VSIP Extras SDK Beta

The VSIP Extras SDK Beta (additional bits that work with the VS7.1 VSIP SDK) is now available.  Visit www.vsipdev.com to get it.

This release of the SDK includes 4 major things:

1. Visual Studio Interop Assemblies - enables managed code to call native interfaces and implement interfaces called by managed code.
2. A set of simple helper classes that implement the basic functionality of a VS Package.  You extend these base classes for your package.  This includes some helpers classes for Tool Windows, Selection Container adapter, Registration Attribute Classes, a Registration utility & more.
3. Wizard to generate VS Packages including Language Services (limited since we may not know your grammar).
4. Updated documentation including functions reference for the managed interfaces as well as information on how to use the helper classes and registration utility.

VS Automation allowing macros and add-ins as well as driving VS via the DTE automation model are really cool features.  I think this is one of the strengths of the IDE in that any user can easily do something custom they want to do.  With VSIP you can now extend the IDE even more deeply by creating your own Project Systems, Editors, Designers and Language Services, as well as Tool Windows (VS Automation already does this fairly well though).

And this is all free with the new VSIP program.  There are ways to pay more if you want marketing involvement, but the free program is great to get started.

PDC

Several of us from Visual Studio will be at the PDC talking about VSIP.  Come by our trade show booth for more information and cool swag!  See you there.