Add missing usings in Visual Studio

Applies to: Visual Studio Visual Studio for Mac Visual Studio Code

This code generation applies to:

• C#

• Visual Basic

What: Lets you immediately add the necessary imports or using directives for copy-and-pasted code.

When: It's common practice to copy code from different places in your project or other sources and paste it in to new code. This Quick Action finds missing imports directives for copy-and-pasted code and then prompts you to add them. This code fix can also add references from project to project.

Why: Because the Quick Action automatically adds necessary imports, you don't need to manually copy the using directives that your code needs.

Add missing usings refactoring

1. Copy code from a file and paste it into a new one without including the necessary using directives. The resulting error is accompanied by a code fix that adds the missing using directives.

   Note

   You need to enable this suggestion in Tools > Options > Text Editor > C# > Advanced > Using Directives.

2. Select Ctrl+. to open the Quick Actions and Refactorings menu.

   

3. Select using <your reference>; to add the missing reference.

   

See also

• Code generation
• Preview Changes
• Tips for .NET developers