Using C#, how do I create a new Visual Studio 2012 Solution programmatically?

Question

I followed this Stack Overflow post regarding how to create a project for VS2010, hoping that it would point me in the correct direction, but it doesn't cover creating a VS2012 project or solution.

I also explored using SLNTools, but I don't see how to create a new solution from scratch.

Ultimately, I would like to create 3-4 VS2012 projects programmatically and then add them to a solution which is also created programmatically.

---

I attempted a solution based on this Stack Overflow post, but I get an odd error. Here is the code:

    Type typeDTE = Type.GetTypeFromProgID("VisualStudio.DTE.11.0");
    var dte = (DTE)Activator.CreateInstance(typeDTE, true);
    var sln = (Solution2)dte.Solution;
    sln.Create(@"D:\Visual Studio\Projects","Test");

And here is the error:

Answer 1

This works for me (VS2012 Ultimate):

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    System.Type type = System.Type.GetTypeFromProgID("VisualStudio.DTE.11.0");
    Object obj = System.Activator.CreateInstance(type, true);
    EnvDTE.DTE dte = (EnvDTE.DTE)obj;
    dte.MainWindow.Visible = true; // optional if you want to See VS doing its thing

    // create a new solution
    dte.Solution.Create(@"C:\NewSolution\", "NewSolution");
    var solution = dte.Solution;

    // create a C# WinForms app
    solution.AddFromTemplate(@"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\ProjectTemplatesCache\CSharp\Windows\1033\WindowsApplication\csWindowsApplication.vstemplate",
        @"C:\NewSolution\WinFormsApp", "WinFormsApp");

    // create a C# class library
    solution.AddFromTemplate(@"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\ProjectTemplatesCache\CSharp\Windows\1033\ClassLibrary\csClassLibrary.vstemplate",
        @"C:\NewSolution\ClassLibrary", "ClassLibrary");

    // save and quit
    dte.ExecuteCommand("File.SaveAll");
    dte.Quit();
}

[Edit:] Looking under HKCR, it looks like there's a VisualStudio.DTE (without the .11.0) that will point to the latest version of VS. So on my machine with VS2012 and VS2013, it will use the latter.

Answer 2

Tested and working using .NET4 Winforms, and a reference to EnvDTE100.dll (which should also add references to EnvDTE90.dll, EnvDTE80.dll, and EnvDTE.dll)

Type type = Type.GetTypeFromProgID("VisualStudio.DTE.11.0");
Object obj = System.Activator.CreateInstance(type, true);
EnvDTE80.DTE2 dte = (EnvDTE80.DTE2)obj;
EnvDTE100.Solution4 _solution = (EnvDTE100.Solution4)dte.Solution;
_solution.Create(@"C:\Test\", "Test");
_solution.SaveAs(@"C:\Test\Test.sln");

Answer 3

Both solutions below by Jimmy and Xenolightining work, however, I still had the problem of the aforementioned error. So, in case anyone else encounters that error, see this link:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms228772(v=vs.80).aspx

To summarize the link above (or in case it is ever broken), here is what you do. Add this class to your solution:

 public class MessageFilter : IOleMessageFilter
    {
        //
        // Class containing the IOleMessageFilter
        // thread error-handling functions.

        // Start the filter.
        public static void Register()
        {
            IOleMessageFilter newFilter = new MessageFilter(); 
            IOleMessageFilter oldFilter = null; 
            CoRegisterMessageFilter(newFilter, out oldFilter);
        }

        // Done with the filter, close it.
        public static void Revoke()
        {
            IOleMessageFilter oldFilter = null; 
            CoRegisterMessageFilter(null, out oldFilter);
        }

        //
        // IOleMessageFilter functions.
        // Handle incoming thread requests.
        int IOleMessageFilter.HandleInComingCall(int dwCallType, 
          System.IntPtr hTaskCaller, int dwTickCount, System.IntPtr 
          lpInterfaceInfo) 
        {
            //Return the flag SERVERCALL_ISHANDLED.
            return 0;
        }

        // Thread call was rejected, so try again.
        int IOleMessageFilter.RetryRejectedCall(System.IntPtr 
          hTaskCallee, int dwTickCount, int dwRejectType)
        {
            if (dwRejectType == 2)
            // flag = SERVERCALL_RETRYLATER.
            {
                // Retry the thread call immediately if return >=0 & 
                // <100.
                return 99;
            }
            // Too busy; cancel call.
            return -1;
        }

        int IOleMessageFilter.MessagePending(System.IntPtr hTaskCallee, 
          int dwTickCount, int dwPendingType)
        {
            //Return the flag PENDINGMSG_WAITDEFPROCESS.
            return 2; 
        }

        // Implement the IOleMessageFilter interface.
        [DllImport("Ole32.dll")]
        private static extern int 
          CoRegisterMessageFilter(IOleMessageFilter newFilter, out 
          IOleMessageFilter oldFilter);
    }

    [ComImport(), Guid("00000016-0000-0000-C000-000000000046"), 
    InterfaceTypeAttribute(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]
    interface IOleMessageFilter 
    {
        [PreserveSig]
        int HandleInComingCall( 
            int dwCallType, 
            IntPtr hTaskCaller, 
            int dwTickCount, 
            IntPtr lpInterfaceInfo);

        [PreserveSig]
        int RetryRejectedCall( 
            IntPtr hTaskCallee, 
            int dwTickCount,
            int dwRejectType);

        [PreserveSig]
        int MessagePending( 
            IntPtr hTaskCallee, 
            int dwTickCount,
            int dwPendingType);
    }

Now wrap the code-generation code (from answers below) with these statements:

MessageFilter.Register();
//INSERT YOUR CODE HERE
MessageFilter.Revoke();