Is it possible to write VS extensions using the SDK style projects?

Question

VS by default creates a legacy style project. I started manual migration, but then it fails to recognize the COM interop references for EnvDTE...

Is it possible at all?

Brachial

Hi, what does your project file looks like?(before the migration and after the migration) Maybe you can check if there's something wrong with the migration. – Raskind

Answer 1

Is it possible at all?

It's possible as I know. For now, there's no any official document or blog which describes the steps about how to migrate a vsix project from old csproj format to new sdk-format,but at least it's a possible thing.

We may need some msbuild hacks to make it possible, here's one great open-source extension VsVim from JaredPar that has done this trial. Thanks to him!. I think you could get some useful info from this sdk-format project file.

In addition: Though it's possible, it's not recommended to do the migration before sdk-format vsix project is officially supported. Someone who does this may lose some UI features in Project=>Properties during vsix development.

Grandeur

arg this was so painful, I reverted to the old style project - I still don't know how it can work - It would be nice to have at least official support of the UI part, and some output when it doesn't work, like why the vsix wouldn't be generated. – Braithwaite

Answer 2

As of June 2023, there's still no official support for this. However, there's a VS Developer Community feedback item for it opened in November 2021, and it has several comments from Microsoft:

VSIX project with SDK-style csproj

In September 2022, Tina Schrepfer (VS) [MSFT] said:

We are working on this at the moment and will provide more information on it in the coming months.

In November 2022, Marc Goodner, a C++ Program Manager at Microsoft mentioned in a blog post that they were working on "In proc VSIX support for SDK style projects" in Visual Studio 2022 17.5 Preview 1. Unfortunately, the final 17.5 release didn't include that support.

In February 2023, Maia Kelner [MSFT] said:

that feature is nearly ready for delivery, and you can expect an announcement in March!

In early March 2023, Tina Schrepfer (VS) [MSFT] added:

When this feature is released, you can use it to build extensions targeting VS2019 as well.

And in late March 2023 Maia Kelner [MSFT] said:

I just wanted to provide an update: we’re working out some last-minute technical issues, but this feature is still high on our list, and we’ll be able to make it available very soon!

I had hoped for its release at Microsoft Build 2023 in late May, but that didn't happen either. All we can do at this point is upvote that VS feedback item and wait.

Suffice