Collapse all #regions only(!) in C# (Visual Studio)

128
votes

There's a number of keyboard shortcuts and menu commands to automatically expand or collapse all foldables in the current document. Ctrl+M, Ctrl+L toggles all foldables recursively, from the top namespace down to the inner methods and comments. Basically everything that has a [+] icon in the left margin. Ctrl+M, Ctrl+O does it bit less, but it still touches methods and comments inside the class.

I'm looking for a function that specifically only regards #region foldables and nothing else. Not namespaces, classes, comments, or methods. I really only want to fold those areas that are explicitly marked as such with the #region keyword.

Is there any hidden shortcut or an extension for that?

I'd prefer a keyboard solution, for Visual Studio 2015 (RC for now).

In case somebody asks why: I want to get an overview of the file, but immediately see all the details when I decide to look inside one region.

Update:

Solution in 2020

As this question has received many answers, some of them useless, others outdated, the working solution for Visual Studio 2019 can be found in this underappreciated answer here: https://stackoverflow.com/a/58999093/143684

10
c#visual-studiovisual-studio-2015code-editor
I don't think so (open to correction though). Have you tried class view - it will show all the class members (not the drop down at the top of the text editor) and you can double click to jump to the selected member. – amcdermott
I think there is no such thing, Ctrl+M,Ctrl+O is the closest – voytek
The Class View window contains the items all in one flat list, not "regioned" at all. That's not what I am using regions for. I need regions to quickly find members by topic, especially in long classes with a small number of similar methods each for a different model type. Regions group them by model type here. – ygoe

10 Answers

234
votes

in Visual Studio 2017 I have to activate 'Collapse #regions when collapsing to definitions' in

Tools -> Options -> Text Editor -> C# -> Advanced

explicitly to collapse all when pressing Ctrl+M+O

71
votes

Ctrl+M+O will collapse all.

Ctrl+M+L will expand all. (in VS 2013 - Toggle All outlining)

Ctrl+M+P will expand all and disable outlining.

Ctrl+M+M will collapse/expand the current section.

These options are also in the context menu under Outlining.

Right click in editor -> Outlining to find all options. (After disabling outlining, use same steps to enable outlinging.)

29
votes

The Visual Studio extension Productivity Power Tools 2015 from Microsoft has a feature called Quick Launch Tasks that adds new commands to the Quick Launch menu. One of them is CollapseRegions and it does exactly that.

The opposite command is ExpandRegions and it expands all regions for quick browsing of the entire file. These commands can be used pretty quickly by pressing the CtrlQ hotkey and typing Coll resp. Exp, then pressing Enter (supposed you don't have other commands with the same prefix).

28
votes

To collapse regions : Tools > Options > Text Editors > C# > Advanced > Check "Collapse #regions when collapsing to definitions"

Collapse #regions image

20
votes

I know this is an old question, but here's an update for visual studio 2019:

The Quick Tasks solution from @ygoe's answer does not work for Visual Studio 2019, because that version changed the way the Quick Task bar searches. Plus it was never the preferred solution to the original question, since you needed to type a quick action instead of having a keyboard shortcut.

I found a different solution on the marketplace which does exactly the collapsing and expanding of all regions in the currently opened file with keyboard shortcuts: Collapse Region

From the extension page:

Default key bindings are (Ctrl+R, Ctrl+Num+) and (Ctrl+R, Ctrl+Num-). Can be changed in Tools->Options->Environment->Keyboard.

13
votes

tick the Checkmark in Settings -> TextEditor -> C# -> Advanced -> Collapse #regions when collapsing definitions.

then right click in the editor > outlining > collapse to defenitions

12
votes

I dont know if this is new, but there is a setting for the c# text edior:

Settings -> TextEditor -> C# -> Advanced -> Collapse #regions when collapsing definitions.

When its set CtrlM CtrlO will collapse the #regions.

8
votes

Looks like the closest thing is Ctrl+M, Ctrl+S

Which will collapse the current region you are in, while Ctrl+M, Ctrl+E will expand the current region you are in.

List of default keyboard shortcuts:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/da5kh0wa(v=vs.140).aspx

3
votes

I recommend using the free Visual Studio extension "Menees VS Tools Extension for Visual Studio." Just search for it in Tools --> Extensions and Updates in Visual Studio. Once installed you just have to hit Ctrl+M+K and just the regions will be collapsed. Here is their website https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=BillMenees.MeneesVSTools2013

To edit the settings look under Tools --> Options --> Menees VS Tools --> General.

-3
votes

Select All via Ctrl A and then Ctrl M M

i.e. Press M twice while holding down Ctrl