Managing Tabs and Items in the Toolbox
Varieties of methods are available to customize the appearance of Toolbox tabs and their items. For example, you can do the following:
- Add and remove custom tabs.
- Add and remove items on tabs.
- Rename tabs and items on tabs.
- Show all tabs, or conceal those that are not in use.
- Display the tools on a tab as compact icons or in labeled lists.
- Sort all items on a tab alphabetically.
- Reposition items on a tab.
The Toolbox displays the General and Clipboard Ring tabs by default. Additional tabs are then displayed as you work in the various designers and editors. For further information, see Using the Toolbox.
To cycle through expanded Toolbox tabs
- In the active editor or designer, press CTRL+Down ( ¯ ) to expand the next Toolbox tab, or CTRL+Up ( ) to expand the previous tab.
To show all tabs in the Toolbox, or conceal all those not in use
In the Toolbox window, right-click any tab, then choose Show All Tabs.
Note Certain items might not be available. This option toggles on and off.
To display items on a Toolbox tab as compact icons or in labeled lists
In the Toolbox window, right-click the desired tab, then choose List View.
Note This option toggles on and off.
To sort the items on a Toolbox tab alphabetically
In the Toolbox window, right-click the desired tab, then choose Sort Items Alphabetically.
Note This option toggles on and off.
To use the Clipboard Ring tab
- To store an item on this tab, select the item and press Shift+CTRL+C, or drag the item to the Clipboard Ring tab.
- To paste in the most recent item on the Clipboard Ring, press Shift+CTRL+V. Keep pressing Shift+CTRL+V to cycle through Clipboard Ring items until the desired entry appears.
To add a custom tab to the Toolbox
Right-click on any existing tab and choose Add Tab from its shortcut menu.
In the text box at the bottom of the Toolbox, type a name for the new tab and then press ENTER.
You can then select the tab and add other items. Use custom tabs to store favorite controls, text scraps, and other frequently used items.
Note The new tab appears at the bottom of the Toolbox window, with the Pointer tool automatically added.
To remove a custom tab from the Toolbox
Right-click the Toolbox tab you no longer need, and then choose Remove Tab.
A message box informs you that any items on the tab will be deleted.
If you still need any item on this tab, click NO, then drag the items you need to other Toolbox tabs.
When you have removed all the items you need, choose Remove Tab again and click YES to delete the selected tab from the Toolbox.
To add or remove items on a Toolbox tab
On the Tools menu, choose Add/Remove Toolbox Items.
The Customize Toolbox dialog box opens.
In the Customize Toolbox dialog box, click from tab to tab to browse through available categories of Toolbox items.
In each category, either
Select the items you want to add, and deselect those you want to remove.
— or —
Click Browse to add items not available on the current list.
Click OK to close the Customize Toolbox dialog box. New tools are added to the tab currently selected in the Toolbox. From there, you can drag them to other tabs. Items deselected in Customize Toolbox will no longer appear on their former tabs.
Note Some controls added to the Toolbox must be registered on your computer to be used in the IDE.
To rename Toolbox tabs
- In the Toolbox window, right-click the desired tab, then choose Rename Tab.
- In the text box, type a new name for the tab and press ENTER.
To rename items on Toolbox tabs
- In the Toolbox window, right-click the desired tab item and choose Rename Item.
- In the text box, type a new name for the item, then press ENTER.
To reposition items on a tab
In the Toolbox window, right-click the item you wish to reposition, then choose Move Up or Move Down.
Note When you deselect List View to display Toolbox items as compact icons, Move Up shifts the selected icon to the left, and Move Down shifts it to the right.