Navigate current context

Navigate file by its structure

With ReSharper, you can navigate the structure of the current document using the File Structure window, which greatly simplifies navigation in large files. The window is synchronized with the editor: as you switch to another editor tab, the window displays the structure of the corresponding file. To navigate through the file easily, preprocessor directives are hidden by default.

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File members are marked with symbol icons that you can configure on the Environment | General page of ReSharper options.

Right from the File Structure window, you can access even more actions. To check the available commands, you can right-click any symbol.

• Navigate from symbols

• Find usages of symbols Shift+F12

• Generate type members Alt+Insert

• Perform refactorings (Ctrl+Shift+R)

• Drag-n-drop types and type members to rearrange their order. Your changes are immediately reflected in the file.

• If the opened file contains unit tests, these are marked with corresponding icons displaying the status of their last execution. You can also run and debug unit tests right from inside the File Structure window.

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To search items in the File Structure window, just start typing a name or a CamelHumps abbreviation.

Navigate to containing declaration

With a single shortcut, you can jump in the editor to the declaration of a type or a function from any position within its body.

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ReSharper provides a related feature — Select Containing Declaration (Ctrl+Shift+[).

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Visual Studio has a similar shortcut Shift+Alt+[ that lets you jump to the beginning of the containing statement.

You can adjust this shortcut so that the caret jumps to the opening brace of each containing block. To do so, select Use Go to Containing Block (Shift+Alt+[) to jump to the opening brace on the Editor | Behavior page of ReSharper options (Alt+R, O).

Navigate between members and tags

With the Next/Previous Member commands, you can quickly navigate between members and nested types in code files or between tags in markup files.

Locate current document in Solution/Assembly Explorer

This handy navigation feature lets you expand the tree in the Solution Explorer, auto-scroll and highlight the item corresponding to the current document. It is especially useful when you have a massive solution, or a limited screen area that forces you to shrink the Solution Explorer window to the limit.

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Note that this command will not work if the file that is opened in the editor is not included into the current solution.

This command also works with decompiled code allowing you to locate decompiled symbols in the Assembly Explorer window. In this case, the command is sensitive to the caret position: If the cursor is on a specific symbol, the item corresponding to this symbol is highlighted in the Assembly Explorer; if the cursor is elsewhere in the document, the root type of the document is highlighted.

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You can also locate a library symbol in the Assembly Explorer right from the source code where this symbol is used: While your caret is on the symbol, press Alt+` or choose ReSharper | Navigate | Navigate To… from the main menu, and then select Locate in Assembly explorer.

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Another way to locate any file in the Solution Explorer is to press Ctrl+Shift+T to invoke Go To File, enter the name of the desired file, and then choose it in the results list and press Ctrl+Enter.

Navigate neighboring files and projects

Use this command to navigate project structure around the current file. In the popup that opens, you can see the project where the current file belongs, folders and files at the same directory level, and you can easily jump to these files or create a new file or folder.

You can invoke this command from the main menu ( ReSharper | Navigate | Go to File Nearby), but it is probably more convenient to pick it from the Navigate To popup Alt+`. Or alternatively, you can assign a custom shortcut to this command ReSharper_GotoFileNearby.

This command is a good alternative to locating the current document in the Solution Explorer Shift+Alt+L. In the popup that this command opens, you can see the immediate neighbours of the current file as well as navigate any items through the solution hierarchy.

If you choose a code file, it opens in the editor; choosing a project file .csproj/ .vbproj will locate the corresponding project in the Solution Explorer.

In addition to navigation, you can use this command to create new folders and files from existing templates anywhere in your solution:

Navigate related files

This command can take you to all files whose contents are somehow related to the current file.

Navigating to related files may be very useful for web applications: for example, it enables you to jump from a web form to its master page, user controls, referenced images or JavaScript and CSS files. In ASP.NET MVC applications, it simplifies navigation from views to controllers and back.