opening-a-dynamic-tool-window.md

title	Opening a Dynamic Tool Window
description	Learn about dynamic tool windows, which opens whenever a specific UI context applies and closes when the UI context no longer applies.
ms.date	11/04/2016
ms.topic	how-to
helpviewer_keywords	tool windows, dynamic
author	tinaschrepfer
ms.author	tinali
ms.subservice	extensibility-integration

Open a dynamic tool window

Tool windows are typically opened from a command on a menu, or an equivalent keyboard shortcut. At times, however, you might need a tool window that opens whenever a specific UI context applies, and closes when the UI context no longer applies. These types of tool windows are called dynamic or auto-visible.

Note

For a list of predefined UI contexts, see xref:Microsoft.VisualStudio.VSConstants.UICONTEXT.

If you want to open a dynamic tool window at startup, and it is possible for the creation to fail, you must implement the xref:Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.IVsPackageDynamicToolOwnerEx interface and test the failure conditions in the xref:Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.IVsPackageDynamicToolOwnerEx.QueryShowTool%2A method. In order for the shell to know that you have a dynamic tool window that should be opened at startup, you must add the SupportsDynamicToolOwner value (set to 1) to your package registration. This value is not part of the standard xref:Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.PackageRegistrationAttribute, so you must create a custom attribute to add it. For more information about custom attributes, see Use a custom registration attribute to register an extension.

Use xref:Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Package.FindToolWindow%2A to open a tool window. The tool window is created as needed.

Note

A dynamic tool window can be closed by the user. If you want to create a menu command so the user can reopen the tool window, the menu command should be enabled in the same UI context that opens the tool window, and disabled otherwise.

To open a dynamic tool window

1. Create a VSIX project named DynamicToolWindow and add a tool window item template named DynamicWindowPane.cs. For more information, see Create an extension with a tool window.

2. In the DynamicWindowPanePackage.cs file, find the DynamicWindowPanePackage declaration. Add the xref:Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.ProvideToolWindowAttribute and xref:Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.ProvideToolWindowVisibilityAttribute attributes to register the tool window.

   [ProvideToolWindow(typeof(DynamicWindowPane)]
   [ProvideToolWindowVisibility(typeof(DynamicWindowPane), VSConstants.UICONTEXT.SolutionExists_string)]
   [PackageRegistration(UseManagedResourcesOnly = true)]
   [InstalledProductRegistration("#110", "#112", "1.0", IconResourceID = 400)] // Info on this package for Help/About
   [ProvideMenuResource("Menus.ctmenu", 1)]
   [ProvideToolWindow(typeof(DynamicToolWindow.DynamicWindowPane))]
   [Guid(DynamicWindowPanePackage.PackageGuidString)]
   public sealed class DynamicWindowPanePackage : Package
   {. . .}

   The attributes above register the tool window named DynamicWindowPane as a transient window that is not persisted when Visual Studio is closed and reopened. DynamicWindowPane is opened whenever xref:Microsoft.VisualStudio.VSConstants.UICONTEXT.SolutionExists_string applies, and closed otherwise.

3. Build the project and start debugging. The experimental instance should appear. You should not see the tool window.

4. Open a project in the experimental instance. The tool window should appear.