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The document includes minimum system and runtime requirements, SDK installation steps, core concepts like Host Application, IDE, Session and VSTAX, and an example flow for launching the IDE from a host application.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/presentations/","Presentations",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/vsta-sample-host-integration-overview/170091/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/vsta-sample-host-integration-overview/170091.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Jiven","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document","2026-10-23","2026-09-01",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",16,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is VSTA 2013 used for in host application customization?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"VSTA 2013 enables end users to customize existing applications by creating add-ins using Visual Basic .NET and Visual C#, and by integrating the Visual Studio IDE into the host experience.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How do standalone mode and supported Visual Studio mode differ?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Standalone mode lets the host load, compile, and run end-user customizations. When a supported Visual Studio is installed, VSTA adds the ability to edit and debug those customizations.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What are the core concepts needed to integrate a host application with VSTA?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Key concepts include Host Application, IDE, Project Template, Session, and VSTAX, which together define how projects and services are created, packaged, and associated with a running IDE instance.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},170091,1791227666,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,93,98,103,107,112,117,122],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},11,90,"presentations",{"id":89,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":90,"show_sort_weight":91,"slug":92},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":94,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":95,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":97},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":99,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":100,"show_sort_weight":101,"slug":102},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":55,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":104,"show_sort_weight":105,"slug":106},"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":108,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":109,"show_sort_weight":110,"slug":111},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":113,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":114,"show_sort_weight":115,"slug":116},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":118,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":119,"show_sort_weight":120,"slug":121},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":123,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":125},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":127},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":128,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":22,"category_id":85,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":55,"language":135,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":136,"faqs":137,"seo_title":138,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":139,"read_time":140},1099513958607,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/100002390cf8733938c?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1778829742770036399","Overview\nMicrosoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2013 (VSTA) gives you a way to enable end users to customize your existing applications using Visual Basic .Net and Visual C#. You can incorporate the use of the Microsoft Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE) into your application to enable end user customization. End-user developers can use the IDE to customize the application by creating add-ins that extend the functionality of the application to meet their needs.\nUsing Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2013\nVisual Studio Tools for Applications 2013 provides two primary modes of operation: with a supported Visual Studio version installed and standalone. In standalone mode, VSTA provides your application with the means to load, compile, and run end user customizations. With a supported Visual Studio version installed, VSTA extends that functionality with the means to edit and debug those customizations. Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2013 provides a simple API for integrating design-time experiences into your application. Host application integrations can be implemented by using either managed (Visual C# or Visual Basic .NET) or unmanaged (Visual C++) code. The VSTA hosting API enables you to integrate your application because the API simplifies tasks such as finding the installation of Visual Studio, launching the external process, and synchronizing save state.\nVisual Studio Tools for Applications 2013 provides the ability to upgrade projects from Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Applications and Visual Studio 2008 Tools for Applications, compile, and run them. It also maintains compatibility with VSTA 2012 projects.\nVisual Studio Tools for Applications 2013 does not require a runtime library for end user customizations. This gives the integrator the flexibility to choose the method of running user code best tailored to the host application. The Microsoft .NET Framework includes the Managed Add-in Framework, which can be used to run add-ins built on Visual Studio 2008 Tools for Applications.\nMinimum system requirements:\nWindows 7\n.NET Framework 4.5.1\n2 GB of RAM\n4 MB of hard disk space\nRuntime requirement:\nVisual C++ Redistributable for the target version of Visual Studio\nTo enable editing and debugging:\nMicrosoft Visual Studio 2012 Professional, Premium or Ultimate with VSTA 2012 installed\nOr,\nMicrosoft Visual Studio 2013 Professional, Premium or Ultimate\nGetting Started\nTo integrate an application with Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2013, you must understand a few simple concepts.\nDefinitions\nHost Application: An application that is capable of being extended through end user code. A host application “hosts” the end user code by giving it the facilities to be compiled and run, facilitated by the technologies in VSTA.\nIntegrated Development Environment (IDE): An application (in this case, Visual Studio) that allows a user to compile, edit, and debug code.\nProject Template: A collection of source files and XML that are used at runtime for the creation of projects that can be customized by end user code.\nSession: An instance of a collection of projects that can be associated with one IDE. This encapsulates all of the services that can be done between zero or more projects and a single running IDE instance.\nVSTAX: An Open Packaging Container (OPC) file that contains one or more project templates. A VSTAX file is typically created by the host application vendor, shipped with the application, and used at runtime to create a project for an end user to customize.\nVSTA includes versions of the hosting API for both managed and unmanaged integration. This document will demonstrate use of the API in Visual C#, but all scenarios can be accomplished using Visual C++ and Visual Basic .NET as well.\nInstalling the Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2013 SDK\nBefore you can install and run this version of VSTA, the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5.1 and Visual C++ Redistributable must also be installed.\nMicroso","cbCaialJjX9LoYh8","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaialJjX9LoYh8","docx",52572,"English","# Overview\n## VSTA 2013 Modes and Hosting API\n## Compatibility and Runtime Notes\n## System and Editing Requirements\n## Getting Started: Key Concepts\n## Installing the VSTA SDK\n## Launching the IDE from a Host Application","[{\"question\":\"What is VSTA 2013 used for in host application customization?\",\"answer\":\"VSTA 2013 enables end users to customize existing applications by creating add-ins using Visual Basic .NET and Visual C#, and by integrating the Visual Studio IDE into the host experience.\"},{\"question\":\"How do standalone mode and supported Visual Studio mode differ?\",\"answer\":\"Standalone mode lets the host load, compile, and run end-user customizations. 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