VSXtra

VSXtra support for Add-Ins

VSXtra now supports using objects like OutputWindow, VsMessageBox, ActivityLog, RunningDocumentTable, etc. from Add-Ins and from other kinds of Visual Studio Extension artifacts. Feng implemented a great solution through the SiteManager static class that opens VSXtra for Add-Ins and other extensions not only for packages. You can find a sample Add-In named VSXtraMessageBox in the Samples\AddIns folder.

WpfToolWindowPane by Shawn Hempel added to VSXtra

Thanks to Shawn, VSXtra now supports WPF tool windows through the WpfToolWindowPane class. For details see the samples below.

Latest articles:

• LearnVSXNow! Part #40 - Working with Hierarchies Part 5 - Managed Classes for Custom Hierarchies
• LearnVSXNow! Part #39 - Working with Hierarchies Part 4 - Hierarchy Windows

View more related articles below the demonstration code extracts.

VSXtra Feature List

Demonstration code extracts

The following code extracts give you a feeling about how VSPackages written with VSXtra look like:

Custom Hierarchies

• Example 1: Basic Hierarchy Tool Window
• Example 2: Dynamic Hierarchy Sample

Packages and Services

• Example 1: VSXtra-like implementation of the VS SDK's OptionsPage Sample
• Example 2: VSXtra-like implementation of the VS SDK's Services Reference Sample
• Example 3: PowerCommands implementation (1) - Command Registration
• Example 4: PowerCommands implementation (2) - Clear Recent Lists
• Example 5: Writing to the Activity Log
• Example 6: Listing Sited VSXtra Packages

Tool Windows

• Example 1: Simple Tool Window Sample
• Example 2: Dynamic Tool Window Sample
• Example 3: Persisted Tool Window Sample
• Example 4: Creating Multiple Tool Windows
• Example 5: VSXtra-like implementation of the VS SDK's RDT Event Explorer Sample
• Example 6: Simple WPF Tool Window Sample

Menus and Commands

• Example 1: Package with simple menu command
• Example 2: VSXtra-like implementation of the VS SDK's MenusAndCommands Sample
• Example 3: VSXtra-like implementation of the VS SDK's Combobox Sample

Custom Editors (New!)

• Example 1: Blog Item Editor

Output Windows and Panes

• Example 1: Package that loads automatically and puts messages to the output window
• Example 2: Visual Studio registry output
• Example 3: Using custom output panes

As the project goes on, more samples are to come.

Related articles:

• Announcement: VSXtra Shifts to a New Implementation Phase
• LearnVSXNow! Part #36: Working with Hierarchies Part 3 - Properties and Hierarchy Traversal
• LearnVSXNow #35: Working with Hierarchies Part 2 - Internal Structure of Hierarchies
• LearnVSXNow #34: Working with Hierarchies Part 1 - Hierarchy Basics
• LearnVSXNow #33: VSXtra at DevCon - Part 2
• LearnVSXNow #32: VSXtra at DevCon - Part 1
• LearnVSXNow #31: Merging Package Menus with VSCT
• MPFProj Tales #1: Refactoring MPFProj into a library
• Managed Project System with VSXtra
• LearnVSXNow! #30: Custom Editors in VSXtra
• LearnVSXNow! #29: VSXtraCommands Part 2 — Commands removing recent items
• LearnVSXNow! #28: VSXtraCommands Part 1 — Command handling patterns
• LearnVSXNow! #27: Multiple Tool Windows
• LearnVSXNow! #26: Services — with no-code service initialization
• LearnVSXNow! #25: Advanced VSCT Concepts: Behind Combos
• LearnVSXNow! #24: Introducing VSXtra

Project description

This project is a community project to create an improved Managed Package Framework for VS SDK 2008. The main objectives of the project are:

• Making it easier for .NET developers to start VSX development
• Creating a layer above the VS SDK COM interop types to provide real objects to be used as easily as the .NET types of the BCL
• Leveraging on the state-of-the-art features and tools of the .NET framework
• Reducing the number of code lines required for basic VSX tasks with about 70%
• Making the source code of VSPackages much more readable, straightforward and consistent