynamic Help display on the left side and the Script Explorer displays on the right side of the Visual Studio .NET window. To return to the default Visual Studio .NET user interface, click the My Profile tab on the Start page, and select Visual Studio Developer in the Profile list. In the product menu, click View > Script Explorer.

Code and Text Editor, which is a word-processing utility. It is referred to as either the Text Editor or the Code Editor, based on its content. For more information, see the Visual Basic .NET online help.

Server Explorer, which Rational® Functional Tester does not use.

Class View, which is a programmatic view of symbols in your code, for example, namespaces, classes, methods, and functions. Symbols are organized by projects. Within each project, the contents are shown in a hierarchical tree view that indicates the containment relationships between the symbols. Other structural information, such as base classes and interfaces and overrideable methods are also included. You can use this logical view of your solution and its projects to better understand the structure of your code and the relationships of its various symbols. For more information, see the Visual Basic .NET online help.

Properties Window, which you can use to view and change the design-time properties and events of selected objects that are located in editors and designers. You can also use the properties window to edit and file, project, and solution properties. For more information, see the Visual Basic .NET online help.

Dynamic Help, which provides pointers to information specific to the current area you are using or task you are trying to complete within the IDE. For more information, see the Visual Basic .NET online help.