Example console app showing how to add items to the Visual Studio toolbox

InstallApp.cs

using System;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;

namespace ToolboxIntegration
{
  class InstallApp
  {
    protected const string DTE_PROG_ID = "VisualStudio.DTE.7.1";

    protected const string WEB_DLL_PATH = @"C:\path\to\controls.dll";

    protected const string TAB_NAME_FORMAT = "My Controls {0}.{1}.{2}";

    protected static EnvDTE.DTE dte = null;

    protected static string toolboxTabName = "";

    [STAThread]
    private static void Main(string[] args)
    {
      try{
        InitializeEnvironment();
        if(args.Length == 1){
          switch(args[0]){
            case "add":
              AddItemsToToolbox();
              break;
            case "remove":
              RemoveToolboxTab();
              break;
            case "enum":
              EnumToolboxTabs();
              break;
            default:
              ShowUsage();
              break;
          }
        }
        else{
          ShowUsage();
        }
      }
      finally{
        Cleanup();
      }
    }

    private static void ShowUsage(){
      Console.WriteLine("Specify argument: 'add' or 'remove'.");
    }

    private static void InitializeEnvironment(){
      Type dteType = Type.GetTypeFromProgID(DTE_PROG_ID);
      dte = System.Activator.CreateInstance(dteType, true) as EnvDTE.DTE;
      if(dte == null){
        throw new ApplicationException("Unable to get DTE reference.");
      }

      toolboxTabName = GetTabName();
    }

    private static void Cleanup(){
      if(dte != null){
        dte.Quit();
        Marshal.ReleaseComObject(dte);
      }
    }

    private static void RemoveToolboxTab(){
      EnvDTE.ToolBoxTab tab = GetToolBoxTab();
      tab.Delete();
      Console.WriteLine("Removed Tab.");
    }

    private static void AddItemsToToolbox() {
      EnvDTE.ToolBoxTab newTab = GetToolBoxTab();
      newTab.ToolBoxItems.Add(null, WEB_DLL_PATH, EnvDTE.vsToolBoxItemFormat.vsToolBoxItemFormatDotNETComponent);
      Console.WriteLine("Added controls: {0}", WEB_DLL_PATH);
    }

    private static EnvDTE.ToolBox GetToolBox(){
      EnvDTE.Window toolboxWindow = dte.Windows.Item(EnvDTE.Constants.vsWindowKindToolbox);
      toolboxWindow.Visible = true;
      toolboxWindow.DTE.ExecuteCommand("View.PropertiesWindow", "");
      EnvDTE.ToolBox toolbox = toolboxWindow.Object as EnvDTE.ToolBox;
      if(toolbox == null){
        throw new ApplicationException("Unable to retrieve toolbox.");
      }
      return toolbox;
    }

    private static EnvDTE.ToolBoxTab GetToolBoxTab(){
      EnvDTE.ToolBox toolbox = GetToolBox();
      EnvDTE.ToolBoxTab tooltab = null;
      string toolboxTabName = GetTabName();
      foreach(EnvDTE.ToolBoxTab tab in toolbox.ToolBoxTabs){
        Console.WriteLine("Tab: {0}", tab.Name);
        if(tab.Name == toolboxTabName){
          tooltab = tab;
        }
      }
      if(tooltab == null){
        tooltab = toolbox.ToolBoxTabs.Add(toolboxTabName);
        Console.WriteLine("Added tab: {0}", tooltab.Name);
      }
      tooltab.Activate();
      tooltab.ToolBoxItems.Item(1).Select();
      return tooltab;
    }

    private static void EnumToolboxTabs(){
      EnvDTE.ToolBox toolbox = GetToolBox();
      EnvDTE.ToolBoxTab tooltab = null;
      string toolboxTabName = GetTabName();
      foreach(EnvDTE.ToolBoxTab tab in toolbox.ToolBoxTabs){
        Console.WriteLine("Tab: {0}", tab.Name);
        if(tab.Name == toolboxTabName){
          tooltab = tab;
        }
      }
      if(tooltab != null){
        Console.WriteLine("Found the tab.  Contents:");
        foreach(EnvDTE.ToolBoxItem item in tooltab.ToolBoxItems){
          Console.WriteLine("Item: {0}", item.Name);
        }
      }
    }

    private static string GetTabName(){
      Assembly asm = Assembly.LoadFile(WEB_DLL_PATH);
      Version ver = asm.GetName().Version;
      string tabName = String.Format(TAB_NAME_FORMAT, ver.Major, ver.Minor, ver.Build);
      return tabName;
    }
  }
}