Extension package should have dependency on Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.DslTools

[mmarinchenko]

It's possible to install EFDesigner extension on Visual Studio without DslTools installed. In this case extension doesn't work (including options page).

It would be convenient to explicitly include corresponding dependency in the package.

[msawczyn]

There shouldn't be a dependency on DslTools being installed. I'll investigate.

[mmarinchenko]

Additional info (screenshot and activity log):

1. 

2. ActivityLog.xml.txt

[mmarinchenko]

This only happens in absence of DslTools. When I install DslTools EFDesigner works properly.

[msawczyn]

The error shown in the ActivityLog occurred when the extension tried to load the MEF assemblies, which support the context menus (among other features). All that's included in Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Sdk.Shell.15.0.dll, which is part of the VSIX.

Which version of the extension were you trying to install?

[mmarinchenko]

@msawczyn

I've spent some time investigating this issue further. Here are my findings.

I have v3.0.6.1 installed. But if I understand correctly this issue is really old, see ex. #66, #277, #292. Unfortunately, ActivityLog doesn't contain info about why this happens.

The Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Sdk.Shell.15.0.dll assembly is part of Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VSSDK package. VSSDK itself is not sufficient for EFDesigner to work. There is another package, so-called "Modelling SDK" which is known as Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.DslTools internally.

DslTools package contains built-in VS extension "Modelling" with Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Components.15.0.dll assembly which is not part of EFDesigner VSIX. You may try to remove DslTools package through VS Installer (i.e "Modelling SDK") or just move C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\Common7\IDE\Extensions\Microsoft\Modeling folder to some external location to reproduce the issue.

I hope this helps!

[msawczyn]

Ты гений!

Based on the information you supplied, I was able to reproduce the issue and have baked Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Components.15.0.dll into the package, which appears to resolve it. Can you give it a try at https://github.com/msawczyn/EFDesigner/raw/master/dist/Sawczyn.EFDesigner.EFModel.DslPackage.vsix ?

[mmarinchenko]

Ты гений!

Oh, I hardly think so))) But thanks anyway!

https://github.com/msawczyn/EFDesigner/raw/master/dist/Sawczyn.EFDesigner.EFModel.DslPackage.vsix

I installed your VSIX. Version is 3.0.7.0 now. Unfortunately, it still doesn't work.

---

There are 2 cases.

1. If I install "Modeling SDK" (DslTools) through VS Installer and then just remove "Modeling" extension folder then it works (previous versions doesn't work in this case).

2. If I remove "Modeling SDK" (DslTools) through VS Installer then it doesn't work. Perhaps the problem is that the Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Components.15.0.dll assembly is installed as a MEF component in "Modelling" extension (see its extension.vsixmanifest). My knowledge is not enough to say this for sure.

---

Maybe you can figure out what's wrong. I've attached an archive with a complete dependency tree of DSL runtime packages from VS Installer:

DslRuntimePackages.zip

[msawczyn]

Thanks for the testing. I'll dig some more.

[mmarinchenko]

I have to admit I was wrong initially. Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.DslTools is not really a package that you can depend on. DSL SDK requires VS Pro edition, so it doesn't work in VS Community.

It turns out the correct package is Microsoft.VisualStudio.PackageGroup.DslRuntime. Or even just Microsoft.VisualStudio.Dsl.Core (if EF Designer doesn't require Microsoft.VisualStudio.Dsl.GraphObject).

If one of this packages will be added as dependency then, I suppose, the following files can be safely removed from EF Designer:

• Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Components.15.0.dll
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Sdk.15.0.dll
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Sdk.15.0.pdb
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Sdk.15.0.xml
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Sdk.Diagrams.15.0.dll
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Sdk.Diagrams.15.0.xml
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Sdk.Integration.15.0.dll
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Sdk.Integration.Shell.15.0.dll
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Sdk.Integration.Shell.15.0.resources.dll
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Sdk.Shell.15.0.dll
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Sdk.Shell.15.0.xml
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextTemplating.Modeling.15.0.dll

[mmarinchenko]

@msawczyn

I see that you've added Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Components.15.0.dll as a reference to the DslPackage project trying to solve this issue:

EFDesigner/src/DslPackage/DslPackage.csproj

Lines 89 to 91 in ffb4465

	<Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Components.15.0">
	<HintPath>..\..\..\..\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\Common7\IDE\Extensions\Microsoft\Modeling_\16.0\Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Components.15.0.dll</HintPath>
	</Reference>

Have you tried the following?

1. Remove the mentioned reference from the DslPackage project.

2. Add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Components.15.0.dll to the DslPackage project as content similar to these 2 dlls:

EFDesigner/src/DslPackage/DslPackage.csproj

Lines 314 to 319 in ffb4465

	<Content Include="Microsoft.Data.ConnectionUI.Dialog.dll">
	<IncludeInVSIX>true</IncludeInVSIX>
	</Content>
	<Content Include="Microsoft.Data.ConnectionUI.dll">
	<IncludeInVSIX>true</IncludeInVSIX>
	</Content>

Code to add:

    <Content Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Components.15.0.dll">
      <IncludeInVSIX>true</IncludeInVSIX>
    </Content>

3. Add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Components.15.0.dll to the source.extension.tt template as MefComponent asset:

EFDesigner/src/DslPackage/source.extension.tt

Lines 38 to 44 in ffb4465

	<Assets>
	<Asset Type="Microsoft.VisualStudio.VsPackage" d:Source="Project" d:ProjectName="%CurrentProject%" Path="|%CurrentProject%;PkgdefProjectOutputGroup|" />
	<Asset Type="Microsoft.VisualStudio.VsPackage" d:Source="File" Path="additional.pkgdef" />
	<Asset Type="Microsoft.VisualStudio.MefComponent" d:Source="Project" d:ProjectName="%CurrentProject%" Path="|%CurrentProject%|" />
	<Asset Type="Microsoft.VisualStudio.MefComponent" d:Source="Project" d:ProjectName="<#= dslProjectName #>" Path="|<#= dslProjectName #>|" />
	<Asset Type="Microsoft.VisualStudio.ItemTemplate" d:Source="Project" d:ProjectName="%CurrentProject%" d:TargetPath="|%CurrentProject%;TemplateProjectOutputGroup|" Path="ItemTemplates" d:VsixSubPath="ItemTemplates" />
	</Assets>

Code to add:

    <Asset Type="Microsoft.VisualStudio.MefComponent" d:Source="File" Path="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Modeling.Components.15.0.dll" />