Start Page
This topic describes the default Start Page for Visual Studio. If you have one or more custom Start Pages on your system, you can choose which one to display on startup. For more information, see Custom Start Pages.
The Start Page lets you access or create projects, learn about upcoming product releases and conferences, or read the latest development articles. To access the Start Page, on the View menu, click Start Page.
Note
The options available in dialog boxes, and the names and locations of menu commands, might differ from what is described in Help depending on your active settings or edition. To change your settings, click Import and Export Settings on the Tools menu. For more information, see Working with Settings.
UI Elements
The Start Page is divided into three main sections: A command section that displays the New Project and Open Project commands, a Recent Projects list, and a tabbed content area that has a Get Started tab and an RSS Feed tab. At the bottom of the page are options to set when the Start Page is displayed.
Command Section
The command section hosts the New Project and Open Project commands.
Recent Projects
The Recent Projects list displays links to recent projects. Clicking a link opens the corresponding project in Visual Studio. Right-clicking a link lets you select one of the options in the following table.
Item |
Description |
|---|---|
Open Project |
Opens the project in Visual Studio. |
Open Containing Folder |
Opens in Windows Explorer the folder that contains the project. |
Remove From List |
Removes the project from the Recent Projects list. |
Hovering over an item in the Recent Projects list highlights the item and exposes a pushpin icon. Clicking the pushpin "pins" the project to the list, so that it remains in the list after other projects are opened and closed. Clicking the pushpin on a pinned project unpins it from the list.
Content Area
The content area hosts a Get Started tab, a Guidance and Resources tab, and a Latest News tab. The Get Started tab displays a list of Help topics, Web sites, technical articles, and other resources that can help you increase your productivity and learn about features in the product. You can change the list by clicking one of the following categories from the category row, just below the tabs: Welcome, Windows, Web, Cloud, Office, SharePoint, and Data. The topic list may also change depending on the settings that you have applied. For more information, see Visual Studio Settings.
Clicking an icon in the Get Started section displays a description of the resource, together with a list of links that pertain to that resource.
The Guidance and Resources tab provides more general guidance on coding and development, and follows the same format as the Getting Started tab. It includes categories for Development Process, MSDN Resources, and Additional Tools.
The Latest News tab lists featured articles from the selected news channel. You can switch to a different news channel by changing the address in the RSS feed: box at the top of the article list. For a list of available MSDN RSS feeds, see RSS Feeds on the MSDN Web site.
Display Options
At the bottom of the Start Page are two settings that determine when the Start Page is displayed.
Item |
Description |
|---|---|
Close page after project load |
Closes the Start Page when a project is opened. |
Show page on startup |
Causes the Start Page to be displayed when Visual Studio starts. |
Related Sections
Item |
Description |
|---|---|
Explains how to install and apply custom Start Pages. |
See Also
Reference
Startup, Environment, Options Dialog Box