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How to: Open a Tool Window Programmatically

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Tool windows are typically opened by clicking a command on a menu, or by pressing an equivalent keyboard shortcut. However, you might have to open a tool window programmatically, like the command handler does.

To open a tool window in the managed VSPackage that provides it, use FindToolWindow. To open a tool window in another VSPackage, use FindToolWindow. In either case, the tool window is created as required.

The following code is taken from the C# Reference.ToolWindow sample.

To open a tool window programmatically

  1. Create the tool window pane, frame, and the VSPackage that implements them. For more information, see How to: Create a Tool Window.

  2. Register the tool window with Visual Studio by adding the ProvideToolWindowAttribute to the VSPackage that provides it.

    <PackageRegistration(UseManagedResourcesOnly:=True), _
InstalledProductRegistration("#110", "#112", "1.0", IconResourceID:=400), _
ProvideMenuResource(1000, 1), _
ProvideToolWindow(GetType(MyToolWindow), Style:=VsDockStyle.Tabbed, Window:="3ae79031-e1bc-11d0-8f78-00a0c9110057"), _
DefaultRegistryRoot("Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0Exp"), _
Guid("01069CDD-95CE-4620-AC21-DDFF6C57F012")> _
Public NotInheritable Class PackageToolWindow
    Inherits Package

    [ProvideToolWindow(typeof(MyToolWindow), Style = VsDockStyle.Tabbed, Window = "3ae79031-e1bc-11d0-8f78-00a0c9110057")]
[ProvideMenuResource(1000, 1)]
[DefaultRegistryRoot(@"Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0Exp")]
[PackageRegistration(UseManagedResourcesOnly = true)]
[Guid("01069CDD-95CE-4620-AC21-DDFF6C57F012")]
public sealed class PackageToolWindow : Package

    This registers the tool window PersistedWindowPane to be opened as docked to Solution Explorer. For more information, see How to: Register a Tool Window.

  3. Use FindToolWindow to find the tool window pane or to create it if it does not already exist.

    ' Get the (only) instance of this tool window. 
' The last flag is set to true so that if the tool window does not exists it will be created. 
Dim window As ToolWindowPane = Me.FindToolWindow(GetType(MyToolWindow), 0, True)
If (window Is Nothing) Or (window.Frame Is Nothing) Then 
    Throw New NotSupportedException(Resources.CanNotCreateWindow)
End If

    // Get the (only) instance of this tool window. 
// The last flag is set to true so that if the tool window does not exists it will be created.
ToolWindowPane window = this.FindToolWindow(typeof(MyToolWindow), 0, true);
if ((window == null) || (window.Frame == null))
{
    throw new NotSupportedException(Resources.CanNotCreateWindow);
}

  4. Get the tool window frame from the tool window pane.

    Dim windowFrame As IVsWindowFrame = TryCast(window.Frame, IVsWindowFrame)

    IVsWindowFrame windowFrame = (IVsWindowFrame)window.Frame;

  5. Show the tool window.

    ErrorHandler.ThrowOnFailure(windowFrame.Show())

    ErrorHandler.ThrowOnFailure(windowFrame.Show());

See Also

Concepts

VSPackage Essentials