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Visual Studio Macros

A macro is a series of commands and instructions that you group together as a single command to accomplish a task automatically. Macros allow you to automate repetitive actions. Visual Studio includes the Macros integrated development environment (IDE), which is used solely for creating, manipulating, editing, and running macros. The Macros IDE is separate from the Visual Studio IDE.

How to: Record Macros

Describes how to create and record macros.

How to: Run Macros

Discusses various ways to run macros and pass parameters.

Macro Recording and Running Issues

Offers solutions to problems commonly encountered in recording and running macros.

How to: Manage Macros

Describes how to edit an existing macro or manually create a new one.

Debugging Macros

Discusses what to do when errors occur in your macros.

How to: Manage Macros

Describes the Macros Explorer and its context menus.

Saving and Exporting Macros Files

Describes how to save and export macro files in the Macros IDE.

Functionality Differences Between the Macros IDE and the Visual Studio IDE

Describes differences in the Extensibility Model, Document object, properties, item operation, the Find method, projects, and tools options between Visual Studio macros and Visual Studio.

How to: Reference COM and .NET Framework Components in Macros

Describes how to enable Visual Studio macros to reference COM components by using the Tlbimp utility.

How to: Handle Environment Events in Macros

Discusses the EnvironmentEvents template, the OnMacrosRuntimeReset event and the OnStartupComplete event.

Macros Security and Sharing Issues

Discusses the primary security issues concerning macros: intellectual property protection, and virus avoidance and protection.

Macros Samples

Lists and describes the macros samples included in Visual Studio.

Automating Repetitive Actions by Using Macros

Provides an overview of how to use macros to automate procedures or repeated sequences of keystrokes.

Macros Development Environment

Describes all the dialog boxes in the Macros IDE.


Provides details of the Macros object, which represents the Visual Studio macro recorder.

Visual Studio Macros Error Messages

Lists all error messages associated with Visual Studio macros.

How to: Use Add-ins to Control Macros

Describes how to use the Visual Studio automation model's Macros object to control macros being recorded in the IDE, including pausing and reactivating the recorder, writing code to the macro being recorded, and determining whether the recorder is currently operating.

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