Visual Studio Code Snippets

There are a bunch of built-in Visual Studio code snippets that will generate code for you with a short keyword and then a tab key press. These shortcuts will make you more efficient when writing code such as creating properties, loops, exceptions, etc.

Below I have listed the code snippets that I most frequently use and what the output from them looks like.

To use these snippets type they keyword and then press the tab key.

Loops

• do

    do
    {
    } while (b);
  

• while

    while (true)
    {
    }
  

• for

    for (int i = 0; i < UPPER; i++)
    {
    }
  

• foreach

    foreach (var VARIABLE in COLLECTION)
    {
    }
  

Conditionals

• if

    if (b)
    {
    }
  

• else

    else
    {
    }
  

• switch

    switch (@enum)
    {
    }
  

Error Trapping

• try

    try
    {
    }
    catch (Exception)
    {
    	throw;
    }
  

• tryf

    try
    {
    }
    finally
    {
    }
  

• exception

    [Serializable]
    public class MyException : Exception
    {
    	//
    	// For guidelines regarding the creation of new exception types, see
    	// http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/cpgenref/html/cpconerrorraisinghandlingguidelines.asp
    	// and
    	// http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dncscol/html/csharp07192001.asp
    	public MyException()
    	{
    	}
  
    	public MyException(string message) : base(message)
    	{
    	}
  
    	public MyException(string message, Exception inner) : base(message, inner)
    	{
    	}
  
    	protected MyException(
    		SerializationInfo info,
    		StreamingContext context) : base(info, context)
    	{
    	}
    }
  

Properties

• prop

    public TYPE Type { get; set; }
  

• propfull

    private int myVar;
  
    public int MyProperty
    {
    	get { return myVar; }
    	set { myVar = value; }
    }
  

• propg

    public int I { get; private set; }
  

Misc

• ctor

    public class Misc
    {
    	public Misc()
    	{
    	}
    }
  

• enum

    enum MyEnum
    {
    }
  

• struct

    struct MyStruct
    {
    }
  

• #region

    #region MyRegion
    #endregion
  

There are several more code snippets that are available at http://tinyurl.com/vscodesnippets.

With these few code snippets you will be amazed at how much less code you end up writing by hand. Ever little bit helps to make you more productive and efficient as a developer.

Let me know what you favorite snippets are or ones that you have created.