Context Field
Click on any symbol and see its context in the
VA Navigation Bar. Finish typing a symbol and make sure you reference the correct version. You need not wait for a hovering tooltip.
When not on a symbol, the context field contains a yellow arrow and identifies your current scope. You know how deep you are in nested code.
List Methods in File
Click the Down Arrow at the right of the Context field to
list methods in file.
Move Scope
Use the tiny arrows to the right of the Context field to
move scope.
Global Scope
When the caret is at global scope, i.e. not in a method or function, the Context contains the name of the current file. The
Definition field contains the full path of the file.
Icons
Icons in the left of the Context field indicate the scope of the current symbol:
Defined in current file.
Defined in current workspace.
Defined outside of workspace, i.e. considered a stable symbol.
For example, the icon for
CWnd indicates the symbol is defined outside of the current workspace.
Whereas, the icon for
myWnd indicates the symbol is defined in the current file. The balance of the Context field tells us
myWnd is defined in
OnLButtonUp.
Copying Context
Right+Click in the Context field to copy its content. When the Context field displays context or scope, only copy has any meaning. The remaining items in the Right+Click menu apply only when the Context field is used to
list methods in file.
Duplicate Context
Although uncommon, two unrelated symbols have the same context when they are defined using a common name, at the same level of scope, and within the same method.
Errant Context
Refrain from leaving unmatched braces and parentheses in your code. They adversely effect scope. Some symbols may appear with the wrong context, with incorrect
syntax coloring, or become
underlined as if they are no longer defined.
Top or Bottom
Specify the location of the VA Navigation Bar in the
options dialog. Disable the feature, or eliminate the IDE's Navigation Bar or Wizard Bar, to conserve the space in your source windows.
Miscellaneous
Context contains only a name when the caret is moved inside a standalone function, i.e. a function not part of a class.
Clicking on an unknown symbol makes the Context field go blank.