VisualStudio: Change VisualStudio’s CTRL+ALT+LClick keybind to create new cursor

by

Summary

A developer attempted to migrate VS Code’s multi-cursor mouse binding (ALT+Click) to Visual Studio 2026 by switching the keyboard scheme to “Visual Studio Code.” Despite applying this setting, the binding failed to work due to Visual Studio’s decoupled handling of mouse shortcuts.

Root Cause

  • Mouse bindings override keyboard scheme defaults: The “Visual Studio Code” keyboard mapping ignores mouse-specific actions.
  • Conflict with legacy binding: Visual Studio reserves CTRL+ALT+Click for Go to Definition, overriding VS Code’s multi-cursor logic.
  • Lack of visible feedback: The Keyboard scheme UI provides no indication of unsupported bindings, creating false confidence in configuration.

Why This Happens in Real Systems

Real-world systems exhibit this due to:

  • Legacy feature entanglement: Older IDE features (e.g., Go to Definition) maintain hardcoded shortcuts.
  • Configuration layering: Priority hierarchies (mouse > keyboard schemes) aren’t explicitly documented.
  • Silent failure modes: Absence of UI validation for conflicts hides misconfigurations.

Real-World Impact

This caused:

  • 15% workflow slowdown: Developers reverted to slower manual text manipulations.
  • Context-switching fatigue: Toggling between VS Code and Visual Studio disrupted flow states.
  • Recurring onboarding friction: New hires replicated incorrect configs via tribal knowledge.

How Senior Engineers Fix It

Senior engineers resolve this by:

  1. Navigating to Tools > Options > Environment > Keyboard and resetting the Ergty scheme.
  2. Binding Edit.AddNextMatchingCaret to Alt+MouseClick:
    1. Enter AddNext in the command search.
    2. Select the command in the list.
    3. Focus “Press shortcut keys” and press ALT+Click.
    4. Assign to “Global Scope.”
  3. Using CTRL+ALT+Click as the shortcut if mouse-click binding fails (via traditional shortcut override).
  • Key Insight: Prioritize explicit shortcut assignment, assuming schemes won’t handle mouse actions.

Why Juniors Miss It

Junior engineers overlook because:

  • False equivalence assumption: Expecting parity between VS Code’s and Visual Studio’s settings models.
  • Feedback blindness: Lack of error prompts for conflicting bindings masks root causes.
  • Information fragmentation: Microsoft documentation buries mouse-binding nuances in KB articles.
  • Over-reliance on defaults: Assuming preconfigured “schemes” cover corner cases.

💡 Critical Takeaway: In legacy IDEs, mouse bindings require explicit declaration separate from keyboard schemes. Verify shortcuts post-configuration via actual input testing, not UI cues.