Go To Definition Support
If enabled using the help file builder
configuration options, hovering over certain link
target attribute values or element inner text within MAML topics and XML comments in C# projects will provide
more information about the target (i.e. the topic title and filename for MAML target links) and the option to go
to the definition of the item if possible when the Go To Definition context menu option is selected or Ctrl+Click
is pressed while hovering over the text.
The color of the link underline can be changed using Tools | Options | Fonts and Colors
and changing the color for the MAML/XML Comments Link Underline entry.
In order for Ctrl+Click to have any effect, the option must be enabled in the help file builder
options and the editor window must have the focus. If you hold down Ctrl and no underline appears under a valid
element under the mouse, ensure the window has the focus by clicking in it. If an underline still does not
appear, check the help file builder options to see if the option is enabled.
While editing a MAML topic, you can hover over the following elements. If the target ID appears to
be navigable, an underline will appear when the Ctrl key is held down and the tool tip will indicate that you can
Ctrl+click on it. Selecting the Go To Definition context menu option or Ctrl+clicking the link will attempt to
navigate to the target element.
The topic element's id attribute value -
Hovering over this shows a tool tip containing the topic's title and filename. If "(Not found)" is displayed
for the title, the topic's ID could not be found in a content layout file within the project. This element
does not offer navigation as it represents the current file.
The image element's xlink:href attribute
value - Hovering over this shows a tool tip containing the image's alternate text and filename. If "(Not found)"
is displayed for the alternate text, the image could not be found within the project with a
BuildAction of Image. If "(Not set)" is shown for the
alternate text, the image was found but no alternate text has been set in the file's properties. Select the Go
To Definition context menu option or Ctrl+click on the link to open the associated image file.
The link element's xlink:href attribute
value - Hovering over this shows a tool tip containing the topic's title and filename. If "(Not found)" is
displayed for the title, the topic's ID could not be found in a content layout file within the project.
Select the Go To Definition context menu option or Ctrl+click on the link to open the associated topic file.
The codeEntityReference element's inner text - This represents a code
API member ID. Selecting the Go To Definition context menu option or Ctrl+clicking the link will attempt to open
the associated code file and jump to the indicated member. Note that navigation is only available for members
of C# projects within the current solution. It is not possible to navigate to members in non-C# projects or to
members of base framework or reference assemblies.
Since code entity references must be fully qualified, there is an excellent probability that
the target ID's member will be found and displayed provided it is within the current solution as noted above.
However, since the ID must be parsed and searched for as text, there is a chance that an incorrect match will be
made or no match will be found. As such, check to be sure that you ended up where you expected before making any
changes. In the event it cannot find a match, check the ID to ensure that it is correct. The
Entity References tool window can be used to verify the ID. If the ID is correct and is within the
current solution, you may have found a case that could not be matched with enough accuracy.
Note that namespace identifiers (those IDs prefixed with "N:" or "G:") can never be matched to
a namespace declaration as namespaces do not exist as code elements identifiable in a search since they may
appear in multiple locations. As such, these IDs are translated to the related NamespaceDoc
or NamespaceGroupDoc type ID and a search is performed for it instead within the
identified namespace.
The codeReference element's inner text - This represents a code snippet
ID in a code snippets file. The code snippet ID must appear in a file within a project in the solution and the
file's BuildAction must be set to CodeSnippets. Selecting the
Go To Definition context menu option or Ctrl+clicking the link will attempt to open the associated code snippets
file and jump to the indicated ID. If the ID contains multiple snippet identifiers after the group identifier,
only the first snippet identifier will be used for the search.
The token element's inner text - This represents a token name in a
token file. The token ID must appear in a file within a project in the solution and the file's
BuildAction must be set to Tokens. Selecting the Go To
Definition context menu option or Ctrl+clicking the link will attempt to open the associated token file and, if
not already open, select the indicated ID.
While editing C# source code, you can hover over the following XML comments elements. If the
target ID appears to be navigable, an underline will appear when the Ctrl key is held down and the tool tip will
indicate that you can Ctrl+click on it. Selecting the Go To Definition context menu option or Ctrl+clicking the
link will attempt to navigate to the target element.
The conceptualLink element's target attribute
value - Hovering over this shows a tool tip containing the topic's title and filename. If "(Not found)" is
displayed for the title, the topic's ID could not be found in a content layout file within a help file builder
project in the solution. Select the Go To Definition context menu option or Ctrl+click on the link to open the
associated topic file.
The token element's inner text - This represents a token name in a
token file. The token ID must appear in a file within a help file builder project in the solution and the file's
BuildAction must be set to Tokens. Selecting the Go To
Definition context menu option or Ctrl+clicking the link will attempt to open the associated token file and, if
not already open, select the indicated ID.
