The Microsoft Project 2010 Software Development Kit (SDK) contains documentation, code samples, “How to” articles, and programming references designed to help developers customize and integrate Microsoft Project 2010 desktop clients and Project Server 2010 with external enterprise applications. It serves as the primary technical resource for extending the core functionalities of the legacy 2010 project management ecosystem. Core Development Components
The SDK focuses heavily on managing, modifying, and programmatically interacting with project data through several distinct pathways:
Project Server Interface (PSI): Provides the primary Web Services and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) APIs used to interact with Project Server 2010 data.
Server-Side Event Handlers: Allows developers to write custom code that hooks into pre- and post-events, such as trapping actions when a project is being created or when a custom field is altered.
Ribbon & UI Customization: Includes methods and manifests to modify the visual ribbon layout across both Project Web App (PWA) and the desktop client to inject custom actions.
Object Models: Offers programming references for interacting with the internal data frameworks of Project Professional 2010, Project Standard 2010, and SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise. Built-In Code Samples
When extracting the SDK payload, developers gain access to several pre-built Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 projects that demonstrate practical integration scenarios:
UpdateStatus_ManualTasks: Shows how to programmatically change status variables on manually scheduled tasks via the changeXml parameter.
UsingQueueSystem: A testing module created to demonstrate how the backend Project Server queue schedules and processes asynchronous data.
WCFImpersonationTest_VS9: Outlines how to safely configure user impersonation protocols within the WCF interface.
ProjTool_P14: Provides full source code for the classic testing suite updated specifically for the 2010 architecture. Installation and Setup Lifecycle
Download the Package: Retrieve the core package executable directly from the Microsoft Project 2010 Reference Download Page.
Extract MSI Files: Double-click Project2010SDK.exe to unpack the installation payload into your local directory.
Execute Setup: Run Project2010SDK.msi to deploy the core libraries. The default folder is [Program Files]\Microsoft SDKs\Project 2010. Tip: Install to an alternative directory like C:\Project_SDK to completely avoid Code Access Security (CAS) permission flags.
Deploy Code Templates: Run the Samples\Samples.exe executable explicitly as an administrator to extract the Visual Studio test solutions.
Clean Uninstallation: To remove the toolkit later, simply invoke the “Programs and Features” wizard via the Windows Control Panel to purge Microsoft Project 2010 SDK [EN-US]. Important Lifecycle Context
Because official mainstream support for the entire Office 2010 lifecycle ended in October 2020, Microsoft no longer issues security patches or feature updates for this version. Modern enterprise development workflows have largely migrated toward cloud-centric setups like Microsoft Planner or Project Online.
If you are currently maintaining a legacy system, let me know:
What specific API interface you are building for (PSI, WCF, or client-side VBA)?
The type of integration goal you are targeting (e.g., custom timesheet sync, automated report generation)?
Which Visual Studio version you are compiling your current solution in?
I can provide target snippets or configuration guidelines based on your answers!
Project 2010 Reference: Software Development Kit – Microsoft
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