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Refactor classes and types in Class Designer

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When you refactor code, you make it easier to understand, maintain, and more efficient by changing its internal structure and how its objects are designed, not its external behavior. Use Class Designer and the Class Details window to reduce the work that you have to do and the chance of introducing bugs when you refactor C#, Visual Basic, or C++ code in your Visual Studio project.

Note

The files of a project might be read-only because the project is under source-code control and is not checked out, it is a referenced project, or its files are marked as read-only on disk. When you work in a project in one of these states, you will be presented with various ways to save your work depending on the project's state. This applies to refactoring code and also to code that you change in another way, such as directly editing it.

Common tasks

Task Supporting Content
Refactoring classes: You can use refactoring operations to split a class into partial classes or to implement an abstract base class. - Split a Class into Partial Classes
Working with interfaces: In Class Designer, you can implement an interface on the class diagram by connecting it to a class that provides code for the interface methods. - Implement an Interface
Refactoring types, type members, and parameters: By using Class Designer, you can rename types, override type members, or move them from one type to another. You can also create nullable types. - Rename types and type members
- Move type members from one type to another
- Create a Nullable Type

Rename types and type members

In Class Designer, you can rename a type or a member of a type on the class diagram or in the Properties window. In the Class Details window, you can change the name of a member but not a type. Renaming a type or type member propagates to all windows and code locations where the old name appeared.

Rename in the Class Designer

  1. On the class diagram, select the type or member and select the name.

    The name of the member becomes editable.

  2. Type the new name for the type or type member

Rename in the Class Details window

  1. To display the Class Details window, right-click the type or type member and select Class Details.

    The Class Details window appears.

  2. In the Name column, change the name of the type member

  3. To move focus away from the cell, press the Enter key or click away from the cell.

    Note

    In the Class Details window, you can change the name of a member but not a type.

Rename in the Properties window

  1. On the class diagram or the Class Details window, right-click the type or member and then select Properties.

    The Properties window appears and displays properties for the type or type member.

  2. In the Name property, change the name of the type or type member.

    The new name propagates to all windows and code locations in the current project where the old name appeared.

Move type members from one type to another

Using Class Designer, you can move a type member from one type to another type. Both types must be visible in the current class diagram.

  1. In a type that is visible on the design surface, right-click the member you want to move to another type, and then select Cut.

  2. Right-click the destination type and select Paste.

    The property is removed from the source type and appears in the destination type.

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