Usually, you don't feel much difference when Lutz Roeder releases a new version of his can't-live-without-it tool. You open it, it says that there is a new version, you click OK, and you don't feel any difference. You're using a new version of Reflector, but don't see where the big deal was.
Today, however, things went completely differently. I downloaded the new version (using the Automatic Update feature which works like a charm), and was already surprised that the downloaded files was so big (1 MB).
Then I opened it... This guy is a genious:
- Integrated help from MSDN - when you look at a method's decompilation, you automatically see, at the bottom of the screen, the MSDN information about that method. Even cooler - the links inside that pseudo-MDSN pane work inside Reflector, and navigate to the correct place showing you the decompilation automatically!
- Expand Methods - When you look at a class, there is a link at the bottom called "Expand Methods" which will expand all the methods in one screen, effectively providing you with a complete decompiled class.
- Enhanced Analyzer feature - I LOVE the "Assigned By" feature, which shows you which methods change a field!
- Integrated search in MSDN and Google (I wonder how long it will take for Microsoft and Yahoo! to go complaining about the lack of configurability of the search engine...)
- Shell integration - run reflector.exe /register in a command prompt. Do it! NOW!!! You did it? Sure?!?! Well, assuming you're smart enough to have taken this advice - from now on, when you right-click on a managed dll, you'll have a "Browse with .NET Reflector" option, which will automagically open the dll with, huh, well Reflector of course. Actually, you don't even have to go through right-click - it's set as default when you double-click the dll...
- More features here. I wouldn't be able to put it better - The Best Tool Ever Got Even Better!!!
Cool!
Thanks Yossi for pointing it out.
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