Compare code in Visual Studio IDE

[sparticus1701]

I have recently set up to use BC in SourceSafe and it works great.

Often when working in Visual Studio (2005/2008) I have the need to compare two files in the project. I would like to be able to select the files in the solution explorer, right-click and select some sort of 'Compare with BC' command.

Does anyone have experience trying this?

[sparticus1701]

Re: Compare code in Visual Studio IDE

I wasn't content to sit and wait, and I was able to figure out how to do it. To do it, create a Visual Studio Add-In project (I called mine BCCompare). I used C#. The code for Connect.cs follows. Everyone is welcome to it, and Scooter can post the plugin if they find it worthy.



using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.IO;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using EnvDTE;
using EnvDTE80;
using Extensibility;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.CommandBars;
using Microsoft.Win32;



namespace BCCompare
{
/// <summary>The object for implementing an Add-in.</summary>
/// <seealso class='IDTExtensibility2' />
public class Connect : IDTExtensibility2, IDTCommandTarget
{
/// <summary>Implements the constructor for the Add-in object. Place your initialization code within this method.</summary>
public Connect ()
{
}

/// <summary>Implements the OnConnection method of the IDTExtensibility2 interface. Receives notification that the Add-in is being loaded.</summary>
/// <param term='application'>Root object of the host application.</param>
/// <param term='connectMode'>Describes how the Add-in is being loaded.</param>
/// <param term='addInInst'>Object representing this Add-in.</param>
/// <seealso class='IDTExtensibility2' />
public void OnConnection (object application, ext_ConnectMode connectMode, object addInInst, ref Array custom)
{
_applicationObject = (DTE2) application;
_addInInstance = (AddIn) addInInst;
if (connectMode == Extensibility.ext_ConnectMode.ext_cm_Startup)
{
Command command;
CommandBar itemCmdBar;
object[] contextGUIDS = new object[] { };
try
{
// Create a Command with name SolnExplContextMenuCS and then add it to the "Item" menubar for the SolutionExplorer
command = _applicationObject.Commands.AddNamedCommand(_addIn Instance, "BCCompare", "Compare using Beyond Compare", "Compares two selected files using Beyond Compare", false, 0, ref contextGUIDS, (int) vsCommandStatus.vsCommandStatusSupported + (int) vsCommandStatus.vsCommandStatusEnabled);
itemCmdBar = ((CommandBars) _applicationObject.CommandBars)["Item"];
if (itemCmdBar == null)
{
System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show("Cannot get the Item menubar", "Error", System.Windows.Forms.MessageBoxButtons.OK, System.Windows.Forms.MessageBoxIcon.Error);
}
else
{
command.AddControl(itemCmdBar, 1);
}
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString() , "Error", System.Windows.Forms.MessageBoxButtons.OK, System.Windows.Forms.MessageBoxIcon.Error);
}
}
}

/// <summary>Implements the OnDisconnection method of the IDTExtensibility2 interface. Receives notification that the Add-in is being unloaded.</summary>
/// <param term='disconnectMode'>Describes how the Add-in is being unloaded.</param>
/// <param term='custom'>Array of parameters that are host application specific.</param>
/// <seealso class='IDTExtensibility2' />
public void OnDisconnection (ext_DisconnectMode disconnectMode, ref Array custom)
{
}

/// <summary>Implements the OnAddInsUpdate method of the IDTExtensibility2 interface. Receives notification when the collection of Add-ins has changed.</summary>
/// <param term='custom'>Array of parameters that are host application specific.</param>
/// <seealso class='IDTExtensibility2' />
public void OnAddInsUpdate (ref Array custom)
{
}

/// <summary>Implements the OnStartupComplete method of the IDTExtensibility2 interface. Receives notification that the host application has completed loading.</summary>
/// <param term='custom'>Array of parameters that are host application specific.</param>
/// <seealso class='IDTExtensibility2' />
public void OnStartupComplete (ref Array custom)
{
}

/// <summary>Implements the OnBeginShutdown method of the IDTExtensibility2 interface. Receives notification that the host application is being unloaded.</summary>
/// <param term='custom'>Array of parameters that are host application specific.</param>
/// <seealso class='IDTExtensibility2' />
public void OnBeginShutdown (ref Array custom)
{
}

private DTE2 _applicationObject;
private AddIn _addInInstance;

#region IDTCommandTarget Members

/// <summary>Implements the Exec method of the IDTCommandTarget interface. This is called when the command is invoked.</summary>
/// <param term='CmdName'>The name of the command to execute.</param>
/// <param term='ExecuteOption'>Describes how the command should be run.</param>
/// <param term='VariantIn'>Parameters passed from the caller to the command handler.</param>
/// <param term='VariantOut'>Parameters passed from the command handler to the caller.</param>
/// <param term='Handled'>Informs the caller if the command was handled or not.</param>
/// <seealso class='Exec' />
public void Exec (string CmdName, vsCommandExecOption ExecuteOption, ref object VariantIn, ref object VariantOut, ref bool Handled)
{
Handled = false;
if (ExecuteOption == vsCommandExecOption.vsCommandExecOptionDoDefault)
{
if (CmdName == "BCCompare.Connect.BCCompare")
{
UIHierarchy UIH = _applicationObject.ToolWindows.SolutionExplorer;
UIHierarchyItems uihItems = UIH.UIHierarchyItems;
Array aoItems = UIH.SelectedItems as Array;
if (aoItems != null && aoItems.Length == 2)
{
String strFile1 = String.Empty;
UIHierarchyItem item1 = aoItems.GetValue(0) as UIHierarchyItem;
ProjectItem prj1 = item1.Object as ProjectItem;
if (prj1.Kind == EnvDTE.Constants.vsProjectItemKindPhysicalFile) {
String strProjectFolder = String.Empty;
try
{
strProjectFolder = prj1.ContainingProject.Properties.Item("FullPath") .Value.ToString();
}
catch (ArgumentException)
{
// don't know why it didn't work, but if it does throw, try alternative
strProjectFolder = Path.GetDirectoryName(prj1.ContainingProject.FullN ame);
}
strFile1 = Path.Combine(strProjectFolder, item1.Name);
}

String strFile2 = String.Empty;
UIHierarchyItem item2 = aoItems.GetValue(1) as UIHierarchyItem;
ProjectItem prj2 = item2.Object as ProjectItem;
if (prj2.Kind == EnvDTE.Constants.vsProjectItemKindPhysicalFile)
{
String strProjectFolder = String.Empty;
try
{
strProjectFolder = prj2.ContainingProject.Properties.Item("FullPath") .Value.ToString();
}
catch (ArgumentException)
{
// don't know why it didn't work, but if it does throw, try alternative
strProjectFolder = Path.GetDirectoryName(prj2.ContainingProject.FullN ame);
}
strFile2 = Path.Combine(strProjectFolder, item2.Name);
}


RegistryKey keyBeyondCompare = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey(@"Software\Scooter Software\Beyond Compare");
String strExePath = (String) keyBeyondCompare.GetValue("ExePath");

ProcessStartInfo psi = new ProcessStartInfo();
psi.FileName = strExePath;
psi.Arguments = String.Format("\"{0}\" \"{1}\"", strFile1, strFile2);
if (System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(psi) == null)
MessageBox.Show("Could not launch compare.", "Cannot launch compare", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Warning);
}
Handled = true;
return;
}
}
}

/// <summary>Implements the QueryStatus method of the IDTCommandTarget interface. This is called when the command's availability is updated</summary>
/// <param term='CmdName'>The name of the command to determine state for.</param>
/// <param term='NeededText'>Text that is needed for the command.</param>
/// <param term='StatusOption'>The state of the command in the user interface.</param>
/// <param term='CommandText'>Text requested by the neededText parameter.</param>
/// <seealso class='Exec' />
public void QueryStatus (String strCmdName, vsCommandStatusTextWanted NeededText, ref vsCommandStatus StatusOption, ref object CommandText)
{
if (NeededText == vsCommandStatusTextWanted.vsCommandStatusTextWante dNone)
{
if (strCmdName == "BCCompare.Connect.BCCompare")
{
UIHierarchy UIH = _applicationObject.ToolWindows.SolutionExplorer;
Array aoItems = UIH.SelectedItems as Array;
if (aoItems != null && aoItems.Length == 2)
{
String strFile1 = String.Empty;
UIHierarchyItem item1 = aoItems.GetValue(0) as UIHierarchyItem;
ProjectItem prj1 = item1.Object as ProjectItem;
if (prj1.Kind == EnvDTE.Constants.vsProjectItemKindPhysicalFile)
{
String strProjectFolder = String.Empty;
try
{
strProjectFolder = prj1.ContainingProject.Properties.Item("FullPath") .Value.ToString();
}
catch (ArgumentException)
{
// don't know why it didn't work, but if it does throw, try alternative
strProjectFolder = Path.GetDirectoryName(prj1.ContainingProject.FullN ame);
}
strFile1 = Path.Combine(strProjectFolder, item1.Name);
}

String strFile2 = String.Empty;
UIHierarchyItem item2 = aoItems.GetValue(1) as UIHierarchyItem;
ProjectItem prj2 = item2.Object as ProjectItem;
if (prj2.Kind == EnvDTE.Constants.vsProjectItemKindPhysicalFile)
{
String strProjectFolder = String.Empty;
try
{
strProjectFolder = prj2.ContainingProject.Properties.Item("FullPath") .Value.ToString();
}
catch (ArgumentException)
{
// don't know why it didn't work, but if it does throw, try alternative
strProjectFolder = Path.GetDirectoryName(prj2.ContainingProject.FullN ame);
}
strFile2 = Path.Combine(strProjectFolder, item2.Name);
}


RegistryKey keyBeyondCompare = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey(@"Software\Scooter Software\Beyond Compare");
String strExePath = (String) keyBeyondCompare.GetValue("ExePath");

if (File.Exists(strExePath) && File.Exists(strFile1) && File.Exists(strFile2))
{
StatusOption = vsCommandStatus.vsCommandStatusSupported;
StatusOption |= vsCommandStatus.vsCommandStatusEnabled;
}
else
{
StatusOption = vsCommandStatus.vsCommandStatusUnsupported;
StatusOption |= vsCommandStatus.vsCommandStatusInvisible;
}
}
else
{
StatusOption = vsCommandStatus.vsCommandStatusUnsupported;
StatusOption |= vsCommandStatus.vsCommandStatusInvisible;
}
}
else
{
StatusOption = vsCommandStatus.vsCommandStatusUnsupported;
}
}
}
#endregion
}
}

[kevinsikes]

Hi Sparticus1701,

Thanks for posting your solution here.

Kevin Sikes

[Michael Bulgrien]

I have VS 2008, but am not sure how to create a Visual Studio add-in.
Would you mind zipping up the solution and attaching the .zip file?

[Vaclav]

Hi Guys,

Is anybody able to use Sparticus1701 code above and create a Visual Studio 2010 version? ..with the same functionality he mentioned before "to be able to select the files in the solution explorer, right-click and select some sort of 'Compare with BC' command."

Thank you.