Metadata as Source

Note

This article applies to Visual Studio 2015. If you're looking for the latest Visual Studio documentation, see Visual Studio documentation. We recommend upgrading to the latest version of Visual Studio. Download it here

Metadata as source enables you to view metadata that appears as C# source code in a read-only buffer. This enables a view of the declarations of the types and members (without implementations). You can view metadata as source by running the Go To Definition command for types or members whose source code is not available from your project or solution.

Note

When you try to run the Go To Definition command for types or members that are marked as internal, the integrated development environment (IDE) does not display their metadata as source, regardless of whether the referencing assembly is a friend or not.

You can view metadata as source in either the Code Editor or the Code Definition window.

Viewing Metadata as Source in the Code Editor

When you run the Go To Definition command for an item whose source code is unavailable, a tabbed document that contains a view of that item's metadata, displayed as source, appears in the Code Editor. The name of the type, followed by [from metadata], appears on the document's tab.

For example, if you run the Go To Definition command for Console, metadata for Console appears in the Code Editor as C# source code that resembles its declaration, but without an implementation.

Viewing Metadata as Source in the Code Definition Window

When the Code Definition window is active or visible, the IDE automatically executes the Go To Definition command for items under the cursor in the Code Editor and for items that are selected in Class View or the Object Browser. If the source code is not available for that item, the IDE displays the item's metadata as source in the Code Definition window.

For example, if you put your cursor inside the word Console in the Code Editor, metadata for Console appears as source in the Code Definition window. The source resembles the Console declaration, but without an implementation.

If you want to see the declaration of an item that appears in the Code Definition window, right-click the item and click Go To Definition.