I just can't get used to the Command Window

Sunday, October 12, 2003

English VS.Net 2003

I have been using VS.Net for slightly more than 2 years now, and still there's one thing that really can't get used to: the command window (to be exact: the command window in immediate mode). Maybe it's because it is different from the command window of VB6 (which is more like a C64-style full-screen editor). This is one of those cases where I'm really willing to get used to something but I just can't.

I want to clear the command window - so what do I do? When I think about doing it, I use the context menu (right click -> popup menu -> clear all). But when I act instinctively, I hit Ctrl-A, Del (which doesn't work)
I want to copy something from the text in the lines above the current line and use it - not possible without using the mouse, because I cannot move the cursor with the cursor keys. It is a fully understandable design decision to use the cursor keys for scrolling in the command history, but I somehow don't get it. Maybe it's because I don't need items from the command history that much (unlike when I use "cmd.exe" where I don't have a problem with the line-oriented editor).
I want to clear only parts of the output - not possible. That can be very frustrating.

Is it just me? Am I getting inflexible? Am I missing some option I can switch? Or did somebody write an addin for VS.Net?

1 Comment

I agree with you completely.

So many little things about that window are frustrating...

like the word "print" being different then "?"

no "ctrl-A; DEL"

I used to love this series of key strokes:

Ctl-G,

Ctrl-A

DEL

Print strSQL

up arrow

shift-ctl end

ctl-c

Now this has become:

CLT-ALT A

"immed"

?strSQL

use the stupid mouse cursor to very carefully outline the string contents on the previous line, right click and hit 'copy'

SOOOOOO Much slower.

Jeff Statt - Sunday, February 8, 2004 7:22:00 AM

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