How to deploy a visual studio custom tool?

Question

I have my own custom tool for Visual Studio 2008 SP1. It consists of 5 assemblies: 3 assemblies with code that are used heavily in my other projects, 1 assembly-wrapper above VS2008 SDK and an assembly with the tool.

If I'd debug my tool from visual studio, using "Run external program" option with command line "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe" and arguments "/ranu /rootsuffix Exp" all works perfectly.

After that I'm trying to deploy it to my working VS copy, not to experimental hive, doing: gacutil /i Asm1.dll for all my assemblies and doing RegAsm Asm1.dll only for assembly with custom tool. Neither of utils prints any error, all work as planned, even registry keys appear. But my tool doesn't work (error occurred "Cannot find custom tool 'TransportGeneratorTool' on this system") even after PC restart. What did I do wrong?

Wrapper looks like that:

[ComVisible(true)]
public abstract class CustomToolBase : IVsSingleFileGenerator, IObjectWithSite
{
    #region IVsSingleFileGenerator Members
    int IVsSingleFileGenerator.DefaultExtension(out string pbstrDefaultExtension)
    {
        pbstrDefaultExtension = ".cs";
        return 0;
    }

    int IVsSingleFileGenerator.Generate(string wszInputFilePath, string bstrInputFileContents, string wszDefaultNamespace, IntPtr[] rgbOutputFileContents, out uint pcbOutput, IVsGeneratorProgress pGenerateProgress)
    {
        GenerationEventArgs gea = new GenerationEventArgs(
            bstrInputFileContents,
            wszInputFilePath,
            wszDefaultNamespace,
            new ServiceProvider(Site as Microsoft.VisualStudio.OLE.Interop.IServiceProvider)
                .GetService(typeof(ProjectItem)) as ProjectItem,
            new GenerationProgressFacade(pGenerateProgress)
                );

        if (OnGenerateCode != null)
        {
            OnGenerateCode(this, gea);
        }

        byte[] bytes = gea.GetOutputCodeBytes();

        int outputLength = bytes.Length;
        rgbOutputFileContents[0] = Marshal.AllocCoTaskMem(outputLength);
        Marshal.Copy(bytes, 0, rgbOutputFileContents[0], outputLength);
        pcbOutput = (uint)outputLength;
        return VSConstants.S_OK;
    }
    #endregion

    #region IObjectWithSite Members
    void IObjectWithSite.GetSite(ref Guid riid, out IntPtr ppvSite)
    {
        IntPtr pUnk = Marshal.GetIUnknownForObject(Site);
        IntPtr intPointer = IntPtr.Zero;
        Marshal.QueryInterface(pUnk, ref riid, out intPointer);
        ppvSite = intPointer;
    }

    void IObjectWithSite.SetSite(object pUnkSite)
    {
        Site = pUnkSite;
    }
    #endregion

    #region Public Members
    public object Site { get; private set; }

    public event EventHandler<GenerationEventArgs> OnGenerateCode;

    [ComRegisterFunction]
    public static void Register(Type type)
    {
        using (var parent = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@"Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0", true))
            foreach (CustomToolRegistrationAttribute ourData in type.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(CustomToolRegistrationAttribute), false))
                ourData.Register(x => parent.CreateSubKey(x), (x, name, value) => x.SetValue(name, value));
    }

    [ComUnregisterFunction]
    public static void Unregister(Type type)
    {
        using (var parent = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@"Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0", true))
            foreach (CustomToolRegistrationAttribute ourData in type.GetCustomAttributes(typeof(CustomToolRegistrationAttribute), false))
                ourData.Unregister(x => parent.DeleteSubKey(x, false));
    }

    #endregion
}

My tool code:

[ComVisible(true)]
[Guid("55A6C192-D29F-4e22-84DA-DBAF314ED5C3")]
[CustomToolRegistration(ToolName, typeof(TransportGeneratorTool))]
[ProvideObject(typeof(TransportGeneratorTool))]
public class TransportGeneratorTool : CustomToolBase
{
    private const string ToolName = "TransportGeneratorTool";

    public TransportGeneratorTool()
    {
        OnGenerateCode += GenerateCode;
    }

    private static void GenerateCode(object s, GenerationEventArgs e)
    {
        try
        {
            var serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof (Parser.System));
            using (var reader = new StringReader(e.InputText))
            using (var writer = new StringWriter(e.OutputCode))
            {
                Generator.System = (Parser.System) serializer.Deserialize(reader);
                Generator.System.Namespace = e.Namespace;
                Generator.GenerateSource(writer);
            }
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            e.Progress.GenerateError(ex.ToString());
        }
    }
}

Resulting registry keys:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\Generators]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\Generators\{FAE04EC1-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\Generators\{FAE04EC1-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}\TransportGeneratorTool]
@="TransportGeneratorTool"
"CLSID"="{55a6c192-d29f-4e22-84da-dbaf314ed5c3}"
"GeneratesDesignTimeSource"=dword:00000001
"GeneratesSharedDesignTimeSource"=dword:00000001

Here is the code of my custom attribute (it is in wrapper assembly):

[AttributeUsage(AttributeTargets.Class, AllowMultiple = true, Inherited = true)]
public class CustomToolRegistrationAttribute : RegistrationAttribute
{
    public CustomToolRegistrationAttribute(string name, Type customToolType)
    {
        Name = name;
        CustomToolType = customToolType;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// The type that implements the custom tool.  This starts 
    /// as MyCustomTool by default in the template.
    /// </summary>
    public Type CustomToolType { get; set; }

    public string Name { get; set; }

    #region RegistrationAttribute abstract member implementations
    public override void Register(RegistrationContext context)
    {
        Register(x => context.CreateKey(x), (x, key, value) => x.SetValue(key, value));
    }

    public void Register<T>(Func<string, T> keyCreator, Action<T, string, object> valueCreator)
    {
        var keyName = CreateKeyName(Name);
        var key = keyCreator(keyName);

        valueCreator(key, string.Empty, Name);
        valueCreator(key, "CLSID", CustomToolType.GUID.ToString("B"));
        valueCreator(key, "GeneratesDesignTimeSource", 1);
        valueCreator(key, "GeneratesSharedDesignTimeSource", 1);

        var disposable = key as IDisposable;
        if (disposable != null)
            disposable.Dispose();
    }

    private static string CreateKeyName(string name)
    {
        return string.Format(@"Generators\{0}\{1}", vsContextGuids.vsContextGuidVCSProject, name);
    }

    public override void Unregister(RegistrationContext context)
    {
        Unregister(context.RemoveKey);
    }

    public void Unregister(Action<string> keyRemover)
    {
        keyRemover(CreateKeyName(Name));
    }

    #endregion
}

Answer 1

My solution is to make a setup project. I get the registry settings from the pkgdef file by adding the following to the csproj file of the package:

<Target Name="GeneratePackageRegistryFiles">
  <Exec Command="&quot;$(VSSDK90Install)VisualStudioIntegration\Tools\Bin\RegPkg.exe&quot; /root:Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0 /codebase &quot;$(TargetPath)&quot; /regfile:&quot;$(OutDir)$(TargetName).reg&quot;" />
</Target>
<PropertyGroup> 
  <BuildDependsOn>$(BuildDependsOn);GeneratePackageRegistryFiles;</BuildDependsOn>
</PropertyGroup>

When building look in the output directory you should find a .reg file which you can import in the setup project.

Obviously you can run the regpkg.exe from the command-line if modifying the project is not an option.

Answer 2

This is what I ended up with last time when I struggled to get my custom tool registered. I hope this instruction is detailed enough and covers everything so you won't spend much time fighting it. The following MSDN article was used as a starting point. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-US/library/bb166527(v=vs.80).aspx Unfortunately you cannot use it alone. What you really need to do is:

1. Make sure the assembly is signed. Why? Because otherwise you won't be able to put it into GAC at step 6 below. To sign your assembly follow these steps:

   1.1. Go to the Properties screen of the project.

   1.2. Once there go to the Signing tab.

   1.3. Once there check the Sign the assembly checkbox.

2. Make sure you know the version number of your assembly. You will need this number to specify the ASSEMBLY_VERSION parameter later. In order to get this number open the AssemblyInfo.cs file in the Properties folder of your project and look for the line starting with: [assembly: AssemblyVersion(

3. Make sure you know the GUID of the generator class. You will need it to specify the GENERATOR_GUID parameter later. In order to get this GUID open the file with the generator class and look for the Guid class-attribute that decorates this class, something like: [Guid("17799E85-421B-4684-B59E-650E34ECC718")]

4. Build the project

5. Get the public token key of the assembly. In order to do that you will have to run the following command:

   sn.exe -T ASSEMBLY_FILE

   You will need this information later when for PUBLIC_TOKEN_KEY. The sn.exe file can be found in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\bin\sn.exe Pay attention to the version number of the framework (v8.0A) in the filepath above. It needs to be consistent with the version of the framework used to compile the project.

6. Put the assembly to the GAC using the following command:

   gacutil.exe /i ASSEMBLY_FILE /f

   Getting registered in GAC requires administrative permissions. The gacutil.exe file can be found in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v8.0A\bin\NETFX 4.0 Tools\gacutil.exe Pay attention to the version number of the framework (v8.0A) in the filepath above. It needs to be consistent with the version of the framework used to compile the project.

7. Make the following changes to the .REG (see below) file. PLEASE NOTE: that both GENERATOR_GUID and PROJECT_TYPE_GUID need to be supplied WITH curly braces: {XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX}

   7.1. Fix version number of Visual Studio is used (for example: 10.0 or 9.0): VS_VERSION

   7.2. Fix the GUID of the generator: GENERATOR_GUID

   7.3. Fix the namespace of the assembly: NAMESPACE_NAME

   7.4. Fix the generator class name: GENERATOR_TYPE_NAME

   7.5. In order to register the generator the Visual Studio needs to know to which project types this generator can be applied to. So you need to get GUID's of proper project types (C#, VB.NET, etc.). To figure out the GUID's of the project types you need to open a visual studio project file (*.csproj) in a text editor and look for GUID's in the ProjectTypeGuids XML element. For each of these GUIDs repeat the block of last 3 entries in the .REG file replacing the PROJECT_TYPE_GUID with the a GUID just found.

   7.6. Fix the extension of the file associated with the custom tool: FILE_EXTENSTION

8. Run the .REG file. You may need to have administrative permissions for doing this.

.REG file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\VS_VERSION\CLSID\GENERATOR_GUID]
@="COM+ class: NAMESPACE_NAME.GENERATOR_TYPE_NAME"
"InprocServer32"="C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\mscoree.dll"
"ThreadingModel"="Both"
"Class"="NAMESPACE_NAME.GENERATOR_TYPE_NAME"
"Assembly"="NAMESPACE_NAME, Version=ASSEMBLY_VERSION, Culture=Neutral, PublicKeyToken=PUBLIC_TOKEN_KEY"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\VS_VERSION\Generators]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\VS_VERSION\Generators\PROJECT_TYPE_GUID]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\VS_VERSION\Generators\PROJECT_TYPE_GUID\\.FILE_EXTENSTION]
@="GENERATOR_TYPE_NAME"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\VS_VERSION\Generators\PROJECT_TYPE_GUID\GENERATOR_TYPE_NAME]
@="Code generator for whatever you like"
"CLSID"="GENERATOR_GUID"
"GeneratesDesignTimeSource"=dword:00000001

PS. Sorry for not being able to make placehoders in the REG file distinct, unfortunately the text editor that StackOverflow uses cannot distinguish its markup elements from the content.