Navigate compiled code

A solution is not limited to source code of your projects, it also contains references to libraries that are used in your solution. It is very convenient to have access and opportunity to navigate to symbols from those libraries as if they were a part of your solution. JetBrains Rider provides a built-in decompiler and a lot of features that help you view and navigate through compiled code.

Code presentation of symbols from compiled assemblies depends on the settings, on the availability of PDB information, and on the applied navigation command.

There are two types of navigation commands that target library symbols:

• Commands that explicitly specify where and how to represent library symbols:

  • Navigate To: Assembly Explorer
  • Navigate To: Decompiled Sources
  • Navigate To: Metadata View
  • Navigate To: Sources from Symbol Files

• Commands that may implicitly lead to compiled code when the target symbol is not in the source code of your solution. For example,

  • Go to Declaration
  • Go to Type Declaration
  • Go to Base Symbols

For the second type of commands, you can specify how JetBrains Rider will represent library symbols. You can configure the default navigation on the Tools | External Symbols page of JetBrains Rider settings Ctrl+Alt+S.

You can also explore source code of any assembly outside your solution using the Assembly Explorer view. For more information, see Explore and decompile assemblies.