Changing Ctrl + Tab behavior for moving between documents in Visual Studio
Is it possible to change how Ctrl + Tab and Shift + Ctrl + Tab work in Visual Studio? I have disabled the popup navigator window, because I only want to switch between items in the tab control. My problem is the inconsistency of what switching to the next and previous document do.
Every other program that uses a tab control for open document I have seen uses Ctrl + Tab to move from left to right and Shift + Ctrl + Tab to go right to left. Visual Studio breaks this with its jump to the last tab selected. You can never know what document you will end up on, and it is never the same way twice.
It is very counterintuitive. Is this a subtle way to encourage everyone to only ever have two document open at once?
Let's say I have a few files open. I am working in one, and I need to see what is in the next tab to the right. In every other single application on the face of the Earth, Ctrl + Tab will get me there. But in Visual Studio, I have no idea which of the other tabs it will take me to. If I only ever have two documents open, this works great. As soon as you go to three or more, all bets are off as to what tab Visual Studio has decided to send you to.
The problem with this is that I shouldn't have to think about the tool, it should fade into the background, and I should be thinking about the task. The current tab behavior keeps pulling me out of the task and makes me have to pay attention to the tool.
Solution 1:
In Visual Studio 2015 (as well as previous versions of VS, but you must install Productivity Power Tools if you're using VS2013 or below), there are two new commands in Visual Studio:
Window.NextTab and Window.PreviousTab
Just go remap them from Ctrl+Alt+PageUp/Ctrl+Alt+PageDown to Ctrl+Tab/Ctrl+Shift+Tab in:
Menu Tools -> Options -> Environment -> Keyboard
Note: In earlier versions such as Visual Studio 2010, Window.NextTab and Window.PreviousTab were named Window.NextDocumentWellTab and Window.PreviousDocumentWellTab.
Solution 2:
Visual Studio 2010 has, built in, a way to solve this.
By default, Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab are assigned to Window.[Previous/Next]..Document, but you can, through
Tools -> Options -> Environment -> Keyboard,
remove those key assignments and reassign them to Window.[Next/Previous]Tab to add the desired behavior.
Solution 3:
it can be changed, at least in VS 2012 (I think it should work for 2010 too).
1) TOOLS > Options > Environment > Keyboard
(Yes TOOLS, its VS2012 !) Now three shortcuts to check.
2) Window.NextDocumentWindow - you can reach there quickly by typing on the search pane on top. Now this is your enemy. Remove it if you dont like it. Change it to something else (and dont forget the Assign button) if want to have your own, but do remember that shortcut whatever it is in the end. It will come handy later.
(I mean this is the shortcut that remembers your last tab)
3) Now look for Window.NextDocumentWindowNav - this is the same as above but shows a preview of opened tabs (you can navigate to other windows too quickly with this pop-up). I never found this helpful though. Do all that mentioned in step 2 (don't forget to remember).
4) Window.NextTab - your magic potion. This would let you cycle through tabs in the forward order. May be you want CTRL+TAB? Again step 2 and remember.
5) Now place cursor in the Press shortcut keys: textbox (doesn't matter what is selected currently, you're not going to Assign this time), and type first of the three (or two or one) shortcuts.
You'll see Shortcut currently used by: listed. Ensure that you have no duplicate entry for the shortcut. In the pic, there are no duplicate entries. In case you have (a rarity), say X, then go to X, and remove the shortcut. Repeat this step for other shortcuts as well.
6) Now repeat 1-5 for Previous shortcuts as well (preferably adding Shift).
7) Bonus: Select VS2005 mapping scheme (at the top of the same box), so now you get F2 for Rename members and not CTRL+R+R, and F7 for View Code and not CTRL+ALT+0.
I'm of the opinion VS has got it right by default. I find it extremely useful that VS remembers what I used last, and makes switching easier, much like what the OS itself does (on ALT+TAB). My browser does the same too by default (Opera), though I know Firefox behaves differently.
Solution 4:
In Visual Studio 2012 or later (2013, 2015, 2017...):
- Browse the menu Tools / Options / Environment / Keyboard.
- Search for the command 'Window.NextTab', set the shortcut to Ctrl+Tab
- Search for the command 'Window.PreviousTab', set the shortcut to Ctrl+Shift+Tab
