Fixing Auto-Completion in Visual Studio Command Window after Period Pressed

Introduction

When using the Visual Studio Command Window, it can be frustrating when the auto-completion feature interrupts your typing, especially when you press the period key (.) to type a file path. In this article, we will discuss how to fix this issue, so you can finish typing without the unwanted suggestion appearing.

Understanding the Visual Studio Command Window

The Visual Studio Command Window is a powerful tool that allows you to execute commands, scripts, and Windows shell commands within the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE). It can help you automate repetitive tasks and enhance your productivity.

The Auto-Completion Feature in the Command Window

The Command Window in Visual Studio has an auto-completion feature that suggests possible commands or file paths as you type. While this feature can be helpful in some cases, it might interfere with your typing when you're trying to enter a file path that doesn't match any of the suggested options.

How to Fix the Auto-Completion Issue

To prevent the auto-completion feature from interrupting your typing, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the Visual Studio Command Window. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + Alt + A (in Visual Studio 2017 and earlier) or Ctrl + Q (in Visual Studio 2019 and later) and typing "Command Window" in the text box that appears.

2. Type the beginning of the file path. For example, you can type "C:\MyProject\src\" if your file path starts with "C:\MyProject\src\".

3. Instead of pressing the period key (.) to type the next part of the file path, first press the Tab key to select the "MyProject" suggestion in the auto-completion list, and then press Backspace to remove the backslash (\) after "MyProject".

4. Type the period key (.) followed by the next part of the file path. Since you've already selected the correct suggestion for the first part of the file path, pressing the period key won't trigger the auto-completion feature anymore.

Alternative Solution: Disabling the Auto-Completion Feature

If the above solution doesn't work for you, or if you want to completely disable the auto-completion feature in the Command Window, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the Tools menu, and select Options.

2. In the Options dialog box, expand the Environment node, and select Keyboard.

3. In the Show commands containing dropdown list, type "Command Window" and select "Command Window, Show Command Window".

4. In the Press shortcut keys textbox, press Ctrl + Alt + A or Ctrl + Q.

5. Uncheck the "Use native ED" checkbox.

• The Visual Studio Command Window is a powerful tool for executing commands, scripts, and Windows shell commands within the Visual Studio IDE.

• The auto-completion feature in the Command Window can interrupt your typing, especially when you're trying to enter a file path.

• To prevent the auto-completion feature from interrupting your typing, you can press the Tab key to select the correct suggestion and then press Backspace to remove the backslash character before typing the next part of the file path.

• If you want to completely disable the auto-completion feature, you can uncheck the "Use native ED" checkbox in the Keyboard options.

References

• Microsoft. (2021). Command window. Retrieved from Microsoft Developer Network.

• Microsoft. (2021). Keyboard options page. Retrieved from Microsoft Developer Network.