views:

208

answers:

3

Does anyone know how to prevent task panes from expanding unless you click on them? Sometimes I hover over one, and it takes a bit to load breaking my concentration.

Thanks!

EDIT: Now that I've had a few days to reflect on my question, I realize the answer is to close it. Let me provide an example. When you are in Word, and you want to look up a synonym to a word, you open the a thesaurus to find an alternate word. You press ALT+F7 and it bring it up. The thesaurus opens in a Task Pane, and when you are done, you click the X to close it. You don't unpin it and have it sit on the side and get annoyed when you hover over it and it pops into view, covering your content and getting in the way. With that being said, the same mental model applies to visual studio. Don't have windows or panes open which you don't need. Open them when you want to preform a task, "close" the task pane, don't hide it.

Cheers!

P.S. This doesn't mean I feel it isn't bad design to pop open windows when you hover over them (I'm sure someone will debate me on this). I still would like an option to choose when to open collapsed windows.

A: 

Use the little "Pin" icon (right between the triangle and "X" icon of the pane) to fix it, then resize or close it.

froh42
I could be wrong, but it sounds like Chris already did this. The problem lies in the panel popping out when the mouse hovers over it, rather than staying put until the tab is clicked. I agree with Steven, I'd like to know the answer, if one exists.
Michael Itzoe
Yes, that is correct. I have already unpinned, which "auto hides", but what I want is to change the visible trigger. I only want this to happen when I click on the collapsed pane, not when I hover over it
Chris
Ah, Ok. I see what you mean. I always keep the windows pinned and close them using the (X) when I don't want to see them (or just resize them to a minimal size).Closin them forces me to remember the keyboard shortcuts to reopen them, however.
froh42
I miss the old days when pressing Esc causes the panes to go away...!
Sean
+1  A: 

I keep it closed. I open it only when needed. I do the same for tools and servers.

Silly Rabbit
+1  A: 

Try to memorize their shortcuts, and keep'em closed.

ppiotrowicz