Find Symbol allows you to search for a symbol in a Visual Studio project. You can use this dialog to locate objects (namespaces, types, interfaces, enumerations, and other containers) and members (classes, properties, methods, events, constants, variables, and other contained items) in code.
Use any of the following methods to display Find Symbol in the Find and Replace window.
To display Find Symbol
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Press ALT+F12.
—or—
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On the Edit menu, expand Find and Replace, and then choose Find Symbol.
—or—
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If the Find and Replace window is already open, on the toolbar, click the triangular View button on the on the left drop-down, and then choose Find Symbol.
Search matches are listed in the Find Symbol Results Window.
Find what
This field allows you to specify the string or expression that will be matched.
- Find what
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Reuse one of the last 20 search strings by selecting it from this drop-down list, or type all or part of a string.
Look in
The option chosen from the Look in drop-down list determines whether Find Symbol searches only in currently active files or in a broader set of components. Select a search scope from the list, or click the Browse (...) button to display the Edit Custom Component Set Dialog Box and modify the Other Components search scope.
- Look in
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Select a predefined search scope from this list.
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Option
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Description
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| All Components | Searches all available components for the Find what string, including the current solution and its referenced components, the entire .NET Framework, and any components that you have added using Add Other Components. |
| .NET Framework | Searches the entire .NET Framework Class Library. |
| My Solution | Searches the open solution. |
| Custom Component Set (Object Browser) | Searches the components currently added to the Custom Component Set search scope of the Object Browser. |
| Custom Component Set (Find Symbol) | Searches the components currently added to the Custom Component Set search scope in Find Symbol. |
- Look in References
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When selected, the Find Symbol Result window displays references in the projects within the current browsing scope. This option is selected by default.
- Browse (...)
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Click this button to display the Edit Custom Component Set Dialog Box and modify the Other Components search scope. For more information, see How to: View and Alter the Browsing Scope.
Find Options
You can expand or conceal the Find Options section. The following options can be selected or cleared:
- Match whole word
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When selected, the Find Symbol Result window displays only whole word matches.
- Match prefix
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When selected, the Find Symbol Results window displays any symbols whose names begin with the Find what string. For example, a search for "MyObject" will return "MyObject," "MyObjectTest," and so forth, but not "CMyObject."
- Match substring
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When selected, the Find Symbol Results window displays all symbols whose names include the Find what string anywhere. For example, a search for "MyObject" will return "MyObject," "MyObjectTest" and "CMyObject."
- Match case
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When selected, the Find Symbol Results window displays a case-sensitive search.
Toolbar
A toolbar, with two drop-downs, appears at the top of the Find and Replace window. These drop-downs allow you to choose the type of search or replace you intend to perform and changes the options displayed in the window to match.
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Drop-down
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View menu
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| Find (left drop-down) | Quick Find Find in Files Find Symbol |
| Replace (right drop-down) | Quick Replace Replace in Files |
See Also