I’m looking for an extension or add-on that works with Visual Studio 2008/2010 to sync my code changes automatically to an online document platform like Google Docs.
Basically, I want to code in my IDE and have those changes show up instantly in a web document that I can share with my team. This would let me demonstrate coding techniques and collaborate with others without losing features like autocomplete and syntax highlighting.
I’ve searched around but haven’t found anything that does this specific task. Has anyone come across such a tool or know if it’s even possible to build something like this? I really don’t want to copy and paste code manually every time I make changes.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
I developed a similar solution for my team several years ago utilizing Visual Studio’s extensibility features along with web sockets. I captured document change events and sent updates to a web interface that showcased code with syntax highlighting using Prism.js. However, do keep in mind that Google Docs is not ideal for code as it tends to strip formatting. For collaborative coding, consider using platforms like CodePen or JSFiddle, which are designed for real-time interactions. Alternatively, you could create a lightweight web server to receive and display your code changes in real-time. If you opt for VS 2008/2010, I recommend exploring the Visual Studio SDK to build a custom extension that tracks file changes and sends updates to your chosen platform via HTTP requests. It is feasible but will require some development effort.
I encountered a similar challenge with older versions of Visual Studio. Given that VS 2008/2010 has limited extensibility, integrating with Google Docs isn’t practical due to its lack of proper code formatting. Instead, I created a file-watching application that tracked changes in my files and updated a simple web page hosted on a local server. I utilized FileSystemWatcher in .NET alongside JavaScript for refreshing. For syntax highlighting, I employed highlight.js, which provided an adequate visual for coding demonstrations. While not as fluid as newer tools, it effectively facilitated real-time collaboration. Alternatively, consider using Notepad++ with the NPPFtp plugin if you’re open to using different editors for your demos.
back in 2010 i tried something like this, but ended up using live share tools. VS 2008/2010 is super old now so modern extns probably won’t work. maybe try screensharing with Skype or TeamViewer - not automated, but it def works for demos.