Keyboard Shortcuts

Visual Assist supports keyboard access to all of its features.

Default Shortcuts

Several of the most popular commands in Visual Assist have shortcuts that are active after installation of Visual Assist, but only if their shortcuts were available. Visual Assist adds to your assignments; it does not overwrite them.

The default shortcuts of Visual Assist remain active until you reassign the shortcuts to other commands. For example, Alt+G activates VAssistX.GotoImplementation until you assign Alt+G to a different command, even if you assign an additional shortcut to VAssistX.GotoImplementation.

Current Shortcuts

View a list of shortcuts currently assigned and their meanings in VAssistX | Help | Keyboard Shortcuts.

Recommended Shortcuts

Several shortcuts well known to long-time users of Visual Assist, e.g. Shift+Alt+O at global scope, are no longer available for default assignment; Visual Studio has usurped the shortcuts that Visual Assist used.

A dialog to assign recommended shortcuts, including those usurped, opens several days after installation of Visual Assist. Open the dialog manually via:

VAssistX | Help | Keyboard Shortcuts | Recommended

Commands Available for Assignment

The following commands are available for assignment. Commands are effective throughout the IDE or only when focus is in a text editor.

 default shortcut or shortcut assigned when accepting recommendations
† shortcut assigned via recommendations
‡ shortcut whose scope is increased via recommendations

Command	Description	Default Shortcut	Relevant Globally	Relevant in Text Editor
AboutVisualAssist	Open About dialog for Visual Assist
BindBreakpointsToCurrentThread	Bind Breakpoints to Current Thread
BracesAdd	Add braces around current statement
BracesRemove	Remove braces from one-line "compound" statement
BracesToggle	Add braces to, or remove from, current statement
CheckforNewVersion	Check for new version of Visual Assist
CloneFindReferencesResults	Clone Find References results window
Documentation	Open browser window to documentation
EnableDisable	Enable and disable Visual Assist
EnterKey	Open dialog to enter an activation key
FindNextbyContext	Find next reference to a symbol
FindPreviousbyContext	Find previous reference to a symbol
FindReferences	Open Find references tool window for current symbol	Shift+Alt+F
FindReferencesinFile	Open Find references tool window for current symbol in current file
FindReferencesResults	Open Find References results window with last results
FindSelected	Highlight words matching the word under caret	Alt+K †
FindSymbolDialog	Find Symbol in solution	Shift+Alt+S
Forums	Open browser window to discussion forums
GotoImplementation	GoTo Implementation or declaration	Alt+G
GotoMember	GoTo Member
GotoRelated	GoTo Related symbols	Shift+Alt+G
HashtagsGroupByFile	Toggle grouping of entries in VA Hashtags tool window
HashtagsNext	Go to location of next entry in VA Hashtags tool window
HashtagsNextInGroup	Go to next entry in current group: hashtag or file
HashtagsPrevious	Go to location of previous entry in VA Hashtags tool window
HashtagsPreviousInGroup	Go to previous entry in current group: hashtag or file
HashtagsSearch	Move focus to filter edit control of VA Hashtags tool window
InsertPath	Insert Path
ListIncludeFiles	Force the header file hierarchy to appear in HCB
ListMethodsInCurrentFile	List methods in file	Alt+M
NavigateBack	Navigate Back	Alt+Left Arrow	‡
NavigateForward	Navigate Forward	Alt+Right Arrow †
OpenContextMenu	Open VA context menu in text editor
OpenContextMenuOld	Open old VA context menu in text editor (Deprecated)
OpenCorrespondingFile	Open Corresponding File	Alt+O
OpenFileInSolutionDialog	Open File in Solution dialog	Shift+Alt+O	‡
Options	Open options dialog for Visual Assist
OutlineContextMenu	Open context menu of VA Outline
OutlineRefresh	Refresh VA Outline
OutlineSelectInEditor	Select corresponding item in text editor from VA Outline
OutlineToggleAutoUpdate	Toggle auto update in VA Outline
OutlineToggleComments	Toggle comments in VA Outline
Paste	Open menu of Multiple Clipboards	Ctrl+Shift+V †
PurchaseLicense	Open browser window to purchase a license
RefactorAddForwardDeclaration	Add Forward Declaration
RefactorAddInclude	Add #include Directive
RefactorAddMember	Add Member
RefactorAddSimilarMember	Add Similar Member
RefactorChangeSignature	Change Signature
RefactorContextMenu	Open Quick Action and Refactoring menu	Shift+Alt+Q
RefactorConvertBetweenPointerAndInstance	Convert Between Pointer and Instance
RefactorCreateDeclaration	Create Declaration
RefactorCreateFromUsage	Create From Usage	Shift+Alt+C
RefactorCreateImplementation	Create Implementation
RefactorDocumentMethod	Document Method
RefactorEncapsulateField	Encapsulate Field
RefactorExtractMethod	Extract Method
RefactorMoveImplementationToSourceFile	Move Implementation to Source File
RefactorMoveImplementationToHeaderFile	Move Implementation to Header File / Class Declaration
RefactorRename	Rename	Shift+Alt+R
RefactorSimplifyInstanceDefinition	Simplify Instance Declaration
RefResultsCancel	Cancel Find References results
RefResultsClearAll	Clear all Find References results
RefResultsContextMenu	Open context menu of Find References results dialog
RefResultsCopy	Copy text from Find References results dialog
RefResultsCut	Cut text from Find References results dialog
RefResultsDelete	Delete item from Find References results dialog
RefResultsFind	Find in Find References results
RefResultsFindNext	Find next in Find References results
RefResultsFindPrevious	Find previous in Find References results
RefResultsGoto	Go to method from Find References results
RefResultsNext	Next in Find References results
RefResultsPrevious	Previous in Find References results
RefResultsRefresh	Refresh Find References results
RefResultsToggleHighlight	Toggle highlight in Find References results
RenewMaintenance	Open a browser window to renew software maintenance
ReparseCurrentFile	Reparse current file
ResetEditorZoom	Reset editor zoom level to 100%	Ctrl+0 †
ScopeNext	Move to Next Scope	Alt+Down Arrow †
ScopePrevious	Move to Previous Scope	Alt+Up Arrow †
SelectionBlockComment	Surround selection with block comment characters
SelectionBlockUncomment	Uncomment surrounded selection
SelectionLineComment	Surround selection with line comment characters
SelectionLineUncomment	Uncomment surrounded selection
SelectionToggleBlockComment	Toggle surrounded selection with block comment characters
SelectionToggleLineComment	Toggle surrounded selection with line comment characters
SkipAllBreakpoints	Skip All Breakpoints
SmartSelectExtend	Smart Select to initiate or extend a selection	Shift+Alt+] †
SmartSelectExtendBlock	Smart Select to initiate or extend a block selection	Alt+]
SmartSelectShrink	Smart Select to decrease a selection	Shift+Alt+[ †
SmartSelectShrinkBlock	Smart Select to decrease a block selection	Alt+[
SortSelectedLines	Sort Selected Lines
SpellCheck	Spell Check comments and strings
SpellCheckWord	Spell Check word
SubmitaRequest	Open a browser window to request technical support
SurroundSelectionWithBraces	Surround Selection with braces
SurroundSelectionWithComment	Surround Selection with comment characters
SurroundSelectionWithIfdefOrRegion	Surround Selection with #ifdef or #region
SurroundSelectionWithParentheses	Surround Selection with parentheses
TechnicalSupport	Open a browser window to resources for technical support
TipoftheDay	Open the Tip-of-the-Day dialog
ToggleColoring	Toggle Enhanced Syntax Coloring
ToggleRepairCase	Toggle Repair Case
ToggleSuggestions	Toggle Suggestions
ToggleUnderlining	Toggle underlining of mistyped symbols and misspelled words
VAHashtags	Open the VA Hashtags tool window	Shift+Alt+H
VAOutline	Open the VA Outline
VaSnippetEdit	Edit VA Snippets
VaSnippetInsert	Insert a VA Snippet
VAView	Open the VA View
VAViewFIS	Open the Files in Solution dropdown in the VA View
VAViewHCB	Move focus to HCB component of the VA View
VAViewHCBToggleLock	Move focus to push pin in the VA View, then Space to toggle
VAViewMRU	Move focus to the MRU component of the VA View
VAViewSIS	Open the Symbols in Solution dropdown in the VA View