How to: Create Solution and Project Build Configurations
Visual Studio add-ins are deprecated in Visual Studio 2013. You should upgrade your add-ins to VSPackage extensions. For more information about upgrading, see FAQ: Converting Add-ins to VSPackage Extensions.
The Visual Studio automation model offers objects that enable you to control solution and project build configurations. A solution build configuration specifies how certain projects in a solution are to be built and, if enabled, deployed. Project build configurations, which are listed in the Project Property Pages dialog box, list all available types of project builds, such as Debug or Release, and the available platforms, such as .NET or Win32. For each combination of build and platform, there is a project configuration — a set of defined project properties and settings.
The solution build configuration objects are:
Object Name |
Description |
|---|---|
SolutionBuild2 object |
Used to build, clean, and deploy the currently active solution configuration. |
SolutionConfiguration2 object |
Represents a list of projects and their configurations that are to be built. |
SolutionConfigurations collection |
Contains all defined SolutionConfiguration objects. |
SolutionContext object |
Represents a project's configuration in a SolutionConfiguration object. |
SolutionContexts collection |
Contains all SolutionContext objects in a SolutionConfiguration object. |
BuildDependency object |
Represents a project that must be built before the owning project can be built. |
BuildDependencies collection |
Contains all projects that must be built before the owning project can be built. |
The project build configuration objects are:
Object Name |
Description |
|---|---|
ConfigurationManager object |
Represents build configuration and platforms. |
Configuration object |
Represents a configuration, or set of build settings, within a specified platform. |
Configurations collection |
Contains all Configuration objects. |
OutputGroup object |
Contains the files that are built by the project. |
OutputGroups collection |
Contains all OutputGroup objects. |
Using these objects you can:
Create, add projects to, activate, and delete solution configurations.
Build, run, or deploy any project in a solution configuration.
Obtain information about objects within a project or solution configuration.
Add, remove, or get information about project build dependencies.
Note
The dialog boxes and menu commands you see might differ from those described in Help depending on your active settings or edition. These procedures were developed with the General Development Settings active. To change your settings, choose Import and ExportSettings on the Tools menu. For more information, see Customizing Development Settings in Visual Studio.
Example
Public Sub OnConnection(ByVal application As Object, ByVal _
connectMode As ext_ConnectMode, ByVal addInInst As Object, _
ByRef custom As Array) Implements IDTExtensibility2.OnConnection
_applicationObject = CType(application, DTE2)
_addInInstance = CType(addInInst, AddIn)
SConfig(_applicationObject)
End Sub
Sub SConfig(ByVal dte As DTE2)
Dim SB As SolutionBuild2 = _
CType(_applicationObject.Solution.SolutionBuild, _
SolutionBuild2)
Dim SolCtx As SolutionContext
Dim Proj As Project
Dim CM As ConfigurationManager
Dim Cfgs As SolutionConfigurations
Dim Cfg As SolutionConfiguration2
Dim msg As String
' Get a reference to the solution configurations
' solution context of the first project.
SolCtx = SB.SolutionConfigurations.Item(1).SolutionContexts.Item(1)
CM = _applicationObject.Solution.Projects. _
Item(1).ConfigurationManager
Proj = _applicationObject.Solution.Projects.Item(1)
Cfgs = _applicationObject.Solution.SolutionBuild. _
SolutionConfigurations
Cfg = CType(Cfgs.Item(1), SolutionConfiguration2)
' List the current solution build info.
msg = "BuildState = "
Select Case SB.BuildState
Case vsBuildState.vsBuildStateNotStarted
msg = msg & "Build has not yet started." & vbCr
Case vsBuildState.vsBuildStateInProgress
msg = msg & "Build is in progress." & vbCr
Case vsBuildState.vsBuildStateDone
msg = msg & "Build has completed." & vbCr
End Select
msg = msg & "Configuration Name = " & SolCtx.ConfigurationName _
& vbCr
msg = msg & "Platform Name = " & SolCtx.PlatformName & vbCr
msg = msg & "Project Name = " & SolCtx.ProjectName & vbCr
MsgBox(msg)
' List the current solution configurations.
msg = ("Configuration names are:" & vbCr)
For Each Cfg In Cfgs
msg = msg & Cfg.Name & vbCr
Next
MsgBox(msg)
' Add a new solution configuration.
Cfgs.Add("ANewConfiguration", "Debug", False)
MsgBox(Cfgs.Item(1).Name)
' Create a new project build configuration based on the Debug
' configuration.
Proj.ConfigurationManager.AddConfigurationRow("MyNewConfig", _
"Debug", True)
' Build the solution configuration.
sb.SolutionConfigurations.Item("MyConfig").Activate()
sb.Build()
End Sub
public void OnConnection(object application,
ext_ConnectMode connectMode, object addInInst, ref Array custom)
{
_applicationObject = (DTE2)application;
_addInInstance = (AddIn)addInInst;
SConfig(_applicationObject);
}
public void SConfig(DTE2 dte)
{
try
{
SolutionBuild2 SB =
(SolutionBuild2)_applicationObject.Solution.SolutionBuild;
SolutionContext SolCtx;
Project Proj;
ConfigurationManager CM;
SolutionConfigurations Cfgs;
SolutionConfiguration2 Cfg;
String msg;
// Get a reference to the solution configurations
// solution context of the first project.
SolCtx = SB.SolutionConfigurations.Item(1).
SolutionContexts.Item(1);
CM = dte.Solution.Projects.Item(1).ConfigurationManager;
Proj = _applicationObject.Solution.Projects.Item(1);
Cfgs = _applicationObject.Solution.
SolutionBuild.SolutionConfigurations;
Cfg = (SolutionConfiguration2)Cfgs.Item(1);
// List the current solution build info.
msg = "BuildState = ";
switch (SB.BuildState)
{
case vsBuildState.vsBuildStateNotStarted:
msg = (msg + "Build has not yet started." + "\n");
break;
case vsBuildState.vsBuildStateInProgress:
msg = (msg + "Build is in progress." + "\n");
break;
case vsBuildState.vsBuildStateDone:
msg = (msg + "Build has completed." + "\n");
break;
}
msg = msg + "Configuration Name = " +
SolCtx.ConfigurationName + "\n";
msg = msg + "Platform Name = " + SolCtx.PlatformName + "\n";
msg = msg + "Project Name = " + SolCtx.ProjectName + "\n";
MessageBox.Show(msg);
// List the current solution configurations.
msg = "Configuration names are:" + "\n";
foreach(SolutionConfiguration2 tempConfigs in Cfgs)
{
msg = msg + tempConfigs.Name + "\n";
}
MessageBox.Show(msg);
// Add a new solution configuration.
Cfgs.Add("ANewConfiguration", "Debug", false);
MessageBox.Show
("The name of the first solution configuration item is: "
+ Cfgs.Item(1).Name);
// Create a new project build configuration based on the
// Debug configuration.
Proj.ConfigurationManager.AddConfigurationRow
("MyNewConfig", "Debug", true);
// Build the debug solution configuration.
MessageBox.Show("Build the solution in the debug mode...");
SB.SolutionConfigurations.Item("Debug").Activate();
SB.Build(true);
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
MessageBox.Show("Exception: " + ex);
}
}
Compiling the Code
To compile this code, create a new Visual Studio Add-in project and replace the code of the Connect.cs or Connect.vb class with the code in the example. Before running the add-in, open a project in the Visual Studio IDE. For information about how to run an add-in, see How to: Control Add-Ins By Using the Add-In Manager.
See Also
Tasks
How to: Add and Handle Commands
Walkthrough: Creating a Wizard
Concepts
Other Resources
Building Applications in Visual Studio