Context Menus

Context menus (right-click menus) appear throughout Visual Studio. Your extension can add commands to existing context menus or create custom ones.

Quick Start with Community Toolkit

Add a command to Solution Explorer’s context menu:

[Command(PackageIds.MyCommand)]
internal sealed class MyCommand : BaseCommand<MyCommand>
{
    protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(OleMenuCmdEventArgs e)
    {
        await VS.MessageBox.ShowAsync("Command executed!");
    }
}

In your .vsct file:

<Button guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="MyCommand" priority="0x0100" type="Button">
  <Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDG_VS_CTXT_SOLUTION_BUILD"/>
  <Strings>
    <ButtonText>My Command</ButtonText>
  </Strings>
</Button>

Solution Explorer

Menu	GUID	Group ID	Description
Solution node	`guidSHLMainMenu`	`IDG_VS_CTXT_SOLUTION_BUILD`	Solution context menu
Project node	`guidSHLMainMenu`	`IDG_VS_CTXT_PROJECT_BUILD`	Project context menu
Folder node	`guidSHLMainMenu`	`IDG_VS_CTXT_FOLDER_ADD`	Folder context menu
Item/File node	`guidSHLMainMenu`	`IDG_VS_CTXT_ITEM_OPEN`	File context menu
References node	`guidSHLMainMenu`	`IDG_VS_CTXT_REFROOT_ADD`	References context menu
Reference item	`guidSHLMainMenu`	`IDG_VS_CTXT_REFERENCE`	Single reference

Code Editor

Menu	GUID	Group ID	Description
Editor context	`guidSHLMainMenu`	`IDG_VS_CODEWIN_NAVIGATETOLOCATION`	Code editor right-click
Editor margin	`guidSHLMainMenu`	`IDG_VS_EDITOR_OUTLINING_CMDS`	Left margin

Tool Windows

Menu	GUID/Group	Description
Error List	`CMDSETID_StandardCommandSet2K` / `IDG_VS_ERRORLIST_ERRORGROUP`	Error List items
Output Window	`guidSHLMainMenu` / `IDG_VS_OUTWINDOW_OUTPUTCMDS`	Output window
Task List	`guidSHLMainMenu` / `IDG_VS_TASKLIST_CLIENTGROUP`	Task List items

Adding Commands to Context Menus

VSCT Structure

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<CommandTable xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005-10-18/CommandTable">

  <Extern href="stdidcmd.h"/>
  <Extern href="vsshlids.h"/>

  <Commands package="guidMyPackage">

    <!-- Define a group to hold your commands -->
    <Groups>
      <Group guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="MyMenuGroup" priority="0x0600">
        <!-- Parent this group to Solution Explorer's solution context menu -->
        <Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_SOLNNODE"/>
      </Group>
    </Groups>

    <Buttons>
      <Button guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="MyCommandId" priority="0x0100" type="Button">
        <Parent guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="MyMenuGroup"/>
        <Icon guid="guidImages" id="myIcon"/>
        <Strings>
          <ButtonText>My Context Command</ButtonText>
        </Strings>
      </Button>
    </Buttons>

  </Commands>

  <Symbols>
    <GuidSymbol name="guidMyPackage" value="{your-package-guid}"/>
    <GuidSymbol name="guidMyPackageCmdSet" value="{your-cmdset-guid}">
      <IDSymbol name="MyMenuGroup" value="0x1020"/>
      <IDSymbol name="MyCommandId" value="0x0100"/>
    </GuidSymbol>
  </Symbols>

</CommandTable>

<!-- Solution Explorer -->
<Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_SOLNNODE"/>      <!-- Solution -->
<Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_PROJNODE"/>      <!-- Project -->
<Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_FOLDERNODE"/>    <!-- Folder -->
<Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_ITEMNODE"/>      <!-- File/Item -->
<Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_REFERENCEROOT"/> <!-- References -->
<Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_REFERENCE"/>     <!-- Reference -->
<Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_WEBREFFOLDER"/>  <!-- Web References -->

<!-- Code Editor -->
<Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_CODEWIN"/>       <!-- Editor -->

<!-- Class View -->
<Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_CV_PROJECT"/>    <!-- CV Project -->
<Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_CV_ITEM"/>       <!-- CV Item -->

<!-- Other -->
<Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_NOCOMMANDS"/>    <!-- No selection -->

Multiple Context Menus

Add your command to multiple locations using CommandPlacements:

<CommandPlacements>
  <!-- Add to Solution context menu -->
  <CommandPlacement guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="MyCommandId" priority="0x0100">
    <Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_SOLNNODE"/>
  </CommandPlacement>

  <!-- Also add to Project context menu -->
  <CommandPlacement guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="MyCommandId" priority="0x0100">
    <Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_PROJNODE"/>
  </CommandPlacement>

  <!-- And File context menu -->
  <CommandPlacement guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="MyCommandId" priority="0x0100">
    <Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_ITEMNODE"/>
  </CommandPlacement>
</CommandPlacements>

Dynamic Visibility

Control when your command appears:

With Community Toolkit

[Command(PackageIds.MyCommand)]
internal sealed class MyCommand : BaseCommand<MyCommand>
{
    protected override void BeforeQueryStatus(EventArgs e)
    {
        // Only show for .cs files
        var item = VS.Solutions.GetActiveItemAsync().Result;
        Command.Visible = item?.FullPath?.EndsWith(".cs") == true;
    }

    protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(OleMenuCmdEventArgs e)
    {
        // Command implementation
    }
}

Traditional OleMenuCommand

private void InitializeCommand()
{
    var commandId = new CommandID(PackageGuids.guidMyPackageCmdSet, PackageIds.MyCommand);
    var command = new OleMenuCommand(Execute, commandId);
    command.BeforeQueryStatus += OnBeforeQueryStatus;

    var commandService = (IMenuCommandService)GetService(typeof(IMenuCommandService));
    commandService.AddCommand(command);
}

private void OnBeforeQueryStatus(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    ThreadHelper.ThrowIfNotOnUIThread();

    var command = (OleMenuCommand)sender;

    // Get selected items in Solution Explorer
    var monitorSelection = (IVsMonitorSelection)GetService(typeof(SVsShellMonitorSelection));
    monitorSelection.GetCurrentSelection(
        out IntPtr hierarchyPtr,
        out uint itemId,
        out IVsMultiItemSelect multiSelect,
        out IntPtr containerPtr);

    // Show only for single selection
    command.Visible = multiSelect == null && hierarchyPtr != IntPtr.Zero;
}

UI Context Visibility

Show commands only in specific contexts:

<VisibilityConstraints>
  <VisibilityItem guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="MyCommandId"
                  context="UICONTEXT_SolutionHasSingleProject"/>
</VisibilityConstraints>

Common UI contexts:

Context	When Visible
`UICONTEXT_SolutionExists`	A solution is open
`UICONTEXT_SolutionHasSingleProject`	Solution has exactly one project
`UICONTEXT_SolutionHasMultipleProjects`	Solution has multiple projects
`UICONTEXT_SolutionBuilding`	Build in progress
`UICONTEXT_Debugging`	Debug session active
`UICONTEXT_DesignMode`	Not debugging
`UICONTEXT_CodeWindow`	Code editor has focus
`UICONTEXT_NoSolution`	No solution open

Submenus

Create a submenu in a context menu:

<Menus>
  <Menu guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="MySubmenu" priority="0x0100" type="Menu">
    <Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_ITEMNODE"/>
    <Strings>
      <ButtonText>My Extension</ButtonText>
    </Strings>
  </Menu>
</Menus>

<Groups>
  <Group guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="MySubmenuGroup" priority="0x0100">
    <Parent guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="MySubmenu"/>
  </Group>
</Groups>

<Buttons>
  <Button guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="SubCommand1" priority="0x0100" type="Button">
    <Parent guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="MySubmenuGroup"/>
    <Strings>
      <ButtonText>Sub Command 1</ButtonText>
    </Strings>
  </Button>

  <Button guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="SubCommand2" priority="0x0200" type="Button">
    <Parent guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="MySubmenuGroup"/>
    <Strings>
      <ButtonText>Sub Command 2</ButtonText>
    </Strings>
  </Button>
</Buttons>

Complete Example

A context menu command that processes selected files:

[Command(PackageIds.ProcessFilesCommand)]
internal sealed class ProcessFilesCommand : BaseCommand<ProcessFilesCommand>
{
    protected override void BeforeQueryStatus(EventArgs e)
    {
        ThreadHelper.JoinableTaskFactory.Run(async () =>
        {
            var items = await VS.Solutions.GetActiveItemsAsync();
            var hasFiles = items.Any(i => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(i.FullPath) &&
                                          File.Exists(i.FullPath));
            Command.Visible = hasFiles;
            Command.Enabled = hasFiles;
        });
    }

    protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(OleMenuCmdEventArgs e)
    {
        var items = await VS.Solutions.GetActiveItemsAsync();
        var files = items
            .Where(i => File.Exists(i.FullPath))
            .Select(i => i.FullPath)
            .ToList();

        if (!files.Any())
        {
            await VS.MessageBox.ShowWarningAsync("No files selected");
            return;
        }

        await VS.StatusBar.ShowProgressAsync("Processing files...", 0, files.Count);

        for (int i = 0; i < files.Count; i++)
        {
            await ProcessFileAsync(files[i]);
            await VS.StatusBar.ShowProgressAsync(
                $"Processing {Path.GetFileName(files[i])}...",
                i + 1,
                files.Count);
        }

        await VS.StatusBar.ShowMessageAsync($"Processed {files.Count} files");
    }

    private async Task ProcessFileAsync(string filePath)
    {
        await Task.Delay(100); // Your processing logic
    }
}

VSCT for the command:

<Groups>
  <Group guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="SolutionExplorerGroup" priority="0x0600">
    <Parent guid="guidSHLMainMenu" id="IDM_VS_CTXT_ITEMNODE"/>
  </Group>
</Groups>

<Buttons>
  <Button guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="ProcessFilesCommand" priority="0x0100" type="Button">
    <Parent guid="guidMyPackageCmdSet" id="SolutionExplorerGroup"/>
    <Icon guid="ImageCatalogGuid" id="Process"/>
    <CommandFlag>IconIsMoniker</CommandFlag>
    <CommandFlag>DynamicVisibility</CommandFlag>
    <Strings>
      <ButtonText>Process Files</ButtonText>
    </Strings>
  </Button>
</Buttons>

Best Practices

Use groups - Don’t parent directly to menus; create a group first
Set priorities - Control order with priority values (lower = higher in menu)
Dynamic visibility - Hide commands that don’t apply to the selection
Use submenus - Group related commands under one submenu to reduce clutter
Consistent naming - Match VS naming conventions
Add icons - Commands with icons are easier to find

Tip

Use the DynamicVisibility command flag in VSCT when implementing BeforeQueryStatus to control visibility programmatically.

Warning

Context menu commands should execute quickly. For long operations, show a progress indicator and consider running asynchronously.

Context Menus

Quick Start with Community Toolkit

Context Menu GUIDs

Solution Explorer

Code Editor

Tool Windows

Adding Commands to Context Menus

VSCT Structure

Common Context Menu IDs

Multiple Context Menus

Dynamic Visibility

With Community Toolkit

Traditional OleMenuCommand

UI Context Visibility

Submenus

Complete Example

Best Practices

See Also