How to: Autoload a VSPackage

VSPackages can be set to autoload when a particular user interface (UI) context exists. For example, a VSPackage can be set to load whenever a solution exists. The managed package framework (MPF) provides the ProvideAutoLoadAttribute attribute to set this context.

To set the UI context to autoload a VSPackage

• Add the ProvideAutoLoad attribute to the VSPackage attributes:

  <DefaultRegistryRoot("Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0")> _
  <PackageRegistration(UseManagedResourcesOnly:=True)> _
  <ProvideAutoLoad("{f1536ef8-92ec-443c-9ed7-fdadf150da82}")> _
  <Guid("2DB4D57F-746A-47df-AC04-81517556A929")> _
      Public Class MyAutoloadedPackage
      Inherits Package
  

  [DefaultRegistryRoot(@"Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0")]
  [PackageRegistration(UseManagedResourcesOnly = true)]
  [ProvideAutoLoad("{f1536ef8-92ec-443c-9ed7-fdadf150da82}")]
  [Guid("2DB4D57F-746A-47df-AC04-81517556A929")]
  public class MyAutoloadedPackage : Package
  

  Note

  You must pass the GUID value of UICONTEXT_SolutionExists to ProvideAutoLoad instead of its symbolic name. See the enumerated fields of VSConstants for a list of the UI contexts and their GUID values.

To autoload the VSPackage

1. Set a breakpoint in the Initialize method.

2. Build the VSPackage and start it from the debugger by pressing F5.

3. Load a solution or create one.

   The VSPackage loads and stops at the breakpoint.

See Also

Concepts

Loading VSPackages

Other Resources

VSPackages