17.2. Accessing Refactoring Support

Visual Studio 2008 makes use of both the main menu and the right-click context menu to invoke the refactoring actions. Refactor! uses only the context menu to invoke actions, although it does offer hints while you're working.

Refactoring support for C# developers is available via the Refactor menu or the right-click context menu, as shown in the left image of Figure 17-9. The full list of refactoring actions available to C# developers within Visual Studio 2008 includes Rename, Extract Method, Encapsulate Field, Extract Interface, Promote Local Variable to Parameter, Remove Parameters, and Reorder Parameters. You can also use Generate Method Stub, and Organize Usings, which can be loosely classified as refactoring.

Refactoring support for VB.NET developers, using Refactor!, is available via the right-click context menu, as shown in the right image of Figure 17-9. As you work with your code, Refactor! is busy in the background. The context menu dynamically changes so that only valid refactoring actions are displayed.

Figure 17.9. Figure 17-9

The refactoring support provided by Visual Studio 2008 for VB.NET developers is limited to the symbolic Rename. Refactor! adds support for much, much more: Create an Overload, Encapsulate a Field, Extract a Method, Extract a Property, Flatten Conditional Statement, Inline Temporary Variable, Introduce a Constant, Introduce Local Variable, Move Declaration Near Reference, Move Initialization to Declaration, Remove Assignments to Parameters, Rename, Reorder Parameters, Replace Temporary Variable with Method, Reverse Conditional Statement, Safe Rename, Simplify Conditional Statement, Split Initialization from Declaration, and Split Temporary Variable.