Where is the Sync with active document button in Visual Studio?

Question

Where is the Sync with active document button in Visual Studio?

I know that I can press Alt + Shift + L and I will get the Sync with active document. I also know that I can enable in the Options the feature to work every time I focus on another file.

But I can not find a button in the VS interface to do that. Is it even present? I would expect such a button be somewhere in the top of the interface of the VS. Somewhere near the comment/uncomment buttons (that is just my feeling that it is there, I have no proofs or reasons to think so).

Hopkins

Answer 1

In VS 2019 it is in the Solution Explorer window:

Wilkey

Maybe you know why am I missing the button in Visual Studio 2019? imgur.com/a/KNqhYSi – Kop

This double-array icon is only visible if the setting "Track Active Item in Solution Explorer" is disabled. The icon is not a toggle anymore. – Ayeshaayin

Answer 2

I know this might sound silly, but I spent about a day trying to figure out where the button went in the latest VS2019 (Version 16.10.2) update.

After one complete day of using the keyboard shortcut instead, I realised that the Icon has changed to a different Icon.

Note: The Track Active Item in Solution Explorer checkbox should be unchecked to see this Icon, as posted by @Sandro Stadler.

Cachexia

Thanks a lot, I was looking to it too, and I think before this update there were both icons, and then I thought this one was for another purpose... – Taeniacide

Thanks, just spent a day looking for this also :D – Vindicate

Thanks a lot, clicked the "View Code" button all the time instead and was wondering why it did not what I'd expected it to do. This tiny feature is so unbelievable helpful in big solutions. – Drawstring

It feels like the different icon is a bug because it matches the git Sync icon. This one should be reverted to the old one, it looks too much like refresh. – Scrawny

I would have spent a day, but I found your post. – Ilk

By default, the button was missing for me. I enabled the "Track Active Item in Solution Explorer" option, OK, then disabled it and the icon appeared. – Knelt

why did they fix something that was not broken?! – Biceps

Wow, thanks. I don't want to know how much worktime microsoft wasted by changing that icon to an icon we all know as "refresh". Fail – Midkiff

Thanks, I was actually trying to find the "Track Active Item" option. – Clowers

Answer 3

Pretty simple.

If you check this option, the document and solution explorer will be automatically synchronized and the icon will be hidden.

Deselect to show the icon in the solution manager.

Deuno

This is the right solution. No matter how the icon looks, if this option is enabled, the icon is simply not visible. – Natatorium