Cut or Copy in One Keystroke
This could have been the simplest tip I've ever written: In Visual Studio, if you just want to cut or copy one line, you don't have to select the line. All you have to do is put your cursor on the line and press Control+X or Control+C. Visual Studio will cut or copy the whole line, including the carriage return.
Here's why this isn't the simplest tip I've ever written: There's a downside to this feature. In any other application you must select something before cutting or copying. If you haven't selected anything and accidentally press Ctrl+X or Ctrl+C then nothing happens. Critically, this means that an accidental cut or copy won't cause you to lose what's on the clipboard: No harm, no foul.
That's not what happens in Visual Studio: Visual Studio will always cut or copy something when you press Ctrl+X or Ctrl+C (even if you're on a blank line, Visual Studio will cut or copy the carriage return for the line). This means that if you do an inadvertent cut or copy then you're going to lose whatever you had on the clipboard. When you do make an inadvertent cut or copy and lose what's on the clipboard, you can get back to it by using Shift+Ctrl+V when you paste (the subject of an earlier tip).
You can't completely turn this feature off but you can ameliorate the impact of the inadvertant cut or copy by telling Visual Studio not to cut or copy blank lines. Go to Tools | Options | Text Editor| All Languages and uncheck "Apply Cut or Copy commands to blank lines when there is no selection."
Posted by Peter Vogel on 02/12/2015