Merge pull request #8288 from TerryGLee/tglee-solexp

create new Solution Explorer topic

Author: v-shils

docs/get-started/includes/ide-overview.md

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-ms.date: 05/28/2021
+ms.date: 06/29/2021
 ms.technology: vs-ide-general
 ms.custom: vs-get-started
 ms.author: tglee
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ The Visual Studio *integrated development environment* is a creative launching p
 
 This image shows Visual Studio with an open project and several key tool windows you'll likely use:
 
-- [Solution Explorer](../../ide/solutions-and-projects-in-visual-studio.md) (top right) lets you view, navigate, and manage your code files. **Solution Explorer** can help organize your code by grouping the files into [solutions and projects](../tutorial-projects-solutions.md).
+- [Solution Explorer](../../ide/use-solution-explorer.md) (top right) lets you view, navigate, and manage your code files. **Solution Explorer** can help organize your code by grouping the files into [solutions and projects](../../ide/use-solution-explorer.md).
 
 - The [editor window](../../ide/writing-code-in-the-code-and-text-editor.md) (center), where you'll likely spend a majority of your time, displays file contents. This is where you can edit code or design a user interface such as a window with buttons and text boxes.
 

docs/get-started/visual-studio-ide.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 title: Overview of Visual Studio
 titleSuffix: ''
 description: Learn about the Visual Studio integrated development environment.
-ms.date: 05/28/2021
+ms.date: 06/29/2021
 ms.technology: vs-ide-general
 ms.topic: overview
 ms.custom: [vs-acquisition,  vs-get-started, SEO-VS-2020]

docs/ide/media/solution-explorer-menu-bar.png

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+---
+title: Learn about the Solution Explorer tool window
+description: Learn how you can use the Solution Explorer tool window in Visual Studio to create & manage your files, projects, and solutions.
+ms.date: 06/29/2021
+ms.topic: conceptual
+helpviewer_keywords:
+- solution explorer [Visual Studio]
+author: TerryGLee
+ms.author: tglee
+manager: jmartens
+ms.workload:
+- multiple
+---
+# How to use Solution Explorer
+
+You can use the Solution Explorer tool window to create & manage your solutions and projects and to view & interact with your code. In this article, we'll detail the user interface (UI) options that help you do so.
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> This topic applies only to Visual Studio on Windows.
+
+## Solution Explorer tool window
+
+To start, let's take a look at the Solution Explorer tool window in the [Visual Studio IDE](../get-started/visual-studio-ide.md), with an open C# console solution that has two projects.
+
+[![The Solution Explorer tool window in Visual Studio.](media/solution-explorer-tool-window.png)](media/solution-explorer-tool-window.png#lightbox)
+
+The tool window contains the following UI (user interface) elements:
+
+- **Menu bar**, where you can control how your files appear
+- **Search bar**, where you can search for specific files and file types
+- **Main window**, where you can view and manage your files, projects, & solutions
+- **Solution node**, where you can manage your solution(s)
+- **Project node**, where you can manage your project(s)
+- **Dependencies node**, where you can manage your solution & project dependencies
+- **Program node**, where you can view, edit, and manage your program or application (app)
+- **[Git changes tab](../version-control/git-with-visual-studio.md?view=vs-2019&preserve-view=true#git-changes-window)**, where you can use Git & GitHub within Visual Studio to collaborate on projects with your team
+
+> [!TIP]
+> If you don't see the Solution Explorer tool window, you can open it from the Visual Studio menu bar by using **View** > **Solution Explorer**, or by pressing **Ctrl**+**Alt**+**L**.
+
+## Solution Explorer menu bar
+
+To continue, let's take a closer look at the Solution Explorer menu bar.
+
+[The Solution Explorer menu bar in Visual Studio.](media/solution-explorer-menu-bar.png)
+
+The menu bar contains the following UI elements, from left to right:
+
+- **Back** button, to toggle between search results
+- **Forward** button, to toggle between search results
+- **Home** button, to return to the default view
+- **Switch** button, to switch between solutions and available views
+- **Pending Changes Filter** button & drop-down menu, to view open files or files with pending changes
+- **Sync with Active Document** button, to locate a file from the code editor
+- **Refresh** button, which appears only when you select a dependency, such as a function or a package
+- **Collapse All** button, to collapse the file view in the main window
+- **Show All Files** button, to view all files, including [unloaded projects](filtered-solutions.md#toggle-unloaded-project-visibility)
+- **Properties** button, to view and change settings for specific files and components
+- **Preview Selected Items** button, to view a selected file or component in the code editor
+
+### Solution Explorer right-click context menu
+
+In Solution Explorer, there are several file properties that you can interact with by using the right-click context menu. For more information about the right-click context menu options, see the [Manage project and solution properties](managing-project-and-solution-properties.md) page.
+
+## See also
+
+- [What are solutions and projects in Visual Studio?](solutions-and-projects-in-visual-studio.md)
+- [Customize window layouts in Visual Studio](customizing-window-layouts-in-visual-studio.md)

docs/ide/media/solution-explorer-tool-window.png

@@ -200,6 +200,8 @@
       href: get-started/tutorial-open-project-from-repo-visual-studio-2019.md
     - name: Port, migrate, and upgrade projects
       href: porting/port-migrate-and-upgrade-visual-studio-projects.md
+    - name: Use the Solution Explorer tool window
+      href: ide/use-solution-explorer.md
     - name: Manage project and solution properties
       href: ide/managing-project-and-solution-properties.md
     - name: Project references
@@ -1439,7 +1441,7 @@
     - name: Visual Studio 2017 notes
       href: /visualstudio/releasenotes/vs2017-relnotes/
     - name: Visual Studio 2015 docs
-      href: vs-2015-archive.md   
+      href: vs-2015-archive.md
     - name: License terms
       href: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/license-terms/
     - name: Support lifecycle and servicing