• Projects containing a .csproj & .vsixmanifest are VS extension projects, which create a VSIX package.
  • Allows for F5 experience
  • Doesn't require admin access to install
  • Can only install into 8 specific VS sub-directories
• Projects containing a .swixproj & .swr are loose files to be put into a VSIX package (not a VS extension).
  • No F5 experience
  • Requires admin access to install
  • Can install into any sub-directory in VS
• .vsmanproj files are for creating the .vsman files, necessary for VS insertions.
• .pkgdef files are the same as a .reg files.
• .vsmand files are the definition files that seed the generation of .vsman files. They contain the basic structure and information that is added to when creating a fully fleshed-out .vsman file.

• This directory only contains ProvideCodeBaseBindingRedirection.cs which is shared between both the ProjectSystemSetup and VisualStudioEditorsSetup projects.

• This directory contains the Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed.CommonFiles project, which creates the Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed.CommonFiles.vsix package.
• The .csproj is only used to drive the build of the .swixproj, which is the actual project that creates the .vsix package.
  • Allows the dependent project, Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed.csproj, to be built prior to running the .swixproj build.
  • The assembly produced from the .csproj is not used.
  • The .swixproj cannot be added to the ProjectSystem.sln solution.
• The CommonFiles.swr is currently manually updated when XAML rule files are added.
  • TODO: Consider generating this file.
• ext.xproj.swr should be removed via: dotnet#8268
• This project's VSIX package is inserted into VS via the ProjectSystemSetup project.

• This directory contains the ProjectSystemSetup project, which creates the ProjectSystem.vsix package.
  • Note that the VSIX package does not contain the word Setup within it.
• This project is an SDK-style VS Extension project, creating the VSIX package defined by the source.extension.vsixmanifest.
  • This project type is able to build via a workaround in our Directory.Build.targets that loads the Microsoft.VsSDK.targets manually.
  • The assembly produced from the .csproj is not used.
  • The assemblies from Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed.csproj and Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed.VS.csproj are included in the produced VSIX package.
• This project drives our debugging (F5) experience for the repo via the launchSettings.json.
• The .vsmanproj creates the .vsman manifest, which is inserted into VS as Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed.vsman.
  • This manifest also contains the Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed.CommonFiles.vsix within it.

• This directory contains the VisualStudioEditorsSetup project, which creates the VisualStudioEditorsSetup.vsix package.
• This project is an SDK-style VS Extension project, creating the VSIX package defined by the source.extension.vsixmanifest.
  • This project type is able to build via a workaround in our Directory.Build.targets that loads the Microsoft.VsSDK.targets manually.
  • The assembly produced from the .csproj is not used.
  • The assemblies from Microsoft.VisualStudio.AppDesigner.csproj and Microsoft.VisualStudio.Editors.csproj are included in the produced VSIX package.
• The .vsmanproj creates the .vsman manifest, which is inserted into VS as Microsoft.VisualStudio.Editors.vsman.

The list below is not all-encompassing of the files produced by each project. It is only meant as a high-level overview of what is produced by these projects.

• ProjectSystemSetup produces:
  • Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed.vsman references:
    • ProjectSystem.vsix
    • Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed.CommonFiles.vsix
  • ProjectSystem.vsix contains:
    • extension.vsixmanifest
    • Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed.dll
    • Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed.VS.dll
• VisualStudioEditorsSetup produces:
  • Microsoft.VisualStudio.Editors.vsman references:
    • VisualStudioEditorsSetup.vsix
  • VisualStudioEditorsSetup.vsix contains:
    • extension.vsixmanifest
    • Microsoft.VisualStudio.AppDesigner.dll
    • Microsoft.VisualStudio.Editors.dll
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed.CommonFiles produces:
  • Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed.CommonFiles.vsix contains:
    • .xaml rule files from Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectSystem.Managed