Developer Extensions
The Eto.Forms developer extensions add a live preview, IntelliSense and templates for building Eto.Forms apps in Visual Studio, VS Code (and compatible editors) and JetBrains Rider.
Features
- Live preview of
.xeto(XAML),.jeto(JSON) and.eto.cs(code) views beside the editor. It redraws as you type and after each build, and you can pick which platform and theme draws it. - IntelliSense in
.xetoand.jetofiles for controls, properties, events, values and{Binding}paths, matched to the Eto.Forms version your project uses. - Event handlers: completing an event lists the matching methods in the code behind, or adds a new one.
- Hover documentation from the Eto.Forms API docs, and syntax highlighting for
.xetoand.jetofiles. - Switch between designer and code with a single key or click.
- Project and item templates for C#, F# and Visual Basic (Visual Studio only; for other editors use dotnet new).
Installing
| Editor | Where to get it |
|---|---|
| Visual Studio 2022 and 2026 (Windows) | Visual Studio Marketplace, or Extensions > Manage Extensions and search for Eto.Forms |
| VS Code | Visual Studio Marketplace, or search for Eto.Forms Designer in the Extensions view |
| VSCodium, Cursor, Windsurf and other VS Code forks | Open VSX |
| Rider 2025.1 or newer | Download the .zip from the latest release, then Settings > Plugins > ⚙ > Install Plugin from Disk |
Every release also has the .vsix files, for installing by hand or trying a pre-release before it reaches the marketplaces. In VS Code use Extensions: Install from VSIX…; in Visual Studio, double-click the .vsix.
See the page for your editor for how to use it there:
Requirements
- The .NET 8 runtime or newer (VS Code and Rider).
- On Windows, the preview also needs the .NET Desktop Runtime 8 or newer.
- On Linux, the preview needs GTK 3.
Build your project first
The preview and IntelliSense read your project’s compiled output. Until the first build only the built-in Eto.Forms controls are known; after you build, your own controls, view models and new properties show up too.
Getting help
Please report problems or ask for features on the Eto.DevExtensions issue tracker.