source-control-plug-ins.md

title	Source Control Plug-ins
description	The articles in this section describe the complete interface specification that enables source control systems to be integrated with Visual Studio.
ms.date	10/23/2025
ms.topic	reference
helpviewer_keywords	source control plug-ins, reference
author	tinaschrepfer
ms.author	tinali
ms.subservice	extensibility-integration

Source Control Plug-ins

The Source Control Plug-in SDK reference section contains the complete interface specification that enables source control systems to be integrated with Visual Studio. It specifies the syntax and semantics of the various functions and data types that the source control plug-in must implement to interface with the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE).

In this section

• Source Control Plug-in API Functions lists functions that must be implemented by the source control plug-in in order to comply with the Source Control Plug-in API.

• Callback Functions Implemented by the IDE describes functions that the source control plug-in uses to pass information back to the IDE while certain commands are executed.

• Enumerators lists the enumerator data types in the Source Control Plug-in API that the source control plug-in must know about.

• Capability Flags describes the SCC_CAP_xxx flags, which indicate a provider's capabilities.

• Bitflags Used by Specific Commands lists flags that are useful in the context of particular commands.

• Error Codes lists common error values returned by functions as SCCTRN.

• Strings Used as Keys for Finding a Source Control Plug-in describes keys for accessing the registry to find the source control plug-in.

• MSSCCPRJ.SCC File describes a client-side file that contains information opaque to the IDE, but that is used by the source control plug-in to locate the solution or project in version control.

• Best Practices for Implementing a Source Control Plug-in provides a collection of important technical reminders to remember while you are implementing the Source Control Plug-in API.

• Restrictions on String Lengths describes limitations in the Source Control Plug-in API on the lengths of strings used in various functions.

• Glossary provides helpful terms and their definitions for reading the Source Control Plug-in SDK documentation.

• How to: Turn Off Compatibility Warnings for Source Control Plug-ins describes how to disable warnings.

Related sections

• Test Guide for Source Control Plug-ins describes testing procedures related to a source control plug-in.

• Creating a Source Control Plug-in discusses how to create a source control plug-in that supplies source control functionality while you are using the Visual Studio source control user interface (UI).

• Visual Studio SDK Reference presents a list of reference topics.