The Visual Studio 2010 SDK package provides tools and templates for building Visual Studio extensions. By using the Visual Studio SDK, you can build your own tool windows, create menu commands, and add extensions to the new Visual Studio editor and other features.
The Visual Studio 2010 SDK includes project templates that help developers create tool windows, menu commands, isolated shell projects, and editor extensions. The editor extensions include text adornments, colorizers, and margins.
The Visual Studio 2010 SDK also includes build tasks that help developers build and debug extensions. Building and debugging are managed in a second instance of Visual Studio named the experimental instance. The experimental instance provides a test bed for extensions without changing the primary installation of Visual Studio.
The SDK also puts shortcuts to online documentation, samples, and other developer resources on the Start menu.

· Visual Studio Shell development support
· Enhancements in Domain-specific Language tools
· Visual Studio Package development and testing support for C++, C# and Visual Basic
· Code samples and documentation covering toolbox controls integration, general IDE integration, Domain-specific Languages (DSL), Team Foundation Server extensibility, Data Designers extensibility , and other areas

Requirements:
· Computer that has a 1.6GHz or faster processor
· RAM: 1 GB RAM for x86; 2 GB RAM for x64; An additional 512 MB RAM if running in a Virtual Machine
· 3GB of available hard disk space
· 5400 RPM hard disk drive
· DirectX 9-capable video card that runs at 1024 x 768 or higher display resolution
· DVD-ROM Drive
· .NET Framework 4.0
· Visual Studio 2010 SP1 Professional or better