We’ve published a set of set of add-ins which augments existing functionality in the Visual Studio 2005 Class Designer and the Distributed Systems Designers. The Design Tools Enhancements add-in provides a common set of features that can be used by both the Class Designer and the Distributed System Designers, such as pan/zoom window and rich formatting commands. The Class Designer Enhancements add-in provides additional functionality for the Visual Studio 2005 Class Designer, such as HTML export and nested type creation commands. This download includes all necessary source code and a Visual Studio project template for creating your own add-ins for the Visual Studio 2005 designers.< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The installer and source code are available for download from gotdotnet workspace. The installation requires the Beta2 version of Visual Studio 2005 installed on the machine. You can use the Class Designer MSDN forum or discussion boards in the workspace to post any questions/feedback on the add-ins.
Here is a list of features provided by the add-ins (you can find more detailed description in the documentation installed by the download):
Design Tools Enhancements
Diagram Search
Formatting Commands
Floating Property Grid
Pan/Zoom Window
Design Surface Scrolling Improvements
Create Comments with Double-Click
Design Surface Grid
Class Designer Enhancements
Export Diagrams for Web
Display Xml Comment Command
Documentation Tool Window
Filtering Appearance
Filtering Lines
Filtering Members
MSDN Help on System Types
Fast Navigation
Interface Lollipop Labels Commands
Inheritance Visualization Commands
Show Type Command
Association and Inheritance Line Dongles
Create Tests Command
Type Creation Commands
Add Member Commands
Synchronization with Code Definition Window
View Class Diagram Command Improvements
Creating Custom Add-ins
Enjoy!

PowerToys for the Visual Studio 2005 Class Designer and Distributed System Designers
Jagadeesh Aithal
Ezero
I have a super and sub - Interface (just as is,, so maybe my code is wrong. Note: I do not use this coding style in real life, i just tried to make it as compact as possible):
interface
ICommand{void Execute(); }
public
interface ICommandSession : ICommand {IRCSession Session { get;set;}}
I have this class:
class
ActionCommand :ICommandSession{private WinIRCLib.IRCSession session = WinIRCLib.IRCSession.Session();
private string message = "";
private string dest = "";
public string Message{get { return message; }set { message = value; }}
public string Dest{get { return dest; }set { dest = value; }} public ActionCommand(string dest, string message){
this.dest = dest; this.message = message; }
#region
ICommand Memberspublic void Execute() {
session.Action(this.dest, this.message);}
#endregion
#region ICommandSession Members
public WinIRCLib.IRCSession Session{
get { return session; }set { session = value; }}
#endregion
}
On the designer:
1 - Drag ICommand onto surface
2 - Drag ICommandSession onto surface
(Inheritance line happens)
3 - Drag ActionCommand
4 - Right -click ActionCommand
5 - Choose Show | Inheritance
A duplicate object appears represending ICommandSession, so there are two on the designer now.
Mark Sterin &#91;MSFT&#93;
cbnicholson
Cheers
Daniel
ssroy
The J# requirement was added by the MSI project I used to create the installation. I'll investigate whether I can get rid of it (it's not actually used by the add-in directly) for the further updates of the add-in. For now you'd need to install it though.
Regards
Shane McRoberts MSFT
I'm glad you like the tools - I tried to include some of the features you've described on your blog ;-)
The DLL you mentioned can be found in the %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\PrivateAssemblies folder - unfortunetely you'll have to fix the project by hands (or you can just add a reference path to that folder to your project so that it resolves automatically).
Alternatively you can remove file ModelingTools\ClassDesignerEnhancements\CreateTestsCommand.cs from the add-in source code as this is the only file which requires it. With that you will loose Create Tests... command though. The nice thing about the add-in source code is that every feature is pretty isolated - you can add/remove features without affecting the other features for the most part.
HTH
Thanks
Yottie
Does this plugin work with VS 2k5 RC 1
Jay Shanker
Enjoy!
Thoraddict
ClassDesignerEnhancements.CreateTestsCommand references a namespace Microsoft.VisualStudio.QualityTools.Vsip
Any idea which assembly I must reference to get the above to compile I cannot find Microsoft.VisualStudio.QualityTools.Vsip
I have Beta 2 Team Suite on English XP Pro...
FYI, the only other (solvable) glitch was having to refresh the references for EnvDTE and EnvDTE80
Cheers
Daniel
dEcib3L
Can somebody tell me why I would need J# to have this installed
thanks
Sahil
1) Adding a property that is reverse-engineered from code: This will require changes in back-end model to actually support reverse-engineering the property, which is not possible with current extensibility model.
2) Adding a property that is not reverse-engineed from code: This will require changes in serialization format of .cd file so that the property can be saved and preserved on diagram reopen. Changing serialization format is not support with current extensibility model either.
These are all due to time constraint for this release. We will definitely consider a better extensibility model in the next release. Thanks!
Vedran951
Is it possible to add new properties to elements of the Class Designer (Enum, Inteface, Class, etc.) that appear in the Properties Window with a Custom Add-in
If so, how could i proceed
Thanks!
Mike
Gary Ng
Great,
thanks
ZeeshanHashmi
Thanks!
Jim