Datasheet

Additional Windows
While the default layout for Visual Basic projects only has three windows docked to various parts of the
IDE, many additional windows can be shown at either design time or runtime. In fact, just like other
parts of the IDE, when you are debugging a solution, additional windows will be shown be default, such
as the Immediate window.
In Chapter 5 you’ll learn how to customize the appearance of the IDE to include additional windows in
the layout. However, two important windows that do not show by default are the Error List window
(see Figure 1-13) and the Output window (see Figure 1-14).
Figure 1-13
The Error List, as you might have surmised, contains a list of issues with your solution. When using
Visual Basic as the language, this Error List is continually updated as you create your code, providing
instant feedback about what kinds of problems you may be introducing into the application. Other lan-
guages may not populate the list until you attempt to build the solution and the code goes through an
active compilation process.
You can filter the list by toggling the Errors, Warnings, and Messages buttons at the top of the window
and double-clicking a particular error to go directly to that section of code.
By default, the Error List window is placed along the bottom of the main IDE space. This area is shared
among many windows, and Figure 1-13 and Figure 1-14 show the tabs along the bottom, indicating that
the Error List and Output windows are using the same space.
The Output window contains all the information about the compilation of your application as well as
data relating to the debugging of code. Figure 1-14 shows the successful compilation of a simple pro-
gram. Both the Output and Error List windows can be shown using the View menu.
Figure 1-14
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A Quick Tour of the IDE
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