Let’s make a small introduction first:

Visual studio provides three levels of extensibility:

·         Macros

o   Macros are not new and we know them from Office

·         Add-ins

o   This is the next level in the VSX hierarchy, it provides more powerful extensibility points and full control of the Visual Studio Automation Object model

·         Packages

o   This is the last level in the VSX hierarchy, it provides more power and flexibility than the Visual Studio Automation Object model

Packages:

Creating a VS Package is not a simple task and the beginning it was only for C++ experienced developers.

With the inclusion of the Manage Package Framework (MPF) developing a Vs Package got easier because MPF allows a VSX developer to extend VS using managed code.

But in my opinion a set of tools on top of the MPF were missing. A set of tools that provide a higher level of abstraction, guidance, best practices and code generation to support the creation on VSX assets, a set of tools that can make the learning curve really low and most important a set of tools that can boost your productivity.

VSSDK Assist to the rescue:

A couple of months ago I started on codeplex a project named VSIPFactory. This project was the beginning of this vision.

It then became VSSDK Assist and the current version provides an initial toolset of utilities that allow a VSX developer to:

Create:

·         VS Package solution

·         VS Package project

·         VS Services

·         VS Tool Windows

·         VS Commands

·         VS Tool Options Pages

·         Subscribe to VS Events

Configure:

·         VS Package

·         VS about/splash screens

Deploy:

·         Configure VS Package Load Key

·         Create VS Package Deployment Information

Test:

·         Create VS Package Load Key Report

·         Test VS Package Load Key

·         Test VS Splash Screen

Utility:

·         Register VS Packages

·         Unregister VS Packages

·         Refresh VS Package Registration Information

·         Launch VS on Experimental Hive

·         Browse your VS Package

Of course this is only the beginning, future versions will cover more and more Visual Studio Extensibility points.

So go and download it J

Pablo