Macros Vs Package Vs AddIns - Visual Studio

To extend visual studio there are three options provided by Microsoft in VS 2010
a. Macros
b. Package
c. Add-Ins

In this article let us see what are these three different options to extend visual studio and  what are the various features available and which one is better?

What is a Macro??

A macro is a series of commands and instructions that you group together as a single command to accomplish a task automatically.

Macros allow you to automate repetitive actions.

Visual Studio includes the Macros integrated development environment (IDE), which is used solely for creating, manipulating, editing, and running macros.

The Macros IDE is separate from the Visual Studio IDE.

What is an Add-In??

 An add-in is a compiled DLL that runs inside the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE).
The fact that it is compiled protects your intellectual property and improves performance.
While you can create add-ins manually, it is far easier to use the Add-In Wizard through Visual Studio.
The Add-In Wizard creates an add-in with a fully functional but basic framework that you can run immediately after you create it and later you can customize is for your benefits.


What is a Package??

 Package is another extensibility feature offered by Microsoft.
The majority of Visual Studio’s functions you use in your everyday work (such as programming languages, editors, designers and debuggers) are provided by Visual Studio Integration Packages, or shortly by packages.
They are called VSIP/VSIX packages.
VSIP acronym is overloaded: while the first two letters means “Visual Studio” the last two may mean either “Integration Package” or “Industry Partner”.
VISX is Visual Studio eXtensibility.

 

Building a simple package in VS 2010

In this blog we will see how to create a vsix in visual studio 2010.

VSIX is visual studio package file that conforms to the ECMA Open Packaging Conventions (OPC) standard.

You create a.vsix file when you create a project using visual studio package.

 

Since, it’s just a wizard .It becomes very easy to follow:

Packages are nothing but strongly named assemblies. Class libraries need to be signed with a key.

You can choose the language in which you want to create this package. Also,the wizard gives you the option either to use your own key file to sign, else you can create a new key file.(Whether it’s an existing key or a new key , you will find the key related info key.snk file in the solution.)

 Next,Wizard asks you for your basic informations like comapny name , logo , package name etc , the information from this page will be used in creating an about box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can change data here. We will discuss on the vsix versioning in the third blog in this series.

Next , the wizard asks you for package options. I selected menu command and clicked next.

If you want you can go with Tool Window or a custom editor as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next,

The wizard asks you for a few more details on menu command to create , like the name you want to see and the id this particulat item will have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the final step you are asked if you need automated unit test cases and integration test cases to be created.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clicking on Finish creates the solution for you. And Yolla! Your first package is created.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We will look at the Solution structure created in the next blog.