Visual Studio 2005 Tip #5 Using the Back/Forward mouse buttons to navigate

If you own a Microsoft Explorer mouse, or one that has the back/forward buttons you can navigate back and forth through your code.

For example if you need to see a defintion, right click and select “Go To Definition” from the popup menu.

You are taken to the definition.

Now how many times do you need to go back to where you we’re working?

Simply click the back button on your mouse! Viola! You are now back to where you were before!

If you need to go forward again and look at the defintion, click the the forward button on yor mouse

OK so that’s all great if you like using the mouse. So how would you do it with the keyboard?

Tip #5b: Using the Keyboard to navigate to a definition and back.

Have the cursor over the item you want to get the defintion for and click the F12 key. Sweet! But now how to we get back? Press Ctrl + - (minus key). If you want to back to the definition again press Ctrl + - (minus key) again! There you have it!

NOTE: These key strokes assume you have selected the Visual Studio.net keyboard layout.  I have not tested this with any of the other layouts.