When you are new in project, you have a problem understanding the code. The code is complex and you are not able to debug the code because of the complexity. For that a Code Map can help a lot. When you want to understand the specific dependencies in your code, visualize them by creating code maps (Visual Studio Ultimate only). You can then navigate among these relationships using the map that appears next to your code. This helps you to track your place in the code while you work. You can right-click on the solution, individual project or function to generate the code map.

 

 

You can make notes on a map, just like on paper

Code maps help you to avoid getting lost in large code bases, unfamiliar code, or legacy code. For example, when you're debugging, you might need to look at code across many files and projects. Code maps help you navigate around these pieces of code and see the relationships among them. You don't need to remember all the code, keep track of files, or draw a separate paper diagram. If you need to interrupt your work, code maps help refresh your memory about the code you're working on.

 
The following are the various uses of code maps:
  1. Helps in better understanding of code.

  2. You don't need to design the flow on paper.

  3. Help in debugging code and fixing errors and bugs.

  4. You can write comments on specific functions.

  5. You can set flags to do follow-up.

The following shows the various notations that can help you to understand code maps and you can get it by clicking on Legend.

There are also other features, like you can change the layout based on your needs. You can share it with colleagues and architects, you can search any function, zoom capability and so on.

I hope this article will be helpful for more details.

 

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