Extensibility

TODO: create a Visual Studio template for writing Library Installer extensions

It's easy to write your own providers for the Library Installer.

Basic provider

A basic provider allows libraries to be installed and removed. This is all you need to provide basic functionality for your provider.

Step 1

Make sure the Visual Studio SDK is installed and then create a new extensibility project by creating a VSIX Project.

Step 2

Install the Microsoft.Web.LibraryInstaller.Contracts NuGet package

Step 3

Implement the IProviderFactory and IProvider interfaces from the NuGet package and add an [Export(IProviderFactory)] attribute to the IProviderFactory class.

Step 4

Mark the VSIX as a MEF export by opening the .vsixmanifest file and add the project as an MEF Component under Assets.

Advanced provider

Contains the same steps as in the Basic provider. The advanced provider will give Intellisense in library.json, update checks and other features.

Step 1

Implement ILibraryCatalog and the other interfaces used by it.

Step 2

Return an instance of the ILibraryCatalog from the IProvider.GetCatalog method.