how to run command windows at run time

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I have developed a control and in order to add it in toolbox, I need to run a command in a command windows at design time in IDE in order to run installCommunityControls like when you do it by opening command window ( View menu -> other windows -> command window ) and then type installCommunityControls, is there any way to do that in c#?

Posted 3-Sep-13 17:14pm

albert sh

Updated 6-Sep-13 12:30pm

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 3-Sep-13 23:25pm

What do you mean by "command window"? CMD.EXE or something? Why?
—SA

albert sh 3-Sep-13 23:31pm

when developer pressed ctrl+w+a command windows appears and I need to run tools there.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 4-Sep-13 1:36am

Usually, if I press Ctrl+W, before I get a chance to press A, the child window or tab closes. And if I press Ctrl+A, before I get a chance to press W, "Select All" is executed. Come one, what are you even talk about? In what application do you do it? Do you understand yourself what you are asking about?.. :-)
—SA

Dave Kreskowiak 4-Sep-13 7:03am

Ctrl-W-A in Visual Studio brings up the Command window at the bottom. Honestly, this is the first time I've ever heard of wanting to do this from inside a control at design time.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 4-Sep-13 12:18pm

Thank you for a note, this is really so. I didn't really try hard to find it out, by my comment, I wanted to point out weirdness of the problem. Even VS add-ons should not affect layout of the windows. OP should have explained the idea. Even Visual Studio wasn't mentioned.
—SA

Dave Kreskowiak 4-Sep-13 14:59pm

Yeah, I think this is a horrible idea, but who are we to stop him.

I just gave him the docs to the VS SDK and it's a simple use of DTE.ExecuteCommand(). What he does with them is entirely up to him.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 4-Sep-13 23:03pm

Good idea. As I say, ExecuteCommand has nothing to do with command window. This is a sort of user-level, non-programming thinking: I know how to do it as a user and want to "automate". And you cannot stop anyone, but you can warn. :-)
—SA

albert sh 4-Sep-13 11:02am

@Sergey: may be its shortcut in my Visual studio 2012 is Ctrl+W+A , but you can find "command windows" in : View menu => Other windows => command windows, may be your setting is different from mine.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 4-Sep-13 12:18pm

I got it, thank you, but please see my comment above.
You really need to explain what you are trying to achieve (and why) in detail.
—SA

albert sh 4-Sep-13 12:48pm

@sergey, Thanks for your notes, I need to run commands like installcommunitycontrol

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 4-Sep-13 12:57pm

Look, do you have to pull the detail from you piece by piece? If you really need help, could you explain everything at once the way everyone would clearly understand it. I doubt that you actually need to run any commands. Can you convince us? All the motivation, detail, etc. And running a command has nothing to do with your Ctrl+W+A...
—SA

albert sh 7-Sep-13 18:27pm

Dear Sergey, I didn't want to give information step by step, I just did not want to give this as a solution in a big community like yours, as I know its not a good solution and I tried to use it as I am using VS2012 and try to support older versions, as you see its not working now and I changed my design. I have also improved the question the way you told.Sorry for misunderstandings and thank you and Dave so much for all supports.

Dave Kreskowiak 3-Sep-13 23:26pm

Running an external command at design time?? OK, this I've got to hear! What are you doing?

albert sh 3-Sep-13 23:40pm

@Dave: I need to run tools command like tools.customize like when we can type it by opening command windows by pressing Ctrl+W+A

Dave Kreskowiak 4-Sep-13 7:07am

This is a first. I've never seen nor heard of any control that wanted to modify the VS IDE when it was dropped on a project.

The problem with doing this is that your control is now shipping with a bunch of dead code in it that can't be removed that has nothing to do with the functionality of the control at runtime.

Frankly, if you're going to go through the trouble of trying to launch execute something in the command window, you'd just skip that and go do whatever yourself in code instead. For example, Tools.Customize just launches the menu and toolbar customization window in Visual Studio. It does not give you access to that window from your code. The developer will see that window and wonder what's going on.

I know I would beat the crap out of someone who decided it was a good idea to modify my environment without my permission!

albert sh 4-Sep-13 11:05am

@dave : in many cases the effect will not be seen by developer or harm them like using tools.installwebcontrols or installcommunitycontrols .

Dave Kreskowiak 4-Sep-13 14:57pm

I still think this is a horrible idea because exactly when are you going to execute these commands and how exactly are you going to track if they need to be done?? You have to be EXTREMELY careful where in your control code you're going to execute these commands because you may end up trying to execute them over and over again.

You need to use the automation model in as explained in Visual Studio SDK and to execute the command is simply: DTE.ExecuteCommand("string")

Documentation: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/vstudio/bb166441.aspx

albert sh 5-Sep-13 9:45am

@Dave : Thanks a lot, this is what I was looking for, how I can accept it as solution or vote here?

albert sh 5-Sep-13 11:29am

@Dave : when I run the code in below in the constructor of control, I get :"Package:toolbox control installer package"failed to load, is there any consideration to be done?
MessageFilter.Register();
EnvDTE.DTE dte = (EnvDTE.DTE)System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetActiveObject("VisualStudio.DTE");
dte.ExecuteCommand("Tools.InstallCommunityControls");

Dave Kreskowiak 5-Sep-13 18:24pm

Not a clue. I haven't done any Extension coding at all.

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V.Lorz · Answer 1 · 2013-09-03T20:41:00

I only have VisualStudio 2008 on this PC, but perhaps it could be somehow similar on other versions:

1) Create the new entry for your external tool (CMD.exe inthis case).
a) Menu: "Tools->External Tools..."
b) Press the "Add" button to create your external tool entry.
c) Give it the appropiate name (Win Command Console, or whichever you like).
d) Set "Command" to "cmd.exe".
e) Uncheck the "Use Output Window".
f) Select the "Initial Directory" that best suits your needs.

2) Take note of the tool's index in the external tools list. It's '1' based, not zero based.

3) Open the "Options" configuration dialog (Menu: "Tools->Options...").

4) Go to "Environment/Keyboard".

5) In the filter (textbox labeled "Show commands containing:") type "ExternalCommand".
That will show the list of internal macros referencing the external tools.

6) Select the item named "Tools.ExternalCommand" followed by your tool's index.
E.g. if your tool is the third in the external tools list, then the name will be
"Tools.ExternalCommand3".

7) Click on the textbox labeled "Press shortcut keys" and press the shortcut you want.
If the shortcut is already assigned to any other command it will select it in the
list shown bellow the textbox.

It works for me, hope it works for you.