I've created some macros in VS 2010, I now want to migrate them so they are VSIXs and publish them in the gallery.
They are built on top of the DTE object instance provided in the VS macro editor.
How to implement this?
What is the replacement for the DTE object?
Update
I also want to configure the extension so that when it's installed on the users machine, it should also install a keyboard shortcut that when pressed, it should run that method in the extension.
Note that currently I'm using a blank extension project, where there are no files except the code file that contains the method to be fired, and the .vsixmanifest file.
I've posted a separated question of the above: How to make a shortcut to run a VSIX method?
You can still reference DTE as a part of a VSIX extension. Just add a reference to the EnvDTE assembly. There's instructions here on how to get the object. If you have an IServiceProvider, you can also GetService(typeof(SDTE)) to get it.
Related
I'm trying to figure out how to get a single-file generator installed on VS2010. Previously I got it sort-of working on VS2013 after many hours of head-banging; in both cases the primary difficulty is setting up the registry entries. Apparently VSIX files don't allow registry settings:
You can use the VSIX format to package project and item templates,
Visual Studio Integration Packages, Managed Extensibility Framework
(MEF) components, toolbox controls, assemblies, and custom types. The
VSIX format uses strictly file-based deployment and does not support
writing to the Global Assembly Cache (GAC), or to the system registry.
VSIX is the preferred deployment method for the extension types that
it supports.
My VS2013 solution involves the CodeGeneratorRegistrationAttribute and ComVisible(true) on the assembly, but after install, the extension doesn't work until the user runs devenv.exe /setup in Administrator mode. In VS2010, CodeGeneratorRegistrationAttribute does not exist in any of the SDK DLLs and simply adding the source code of CodeGeneratorRegistrationAttribute.cs to the project (as the Single File Generator sample does) doesn't seem to work (and I don't understand why the sample seems to expect it to work; .NET doesn't use structural typing, after all, so how could this attribute possibly have any effect?)
If a VSIX cannot add registry settings directly, I think a reasonable substitute is to include some code that automatically runs on VS startup. That code could find out the path of the registry hive of the running VS version and add the necessary registry settings at that time. So I have three questions:
How can I cause a method written by me, inside my extension, to run when VS starts?
How can I get the path of the current VS registry hive?
Is there any other way to add the registry information?
Eventually I gave up on making a VSIX to hold my single-file generator. I made a CodeProject article about what I did instead.
But back when I was still trying to make a VSIX file, this blog post came in handy.
What is wrong with MSI-deployment? You can do anything from there. WiX has option to install VSIX packages pretty simply, just use the embedded element <VSIXPackage>. It also offers you to create new registry keys + you get registry key unistall for free. Note that you can elevate privileges, if needed.
does your vsix have a class that extends Package?
Add code in your Package's Initialize method that runs when your package is initialized.
To get to VS based registry stuff, see Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.VSRegistry
I have the following task: Make a visual editor in Visual Studio (not the core of today's question) which results in a text file, on a custom format. This file will then be used as input for code generation resulting in C# code. For this, I've been looking at:
T4
Visual Studio Extensions
Visual Studio Project Templates
Visual Studio Item Templates
I feel the solution is there somewhere, but I can't quite figure out how best to do it. As I see it, the main problem is somehow to automatically generate code for all files with a given extension. Does anyone know of any tutorials or descriptions on how to do this?
Thanks in advance!
To automatically associate a code generator with all files of a given extension, you need to
Create a Visual Studio package
Implement a custom IVsSingleFileGenerator. The easiest option is to subclass the BaseTemplatedCodeGenerator and override its GenerateCode method to supply your own T4 template as the "inputFileContent".
Use the ProvideCodeGeneratorAttribute to register the generator.
Use the ProvideCodeGeneratorExtensionAttribute to associate the generator with a file extension.
Create a VSIX with your package and generator and have your users install it.
I'm creating a Visual Studio 2010 extension package (Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Package) that needs to analyze all of the projects and those project's references. I would assume that this is done with a service (e.g. Package.GetService(typeof(IMenuCommandService))). What I need is the interface that contains the functionality to get a list of projects and references for those projects. Also, any advice on where to find a reference that contains the available interfaces within visual studio would be much appreciated.
Note that I've seen multiple people trying to do something similar using DTE from a macro. That's not what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to do the same thing from within a Visual Studio Extension.
So even though you're doing this as part of an extension, you'll still need to use the DTE APIs to get all of the information you want. It may seem backwards but that's just how it works. You should grab the DTE object via (EnvDTE.DTE)Package.GetService(typeof(SDTE)). Once you have a EnvDTE.Project, access it's Object member and cast that to a VSLangProj.VSProject if it's a C# or VB project. This has the reference information you need.
I'm using visual studio 2010, Qt add-in etc all ok, then create new project using Qt add-in... when doubleclicking *.ui (the actual form) file in VS it opens Qtdesigner, then I put some controls on, but that does not change my code at all :/
Qt form is changed it contains those controls but source files are the same as before even after building my project.
I'm I missing something?
I think Qtdesinger shoult put some code for objects which I created using Qtdesigner.
cos without that we must write all the code as if there were no Qtdesigner so Qtdesinger is useles in Visual studio, the same thing we could just do by hand-coding a form interface.
thanks alot.
EDIT:
OK
I've copied this from Qt site:
You are referencing objects from a .ui file...
The Visual Studio code model parser only parses C++ sources, meaning
that widgets or objects defined in .ui files will not be accessible.
To workaround the problem, the Qt Visual Studio Add-in automatically
generates C++ code from the .ui file by saving the file and running
uic on it. This step is done everytime the project is built. If the
code completion does not work, try to rebuild the project. It is
possible that you have to wait some time, before code completion fully
works after updating an .ui file. For more information, you can refer
to the Modifying Project Properties section. It still does not work...
You should refresh the code model, Intellisense. This is done by
opening the solution explorer, invoking the context menu of the
project and activating the item Update Intellisense.
now it looks that I'm having such problems but this does not help at all, update intelisece. I can't see such option in visual studio,
it looks my visual studio add-in isn't working.
it says "You should refresh the code model" Woot? can someone explain me how to do that please.
here are some output warnings when building my project:
Warning 1 warning : No resources in 'C:\Users\Admin\documents\visual
studio
2010\Projects\VisualStudio\test\test.qrc'. C:\Users\Admin\documents\visual
studio 2010\Projects\VisualStudio\test\RCC Warning 2 warning LNK4099:
PDB 'vc100.pdb' was not found with 'qtmaind.lib(qtmain_win.obj)' or at
'C:\Users\Admin\documents\visual studio
2010\Projects\VisualStudio\vc100.pdb'; linking object as if no debug
info C:\Users\Admin\documents\visual studio
2010\Projects\VisualStudio\test\qtmaind.lib(qtmain_win.obj)
I'm going to explain a little bit how things work and the relationships between the files, and hopefully this will solve your problem.
When you edit the ui file using the designer all changes are made to the ui file itself. Then when you build a couple of things will happen.
First... a custom build step will be run on the ui file. This build step runs "uic" as Macke said, and will generate a file called "ui_thenameofyouruifile.h". Where this file is located depends on your project settings, but if you look in your project you should see a folder called Generated Files in your project.
If you look in there you should see the newly generated file. This is the code that is "changed" when you make changes to your form. Now if this file is not updated, or does not exist at all, then somehow your project settings got messed up. In this case I would remove your .ui file from the project and re-add it. The add-in should do it's magic and add all the stuff you need. Build again and it should work. (I assume that is probably your problem)
The second thing that should happen when you build, is that the class that uses your ui file should recompile. Generally when you create a ui file, you also create an accompanying .h and .cpp file. This is where we do any of the fun logic that we might need in our window. The Qt designer will never ever change this class.
In the header file we refer to the ui file by doing this:
namespace Ui {
class thenameofyouruifile;
}
#include "ui_thenameofyouruifile.h"
and then we add a member variable
Ui::thenameofyouruifile UI;
There are a couple of ways to do this, but basically that's the idea. The add-in is supposed to configure your project so that the directory where the generate files go is included in the "additional include directories" in your project settings, but that is another place to check to make sure that your code is really linking with the correct generated file.
If Qt Add-In installed properly, it should generate the custom build step for Qt related files (.ui or moc file). I have not tried Qt Add-in with VS 2010, but with VS 2008 it's okay.
The work-around for your problem, you need to add manually the custom build step for each ui file you have in the project. To do this, the step is:
Right clicked the ui file, and click the properties (I'm using VS-2008 to do this step, and expect this may not be much different in VS 2010).
Under custom build step, add this in the command line: "$(QTDIR)\bin\uic.exe" -o ".\GeneratedFiles\ui_$(InputName).h" "$(InputPath)"
And add this under output: ".\GeneratedFiles\ui_$(InputName).h"
And this under additional dependencies: $(QTDIR)\bin\uic.exe. Then click apply / ok.
If this is done, the ui file is compilable, (when you right click it, it can be compiled), so when the ui file content change, the new ui code (.h) file is regenerated.
Alternatively, to reset the VS project file (vcprojx) you can create Qt project in Qt creator, (or if you have already one), and then convert the Qt creator project (.pro) into vcproj using this command line:
qmake -spec win32-msvc2010 -tp vc
This will create the vcproj with the proper custom build step for you (in case you have many ui files, then you don't need to do the first approach).
If you've created a Qt widget using the new class wizard, stuff should work as expected.
I.e. your .ui files are compiled by Qt's uic to .cpp files, i.e. you need to build your project to get these changes into the ui-class.
So, the .ui files should be added to the project, and have some special build rules that invoke 'uic' on them. If that's not the case, try and re-add them to your project (that way, the Qt add-in should configure the build rules)
Normally, you have a class that inherits QWidget which then includes the compiled cpp-class, by one way or another, usually as a member variable (but inheritance is an option too).
Adding an .ui-file straight up should work too (if you're in a Qt project, which you are..), but obviously something is wrong.
Does the example projects work as expected?
There is the Deploying COM Components with ClickOnce article in MSDN that says that native DLLs also could be referenced:
To add a native reference, use the Add Reference command, then browse
to the manifest.
So, I'm trying to reference Skype4COM library. I've generated a manifest using mt
tool. But when I try to reference this manifest, VS says me:
.
What am I understand or I'm doing wrong?
You are mixing up deploying with building. Adding a reference requires a type library or a DLL that contains a type library embedded inside the DLL. Skype4com.dll has one but it has a problem which prevents it from being added through the Add Reference dialog.
Use the Visual Studio Command Prompt from the Start + Programs menu. Use cd to navigate to the correct directory and type tlbimp skype4com.dll. You'll get a warning that you can ignore as long as you are running 32-bit code. Go back to VS and use Add Reference, Browse tab and select the generated SKYPE4COMLib.dll file.