.VSIX File Format – Visual Studio packages

VS Code and Visual Studio extension package

A VSIX package for Visual Studio is the same kind of ZIP archive as one for VS Code, but with no package.json. It holds one or more Visual Studio extensions, and may hold other VSIX packages to install as dependencies, and Extension.vsixlangpack files with localised setup text. Its manifest, extension.vsixmanifest, lists the products it installs into and the assets it holds.

Schema 2.0

This schema was introduced with Visual Studio 2012. The root element is PackageManifest, with Version="2.0.0", in the namespace http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vsx-schema/2011. The loader ignores elements and attributes it does not understand.

ElementHolds
MetadataThe package’s identity and advertising information. One only.
InstallationHow it installs and what it installs into. One only. Without it the package installs into no product.
DependenciesOther packages this one needs. Optional.
AssetsThe extensions and content in the package. Without it the package surfaces nothing.

Metadata

Element or attributeHolds
Identity IdA unique ID chosen by the author, at most 100 characters.
Identity VersionThe package’s version, as Major.Minor.Build.Revision. A higher version updates a lower one.
Identity LanguageThe default language, such as en-US, or neutral (the default).
Identity PublisherThe publisher, at most 100 characters.
DisplayNameThe name shown in the extension manager, at most 50 characters.
DescriptionA short description, at most 1,000 characters. Optional.
MoreInfoThe address of a page about the package. Optional.
LicenseThe path of a licence file (.txt, .rtf) in the package. Optional.
ReleaseNotesThe path of a release notes file in the package, or an address. Optional.
IconThe path of an image (PNG, BMP, JPEG, ICO), 32 × 32 pixels. Optional.
PreviewImageThe path of an image (PNG, BMP, JPEG), 200 × 200 pixels. Optional.
TagsSearch hints, separated by semicolons, at most 100 characters. Optional.
GettingStartedGuideThe path of an HTML file in the package, or an address, opened after installation. Optional.
ExtensionTypeThe extensibility model: VSSDK, VisualStudio.Extensibility or VSSDK+VisualStudio.Extensibility.

Installation

Attribute or elementHolds
ExperimentalSet when developing an updated version on a computer where it is already installed for all users.
ScopeGlobal, or ProductExtension (the default).
AllUsersInstalls for every user of the computer. Default false.
InstalledByMsiThe package is managed by an MSI. Default false.
SystemComponentHidden from the extension manager, and cannot be updated. Default false.
InstallationTargetA product to install into: Id, such as Microsoft.VisualStudio.Community, .Pro or .Enterprise, and Version, a range such as [17.0,18.0). A child ProductArchitecture element may give amd64 or arm64.

A version range uses [ and ] for inclusive ends and ( and ) for exclusive ones. A single number means only that version.

Dependencies

Each Dependency has an Id matching the Identity Id of another package, a Version range, and optionally DisplayName and Location, a path to a nested VSIX in this package or an address to download it from.

Assets

Each Asset has a Type, a Path relative to the package, and optionally a TargetVersion. The types Microsoft documents are below, and authors can define their own.

  • Microsoft.VisualStudio.VsPackage
  • Microsoft.VisualStudio.MefComponent
  • Microsoft.VisualStudio.ToolboxControl
  • Microsoft.VisualStudio.Samples
  • Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectTemplate
  • Microsoft.VisualStudio.ItemTemplate
  • Microsoft.VisualStudio.Assembly

The older schema

Packages from before Visual Studio 2012 use a different root element, Vsix, with the namespace http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vsx-schema/2010 and a Version of 1.0.0. An Identifier element holds the name, author, version, description and locale, a SupportedProducts element lists the Visual Studio versions and editions it installs into, and a Content element lists what it holds, such as MefComponent entries.