Writing Add-Ins for Visual Studio .NET

Summary

In this chapter you saw how to record, run, write, and debug macros. You saw that the Macros IDE is an excellent place to learn some extensibility tricks from the sample macros. You also discovered that the Macros IDE provides a simple and fast way to test new code for an add-in without having to compile and run an add-in, with its inherent use of two instances of Visual Studio.

You enhanced an existing feature, CloneProcedure, in the Smart Desktop add-in to use the new GetWholeProc method that you developed in the Macros IDE. You also added a new feature, Document Procedure, to the add-in.

In Chapter 9, I discuss the manipulation of projects. With automation objects, you can manipulate projects programmatically, just as the developer can in the IDE. You can create new projects, add items to the project, and even build a project from an add-in.