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ImageOptimizer - Update a Visual Studio extension step by step

  • Article

This guide will show all the steps required for adding Visual Studio 2022 support while maintaining Visual Studio 2019 support using the Image Optimizer extension as a case study.
This is meant to be a thorough guide with git commit links to each step, but you are free to see the finalized PR here: https://github.com/madskristensen/ImageOptimizer/pull/46.

We also have additional samples at the end of this guide.

Step 1 - Modernize the project

See Modernize the project.

git commit e052465

First we bump the VSIX and unit test project to .NET 4.7.2 under the properties page of the projects:

Framework version bump

Image Optimizer referenced some old custom 14.* and 15.* packages, instead we'll install the Microsoft.VisualStudio.Sdk NuGet package which consolidates all our required references.

-  <ItemGroup>
-    <PackageReference Include="Madskristensen.VisualStudio.SDK">
-      <Version>14.0.0-beta4</Version>
-    </PackageReference>
-    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.VSSDK.BuildTools">
-      <Version>15.8.3247</Version>
-      <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers</IncludeAssets>
-      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
-    </PackageReference>
-  </ItemGroup>

+  <ItemGroup>
+    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.SDK">
+      <Version>16.9.31025.194</Version>
+    </PackageReference>
+  </ItemGroup>

Building the project succeeds and we get a few threading warnings. We fix these warnings by clicking ctrl and . and using intellisense to add the missing thread switching lines.

Step 2 - Refactor source code into a shared project

See Shared projects.

Supporting Visual Studio 2022 requires adding a new shared project that will contain the extension's source code which will be shared between the Visual Studio 2019 and Visual Studio 2022 VSIX projects.

  1. Add a new shared project to your solution

    git commit abf249d

    Add shared project

  2. Add a reference to the shared project to your VSIX project.

    git commit e8e941e

    Add shared project reference

  3. Move your source code files (cs, xaml, resx) to the new shared project except for the following:

    • source.extension.vsixmanifest
    • Extension metadata files (icons, licenses, release notes, etc.)
    • VSCT files
    • Linked files
    • External tools or libraries that need to be included in the VSIX

    git commit f31f051

    Move files to shared project

  4. Now move all the metadata, VSCT files, linked files, and external tools/libraries to a shared location and add them back as linked items to the VSIX project. Do not remove source.extension.vsixmanifest.

    git commit 73ba920 - Moving files

    git commit d5e36b2 - Adding external tools/libraries

    1. For this project we need to move the extension icon, VSCT file, and external tools to our new folder ImageOptimizer\Resources. Copy them to the shared folder and remove them from the VSIX project.
    2. Added them back as linked items and if items are already linked items can stay as they are (license for example).
    3. Validate that the Build Action and other properties are set correctly in the added linked files by selecting each one and checking the properties tool window. For our project we had to set the following:

      • Set icon.png Build Action to Content and marked Include in VSIX to true

      • Set ImageOptimizer.vsct Build Action to VSCTComplile and Include in VSIX to false

      • Set all the Build Action of the files under Resources\Tools to Content and marked Include in VSIX to true

        Add linked files to VSIX project

      • Additionally, ImageOptimizer.cs is a dependency of ImageOptimizer.vsct, for this we have to manually add this dependency to the csproj file:

        - <Content Include="..\SharedFiles\ImageOptimizer.vsct">
-   <Link>ImageOptimizer.vsct</Link>
- </Content>
- <Compile Include="..\SharedFiles\ImageOptimizer.cs">
-   <Link>ImageOptimizer.cs</Link>
- </Compile>

+ <VSCTCompile Include="..\SharedFiles\ImageOptimizer.vsct">
+   <ResourceName>Menus.ctmenu</ResourceName>
+   <Generator>VsctGenerator</Generator>
+   <LastGenOutput>..\SharedFiles\ImageOptimizer.cs</LastGenOutput>
+ </VSCTCompile>
+ <Compile Include="..\SharedFiles\ImageOptimizer.cs">
+   <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
+   <DesignTime>True</DesignTime>
+   <DependentUpon>..\SharedFiles\ImageOptimizer.vsct</DependentUpon>
+ </Compile>

      • If the properties tool window prevents you from setting a specific Build Action, you can manually modify the csproj as done above and set the Build Action as needed.

  5. Build your project to validate your changes and fix any error/issues. Check the Frequently Asked Questions section for common issues.

Step 3 - Add a Visual Studio 2022 VSIX project

See Add Visual Studio 2022 target.

  1. Add a new VSIX project to your solution.

  2. Remove any additional source code in the new project except for source.extension.vsixmanifest.

    Create a new VSIX project

  3. Add a reference to your shared project.

    git commit dd49cb2

    Add reference to shared project

  4. Add the linked files from your Visual Studio 2019 VSIX project and validate that their "Build Action" and "Include in VSIX" properties match. Also copy over your source.extension.vsixmanifest file, we'll be modifying it later to support Visual Studio 2022.

    git commit 98c43ee

    Add Linked files to VSIX project

  5. An attempted build shows that we are missing a reference to System.Windows.Forms. Simply add it to our Visual Studio 2022 project and rebuild.

    git commit de71ccd

    + <Reference Include="System.Windows.Forms" />

  6. Upgrade Microsoft.VisualStudio.SDK and Microsoft.VSSDK.BuildTools package references to the Visual Studio 2022 versions.

    git commit d581fc3

    Note

    These are the latest versions available when this guide was created. It's recommended you get the latest versions available.

    -<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.SDK" Version="16.0.206" />
+<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.SDK" Version="17.0.0-preview-1-31216-1036" />
-<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.VSSDK.BuildTools" Version="16.10.32" />
+<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.VSSDK.BuildTools" Version="17.0.63-Visual Studio 2022-g3f11f5ab" />

  7. Edit your source.extension.vsixmanifest file to reflect targeting Visual Studio 2022.

    git commit 9d393c7

    1. Set the <InstallationTarget> tag to reflect Visual Studio 2022 and indicate an amd64 payload:

      <InstallationTarget Id="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Community" Version="[17.0,18.0)">
    <ProductArchitecture>amd64</ProductArchitecture>
</InstallationTarget>

    2. Modify the Prerequisite to only include Visual Studio 2022 and above:

      - <Prerequisite Id="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.CoreEditor" Version="[15.0,)" DisplayName="Visual Studio core editor" />
+ <Prerequisite Id="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.CoreEditor" Version="[17.0,)" DisplayName="Visual Studio core editor" />

And we're done!

With this, building now produces both Visual Studio 2019 and Visual Studio 2022 VSIXes.

Other samples

  • ProPower Tools
    • PeekF1
      • Allows peeking into a web browser with help information about the selected class/object.
    • FixMixedTabs
      • Scans your documents and replaces tabs with spaces or vice versa

Next steps

Prepare to update your extension by reading this start-to-finish guide.