Using Rule Sets to Group Code Analysis Rules

When you configure code analysis in Visual Studio Ultimate, Visual Studio Premium, or Visual Studio Professional, you can choose from a list of Microsoft built-in rule sets. A rule set is a logical grouping of code analysis rules that identify targeted issues and specific conditions. For example, you can apply a rule set that is designed to scan code for publicly available APIs, or you can apply a rule set that includes only the minimum recommended rules. You can also apply a rule set that includes all the rules.

You can customize a rule set by adding or deleting rules, or by changing rules to appear in the Error List window as either warnings or errors. Customized rule sets can fulfill a need for your particular development environment. When you customize a rule set, the rule set page provides search and filtering tools to help you in the process.

Common Tasks

Task	Related Content
Get hands-on practice: Use the code analysis tools to specify a custom rule set to find and fix issues in a simple .NET Framework application.	Walkthrough: Configuring and Using a Custom Rule Set
Configure code analysis for a project: Choose an existing rule set for a project, Web site, or solution.	How to: Configure Code Analysis for a Managed Code Project Using Rule Sets to Specify the C++ Rules to Run How to: Configure Code Analysis for an ASP.NET Web Application How to: Specify Managed Code Rule Sets for Multiple Projects in a Solution
Customize a rule set: Specify rules to apply to your project.	Creating Custom Code Analysis Rule Sets
Understand the built-in rule sets: View the code analysis rules that make up the built-in rule sets.	Code analysis rule set reference
Integrate code analysis with Team Foundation Server:Team Foundation Server check-in policies enable development teams to make sure that all code check-ins meet a common set of code analysis standards.	How to: Synchronize Code Project Rule Sets with Team Project Check-in Policy