Overview: Text Editor

Home Page (Text Editor)

The Visual C++ environment includes an integrated text editor to manage, edit, and print source files. Most of the procedures for using the editor should seem familiar if you have used other Windows-based text editors. With the Text editor, you can:

  • Automatically fill in code syntax by choosing from a generated list of class members, parameters or values.

  • Automate the Text editor with macros.

  • Create source files for different programming languages, including C/C++, SQL, and HTML.

  • Set and customize syntax coloring for source files.

  • Emulate two popular text editors: BRIEF and Epsilon.

  • Perform advanced find and replace operations in a single file or multiple files, including using regular expressions and incremental searching.

  • Use virtual spaces for advanced cursor positioning.

  • Navigate through sections of code by matching group delimiters, matching conditional statements, or using the Go To dialog box.

  • Use Bookmarks to mark frequently accessed lines in your source file.

  • Customize the Text editor with save preferences, the selection margin, tabs, and indents.

  • Modify the font style, size, and color.

  • Select lines, multiple lines, or columns.

  • Use drag-and-drop editing within one editor window, between editor windows, and between the Text editor and the debugger.

  • Test SQL scripts, triggers, and stored procedures, and insert triggers or stored procedures into a database.

  • Manage the source window.

Tip   While using the Text editor, in many instances you can click the right mouse button to display a shortcut menu of frequently used commands. The commands available depend on what the mouse pointer is pointing to.

What do you want to know more about?

Automatic statement completion

Syntax coloring

Editor emulation

Text search methods

File navigation

Web access from the Text editor****

Editor commands and keystrokes****