How to maximize Visual Studio panels?

Question

Is there a way to quickly maximize (and then restore) Visual Studio 2010 panels? For instance, I'd like to temporarily maximize the Output window or unit test results window. In Eclipse, I would just double-click the window tab but in VS, this undocks the window.

The desired behavior is: double-click to maximize the window, then double-click it again to restore the panel to its original position.

Answer 1

In Visual Studio 2010, you can double-click the title bar of a given panel to put it into float mode, then use it just like any other window (maximize, Windows 7 dock, etc.). Ctrl-double-clicking it again will turn it back into a docked panel.

You can also right-click on the title bar and select Dock as Tabbed Document to display the panel in the same way the code windows are displayed.

Answer 2

Right click title bar, then choose 'float', it will only get that window, not the whole panel. Then double-click to maximize.

Also, the commands are

Window.Float
Window.Dock

and you can assign them keyboard shortcuts under tools\options. So for example I mapped them to Ctrl-Shift-F7 and Ctrl-Shift-F8, and then after once maximizing the Output window, henceforth if I have the output window docked, I just focus it and then a key makes it big and other puts it back, hurray.

Answer 3

Closest the Eclipse behavior is to follow these steps:

1. Right-click the window title bar, select Float
2. Double-click the window title to maximize
3. Right-click the window title, select Dock

After these steps, double-clicking and Ctrl+double-clicking the window maximizes / restores itself

Answer 4

Use this keyboard shortcut: Shift-Alt-Enter It will maximize your current panel similar to Eclipse, but it will use the full screen unfortunately, not just the whole Visual Studio window. I prefer the way Eclipse does it, but this does help in Visual Studio land.