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Extending Visual Studio 2005

To ensure your code has all the XML comments in it go to the project, right click and select Properties. On the Build tab and check the XML documentation file item. This will verify that the signature of methods have the same signature as the XML comments and that the comments exist in the first place. It will not create the comments for you though.

Standard templates are found in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\ItemTemplates. Open the CSharp\1033 folder and you will find the templates. Each template is stored in a zip file. There will be a .cs or .vb file that you can edit to change the layout of the code. The .template class allows you to change things like the default icon, add custom assemblies by default, change the location in the New | Item dialog and the default name of the new item appearing in the dialog.

Creating a folder at the same level as the 1033 folder with the VSIP (Visual Studio Integration Partner Program) will create a folder, with the same name, for categorization of templates in the New | Item dialog.

If you subclass from Component, or another object that implements IComponent, you can work with the Property Sheet.

Kevin McNeish did a great job covering a number of different ways to relatively easily extend the Visual Studio IDE. He’s a very engaging speaker and his knowledge on this subject is awesome.