converting-to-sdk-style-project

Converting a Visual Studio Extension (VSIX) Project to SDK-Style

SDK-style projects (<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">) replace the legacy verbose .csproj format with a minimal, human-readable file. They auto-glob source files, auto-generate assembly attributes, and use implicit imports — eliminating hundreds of lines of boilerplate.

Scope: This skill is specifically for VSIX extension projects (VSSDK and VSIX Community Toolkit, in-process) targeting .NET Framework 4.8. It is not for general class libraries, console apps, or other project types. VisualStudio.Extensibility (out-of-process) projects already use SDK-style and don't need conversion.

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Step-by-step conversion

1. Replace the <Project> root element

Before (legacy):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="15.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">

After (SDK-style):

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

Remove the ToolsVersion, DefaultTargets, and xmlns attributes. The SDK declaration replaces all of them.

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2. Simplify the main PropertyGroup

Replace the sprawling legacy properties with a minimal set.

Remove these legacy properties (the SDK or NuGet packages handle them):

• VSToolsPath and its Condition
• Configuration / Platform conditional defaults
• SchemaVersion
• ProjectTypeGuids
• ProjectGuid
• OutputType (defaults to Library)
• AppDesignerFolder
• RootNamespace (defaults to project name)
• AssemblyName (defaults to project name)
• IncludeAssemblyInVSIXContainer
• IncludeDebugSymbolsInVSIXContainer
• IncludeDebugSymbolsInLocalVSIXDeployment
• CopyBuildOutputToOutputDirectory
• CopyOutputSymbolsToOutputDirectory
• StartAction, StartProgram, StartArguments (replaced by <Deploy> in the solution file)

Replace TargetFrameworkVersion with TargetFramework:

<!-- Before -->
<TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.8</TargetFrameworkVersion>

<!-- After -->
<TargetFramework>net48</TargetFramework>

Add modern C# and VSIX settings:

<PropertyGroup>
  <TargetFramework>net48</TargetFramework>
  <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
  <LangVersion>latest</LangVersion>
  <UseWPF>true</UseWPF>

  <!-- VSIX settings -->
  <VSSDKBuildToolsAutoSetup>true</VSSDKBuildToolsAutoSetup>
  <VsixDeployOnDebug>true</VsixDeployOnDebug>
  <GeneratePkgDefFile>true</GeneratePkgDefFile>
  <UseCodebase>true</UseCodebase>
</PropertyGroup>

Only include <UseWPF>true</UseWPF> if the project contains XAML files. Without it, the temporary _wpftmp.csproj that MSBuild creates during WPF/XAML compilation does not include all source files. This causes global using directives (and any other top-level declarations in non-XAML code files) to be invisible during XAML compilation, producing missing-namespace errors. Including UseWPF unconditionally is harmless when there is no XAML and prevents subtle build failures if XAML is added later.

Keep GeneratePkgDefFile and UseCodebase if they were already present — these are VSIX-specific and still needed.

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3. Remove per-configuration PropertyGroups

Delete entirely the Debug|AnyCPU and Release|AnyCPU conditional PropertyGroups:

<!-- DELETE these blocks -->
<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
  <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
  <DebugType>full</DebugType>
  <Optimize>false</Optimize>
  <OutputPath>bin\Debug\</OutputPath>
  <DefineConstants>DEBUG;TRACE</DefineConstants>
  <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
  <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
</PropertyGroup>

The SDK provides sensible defaults for Debug and Release configurations. Only add per-config overrides if you have genuinely custom settings.

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4. Add the VSIX ProjectCapability

Add a ProjectCapability item to enable VSIX container creation:

<ItemGroup>
  <ProjectCapability Include="CreateVsixContainer" />
</ItemGroup>

This replaces the legacy ProjectTypeGuids approach for identifying the project as a VSIX project.

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5. Remove explicit Compile items (use auto-globbing)

SDK-style projects automatically include all *.cs files. Delete all <Compile Include="..." /> entries for regular source files.

For auto-generated files that have metadata (like AutoGen, DesignTime, DependentUpon), change Include to Update:

<!-- Before -->
<Compile Include="source.extension.cs">
  <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
  <DesignTime>True</DesignTime>
  <DependentUpon>source.extension.vsixmanifest</DependentUpon>
</Compile>

<!-- After -->
<Compile Update="source.extension.cs">
  <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
  <DesignTime>True</DesignTime>
  <DependentUpon>source.extension.vsixmanifest</DependentUpon>
</Compile>

The Update verb applies metadata to the file that was already auto-included by the SDK glob. Using Include would cause a duplicate-item error.

Do the same for VSCommandTable.cs or any other generated file:

<Compile Update="VSCommandTable.cs">
  <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
  <DesignTime>True</DesignTime>
  <DependentUpon>VSCommandTable.vsct</DependentUpon>
</Compile>

---

6. Remove legacy Import elements

Delete all of these — the SDK and NuGet packages handle them automatically:

<!-- DELETE -->
<Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props" ... />
<Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />
<Import Project="$(VSToolsPath)\VSSDK\Microsoft.VsSDK.targets" ... />

Also remove any commented-out BeforeBuild/AfterBuild target blocks and empty <ItemGroup /> elements.

---

7. Update NuGet packages

Update Microsoft.VSSDK.BuildTools to version 18.5 or later and simplify its asset metadata:

<!-- Before -->
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.VSSDK.BuildTools" Version="17.14.2120">
  <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
  <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
</PackageReference>

<!-- After -->
<PackageReference Include="Microsoft.VSSDK.BuildTools" Version="18.5.40034">
  <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
</PackageReference>

Optionally add the Microsoft.VisualStudio.SDK metapackage if the project uses many individual VS interop assemblies — it replaces them all with a single reference.

Keep other packages like Community.VisualStudio.Toolkit.17 and Community.VisualStudio.VSCT as-is.

---

8. Clean up framework references

Remove references that are now implicit with the SDK or covered by NuGet:

• System — always implicit
• Any VS interop assemblies replaced by Microsoft.VisualStudio.SDK (if added)

Keep framework references that are not covered by NuGet packages:

<ItemGroup>
  <Reference Include="PresentationCore" />
  <Reference Include="PresentationFramework" />
  <Reference Include="System.ComponentModel.Composition" />
  <Reference Include="System.Design" />
</ItemGroup>

WPF assemblies (PresentationCore, PresentationFramework) and MEF (System.ComponentModel.Composition) must remain as explicit references since they're not included in the SDK metapackage.

---

9. Delete Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs

SDK-style projects auto-generate assembly attributes (AssemblyTitle, AssemblyVersion, AssemblyFileVersion, etc.). Delete Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs entirely.

If the file contains polyfills (such as IsExternalInit for C# init keyword support on .NET Framework 4.8), move them to a standalone file:

IsExternalInit.cs:

// Polyfill for C# 'init' keyword support on .NET Framework 4.8.
// This type is provided by the runtime in .NET 5+ but must be
// defined manually when targeting older frameworks.
namespace System.Runtime.CompilerServices
{
    internal static class IsExternalInit { }
}

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10. Update the solution file

⚠️ This must be the last edit. Modifying the .sln/.slnx file causes Visual Studio to reload the solution, which interrupts any running automation. Always perform all other changes first, then update the solution file as the final step.

Convert .sln to .slnx (if applicable)

If the solution uses the legacy .sln format, convert it to .slnx (XML-based solution format). In Visual Studio, right-click the solution in Solution Explorer and select Save As Solution XML File, or use the CLI:

dotnet sln migrate

Add the Deploy element

In the .slnx file, you MUST add a <Deploy> element to the VSIX project entry. This replaces the old StartAction/StartProgram/StartArguments pattern from the legacy csproj and is required for F5 debugging to deploy the VSIX to the experimental instance:

<Solution>
  <Configurations>
    <Platform Name="Any CPU" />
    <Platform Name="arm64" />
    <Platform Name="x86" />
  </Configurations>
  <Project Path="src/MyExtension.csproj" Id="...">
    <Platform Solution="*|arm64" Project="arm64" />
    <Platform Solution="*|x86" Project="x86" />
    <Deploy Solution="Debug|Any CPU" />
  </Project>
</Solution>

Without the <Deploy> element, pressing F5 will build but not deploy the extension to the experimental VS instance.

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Complete before/after example

Before (legacy csproj) — ~120 lines

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="15.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <VSToolsPath Condition="'$(VSToolsPath)' == ''">$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v$(VisualStudioVersion)</VSToolsPath>
    <LangVersion>latest</LangVersion>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props" Condition="Exists('...')" />
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration>
    <Platform Condition=" '$(Platform)' == '' ">AnyCPU</Platform>
    <SchemaVersion>2.0</SchemaVersion>
    <ProjectTypeGuids>{82b43b9b-a64c-4715-b499-d71e9ca2bd60};{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}</ProjectTypeGuids>
    <ProjectGuid>{16DBD2AC-922B-45C1-8D25-A65682C3F4FC}</ProjectGuid>
    <OutputType>Library</OutputType>
    <AppDesignerFolder>Properties</AppDesignerFolder>
    <RootNamespace>MyExtension</RootNamespace>
    <AssemblyName>MyExtension</AssemblyName>
    <TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.8</TargetFrameworkVersion>
    <GeneratePkgDefFile>true</GeneratePkgDefFile>
    <UseCodebase>true</UseCodebase>
    <IncludeAssemblyInVSIXContainer>true</IncludeAssemblyInVSIXContainer>
    <IncludeDebugSymbolsInVSIXContainer>false</IncludeDebugSymbolsInVSIXContainer>
    <IncludeDebugSymbolsInLocalVSIXDeployment>true</IncludeDebugSymbolsInLocalVSIXDeployment>
    <CopyBuildOutputToOutputDirectory>true</CopyBuildOutputToOutputDirectory>
    <CopyOutputSymbolsToOutputDirectory>true</CopyOutputSymbolsToOutputDirectory>
    <StartAction>Program</StartAction>
    <StartProgram Condition="'$(DevEnvDir)' != ''">$(DevEnvDir)devenv.exe</StartProgram>
    <StartArguments>/rootsuffix Exp</StartArguments>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
    <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
    <DebugType>full</DebugType>
    <Optimize>false</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\Debug\</OutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>DEBUG;TRACE</DefineConstants>
    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
    <DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
    <Optimize>true</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\Release\</OutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>TRACE</DefineConstants>
    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="MyCommand.cs" />
    <Compile Include="MyPackage.cs" />
    <Compile Include="Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs" />
    <Compile Include="source.extension.cs">
      <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
      <DesignTime>True</DesignTime>
      <DependentUpon>source.extension.vsixmanifest</DependentUpon>
    </Compile>
    <Compile Include="VSCommandTable.cs">
      <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
      <DesignTime>True</DesignTime>
      <DependentUpon>VSCommandTable.vsct</DependentUpon>
    </Compile>
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <VSCTCompile Include="VSCommandTable.vsct">
      <ResourceName>Menus.ctmenu</ResourceName>
      <Generator>VsctGenerator</Generator>
      <LastGenOutput>VSCommandTable.cs</LastGenOutput>
    </VSCTCompile>
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Content Include="Resources\LICENSE.txt">
      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
      <IncludeInVSIX>true</IncludeInVSIX>
    </Content>
    <None Include="source.extension.vsixmanifest">
      <SubType>Designer</SubType>
      <Generator>VsixManifestGenerator</Generator>
      <LastGenOutput>source.extension.cs</LastGenOutput>
    </None>
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Reference Include="PresentationCore" />
    <Reference Include="PresentationFramework" />
    <Reference Include="System" />
    <Reference Include="System.ComponentModel.Composition" />
    <Reference Include="System.Design" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Community.VisualStudio.VSCT" Version="16.0.29.6" PrivateAssets="all" />
    <PackageReference Include="Community.VisualStudio.Toolkit.17" Version="17.0.549" ExcludeAssets="Runtime">
      <IncludeAssets>compile; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
    </PackageReference>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.VSSDK.BuildTools" Version="17.14.2120">
      <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
    </PackageReference>
  </ItemGroup>
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />
  <Import Project="$(VSToolsPath)\VSSDK\Microsoft.VsSDK.targets" Condition="'$(VSToolsPath)' != ''" />
</Project>

After (SDK-style csproj) — ~80 lines

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net48</TargetFramework>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <LangVersion>latest</LangVersion>
    <UseWPF>true</UseWPF>

    <!-- VSIX settings -->
    <VSSDKBuildToolsAutoSetup>true</VSSDKBuildToolsAutoSetup>
    <VsixDeployOnDebug>true</VsixDeployOnDebug>
    <GeneratePkgDefFile>true</GeneratePkgDefFile>
    <UseCodebase>true</UseCodebase>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <ProjectCapability Include="CreateVsixContainer" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <!-- Auto-generated files (use Update because SDK auto-includes *.cs) -->
  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Update="source.extension.cs">
      <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
      <DesignTime>True</DesignTime>
      <DependentUpon>source.extension.vsixmanifest</DependentUpon>
    </Compile>
    <Compile Update="VSCommandTable.cs">
      <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
      <DesignTime>True</DesignTime>
      <DependentUpon>VSCommandTable.vsct</DependentUpon>
    </Compile>
  </ItemGroup>

  <!-- VSCT command table -->
  <ItemGroup>
    <AvailableItemName Include="VSCTCompile" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <None Remove="VSCommandTable.vsct" />
    <VSCTCompile Include="VSCommandTable.vsct">
      <ResourceName>Menus.ctmenu</ResourceName>
      <Generator>VsctGenerator</Generator>
      <LastGenOutput>VSCommandTable.cs</LastGenOutput>
    </VSCTCompile>
  </ItemGroup>

  <!-- VSIX manifest -->
  <ItemGroup>
  <None Remove="source.extension.vsixmanifest" />
    <None Update="source.extension.vsixmanifest">
      <SubType>Designer</SubType>
      <Generator>VsixManifestGenerator</Generator>
      <LastGenOutput>source.extension.cs</LastGenOutput>
    </None>
  </ItemGroup>

  <!-- Resources included in VSIX -->
  <ItemGroup>
    <Content Include="Resources\LICENSE.txt">
      <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
      <IncludeInVSIX>true</IncludeInVSIX>
    </Content>
    <Content Include="Resources\Icon.png">
      <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
      <IncludeInVSIX>true</IncludeInVSIX>
    </Content>
  </ItemGroup>

  <!-- .NET Framework assemblies not covered by NuGet packages -->
  <ItemGroup>
    <Reference Include="PresentationCore" />
    <Reference Include="PresentationFramework" />
    <Reference Include="System.ComponentModel.Composition" />
    <Reference Include="System.Design" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Community.VisualStudio.VSCT" Version="16.0.29.6" PrivateAssets="all" />
    <PackageReference Include="Community.VisualStudio.Toolkit.17" Version="17.0.549" ExcludeAssets="Runtime">
      <IncludeAssets>compile; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
    </PackageReference>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.VSSDK.BuildTools" Version="18.5.40034">
      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
    </PackageReference>
  </ItemGroup>

</Project>

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Checklist

Use this checklist to verify the conversion is complete:

• <Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk"> is the root element
• TargetFramework is net48 (not TargetFrameworkVersion)
• Per-configuration PropertyGroups (Debug/Release) are removed
• Legacy properties removed (ProjectTypeGuids, ProjectGuid, SchemaVersion, OutputType, StartAction, etc.)
• <UseWPF>true</UseWPF> is present (required for correct XAML compilation and global using support)
• <ProjectCapability Include="CreateVsixContainer" /> is present
• All <Compile Include="..."> removed; auto-generated files use <Compile Update="...">
• XAML code-behind files use <Compile Update> with <DependentUpon> for nesting
• XAML <Page> items use Update (not Include) since UseWPF auto-globs them
• VSCTCompile has <None Remove> and <AvailableItemName> for Solution Explorer visibility
• source.extension.vsixmanifest remains None (VSSDK requires this build action)
• All <Import> elements removed (Microsoft.Common.props, Microsoft.CSharp.targets, Microsoft.VsSDK.targets)
• Microsoft.VSSDK.BuildTools updated to 18.5+
• Properties/AssemblyInfo.cs deleted or kept with <GenerateAssemblyInfo>false</GenerateAssemblyInfo> if it has custom attributes
• System reference removed (implicit in SDK)
• Solution file is .slnx format with <Deploy Solution="Debug|Any CPU" /> on the VSIX project
• Project builds and deploys with F5