VS Command Server

A Visual Studio extension that provides an HTTP server to execute commands from external applications. This is a port of VSCode Command Server using the exact same REST API.

Features

• 🚀 HTTP Server: Exposes Visual Studio commands via REST API
• 🔧 Command Execution: Execute any Visual Studio command remotely
• 📝 Command Discovery: Get list of all available commands
• 📊 Server Info: Monitor server status and workspace information

Usage

Starting the Server

The server can automatically start when Visual Studio loads. You can also manually control it from the Tools menu:

• Tools → Start Command Server - Start the HTTP server
• Tools → Stop Command Server - Stop the HTTP server
• Tools → Show Command Server Status - Check if server is running

The server starts on port 3000 by default (or next available port).

API Endpoints

GET / - Server Status

Check if the server is running.

curl http://localhost:3000/

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "result": "VS Command Server is running"
}

GET /info - Server Information

Get server details including port, PID, solution path, and VS version.

curl http://localhost:3000/info

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "port": 3000,
  "processId": 12345,
  "solutionPath": "C:\\Projects\\MySolution.sln",
  "visualStudioVersion": "Visual Studio 18.0 (Community)"
}

GET /commands - List Available Commands

Get all available Visual Studio commands.

curl http://localhost:3000/commands

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "commands": [
    { "name": "File.NewFile", "displayName": "New File" },
    { "name": "File.SaveAll", "displayName": "Save All" },
    ...
  ]
}

POST /execute - Execute Command

Execute a Visual Studio command with optional arguments.

curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/execute \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"command": "File.NewFile"}'

With arguments:

curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/execute \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"command": "File.OpenFile", "args": ["C:\\Projects\\file.cs"]}'

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "command": "File.NewFile",
  "result": "Command 'File.NewFile' executed successfully"
}

Client Examples

Python Client

import requests

BASE_URL = "http://localhost:3000"

# Check status
response = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/")
print(response.json())

# Get server info
response = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/info")
print(response.json())

# List commands
response = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/commands")
commands = response.json()["commands"]
print(f"Found {len(commands)} commands")

# Execute a command
response = requests.post(
    f"{BASE_URL}/execute",
    json={"command": "View.SolutionExplorer"}
)
print(response.json())

PowerShell Client

# Check status
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "http://localhost:3000/"

# Get server info
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "http://localhost:3000/info"

# Execute command
$body = @{ command = "File.NewFile" } | ConvertTo-Json
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "http://localhost:3000/execute" -Method Post -Body $body -ContentType "application/json"

curl Examples

# Check status
curl http://localhost:3000/

# Get server info
curl http://localhost:3000/info

# List all commands
curl http://localhost:3000/commands

# Execute command
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/execute \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"command": "View.SolutionExplorer"}'

Common Visual Studio Commands

Here are some useful commands you can execute:

Response Format

All API responses follow this format:

{
  "success": true,
  "result": "Result data (if any)",
  "command": "executed.command.name",
  "error": "Error message (if failed)"
}

Security Notes

• The server only accepts connections from localhost (127.0.0.1)
• CORS is enabled for development convenience
• Consider security implications before exposing to external networks

Requirements

• Visual Studio 2022 (version 17.0 or later)
• .NET Framework 4.8

License

MIT License