VSCode to Visual Studio IDE code snippet conversion

Question

Consider the following VSCode code snippet taken from here:

 "var set get f m_":{
    "prefix": "varsetgetfm",
    "body":[
        "${1:int} ${2:VARNM};",
        "$1 ${2/^(?:f|m)_?([A-Za-z])(.*)|([A-Z].*)$/${1:/downcase}$2${3:/downcase}/}(){return $2;}",
        "void ${2/^(?:f|m)_?([A-Za-z])(.*)|([A-Z].*)$/${1:/downcase}$2${3:/downcase}/}($1 val){$2 = val;}"
    ]
  }

Is there a way to convert this and other snippets from VSCode to a format usable in Visual Studio IDE automatically without having to manually figure out the equivalent? Visual Studio IDE seems to have xml based snippets and not json based snippets like VSCode does.

Answer 1

There’s no existing way. There’s however a way and it involves parsing the json and creating the xml needed. You can use the schema reference link to see json <-> xml, snippet, equivalent.

In other words, make it yourself. Should be fairly easy given that all the details are already documented by Microsoft.

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Next day edit:

Take a look at this gif I made . It replicates partially replicates the vscode snippet inside visual studio.

Also, the snippet xml code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<CodeSnippets  xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/2005/CodeSnippet">
    <CodeSnippet Format="1.0.0">
        <Header>
            <Title>varsetget</Title>
            <Shortcut>varsetget</Shortcut>
            <Description>Code snippet testing</Description>
            <Author>Dorian</Author>
        </Header>
        <Snippet>
            <Declarations>
                <Literal>
                    <ID>type</ID>
                    <ToolTip>the var type</ToolTip>
                    <Default>int</Default>
                </Literal>
                <Literal>
                    <ID>VARNM</ID>
                    <ToolTip>the var name</ToolTip>
                    <Default>VARNM</Default>
                </Literal>
            </Declarations>
            <Code Language="csharp"><![CDATA[
                $selected$$type$$end$ $VARNM$;
                $type$ $VARNM$(){return $VARNM$;}
                void $VARNM$($type$ val){$VARNM$ = val;}
            ]]>
            </Code>
        </Snippet>
    </CodeSnippet>
</CodeSnippets>

To be able to use it, create a *.snippet file wherever you want on your machine with the code above, then:

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. Navigate and open the *.snippet file you created

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. You can now test out the snippet

NOTE: In Visual Studio 2019 the default of inserting a code snippet or moving to the next Declaration Literal is pressing Tab twice as opposed to Visual Studio Code, where only one Tab is needed.

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Everything I wrote is from the msdocs or deducted from the examples there.

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My last edit:

It looks like you're not out of luck. But I do not have the time to investigate/test further, sadly. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/microsoft.visualstudio.package.expansionfunction?view=visualstudiosdk-2019

Also, according to this SO post you basically would have to create your own language, which I personally doubt.

PS: How come the guys at MS q&a didn't suggest this I do not understand...