Visual Studio 2015 toolbar combo, how to manage the value entered by the user correctly?

Question

I have defined a dynamic combo for a toolbar in a VSIX package for Visual Studio 2015 using this setting in the VSCT file:

  <Combo guid="cmdExplorerToolbarSearchGUID" id="cmdExplorerToolbarSearchID" priority="0x0" type="DynamicCombo"
      defaultWidth="50" idCommandList="cmdExplorerToolbarSearchGetListID">
    <Parent guid="grpExplorerToolbar3GUID" id="grpExplorerToolbar3ID" />
    <CommandFlag>DynamicVisibility</CommandFlag>
    <CommandFlag>IconAndText</CommandFlag>
    <CommandFlag>StretchHorizontally</CommandFlag>
    <Strings>
      <CanonicalName>cmdExplorerToolbarSearch</CanonicalName>
      <ButtonText>Search</ButtonText>
      <ToolTipText>Search elements in the model explorer</ToolTipText>
    </Strings>
  </Combo>

</Combos>

The corresponding DynamicStatusMenuCommand instances are defined as follow:

    command = new DynamicStatusMenuCommand(
        new EventHandler(this.OnPopUpMenuDisplayAction),
        new EventHandler(this.OnCmdExplorerToolbarSearchSelected),
        new CommandID(CmdExplorerToolbarSearchGUID, CmdExplorerToolbarSearchID));
    commands.Add(command);

    command = new DynamicStatusMenuCommand(
        new EventHandler(this.OnPopUpMenuDisplayAction),
        new EventHandler(this.OnCmdExplorerToolbarSearchGetList),
        new CommandID(CmdExplorerToolbarSearchGUID, CmdExplorerToolbarSearchGetListID));
    commands.Add(command);

And finally the OnCmdExplorerToolbarSearchSelected event handler like this:

private void OnCmdExplorerToolbarSearchSelected(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    // Process the event arguments

    OleMenuCmdEventArgs args = e as OleMenuCmdEventArgs;
    if (args != null)
    {
        // Process values

        string inValue = args.InValue as string;
        IntPtr outValue = args.OutValue;

        if (outValue != IntPtr.Zero)
        {
            // When outValue is not null, the IDE is requesting the current value for the combo

            Marshal.GetNativeVariantForObject(this.SearchHandler.CurrentValue, outValue);
        }
        else if (inValue != null)
        {
            this.SearchHandler.Search(this.PresentationModel3ExplorerToolWindow.Explorer, inValue);
        }
    }
}

This results in a nice combo in the toolbox:

The problem is that if the user, for example, enters "Unit" and presses Enter the event handler is called with inValue != null and the search is performed. But if, then, he enters something else (eg: Customer) and presses Tab (no Enter), the combo reverts back to the previous value ("Unit") because the handler is called with args.OutValue != IntPtr.Zero.

What is the trick to get a callback when the user enters something and moves the focus away from the combo without pressing Enter? And, given that, how can I get the value that is on the combo at that moment?

PfhorSlayer PfhorSlayer · Accepted Answer · 2017-01-06T06:55:03

I haven't tried this, but if you install your command using an OleMenuCommand, you can provide a "Changed" handler, which seems like it should get called whenever the text in the combo box changes. This may allow you to do what you want?

Visual Studio 2015 toolbar combo, how to manage the value entered by the user correctly?

1 Answers