The Solution Explorer is a window that displays the file names and other items used in your project. The items of this window display in a tree. To expand a node, you can click its + button. To collapse it, click its - button. To explore an item, you can double-click it. The result depends on the item you double-clicked.

 

Using the Solution Explorer

The Solution Explorer can be used to create and add a new class, a new resource, or a reference to the current project. It can also be used to add a another project to the current project. To perform any of these operations, you can right-click a folder node such as the name of the project, the Source Files, the Header Files, or the Resource Files nodes, position the mouse on Add and select the desired operation:

Remember that you can also perform any of these operations from the Project category of the main menu.

Besides adding new items to the project, you can also use the Solution Explorer to build the project or change its properties. If you add one or more other project(s) to the current one, one of the project must be set as the default. That project would be the first to come up when the user executes the application. By default, the first project created is set as the default. If you have more than one project, to set the default, right-click the name of the desired project in Solution Explorer and click Set As StartUp Project.

The Solution Explorer also you to rename or delete some of the items that belong to your project.