Installing a .NET control in the visual studio toolbox

Question

We currently use this project for installing .NET controls in the Visual Studio toolbox: http://vstudiotoolbox.codeplex.com/. This approach requires to run VStudio in the background resulting in a very slow operation. We noticed that many other component manufacturer can install their control instantly.

What other approaches exist?

Thanks.

Answer 1

I wrote a tutorial article on how to do this:

Visual Studio Toolbox Control Integration

I found project on CodePlex quite obsolete and updated it to work with Visual Studio 2012.

Other approaches include:

• Toolbox Controls Installer (TCI) Package - probably the quickest and easiest way
• VSI and VSIX packages
• VSPackage - the most powerful, and most complicated way

I have discussed the updating and uninstallation in the article as well.

Answer 2

You need to create a VSI file and use Tool.InstallComponents Command. Really simple actually. Also read Toolbox Control Development article at MSDN.

Sample VSI template:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<VSContent xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vscontent/2005">
  <Content>
    <FileName>Web Connection\WebConnectionWebControls.dll</FileName>
    <DisplayName>Web Connection</DisplayName>
    <Description>Web Connection Toolbox controls for use with the Web Control Framework in VS.NET</Description>
    <ContentVersion>1.0</ContentVersion>
    <FileContentType>Toolbox Control</FileContentType>
  </Content>
</VSContent>

Then run the command: devenv.exe /command Tools.InstallCommunityControls