Apart from very simple approaches (macros, templates) and super-specialized DSL tools for very specific purposes, there are really only two general Visual Studio extensibility approaches: the Automation Model (formerly Extensibility model), a.k.a. EnvDTE, and the Visual Studio SDK.

While the Visual Studio SDK will be enhanced over the next years to make it truly simple, .NET-oriented, object-oriented, free of COM or C++ style APIs, etc. and maybe some day we will have a unified approach, the automation model (EnvDTE) still have its place, and there are quite a few areas of it that could be enhanced. Seeing the EnvDTE90.dll of the last Visual Studio 2008, it seems that it hasn’t been enhanced a lot :-(. So, I am planning a series of enhancement requests that I will send to Microsoft through the official channel (Microsoft Connect). Supposedly requests from MVPs get more consideration, but that plan is to post links on this blog so if you are an add-in developer (or not) you can vote for them. Hopefully Microsoft can implement them for the next Visual Studio version. I think this is a very good moment because Visual Studio 2008 has just been released, the version cycle lasts 2 years and it should be the proper time to write the specs of the next version.

My first enhancement request is the problem #1 of all times in the extensibility of Microsoft IDEs since more than 10 years ago, the problem of custom, transparent pictures for buttons:

Automation Model (EnvDTE) Enhancement: Accept .NET System.Drawing.Icon to set custom pictures in add-in commands and toolwindows
https://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=336868

Vote for it!