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| Visual Studio .NET Academic Student Tools Guide |
This section documents reference information for Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Academic Student Tools.
This topic provides a quick reference for some of the things that you must know to write code in Visual Studio .NET. For more information, see Developing with Visual Studio .NET and Editor Convenience Commands and Features in the Microsoft MSDN Library.
| Feature (key command) | Description | For more information |
| Clipboard Cycling (CTRL+SHIFT+V) | Cycles through the last 20 copied or cut items. | Using the Clipboard Ring |
| Incremental Search (CTRL+I or CTRL+SHIFT+I) | Searches for a string as characters are typed. | Navigating Code and Text |
| Line Numbers | Displays line numbers in code. | Managing the Code Editor and View |
| Go To line number (CTRL+G) | Jumps to the specified line of code. | Navigating Code and Text |
| Outlining Code | Expands and collapses sections of code. | Outlining and Hiding Code |
| Full Screen Mode (SHIFT+ALT+ENTER) | Increases the viewing area for editing code. | Managing the Code Editor and View |
| Store Text on the Toolbox | Stores code in the Toolbox for use in other applications. | Toolbox and Managing Tabs and Items in the Toolbox |
| Insert File as Text | Inserts text from a file at the current position in the code. | Managing File Storage |
| Virtual Space | Continues code lines off to the side of the visible screen area. | Managing the Code Editor and View |
| Create Custom Comments Tokens | Makes it possible for you to create custom comment tokens for the task list, in addition to the default tokens: TODO, HACK, and UNDONE. | Creating Custom Comment Tokens |
| Indent Selected Code CTRL+K, CTRL+F | Makes it possible for you to determine whether your statements are nested correctly. | Managing Code Formatting |
| Automatic Brace Matching CTRL+] | Makes it possible for you to determine whether your statements are nested correctly. | utomatic Brace Matching |
The following is a list of general file extensions for Visual Studio .NET including Microsoft Visual C++ .NET, Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, and Microsoft Visual C# .NET.
| Extension | Description | Language |
| *.asax | Used to write code that handles such global ASP.NET application-level events as Session_OnStart and Application_OnStart. The file has a name of Global.asax, which you cannot change. | ASP |
| *.asmx | References a class that exposes methods by means of HTTP requests. It provides a graphical design surface. | ASP |
| *.asp | Active server page file that is used to define both the HTML formatting and the server-side script. | ASP |
| *.aspx | Form used in a Web application, analogous to a Windows form in a local application. It provides a visual designer, that is, a graphical design surface. | ASP |
| *.bmp | Bitmap file. | |
| *.c | C source code file. | Visual C++ |
| *.cpp | Visual C++ source code file. | Visual C++ |
| *.cs | C# form or control. | C# |
| *.csproj | C# project file. | C# |
| *.css | Cascading style sheet file, which is used with HTML Web pages to define styles. | HTML |
| *.dbp | Database project file. | |
| *.def | If the project is for a dynamic-link library (DLL), this is the module definition file. For a control, this file provides the name and description of the control, and the size of the run-time heap. | Visual C++ |
| *.disco | Sometimes called a disco file. Provides a means to enumerate all Web Services and all schemas in a Web project. | |
| *.dll | Dynamic-link library file. | Visual C++ |
| *.exe | Executable file. | Visual C++ |
| *.h | Header file. | Visual C++ |
| *.htm | Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) file, or a typical Web page file. | HTML |
| *.ico | Icon file. | |
| *.js | Microsoft JScript .NET code file. For more information, see What is JScript .NET? in the MSDN Library. | JScript |
| *.lic | User license file. | Visual C++ |
| *.ncb | No compile browser file. Contains information generated by the parser, which is used by Class View to display class information. If this file is deleted, it is regenerated automatically. | Visual C++ |
| *.odl | Object description language file. This file contains the Object Description Language source code for a control type library and is used by Visual C++ to generate a type library. The library generated exposes the control's interface to other Automation clients. | Visual C++ |
| *.rc | Resource script file. For more information, see Resource Files in the MSDN Library. | Visual C++ |
| *.rc2 | Resource file for more than one project. | Visual C++ |
| *.rct | Resource template file. For more information, see Using Resource Templates in the MSDN Library. | Visual C++ |
| *.reg | Registration file. | Visual C++ |
| *.res | Resource file. | Visual C++ |
| *.rpt | Crystal Report file, a third-party reporting tool for databases. When you open the file, it opens in the Crystal Report Designer. | Visual Basic |
| *.sln | Visual Studio Solution file. Organizes all of the elements of a project or multiple projects into a single solution. | |
| *.suo | Visual Studio Solution options file. Stores all user options for a solution. | |
| *.txt | Text file. | |
| *.vb | Visual Basic form or control. | Visual Basic |
| *.vbproj | Visual Basic project file. | Visual Basic |
| *.vbs | Visual Basic Scripting Edition (VBScript) code file. For more information, see What is VBScript? in the MSDN Library. | VBScript |
| *.vcproj | Visual C++ project file. Stores information specific to the project. A separate *.vcproj file is created for each Visual C++ project in a solution. *.vcproj files are not compatible with NMAKE. | Visual C++ |
| *.vdp | Visual Studio Setup and Deployment file. | |
| *.vfpproj | Microsoft Visual FoxPro project file. | Visual FoxPro |
| *.web | ASP.NET uses this file to configure the Web settings for a Web project. The file has a name of Config.web, which you cannot change. | ASP |
| *.wsf | Windows Script Host code file. For more information, see Microsoft Windows Scripting Host: A Universal Scripting Host for Scripting Languages in the MSDN Library | |
| *.xml | Extensible Markup Language (XML) document file. For more information, see XML Technology Backgrounder in the MSDN Library. | XML |
| *.xsd | XSD schema file. For more information, see XML Schema Reference (XSD) in the MSDN Library. | XML |
| *.xslt | Used to transform XML and XSD documents. For more information, see Great Ways to Use XSLT in the MSDN Library. | XML |
The following table shows the list of warning levels that can be applied and provides a description of each level's severity.
| Warning Level | Description |
| 0 | Disables all warnings. |
| 1 | Displays severe warnings. |
| 2 | Displays all level-1 warnings and warnings less severe than level 1. Level 2 is the default warning level at the command line. |
| 3 | Displays all level-2 warnings and all other warnings recommended for production purposes. |
| 4 | Displays all level-3 warnings plus informational warnings. Some of these warnings can be ignored safely, and some represent genuine bugs in the application. This option should be used to search for probable bugs in code and to detect code features that are likely to be errors or wasteful. |
A console application generally has no graphical user interface (GUI), compiles into an executable (.exe) file, and can be run as a stand-alone application from the command line. You can use console applications to learn the C and C++ programming languages, and because console applications typically have no user interface, you will avoid the added complexity of concurrently learning Windows GUI programming.
Visual Studio .NET Academic Student Tools provides two types of console applications with which you can work. In addition to the standard console application, a console application designed specifically for beginning student developers is included. For more information, see Creating a Console Application in Getting Started.
The standard and student console applications differ in that the student console application does not include precompiled header (.pch) files, which increase the complexity of simple applications. Precompiled headers are used to support faster compilation times by restricting compilation to only those files that require it. They are, therefore, used in large, complex applications to achieve faster build times. For more information, see Creating Precompiled Header Files in the MSDN Library.
The following files make up the student console application:
The following table shows the list of AP classes and a brief description of each.
| Class | Files | Description |
| apmatrix | apmatrix.h and apmatrix.cpp | Resizable, two-dimensional array with safe subscripting. |
| apqueue | apqueue.h and apqueue.cpp | Queue data structure. Items placed in the queue can only be accessed from the front of the queue. A queue is an example of a first-in, first-out data structure. |
| apstack | apstack.h and apstack.cpp | Stack object. A stack is like a stack of plates. As more plates are added to the stack, they go on top of the stack. The last plate added is the first removed. A stack is an example of a last-in, first-out data structure. |
| apstring | apstring.h and apstring.cpp | String object. Used to store a series of characters (that is, a string) in place of the standard char (character) data type. This class maintains the current string length, thus eliminating the need for the terminating null character. |
| apvector | apvector.h and apvector.cpp | Vector object. Similar to a two-dimensional array but dynamically resizable. |
User interface (UI) reference topics explain the options that appear on various dialog boxes, windows, and other user interface elements. These topics generally appear when you press F1 in a dialog box or wizard.
Use the Student Resources page to display current headlines and news articles from the MSDN Library that are provided specifically for students. To access this page, click Student Resources from the Visual Studio .NET start page.
To update the Student Resources page
Use the Student Course Tools page to add or delete a course, to access an installed course to download a starter project for an assignment, or to view course resources. To access this page, click Student Course Tools from the Visual Studio .NET start page.
The list of currently installed courses is also shown on this page. To access the Work With Courses page for a specific course, click the course name. For more information, see Work With Courses Page.
Use the Add Course page to install course information on your local machine. To access this page, click the Add Course link from the Student Course Tools page. In the text box, type the URL location provided by your instructor for this course, then click Add.
Use the Work With Courses page to download starter projects for assignments and to view the course description and course resources. To access this page, click the name of the name of the course you want to work with from the Student Course Tools page.
Use the Download Starter Project dialog box to open the starter project in Solution Explorer in Visual Studio .NET. To access this dialog box, click the name of the course for which you want to download a starter project on the Student Course Tools page. Next, click Course Assignments, and then click the Download Starter Project link for the desired assignment.
Use the Delete Course dialog box to delete one or more courses from your local machine. To access this dialog box, click Delete Course from the Student Course Tools page.
Click Delete Selected Courses to delete the course(s) from your local machine.
Access the Course page to view course information, download a new assignment, submit a completed assignment, and change user information.
Use the Course Assignments page to download a starter project, submit an assignment, view the status of auto build and auto check, and check your grade. To access this page, click Add Course on the Student Course Tools page. Enter the course URL, and click Add. Enter your user name and password, and click Log On to log onto Assignment Manager. The Course Assignments page appears.
Use the Download Starter Project page to download the starter project for an Assignment Manager assignment. To access this page, click Get Starter from the Course Assignments page.
Use the Upload Submission page to submit the project for your completed assignment to your instructor. To access this page, click Submit Project from the Course Assignments page.
Access the Messages page to read course messages.
Use the Read page to read messages sent from the internal messaging feature in Assignment Manager. To access this page, click Messages in the left pane of Assignment Manager. Click the Read page.
Access the Password page to change your Assignment Manager password.
Use the Change Password page to change your password. To access this page, click Password in the left pane of Assignment Manager.
This section contains information about the following errors:
The assignment file is formed incorrectly.
To correct this error
A course of the same name already exists locally on your hard disk.
To correct this error
The course file is formed incorrectly, that is, there is an incorrect entry in the Courses.xml file.
To correct this error
The local copy of the course file is formed incorrectly.
To correct this error
You must have a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to add a course.
To correct this error
You must select a course to be able to delete a course.
To correct this error
This error occurs when you attempt to download a starter project to a directory that already contains another project of the same name.
To correct this error
-or-
The student add-in that contains the assignment tools did not load with Visual Studio .NET.
To correct this error
The Add-In Manager dialog box appears.
-or-
This error occurs when you are downloading a starter project and either you do not have the correct file permissions on the server or the file does not exist at the specified location on the server.
To correct this error
The course file at the server location is inaccessible, and the local copy of the course file is formed incorrectly.
To correct this error
The URL for the assignment startup page associated is corrupt.
To correct this error
Occurs when the file cannot be downloaded to the specified location.
To correct this error
Occurs when the user ID or password provided are not valid or do not match.
To correct this error
Occurs when the root upload location is not available.
To correct this error
User attempted to navigate directly to the Assignment Manager Web page from outside the IDE rather than from within the Student Tools.
To correct this error
Occurs when a user is not associated with a course.
To correct this error
Occurs when the maximum upload size for a project is exceeded.
To correct this error
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