Visual C++ Code Snippets

In Visual Studio, you can use code snippets to add commonly-used code to your C++ code files. In general, you can use code snippets in much the same way as in C#, but the set of default code snippets is different.

You can either add a code snippet at a particular location in your code (insertion) or surround some selected code with a code snippet.

Inserting a Code Snippet

To insert a code snippet, open a C++ code file (.cpp or .h), click somewhere inside the file, and do one of the following:

• Right-click to get the context menu and select Insert Snippet

• In the Edit / IntelliSense menu, select Insert Snippet

• Use the hotkeys: CTRL + K + X

  You should see a list of choices beginning with #if. When you select #if, you should see the following code added to the file:

#if 0

#endif // 0

You can then replace the 0 with the correct condition.

Using a Code Snippet to Surround Selected Code

To use a code snippet to surround selected code, select a line (or multiple lines) and do one of the following:

1. Right-click to get the context menu and select Surround With

2. In the Edit / IntelliSense menu, select Surround With

3. Use the hotkeys: CTRL + K + S

   Select #if. You should see something like this:

#if 0
#include "pch.h"  // or whatever line you had selected
#endif // 0

You can then replace the 0 with the correct condition.

Where can I find a complete list of the C++ code snippets?

You can find the complete list of C++ code snippets by going to the Code Snippets Manager (on the Tools menu) and setting the Language to Visual C++. In the window below, expand Visual C++. You should see the names of all the C++ code snippets in alphabetical order.

The names of most code snippets are self-explanatory, but some names might be confusing.

Class vs. classi

The class snippet provides the definition of a class named MyClass, with the appropriate default constructor and destructor, where the definitions of the constructor and destructor are located outside the class:

class MyClass
{
public:
MyClass();
~MyClass();

private:

};

MyClass::MyClass()
{
}

MyClass::~MyClass()
{
}

The classi code snippet also provides the definition of a class named MyClass, but the default constructor and destructor are defined inside the class definition:

class MyClass
{
public:
MyClass()
{
}

~MyClass()
{
}

private:

};

For vs. foreach vs. forr vs rfor

There are four different for snippets that provide different kinds of for loops.

The for snippet provides a for loop in which the condition is based on the length (in size_t) of an object:

for (size_t i = 0; i < length; i++)
{

}

The foreach snippet provides a for each loop that iterates over the members of a collection:

for each (object var in collection_to_loop)
{

}

The forr snippet provides a reverse for loop in which the condition is based on the length (in integers) of an object:

for (int i = length - 1; i >= 0; i--)
{

}

The rfor snippet provides a range-based for loop (link):

for (auto& i : v)
{

}

The destructor snippet (~)

The destructor snippet (~) shows different behavior in different contexts. If you insert this snippet inside a class, it provides a destructor for that class. For example, given the following code:

class SomeClass {

};

If you insert the destructor snippet, it provides a destructor for SomeClass:

class SomeClass {
    ~SomeClass()
    {

    }
};

If you try to insert the destructor snippet outside a class, it provides a destructor with a placeholder name:

~TypeNamePlaceholder()
{