What IDE placement (output, errors, threads, watch, etc..) do you use (coding/debugging) in Visual Studio on Dual Monitors?
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A:
This is clearly subjective, but I keep my IDE on the primary monitor, right in front of me. The app runs on the secondary monitor, which in my case, is on the right.
JosephStyons
2008-09-09 13:33:05
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A:
hmmmm, I usually keep all IDE stuff in my larger left monitor, then the application in the right. More out of habit than anything else. Any suggestions?
Sara Chipps
2008-09-09 13:33:11
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A:
minimal panes open (output sometimes), no animations, just a land of code and solution explorer all over my largest monitor.
When possible, I love me some portrait mode for writing code, my current monitors are landscape bound.
DevelopingChris
2008-09-09 13:33:37
I've found my monitor looks bad in portrait mode. Clear Type (Windows) is all wrong and the viewing angles seem really bad. I assume clear type issue has something to do it the shape of the pixels - not sure about the viewing angles. Are some monitors better then others? Is it me?
Aardvark
2008-09-09 13:41:13
I've had issues in the past, but all the more modern monitors with good contrast and dot pitch, have been fine. Last time I had an issue, the monitor was squareish anyway, so portrait only gave you 20% more pixels.
DevelopingChris
2008-09-09 14:24:04
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A:
Editor windows on the big, primary monitor, and all my tool windows docked together in a maximized floating tool window on the second, smaller monitor.
The problem is that VS changes your layout depending on the current editor context; it changes on me when I debug, and I can never get it to stay exactly where I want it to.
Not long ago VS started throwing the tool window in the lower right hand corner of my primary monitor when debugging. I'm not sure exactly why the hell it started doing that, but I couldn't fix it. Had to give up and dock my tool windows when debugging.
HEY! Anybody know of a decent addin for controlling window layouts in VS?
Will
2008-09-09 13:34:19
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A:
Left: The IDE with as large an editor window as possible. Right: Everything else.
Rik
2008-09-09 13:35:33
I have two 20" Dell Ultrasharps and sometimes I run a second instance of Visual Studio on my Right monitor, for example, if I'm porting older code to a new project.
Jared Updike
2008-09-09 13:56:11
A:
I always keep the IDE in the left monitor and save the right monitor for the app when running in debug mode. If you are setting breakpoints in message handlers for events that fire when a window is redrawn you can get into some irritating event loops when your IDE pops up and covers your app (likewise when you expose the app again).
Outside of that it really depends on which windows I need at the moment (call stack, output, memory, etc.).
BwanaJim
2008-09-09 13:59:25
A:
We have some developers at our studio that use widescreen monitors turned vertical for more screen real-estate for their code. I think that you have to have driver support for this mode. For example, the nVidia control panel will support rotation of monitors to accomplish what I've described.
You lose the horizontal in favor of the vertical, but many programmers here really like that mode.
Mark
2008-09-09 20:44:07
A:
Properties window takes up 2/3 width of top half of monitor 2. Output/Error List/Pending Changes in a tab strip, ~100% of lower half of monitor 2. Everything else is on monitor 1.
Mark Cidade
2008-09-09 21:13:36
A:
I keep my IDE in my main monitor and put the properties, output, etc. tool windows grouped together detached on my secondary monitor. If I need to use the IDE and the secondary monitor at the same time (usually I don't, just because of the type of apps I've been working on currently) then I'll switch to having the tool windows re-docked and set to auto-hide (which also works pretty well when using remote desktop).
Wedge
2008-09-10 09:33:59
A:
It depends on the monitors, I have my laptop on the left, due to the limitations of my desk, so I have got used to having my IDE on the decent monitor on the right.
I would say the IDE should be the monitor easier to see, my right monitor is more centered than the left laptop monitor
johnc
2008-09-10 09:39:50
A:
I use a Mac, therefore my Windows Vista (and XP) is virtualized in a VMWare or Parallels virtual machine. Both programs contain bugs when using multiple monitors and Unity/Coherence mode (that is, make the windows invisible and only see the running programs).
Only the latest VMWare 2.0 RC released a few days ago is capable of this. (not without some glitches).
I use a Macbook Pro and an external 22'' display. The "Main" display is the external (22 > 15) ;)
So the OS X menu bar, dock, etc. is there. The Macbook Pro internal display is the small secondary display, in my case, sitting left of the big screen.
When I use VStudio, I have the main VS display in the main display, maximized. And the Solution Explorer, Properties, Classes, and a few other toolbars, using the left smaller screen.
All I see is Code and some toolbars, but mainly all code.
When I debug, the floating tools disappear and others appear where the code is (the code window becomes a little bit smaller to accomodate this). No more floating stuff, as the application runs in the Macbook Pro smaller display, while I keep seeing the code/values/etc in the visual studio big screen.
It's a nice way to work. I'd recommend it anytime.
There are people that think that multiple displays not always means better productivity; solutions like "virtual desktops" are nice but cannot replace the speed of your eye moving from screen 1 to screen 2 to quickly glance at a property. I've tried Spaces on the mac and it doesn't come close. At least for programming.
Martín Marconcini
2008-09-10 09:49:05
A:
I keep everything in the left monitor and my DB/Firefox in the right hand one.
Mainly because i switch dev between one monitor and two monitors depending where I am and I dont want to have to get used to two layout configurations for using VS.
qui
2008-09-10 10:48:27