How to: Open a Tool Window Programmatically

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