Visual Studio has a GREAT feature called Sync with Active Document, read more!

CEO Summary

Lost in your focus with your code?  Need to find your place in your Solution Explorer?  Hit the CTRL+[, S chord and check out your Solution Explorer now!

Dev Summary

When I first started using Visual Studio, the solution I was using was HUGE!!!!  Aside from the obvious jokes about “just how big was it?” DOH!  Let’s just keep going with the meat of the blog!  DOH!  OK, ok ok.

I found some quick tricks, and maybe you found them too!  But with larger solutions, you might turn off Visual Studio’s ability to keep the Solution Explorer in sync with your code cause the flipping around in the Solution Explorer can be quite distracting.

BUT, there are times when you DO want to find your file in the context of your solution.  So how do you turn this on?  There is a shortcut you can add.

SO this worked LIKE A CHARM in VS2010.  You hit the shortcut and BOOM you’re scoped into the Solution Explorer to the exact file you are looking at in the code window, down the right number of folders too!  Beautiful!

Fast Forward to VS 2012, and we’re not in Kansas anymore Toto!  DOH!  Try this trick, and you’ll get an error.

Following a local MVP’s advice, I did send this feedback to MS.  BUT, what do I do while waiting for this to be fixed?  Well, my coworker (Mr. Congeniality, yes,the name is obfuscated, redacted on request) pointed me to a FANTASTIC new VS2012 feature!  Instead use the Sync with Active Document shortcut CTRL+[, S!  You get the same benefit but without the error!!!!!!!!!!!  (and without the toggle!!!!!!)

Now that you know how to get your focus back, it’s time to grab a coffee and get coding!