Namespace Reference List for an Entire C# Project

Question

When using VB.NET, right-clicking the project & selecting Properties gave me the option to select the namespaces I wanted to import for the entire project (not that I couldn't also use Import statements). However, I cannot find anywhere in C# that lets me do this. Therefore, I need to include many of the same Using statements in every file, not only using up extra space, but requiring me to remember to put them there (not to mention remembering which ones everything is located in). It also means that templates sometimes include namespaces I do not need. Is there any kind of properties page or configuration file that is included in C# where I can place namespaces I expect to use in a large number of files so that I do not need to include the same Using statements in all my files? I'm sure this is a relatively simple question, but I am relatively new to all the details of optimizing C# projects. Thanks.

Answer 1

Unfortunately, C# projects do not have the same feature as VB.NET projects, where you can declare the namespaces globally for the whole project. You have not found it because it does not exist.

But, fortunately, adding the right "using" statements to each file is not as difficult as it seems. Whenever you use in your code a type that is not recognized, it is underlined in red and the "lightbulb" that appears when you hover over the error will offer to add the appropriate namespace. Just click on the option and the "using" will be added automatically.

Conversely, if you use a template that adds more "usings" than you need, the superfluous ones will be colored in a darker gray color, so you will know that you can delete them to clean up your code. Note: This requires a relatively recent version of Visual Studio; in older versions you had to use a third-party tool such as Resharper.

Answer 2

I know tools like Resharper has a feature that allows an unused 'using statements' that are not being used in a class to be remove, which are deemed or grayed out signifying that they are not being used. All you have to do is right click on one of them to select the option to remove all of them from the class file. I thought some of the more recent versions of Visual Stuido have this feature. I know other code refactoring tools probably have the feature.

https://mattferderer.com/clean-up-sort-unused-dotnet-using-statements-in-visual-studio

https://www.codeguru.com/csharp/.net/net_debugging/debugging/using-the-visual-studio-code-refactoring-tools.html

I don't code without Resharper.