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Deploy extensions for the SharePoint tools in Visual Studio

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Applies to: yesVisual Studio noVisual Studio for Mac

Note

This article applies to Visual Studio 2017. If you're looking for the latest Visual Studio documentation, see Visual Studio documentation. We recommend upgrading to the latest version of Visual Studio. Download it here

To deploy a SharePoint tools extension, create a Visual Studio extension (VSIX) package that contains the extension assembly and any other files that you want to distribute with the extension. A VSIX package is a compressed file that follows the Open Packaging Conventions (OPC) standard. VSIX packages have the .vsix extension.

After you create a VSIX package, other users can run the .vsix file to install your extension. When a user installs your extension, all of the files are installed to the %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0\Extensions folder. To deploy the extension, you can upload the VSIX package to the Visual Studio Marketplace Web site, or you can distribute the package to your customers by some other means, such as hosting the package on a network share or some other Web site.

For more information about creating VSIX packages and deploying them to the Visual Studio Marketplace, see Shipping Visual Studio Extensions.

You can create a VSIX package by using the VSIX Project template in Visual Studio, or you can create a VSIX package manually.

Use VSIX projects to create VSIX packages

You can use the VSIX Project template provided by the Visual Studio SDK to create VSIX packages for SharePoint tools extensions. Using a VSIX project provides several benefits over creating a VSIX package manually:

  • Visual Studio automatically generates the VSIX package when you build the project. Tasks such as adding the deployment files to the package and creating the [Content_Types].xml file for the package are done for you.

  • You can configure the VSIX project to include the build output of your extension project and other files, such as project templates and item templates, in the VSIX package.

For more information about using a VSIX project, see VSIX Project Template.

Organize your projects

By default, VSIX projects only generate VSIX packages, not assemblies. Therefore, you typically do not implement a SharePoint tools extension in a VSIX project. You generally work with at least two projects:

  • A VSIX project.

  • A class library project that implements your extension.

You might also work with additional projects for certain types of extensions:

If you include all of the projects in the same Visual Studio solution, you can modify the source.extension.vsixmanifest file in the VSIX project to include the build output of the class library projects.

Edit the VSIX manifest

You must edit the source.extension.vsixmanifest file in the VSIX project to include entries for all the items that you want to include in your extension. When you open the source.extension.vsixmanifest file from its shortcut menu, the file appears in a designer that provides a UI for editing the XML in the file. For more information, see VSIX Manifest Designer.

You must add entries to the source.extension.vsixmanifest file for the following items:

  • The extension assembly.

  • The assembly that implements any SharePoint commands that are used by your extension.

  • Any project templates or item templates that are associated with your extension.

  • A custom wizard for a template that is associated with your extension.

The following procedures describe how to add entries to the .vsixmanifest file for each of these items.

To include the extension assembly

  1. In the VSIX project, open the shortcut menu for the source.extension.vsixmanifest file, and then choose Open.

    The file opens in the designer

  2. On the Assets tab of the editor, choose the New button.

    The Add New Asset dialog box opens.

  3. In the Type list, choose Microsoft.VisualStudio.MefComponent.

  4. In the Source list, perform one of the following steps:

    • If the extension assembly is built from a project that's in the same solution as the VSIX project, choose A project in current solution. In the Project list, choose the name of the project.

    • If the extension assembly is included as a file in your project, choose File on filesystem. In the Path list, enter the complete path to the extension assembly file, or use the Browse button to locate and choose the assembly file.

  5. Choose the OK button.

To include a SharePoint command assembly

  1. In the VSIX project, open the shortcut menu for the source.extension.vsixmanifest file, and then choose the Open button.

    The file opens in the designer.

  2. In the Assets section of the editor, choose the New button.

    The Add New Asset dialog box opens.

  3. In the Type box, enter SharePoint.Commands.v4.

  4. In the Source list, perform one of the following steps:

    • If the command assembly is built from a project that's in the same solution as the VSIX project, choose A project in current solution. In the Project list, choose the name of the project.

    • If the command assembly is included as a file in your project, choose File on filesystem. In the Path list, enter the complete path to the extension assembly file, or use the Browse button to locate and choose the assembly file.

  5. Choose the OK button.

To include a template that you create

  1. In the VSIX project, open the shortcut menu for the source.extension.vsixmanifest file, and then choose the Open button.

    The file opens in the designer.

  2. In the Assets section of the editor, choose the New button.

    The Add New Asset dialog box opens.

  3. In the Type list, choose Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectTemplate or Microsoft.VisualStudio.ItemTemplate.

  4. In the Source list, choose A project in current solution.

  5. In the Project list, choose the name of the project, and then choose the OK button.

  6. In Solution Explorer, open the shortcut menu for your Project Template or Item Template project, and then choose Unload Project.

  7. Open the shortcut menu for the project node again, and then choose EditYourTemplateProjectName.csproj or EditYourTemplateProjectName.vbproj.

  8. Locate the following VSTemplate element in the project file.

    <VSTemplate Include="YourTemplateName.vstemplate">

  9. Replace this element with the following XML.

    <VSTemplate Include="YourTemplateName.vstemplate">
  <OutputSubPath>SharePoint\SharePoint14</OutputSubPath>
</VSTemplate>

    The OutputSubPath element specifies additional folders in the path under which the project template is created when you build the project. The folders specified here ensure that the item template will be available only when customers open the Add New Project dialog box, expand the SharePoint node, and then choose the 2010 node.

  10. Save and close the file.

  11. In Solution Explorer, open the shortcut menu for the Project Template or Item Template project, and then choose Reload Project.

To include a template that you create manually

  1. In the VSIX project, add a new folder to the project to contain the template.

  2. Under this new folder, create the following subfolders, and then add the template (.zip) file to the Locale ID folder.

    YourTemplateFolder

    SharePoint

    SharePoint14

    Locale ID

    YourTemplateName.zip

    For example, if you have an item template named ContosoCustomAction.zip that supports the English (United States) locale, the full path might be ItemTemplates\SharePoint\SharePoint14\1033\ContosoCustomAction.zip.

  3. In Solution Explorer, choose the template file (YourTemplateName.zip).

  4. In the Properties window, set the Build Action property to Content.

  5. Open the shortcut menu for the source.extension.vsixmanifest file, and then choose Open.

    The file opens in the designer.

  6. In the Assets section of the editor, choose the New button.

    The Add New Asset dialog box opens.

  7. In the Type list, choose Microsoft.VisualStudio.ItemTemplate or Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectTemplate.

  8. In the Source list, choose File on filesystem.

  9. In the Path field, enter the complete path to the assembly (for example, ItemTemplates\SharePoint\SharePoint14\1033\ContosoCustomAction.zip, or use the Browse button to locate and choose the assembly, and then choose the OK button.

To include a wizard for a project template or item template

  1. In the VSIX project, open the shortcut menu for the source.extension.vsixmanifest file, and then choose Open.

    The file opens in the designer.

  2. In the Assets section of the editor, choose the New button.

    The Add New Asset dialog box opens.

  3. In the Type list, choose Microsoft.VisualStudio.Assembly.

  4. In the Source list, perform one of the following steps:

    • If the wizard assembly is built from a project that's in the same solution as the VSIX project, choose A project in current solution. In the Project list, choose the name of the project.

    • If the wizard assembly is included as a file in your project, choose File on filesystem. In the Path field, enter the complete path to the assembly file, or use the Browse button to locate and choose the assembly.

  5. Choose the OK button.

The following table lists walkthroughs that demonstrate how to use a VSIX project to deploy different types of SharePoint tools extensions.

Extension type Related walkthroughs
An extension that includes only the extension assembly Walkthrough: Extend a SharePoint project item type

Walkthrough: Create a SharePoint Project extension

Walkthrough: Call into the SharePoint client object model in a Server Explorer extension
An extension that includes SharePoint commands Walkthrough: Create a custom deployment step for SharePoint projects

Walkthrough: Extend Server Explorer to display web parts

Walkthrough: Create a site column project item with a project template, Part 2
An extension that includes a Visual Studio template Walkthrough: Create a custom action project item with an item template, Part 1

Walkthrough: Create a Site column project item with a project template, Part 1
An extension that includes a template wizard Walkthrough: Create a custom action project item with an item template, Part 2

Walkthrough: Create a Site column project item with a project template, Part 2

Create VSIX packages manually

If you want to manually create the VSIX package for your SharePoint tools extension, perform the following steps:

  1. Create the extension.vsixmanifest file and the [Content_Types].xml file in a new folder. For more information, see Anatomy of a VSIX Package.

  2. In Windows Explorer, right-click the folder that contains the two XML files, click Send To, and then click Compressed (zipped) Folder. Rename the resulting .zip file to Filename.vsix, where Filename is the name of the redistributable file that installs your package.

  3. Add your extension assembly to the VSIX package. If your extension includes a SharePoint command, also add the assembly that implements the SharePoint command to the VSIX package.

  4. Modify the extension.vsixmanifest file:

    • Add a Microsoft.VisualStudio.MefComponent element under the Assets element, and then set the value of the new element to the relative path of the assembly that implements your extension in the VSIX package. For more information, see MEFComponent Element (VSX Schema).

    • If your extension includes a SharePoint command that calls into the server object model for SharePoint, add a Microsoft.VisualStudio.Assembly element under the Assets element. Set the value of the new element to the relative path of the assembly that implements the SharePoint command in the VSIX package. For more information, see Asset Element (VSX Schema).

    • If your extension includes a project template or item template, add a ProjectTemplate or ItemTemplate element under the Assets element. Set the value of the new element to the relative path of the folder that contains the template in the VSIX package. For more information, see ProjectTemplate Element (VSX Schema) and ItemTemplate Element (VSX Schema).

    • If your extension includes a custom wizard for a project template or item template, add an Assembly element under the Assets element. Set the value of the new element to the relative path of the assembly in the VSIX package, and then set the AssemblyName attribute to the full assembly name (including version, culture, and public key token). For more information, see Dependency Element (VSX Schema).

Example

The following example shows the contents of an extension.vsixmanifest file for a SharePoint tools extension. The extension is implemented in an assembly that's named Contoso.ProjectExtension.dll. The extension includes a SharePoint command assembly that's named Contoso.ExtensionCommands.dll and an item template under a folder that's named ItemTemplates in the VSIX package. This example assumes that both of the assemblies are in the same folder as the extension.vsixmanifest file in the VSIX package.

<PackageManifest Version="2.0.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vsx-schema/2011">
  <Metadata>
    <Identity Id="CustomActionProjectItem.Microsoft.b99efe4d-cef3-4afd-b9af-034ca0c52743" Version="1.0" Language="en-US" Publisher="Microsoft" />
    <DisplayName>CustomActionProjectItem</DisplayName>
    <Description>Empty VSIX Project.</Description>
  </Metadata>
  <Installation>
    <InstallationTarget Id="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Pro" Version="11.0" />
  </Installation>
  <Dependencies>
    <Dependency Id="Microsoft.Framework.NDP" DisplayName="Microsoft .NET Framework" Version="4.5" />
  </Dependencies>
  <Assets>
    <Asset Type="Microsoft.VisualStudio.ItemTemplate" Path="ItemTemplates" />
    <Asset Type="Microsoft.VisualStudio.MefComponent" Path="ProjectItemDefinition.dll" />
  </Assets>
</PackageManifest>

See also