IDE-Defined Commands for Extending Project Systems

When you want to extend project systems, you can use commands and command groups provided by the Visual Studio IDE.

The following sections list command items that are especially useful for extending project systems.

Command Menus

The following table shows the command menus that are useful locations for you to put high-level commands that invoke a project extender.

Command menu Description
IDM_VS_MENU_PROJECT The Project top-level menu.
IDM_VS_TOOL_PROJWIN The Solution Explorer toolbar.

Shortcut Menus

The following table shows the shortcut menus that apply when a single node is selected in the Solution Explorer, or when there are multiple homogenous selections in the Solution Explorer, which is when all selected nodes are of the same type.

Shortcut menu Description
IDM_VS_CTXT_PROJNODE Applies when the project node is selected.
IDM_VS_CTXT_ITEMNODE Applies when a file is selected.
IDM_VS_CTXT_FOLDERNODE Applies when a folder is selected.
IDM_VS_CTXT_WEBREFFOLDER Applies when the Web Reference folder is selected.
IDM_VS_CTXT_REFERENCEROOT Applies when the references root node called "References" is selected.
IDM_VS_CTXT_REFERENCE Applies when reference nodes are selected; these include assembly, COM, and project references only. Does not include Web references.

The following table shows the shortcut menus that apply when the selection in the Solution Explorer spans multiple hierarchies,

Shortcut menu Description
IDM_VS_CTXT_XPROJ_SLNPROJ Applies when the current selection contains the solution node and root project nodes.
IDM_VS_CTXT_XPROJ_SLNITEM Applies when the current selection contains the solution node and project items.
IDM_VS_CTXT_XPROJ_MULTIPROJ Applies when the current selection consists of multiple root project nodes only.
IDM_VS_CTXT_XPROJ_PROJITEM Applies when the current selection contains a mix of root project nodes and project items. Additionally, the selection may contain the solution node.
IDM_VS_CTXT_XPROJ_MULTIITEM Applies when the current selection contains project items from multiple projects in the solution, or when items of different types are selected in the same project.

Command Groups

The following table shows the command groups that you can use when you extend projects, and that you can access through the IDM_VS_CTXT_PROJNODE shortcut menu.

Command group Description
IDG_VS_CTXT_PROJECT_BUILD Commands for building, rebuilding, and deploying the project.
IDG_VS_CTXT_COMPILELINK Commands for compiling and linking the project.
IDG_VS_CTXT_PROJECT_CONFIG Commands that set project configuration and build order.
IDG_VS_CTXT_PROJECT_ADD Commands that add items to the project.
IDG_VS_CTXT_PROJECT_START Commands that set the startup project associated with the F5 key.
IDG_VS_CTXT_PROJECT_SAVE Commands for saving project items.
IDG_VS_CTXT_PROJECT_DEBUG Commands for debugging.
IDG_VS_CTXT_PROJECT_SCC Commands for source control.
IDG_VS_CTXT_PROJECT_TRANSFER Commands for cut, copy and paste operations.
IDG_VS_CTXT_PROJECT_PROPERTIES Commands that provide access to the Project Properties dialog box.

See also