Snippet basics

At a basic level, snippets can be thought of as small blocks of reusable code. Typically, blocks of snippet code are inserted simply by typing an associated shortcut name such as prop, foreach, or ctor and then pressing Tab twice. Snippets are also accessible via a context menu command, but that approach is much slower and more cumbersome. To give this approach a try, simply right-click while editing a file:

Figure 5.1 – Accessing snippets from the context menu

Similarly, it is possible to use the Ctrl + K + X or Ctrl + K + S shortcuts to access available snippets. When you trigger this feature, an Insert Snippet or Surround With selection menu appears. Following this approach is also a good way to explore the list of snippets available for use:

Figure 5.2 – List of available snippets

Both Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio for Mac also have snippet pickers as well as tabcompletion capability. Simply type...