Explorer window
This tool window lets you look at your solution from various viewpoints and perform the tasks such as creating new items (directories, files, classes, and so on), opening files in the editor, navigating to the code fragment of interest, and more.
Most of the functions in this tool window are accessed as context menu commands in the content pane and via associated shortcuts.
Also, the view contains the Scratches and Consoles folder that lets you manage created scratch files, database consoles, and extension scripts.
Views
The tool window provides you with the following views:
Solution view, which contains the solution node with an organized logical view of projects and project items in the current solution, as defined in its .sln file.
FileSystem view, which shows you all files and subdirectories starting from the directory where the current solution file is located.
Unity view, which provides an organized view of all assets in a Unity project (you see exactly the same project tree as in the Unity editor). This view is only available for Unity projects.
Assembly Explorer view, which lets you open and explore compiled assemblies.
Scratches view, which lets you manage your scratch files and database consoles.
The necessary view is selected from the list in the left-hand part of the title bar or, if the views are represented by tabs, by clicking the corresponding tab.
To configure a view, use the corresponding options in the title bar context menu. The necessary options can also be accessed by clicking on the title bar.
Show file size and modification timestamp
The Solution Explorer allows you to see the size and modification timestamp for the files in the solution tree. To display this information, select
from the main menu.Show tree indent guides
In the Solution Explorer, you can display vertical lines that mark indent levels and help you better understand the hierarchy of the components in your solution. To display these lines, enable Show tree indent guides on the Appearance and Behavior | Appearance page of the Settings/Preferences Ctrl+Alt+S.
Toolbar buttons
Item | Description |
---|---|
Show All Files | By default, JetBrains Rider only displays projects, files and references that are included in the current solution. You can use the Show All Files option to additionally display all subdirectories and files that are located on the file system under the solution directory. For your convenience, those items are shown in yellow. If non-solution items are not indexed by JetBrains Rider, meaning that you cannot use, for example, Ctrl+Shift+F to search in those files, these items are marked with the no index label. External items in the current solution are marked as attached. |
Open Files with Single Click | If this option is on, JetBrains Rider will automatically open the selected item in the editor. Otherwise, you need to double-click items to open them. |
Always Select Opened File | If this option is on, JetBrains Rider automatically locates documents that you open in the editor in the current view of this window. |
File Nesting Settings | Opens the File nesting dialog where you can configure presentation of files that have same names but different extensions. |
Code analysis in Solution Explorer
When Solution-Wide Analysis is enabled, files where JetBrains Rider has detected errors as well as all their parent items are highlighted with red underlines in the Solution Explorer view:
Title bar context menu
Item | Shortcut | Description |
---|---|---|
Select Next View or Tab Select Previous View or Tab Show List of Views or Tabs | Alt+Right Alt+Left Alt+Down | These are the commands for switching between different views. |
Open Files with Single Click | If this option is on, JetBrains Rider will automatically open the selected item in the editor. Otherwise, you need to double-click items to open them. | |
Always Select Opened File | If this option is on, JetBrains Rider automatically locates documents that you open in the editor in the current view of this window. | |
Folders Always on Top | If the option is on, folders are shown above the files. Otherwise, all items are sorted alphabetically, and files and folders appear intermixed. | |
Show Toolbar | Shows or hides the window toolbar. | |
Group Tabs | If this option is on, there is a list in the left-hand part of the title bar from which you can select the necessary view. If this option is off, the views are represented by tabs which appear in the left-hand part of the title bar. | |
View Mode | This option lets you control general appearance and behavior of the tool window. See Tool window view modes. | |
Move to | To associate the tool window with a different tool window bar, select this command, and then select the destination tool window bar (Top, Left, Bottom or Right). | |
Resize | To resize the tool window by moving one of its borders, select this command, and then select the necessary Stretch to option. Note that this command is not available for the floating mode. | |
Remove from Sidebar | This command hides the tool window, removes the associated tool window button from the tool window bar and removes the tool window from the quick access menu ( or ). To open the tool window again (and restore the associated features), use the main menu: or press Alt+1. | |
Hide | Shift+Escape | Use this command to hide the tool window. |
Title bar buttons
Item | Shortcut | Description |
---|---|---|
Select Next View or Tab, Select Previous View or Tab | Alt+Right Alt+Left | |
Click this icon to navigate from a file in the editor to the corresponding node (file, class, field, method, and so on) in the Project tool window. | ||
Ctrl+NumPad - | Use this icon or shortcut to collapse all the nodes. | |
Use this button to open a menu whose options are a subset of the title bar context menu. | ||
Shift+Escape | Hide the tool windowShift+Escape. To hide all the tool windows, press Ctrl+Shift+F12. |
Context menu commands for the content pane items
Item | Shortcut | Description |
---|---|---|
Add | Alt+Insert | Use this command to create a new item (directory, file, or class) within the selected one. (solution or directory). JetBrains Rider will suggest available file templates for creating new files. You can also choose to associate an existing file or directory with your solution. In this case JetBrains Rider will additionally ask you whether you want to copy, move, or create a link to the existing item. |
Manage NuGet Packages | This command is available on the solution and project nodes. It opens the NuGet window where you can manage NuGet packages. | |
Unload/Reload Project(s) | Use this command to temporarily exclude selected projects from the solution. Unloaded projects are excluded from the build, code inspection and indexing. However, you will still be able to open files Ctrl+Shift+N from unloaded projects and perform textual search Ctrl+Shift+F. Note that if you want to view or edit the project file ( or ) you can do so without unloading the project. | |
Build Solution/Selected Projects | This command builds the solution or selected projects. | |
Run Unit Tests | Ctrl+;, R | Use this command to start unit tests in the selected scope. |
Advanced Build Actions | Rebuild Solution/Selected Projects | Removes build artifacts from previous builds and then build the selected projects. | |
Advanced Build Actions | Clean Solution/Selected Projects | Removes build artifacts from previous builds. | |
Advanced Build Actions | Pack Solution/Selected Projects | Runs the dotnet pack command for the current solution/selected projects. The command will build the projects and create NuGet packages. Note that the command only works for .NET Core/ASP.NET Core projects. | |
Advanced Build Actions | Package Solution/Selected Projects | This command helps deploying classic ASP.NET projects. It will use the | MSBuild target to generate a deployment package in the form of a file, which you can then deploy using the MSDeploy command line.|
Reference in C# Interactive | Use this command to add reference(s) to the selected project to the C# Interactive session. If no sessions are open, JetBrains Rider will create a new session. | |
Edit | Cut | Ctrl+X | Use this command to move the selected item or items from the current location to the clipboard. |
Edit | Copy | Use this command and one of the following options to copy the selected item(s) to the clipboard:
| |
Edit | Paste | Ctrl+V | Use this command to insert the contents of the clipboard into the selected location. |
Edit | Rename | Shift+F6 | Use this command to invoke the Rename refactoring for the current file, folder, or project. |
Edit | Edit [file] | F4 | Use this command to open the selected file in the editor. If the file is already open, the corresponding editor tab will become active. |
Tools | Copy Relative Path | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C | Use this command to copy a relative path to the selected item to the clipboard. |
Inspect Code | Use this command to run code inspection for the selected item. | |
Refactor This | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T | |
Code Cleanup | Ctrl+E, C | Use this command to run code cleanup in the selected scope. |
Tools | Add to Favorites | Alt+Shift+F | Use this command to add the selected item to an existing or new list of favorite items. See Favorites. |
Edit | Delete | Delete | |
Change Dialect (<CurrentDialect>) | For SQL files and database consoles, change the SQL dialect associated with the file or console. | |
Run '<item_name>' | Ctrl+Shift+F10 | For an SQL file or query console: execute all the statements contained in the selected file or console. |
Show History | Use this command to view local history for the selected file or directory, or to create a label for the current version of your solution. | |
Tools | Synchronize '<item_name>' | ||
Show in Explorer | Use this command to open a file browser (for example, Windows Explorer or Finder) and show the selected item there. | |
Tools | File Path/Directory Path | ||
Tools | Compare With | Ctrl+D | Use this command to compare the selected file or directory with another file or directory. See Compare files, folders and text sources and Differences viewer for folders. |
Tools | Compare File with Editor | Use this command to compare the selected file with the file open on an active editor tab. See Compare files, folders and text sources and Differences viewer for files. | |
Tools | Create Gist | Use this command to share code by using gists. | |
Properties | Alt+Enter | Use this command to access build properties of the selected item. |
File status highlights
If VCS integration is enabled for the current solution, JetBrains Rider uses colors to denote VCS file status in the Solution tool window. The following table presents information about the meaning of the colors.
Color | File Status | Description |
---|---|---|
#0A7700 | Added | The file in the active changelist is scheduled for addition to the repository. |
#0EAA00 | Added in not active changelist | The file in an inactive changelist is scheduled for addition to the repository. This file status is available if the Highlight files from non-active changelists option is enabled in . |
#FF0000 | Changelist conflict | The file in an inactive changelist has been modified in the active changelist. In this case, a new dialog will open prompting you to resolve the changelist conflict. This file status is available if all options are enabled in . |
#0A7700 | Copied | If a file is a copy of another file, its metadata is tracked, and such a file is marked as copied. |
#616161 | Deleted | The file is scheduled for deletion from the repository. |
#773895 | Deleted from file system | The file has been deleted locally, but hasn't been scheduled for deletion, and it still exists in the repository. |
#8AA4C8 | Have changed descendants | If a file is modified, the IDE will recursively highlight all directories containing that file. This status is available if the Show directories with changed descendants option is enabled in . |
#3264B4 | Have immediate changed children | If a file is modified, the IDE will highlight its parent directory. This status is available if the Show directories with changed descendants option is enabled in . |
#B28C00 | Hijacked | [Perforce, ClearCase, VSS] The file is modified without checkout. |
#727238 | Ignored | A file is intentionally untracked by VCS. |
#7503DC | Merged | The file is merged by your VCS as a result of an update. |
#FF0000 | Merged with conflicts | During the last update, the file has been merged with conflicts. |
#FF0000 | Merged with property conflicts | During the last update, the IDE has detected differences between the properties of the local file and its server version. |
#FF0000 | Merged with text and property conflicts | Text and property conflicts happen when two or more developers modify the same lines of a file and the same file properties. |
#0032A0 | Modified | The file has changed since the last synchronization. |
#0047E4 | Modified in not active changelist | The file in an inactive changelist has been modified. This file status is available if the Highlight files from non-active changelists option is enabled in . |
#7C7C00 | Obsolete | The file should no longer be in your working copy of the repository. |
#007C7C | Renamed | Since the last update, the file has been renamed. |
#08978F | Switched | [SVN] The file is taken from a different branch than the whole project. |
#993300 | (Unknown) Unversioned | The file exists locally, but is not in the repository, and is not scheduled for addition. |
None (default color) | Up to date | The file hasn't been changed. |
Color | File Status | Description |
---|---|---|
#629755 | Added | The file in the active changelist is scheduled for addition to the repository. |
#629755 | Added in not active changelist | The file in an inactive changelist is scheduled for addition to the repository. This file status is available if the Highlight files from non-active changelists option is enabled in . |
#D5756C | Changelist conflict | The file in an inactive changelist has been modified in the active changelist. In this case, a new dialog will open prompting you to resolve the changelist conflict. This file status is available if all options are enabled in . |
#0A7700 | Copied | If a file is a copy of another file, its metadata is tracked, and such a file is marked as copied. |
#6C6C6C | Deleted | The file is scheduled for deletion from the repository. |
#6C6C6C | Deleted from file system | The file has been deleted locally, but hasn't been scheduled for deletion, and it still exists in the repository. |
#6897BB | Have changed descendants | If a file is modified, the IDE will recursively highlight all directories containing that file. This status is available if the Show directories with changed descendants option is enabled in . |
#6897BB | Have immediate changed children | If a file is modified, the IDE will highlight its parent directory. This status is available if the Show directories with changed descendants option is enabled in . |
None (default color) | Hijacked | [Perforce, ClearCase, VSS] The file is modified without checkout. |
#848504 | Ignored | A file is intentionally untracked by VCS. |
#9876AA | Merged | The file is merged by your VCS as a result of an update. |
#D5756C | Merged with conflicts | During the last update, the file has been merged with conflicts. |
#D5756C | Merged with property conflicts | During the last update, the IDE has detected differences between the properties of the local file and its server version. |
#D5756C | Merged with text and property conflicts | Text and property conflicts happen when two or more developers modify the same lines of a file and the same file properties. |
#6897BB | Modified | The file has changed since the last synchronization. |
#6897BB | Modified in not active changelist | The file in an inactive changelist has been modified. This file status is available if the Highlight files from non-active changelists option is enabled in . |
None (default color) | Obsolete | The file should no longer be in your working copy of the repository. |
#3A8484 | Renamed | Since the last update, the file has been renamed. |
None (default color) | Switched | [SVN] The file is taken from a different branch than the whole project. |
#D1675A | (Unknown) Unversioned | The file exists locally, but is not in the repository, and is not scheduled for addition. |
None (default color) | Up to date | The file hasn't been changed. |
Color | File Status | Description |
---|---|---|
#62CC47 | Added | The file in the active changelist is scheduled for addition to the repository. |
#62CC47 | Added in not active changelist | The file in an inactive changelist is scheduled for addition to the repository. This file status is available if the Highlight files from non-active changelists option is enabled in . |
#FF6666 | Changelist conflict | The file in an inactive changelist has been modified in the active changelist. In this case, a new dialog will open prompting you to resolve the changelist conflict. This file status is available if all options are enabled in . |
#62CC47 | Copied | If a file is a copy of another file, its metadata is tracked, and such a file is marked as copied. |
#ED864A | Deleted | The file is scheduled for deletion from the repository. |
#ED864A | Deleted from file system | The file has been deleted locally, but hasn't been scheduled for deletion, and it still exists in the repository. |
#4FF0FF | Have changed descendants | If a file is modified, the IDE will recursively highlight all directories containing that file. This status is available if the Show directories with changed descendants option is enabled in . |
#4FF0FF | Have immediate changed children | If a file is modified, the IDE will highlight its parent directory. This status is available if the Show directories with changed descendants option is enabled in . |
None (default color) | Hijacked | [Perforce, ClearCase, VSS] The file is modified without checkout. |
#A9B837 | Ignored | A file is intentionally untracked by VCS. |
#ED94FF | Merged | The file is merged by your VCS as a result of an update. |
#FF6666 | Merged with conflicts | During the last update, the file has been merged with conflicts. |
#FF6666 | Merged with property conflicts | During the last update, the IDE has detected differences between the properties of the local file and its server version. |
#FF6666 | Merged with text and property conflicts | Text and property conflicts happen when two or more developers modify the same lines of a file and the same file properties. |
#4FF0FF | Modified | The file has changed since the last synchronization. |
#4FF0FF | Modified in not active changelist | The file in an inactive changelist has been modified. This file status is available if the Highlight files from non-active changelists option is enabled in . |
None (default color) | Obsolete | The file should no longer be in your working copy of the repository. |
#4FF0FF | Renamed | Since the last update, the file has been renamed. |
None (default color) | Switched | [SVN] The file is taken from a different branch than the whole project. |
D1675A | (Unknown) Unversioned | The file exists locally, but is not in the repository, and is not scheduled for addition. |
None (default color) | Up to date | The file hasn't been changed. |