Browsing Code and Components
Use the Object Browser to examine the symbols available for use in your projects. Open the Object Browser from the View menu or by clicking the Object Browser button on the main toolbar.
The scope of the Object Browser can be narrowed to the projects you are developing and the components they reference, or expanded to include the entire .NET Framework, COM components installed on your machine, and any external components available. You can also search a custom set of folders for available components. For more information, see How to: View and Alter the Browsing Scope.
The Object Browser displays three panes: an Objects pane on the left, a Members pane on the upper right, and a Description pane on the lower right.
In the Objects pane, icons identify hierarchical structures such as .NET Framework and COM components, namespaces, type libraries, interfaces, enums, and classes. To narrow down the list of items in the Objects pane, use Search. To redisplay all available items, click Clear Search.
You can expand structures in the Objects pane to reveal ordered lists of their members. Properties, methods, events, variables, constants, and other nested items are listed in the Members pane. Information about the item currently selected in the Objects or Members pane appears in the Description pane. For more information, see How to: Navigate in the Object Browser.
In This Section
Object Browser
Reference topic listing elements of the Object Browser and how they work.How to: Navigate in the Object Browser
Moving from pane to pane and item to item in the Object Browser.How to: View and Alter the Browsing Scope
Procedures for narrowing the browsing scope to the projects you are developing, or expanding it to include the entire .NET Framework, all installed COM components, and external components.
Related Sections
Class View
Reference topic listing elements of Class View and how they work.Class View and Object Browser Icons
Images of icons displayed on Class View and Object Browser nodes, and what they represent.Viewing Classes and Their Members
Includes topics on using Class View to examine your project code, and on creating virtual folders of project symbols.Understanding Classes
Conceptual introduction to classes.Introduction to the .NET Framework Class Library in Visual Studio
Overview of the .NET Framework Class Library.Overview of the .NET Framework
Conceptual introduction to the .NET Framework.