VSERunOnSave
This Visual Studio Extension allows you to execute Visual Studio commands or external tools automatically before or after saving a file.
Supports Visual Studio 2022/2026 on both x64 and ARM64 platforms.
Features
- Run VS commands (e.g.
Edit.FormatDocument, Build.BuildSolution) before or after saving.
- Run external commands or scripts (e.g. formatters, compilers, or custom tools).
- Automatically substitute variables like
$(File), $(ProjectDir), $(Configuration), etc.
- Display messages in a dedicated Visual Studio output pane.
- Compatible with both
.vserunonsave and .editorconfig configuration files.
- Fully supports C++, C#, and other project types.
- Non-blocking — long-running external commands respect a configurable timeout.
Configuration
The .vserunonsave configuration file follows the EditorConfig file format and syntax.
You can use familiar INI-style sections (e.g. [*.cpp]), key = value pairs, and the root = true directive to stop searching parent directories.
If no .vserunonsave file is found, the extension automatically falls back to .editorconfig.
Create a .vserunonsave file in your solution or project root directory.
All keys are optional and support comma-separated multiple commands.
| Key |
Description |
vs_command_before |
VS command(s) to execute before saving the document. |
vs_command_after |
VS command(s) to execute after saving the document. |
ext_command_before |
External command(s) to execute before saving. |
ext_command_after |
External command(s) to execute after saving. |
ext_command_timeout |
Timeout for each external command (in seconds). |
output_clear |
Clears the output pane before any commands run. |
output_start |
Message to display before commands run. |
output_end |
Message to display after all commands finish. |
~~output_string~~ |
Removed. Use output_end instead. |
Built-in Variable Replacements
These predefined variables are automatically replaced at runtime:
| Variable |
Description |
$(File) |
Full path of the file currently being edited. |
$(FileDir) |
Directory of the current file (without trailing \). |
$(FileName) |
File name of the current file. |
$(FileNameNoExt) |
File name without extension. |
$(ProjectDir) |
Project directory (without trailing \). |
$(SolutionDir) |
Solution directory (without trailing \). |
$(Configuration) |
Current build configuration (e.g. Debug, Release). |
$(Platform) |
Current build platform (e.g. x64, Win32, arm64). |
$(VSRootDir) |
Visual Studio root directory (without trailing \). |
$(time) |
Current time in HH:mm:ss format. |
$(nl) |
Newline character (useful for multiline output). |
Examples
Automatically format all C/C++ files upon save
[*.{cpp,hpp,c,h}]
vs_command_before = Edit.FormatDocument
Automatically format and copy a C# file’s contents
[sample.cs]
vs_command_before = Edit.FormatDocument
vs_command_after = Edit.SelectAll, Edit.Copy
output_end = Contents copied to clipboard!
Compile a GLSL shader and save as SPIR-V
[*.frag]
ext_command_after = "$(SolutionDir)\tools\glslangValidator.exe" -s -V "$(File)" -o "$(FileDir)\spir-v\$(FileNameNoExt).spv"
ext_command_timeout = 30
output_end = Compiled: $(FileNameNoExt).spv
output_clear = true
Credits
Inspired by the VSE-FormatDocumentOnSave extension by mynkow.
Change Log
1.1.6
- Added new variable:
$(VSRootDir).
- Removed admin rights to install extension.
1.1.4
- Added fallback support for
.editorconfig when .vserunonsave is not present.
- Added support for the
unset keyword to explicitly disable inherited settings.
- Improved configuration caching and file lookup performance.
- Fixed possible null-reference errors when no project or solution is loaded.
- Minor refactoring and improved logging clarity.
1.1.2
- Major internal refactor for stability and maintainability.
- Added new settings:
ext_command_timeout, output_clear, and output_start.
- Added new variables:
$(Configuration), $(Platform), $(time), and $(nl).
- Long-running commands no longer block VS — use
ext_command_timeout to limit execution time.
- Replaced
output_string with output_end.
- Output pane is no longer cleared automatically; use
output_clear = true if desired.
1.0.0
