Registry Keys Reference
VS extensions register via .pkgdef files which contain registry entries processed at startup.
Root Keys
$RootKey$ Token
The $RootKey$ token is replaced with the VS registry root:
| VS Version | Registry Path |
|---|
| VS 2015 | HKCU\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\14.0 |
| VS 2017 | HKCU\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\15.0 |
| VS 2019 | HKCU\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\16.0 |
| VS 2022 | HKCU\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\17.0 |
Other Tokens
| Token | Description |
|---|
$RootFolder$ | VS installation directory |
$PackageFolder$ | Extension installation directory |
$WinDir$ | Windows directory |
$System$ | System32 directory |
$AppData$ | Application data folder |
Package Registration
[$RootKey$\Packages\{PackageGUID}]
@="Package Display Name"
"InprocServer32"="$PackageFolder$\MyPackage.dll"
"Class"="MyNamespace.MyPackage"
"Assembly"="MyPackage, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral"
; Async loading support
"AllowsBackgroundLoading"=dword:00000001
"SupportAsyncLoad"=dword:00000001
Auto Load Contexts
[$RootKey$\AutoLoadPackages\{ContextGUID}]
"{PackageGUID}"=dword:00000000
Common UI Contexts
| Context | GUID |
|---|
| No solution | {ADFC4E64-0397-11D1-9F4E-00A0C911004F} |
| Solution exists | {F1536EF8-92EC-443C-9ED7-FDADF150DA82} |
| Solution building | {ADFC4E63-0397-11D1-9F4E-00A0C911004F} |
| Debugging | {ADFC4E62-0397-11D1-9F4E-00A0C911004F} |
| Design mode | {ADFC4E65-0397-11D1-9F4E-00A0C911004F} |
| Code window | {8B382828-6202-11D1-8870-0000F87579D2} |
| Single project | {ADFC4E66-0397-11D1-9F4E-00A0C911004F} |
| Multiple projects | {93694FA0-0397-11D1-9F4E-00A0C911004F} |
| Empty solution | {ADFC4E67-0397-11D1-9F4E-00A0C911004F} |
| Full screen | {ADFC4E68-0397-11D1-9F4E-00A0C911004F} |
Service Registration
[$RootKey$\Services\{ServiceGUID}]
@="{PackageGUID}"
"Name"="Service Display Name"
Editor Factory Registration
[$RootKey$\Editors\{EditorGUID}]
@="My Editor"
"Package"="{PackageGUID}"
"DisplayName"="#101"
"DefaultLogicalView"="{TextEditorLogicalView}"
[$RootKey$\Editors\{EditorGUID}\Extensions]
"myext"=dword:00000032
[$RootKey$\Editors\{EditorGUID}\LogicalViews]
"{7651A702-06E5-11D1-8EBD-00A0C90F26EA}"=""
Logical View GUIDs
| View | GUID |
|---|
| Text editor | {7651A702-06E5-11D1-8EBD-00A0C90F26EA} |
| Designer | {7651A701-06E5-11D1-8EBD-00A0C90F26EA} |
| Code | {7651A703-06E5-11D1-8EBD-00A0C90F26EA} |
| Debugging | {7651A704-06E5-11D1-8EBD-00A0C90F26EA} |
| Primary | {00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000} |
[$RootKey$\ToolWindows\{ToolWindowGUID}]
@="My Tool Window"
"Name"="My Tool Window"
"Package"="{PackageGUID}"
"Style"="Tabbed"
"Orientation"="Right"
"Window"="{ParentWindowGUID}"
[$RootKey$\ToolWindows\{ToolWindowGUID}\Visibility]
"{ContextGUID}"=""
| Window | GUID |
|---|
| Solution Explorer | {3AE79031-E1BC-11D0-8F78-00A0C9110057} |
| Properties | {EEFA5220-E298-11D0-8F78-00A0C9110057} |
| Output | {34E76E81-EE4A-11D0-AE2E-00A0C90FFFC3} |
| Error List | {D78612C7-9962-4B83-95D9-268046DAD23A} |
| Task List | {4A9B7E51-AA16-11D0-A8C5-00A0C921A4D2} |
| Toolbox | {B1E99781-AB81-11D0-B683-00AA00A3EE26} |
| Class View | {C9C0AE26-AA77-11D2-B3F0-0000F87570EE} |
| Command Window | {28836128-FC2C-11D2-A433-00C04F72D18A} |
[$RootKey$\Menus]
"{PackageGUID}"=", 1000, 1"
[$RootKey$\Commands\{CommandSetGUID}\{CommandID}]
"Package"="{PackageGUID}"
"CommandFlags"=dword:00000000
Standard Command Groups
| Name | GUID |
|---|
| VS Standard 97 | {5EFC7975-14BC-11CF-9B2B-00AA00573819} |
| VS Standard 2000 | {1496A755-94DE-11D0-8C3F-00C04FC2AAE2} |
| VS Debug | {C9DD4A58-47FB-11D2-83E7-00C04F9902C1} |
Project Type Registration
[$RootKey$\Projects\{ProjectTypeGUID}]
@="My Project Type"
"Package"="{PackageGUID}"
"ProjectTemplatesDir"="$PackageFolder$\Templates\Projects"
"ItemTemplatesDir"="$PackageFolder$\Templates\Items"
"DefaultProjectExtension"="myproj"
Standard Project Types
| Type | GUID |
|---|
| C# | {FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC} |
| VB.NET | {F184B08F-C81C-45F6-A57F-5ABD9991F28F} |
| C++ | {8BC9CEB8-8B4A-11D0-8D11-00A0C91BC942} |
| F# | {F2A71F9B-5D33-465A-A702-920D77279786} |
| Solution Folder | {2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8} |
Language Service Registration
[$RootKey$\Languages\Language Services\My Language]
@="{PackageGUID}"
"Package"="{PackageGUID}"
"Extensions"=".myext"
"RequestStockColors"=dword:00000001
"ShowMatchingBrace"=dword:00000001
"AutoOutlining"=dword:00000001
[$RootKey$\Languages\File Extensions\.myext]
@="{LanguageServiceGUID}"
Output Window Panes
[$RootKey$\OutputWindow\{PaneGUID}]
@="My Output Pane"
"Package"="{PackageGUID}"
"Name"="My Output Pane"
"ClearWithSolution"=dword:00000001
Standard Output Panes
| Pane | GUID |
|---|
| Build | {1BD8A850-02D1-11D1-BEE7-00A0C913D1F8} |
| Debug | {FC076020-078A-11D1-A7DF-00A0C9110051} |
| General | {65482C72-DEFA-41B7-902C-11C091889C83} |
Options Page Registration
[$RootKey$\ToolsOptionsPages\My Category]
@="My Category"
[$RootKey$\ToolsOptionsPages\My Category\My Page]
@="My Page"
"Package"="{PackageGUID}"
"Page"="{OptionsPageGUID}"
