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When IntelliSense Is Unavailable

Visual Studio 2008

There are certain cases when the IntelliSense options may not work as you expect.

If an incomplete function or other error exists in the code above the cursor, then IntelliSense may be unable to parse the code elements and therefore will not work. You can comment out the applicable code to enable IntelliSense again.

If the cursor is in a comment in your source file, then IntelliSense options is unavailable.

If the cursor is in the quotation marks around a string literal, as in the following,

Copy 
MessageBox( hWnd, "String literal|") )

then IntelliSense options is unavailable.

By default, IntelliSense works automatically, but you can disable it.

Even when automatic statement completion is disabled, you can invoke an IntelliSense feature.

For more information, see Modifying IntelliSense Options.

If the no-compile browser (.ncb) file, which is located at the root of your project directory, is read-only or becomes corrupted, IntelliSense information becomes unavailable. To fix this, do the following:

  1. Close the solution.

  2. Delete the .ncb file.

  3. Reopen the solution.

    Reopening the solution creates a new .ncb file.

Make sure that your include directories and include files are set up correctly. Use the /I (Additional Include Directories) and the /INCLUDE (Force Symbol References) options to configure these settings.

For more information about the include directive, see The #include Directive and Using C++ Library Headers.

For projects that contain CLR programming syntax from Visual C++ 2005 or later, you must use the /clr compiler option.

For projects that contain Managed Extensions for C++ syntax, which is CLR programming syntax prior to Visual C++ 2005, you must use the /clr:oldSyntax compiler option.

For more information, see /clr (Common Language Runtime Compilation).

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Posible situation:

You made a "Save Form1 As" (substitute form1 with you main form) but continued to work on the non back up version. Let's say you saved as Form1Temp.vb and continued to work on Form1.vb. In this case the work around is te Re-Save As your form as Form1.vb. You still got your quick backup and intellisense should be up and running again.

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Force update Intellisense without deleting ncb or using macros in VC++ 2008
There is another way to force update Intellisense in VC++ 2008 IDE beside deleting of .ncb file or using macros. There is no need to close Your project, just switch to Release configuration with the help of "Solution Configurations" combo on toolbar (if Debug configuration is active or vice versa) and next switch back to initial configuration. During this steps Intellisense will be updated automatically. It works in VS 2008.
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Set the Reference Path
[C#] Reference Path doesn't include Assemblies being used. If you're trying to use symbols from another assembly, make sure that the assembly is in your reference path (Project | (your project name) Properties | Reference Paths)

See also: How to: Set the Reference Path (C#, J#) [ http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/6taasyc6(VS.80).aspx ]
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Deleting the .NCB file is an unacceptable workaround

Deleting the .ncb file seems to be the standard workaround/suggestion whenever there is a problem with intellisense.

This is however a completely unacceptable workaround.

There is more information in the .ncb file than just intellisense information.

Whenever you delete your .ncb file you also lose all of your bookmarks!

(Or am I the only one that even uses the bookmarks feature?)

What Microsoft needs to do (until they can find and fix this bug) is either:

A. Change Intellisense to not rely on the .ncb file at all (i.e. whatever information in the .ncb file it currently relies on should be moved into a separate file for exclusive intellisense use only, such that one could then delete only that file (and not the .ncb file) whenever intellisense happens to go south (thereby not impacting ones bookmarks),

- OR -

B. Move the bookmarks information out of the .ncb file and into its own file (for its exclusive use), such that deleting the .ncb file whenever intellisense goes south no longer impacts ones bookmarks.

If there is any other information/functionality contained in the .ncb file, then of course it too should br broken out and placed into its own file as well.

Speaking of NCB files and bookmarks, has anyone else noticed the actual bookmarks contained within the .ncb file uses absolute (instead of relative) paths? Such that should one move ones Solution's directory to another location (or simply rename it), all of one's bookmarks are suddenly rendered inoperative?

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