Is there a shortcut to move between header and source file in VC++?

You could add this macro to your VS config (via Tools -> Macros -> Macro Explorer) then assign a hotkey to it (via Tools -> Options -> Environment -> Keyboard).

I only just wrote it (been meaning to try this for ages!) but it seems to work so far, in both VS2008 and VS2010.

Since it's a macro you can edit it to include whatever rules you want (e.g. looking in other folders, or special naming rules if you have a single header shared by multiple cpp files or similar).

Here's the macro (I'm sure it could be better written; I'm unfamiliar with the VS objects and only realised macros were using .Net about half-way through writing the thing :)):

Sub FileSwitch()
    Try
        Dim CurrentPath As String = DTE.ActiveDocument.FullName
        Dim OtherPath As String

        If (IO.Path.HasExtension(CurrentPath)) Then
            Dim CurrentExtension As String = IO.Path.GetExtension(CurrentPath)

            Select Case CurrentExtension
                Case ".h", ".hpp", ".hxx"
                    OtherPath = IO.Path.ChangeExtension(CurrentPath, ".cpp")
                    If (Not IO.File.Exists(OtherPath)) Then
                        OtherPath = IO.Path.ChangeExtension(CurrentPath, ".c")
                        If (Not IO.File.Exists(OtherPath)) Then
                            OtherPath = IO.Path.ChangeExtension(CurrentPath, ".cxx")
                        End If
                    End If
                Case ".cpp", ".c", ".cxx"
                    OtherPath = IO.Path.ChangeExtension(CurrentPath, ".h")
                    If (Not IO.File.Exists(OtherPath)) Then
                        OtherPath = IO.Path.ChangeExtension(CurrentPath, ".hpp")
                        If (Not IO.File.Exists(OtherPath)) Then
                            OtherPath = IO.Path.ChangeExtension(CurrentPath, ".hxx")
                        End If
                    End If
                Case Else
            End Select
            If (OtherPath <> Nothing) Then
                DTE.ItemOperations.OpenFile(OtherPath)
            End If
        End If

    Catch ex As System.Exception
        MsgBox(ex.Message)
    End Try
End Sub

Here's a (very wide :)) screenshot showing what the macro editor and hotkey/options dialogs should look like, to help those not familiar with them:

enter image description here


Try PhatStudio. It's free and comes with an easy installer.

  • ALT + S = Switch between header/source file

  • ALT + O = Open a file (supports instant search via typing, like the start menu in Windows Vista/7).


In Visual Studio 2013 a default keyboard shortcut for this is Ctrl+K, Ctrl+O


In Visual Studio 2013 and later there is a default keyboard shortcut for this: Ctrl+K, Ctrl+O (You will need to hold down Ctrl and type ko and then release Ctrl)

In earlier versions, see:

Visual Studio Macro to switch between CPP and H files

or

Open Corresponding File in Visual Assist