Create custom project and detail templates

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The Visual Studio SDK includes project templates that create a custom project template and a custom item template. These templates include some mutual parameter substitutions, and build equally zip files. They are non automatically deployed, and they are not available in the experimental instance. You lot must copy the generated nada file to the user template directory.

The template cosmos templates let you include templates in larger extensions. This lets you implement version control on the source files and build a group of template projects into i VSIX bundle.

You lot can also configure a template to install NuGet packages. For more information, run into NuGet packages in Visual Studio templates.

For basic template creation scenarios, you should apply the Export Template wizard, which outputs to a compressed file. For more information about basic template creation, see Creating projection and detail templates.

Notation

Starting in Visual Studio 2017, scanning for custom projection and item templates will no longer be performed. Instead, the extension must provide template manifest files that describe the install location of these templates. You can use Visual Studio 2017 to update your VSIX extensions. If you deploy your extension using an MSI, you must generate the template manifest files past hand. For more than information, come across Upgrading custom project and item templates for Visual Studio 2017. The template manifest schema is documented in Visual Studio template manifest schema reference.

Create a project template

  1. Create a Project Template project. You lot can detect the project template in the New Project dialog, past searching for "projection template" and selecting either the C# or Visual Basic version.

    The template generates a course file, an icon, a .vstemplate file, an editable project file named ProjectTemplate.vbproj or ProjectTemplate.csproj, and some files that are typically generated by other project types, such a resources.resx file, an AssemblyInfo file, and a .settings file. Each code file contains common parameter substitutions where advisable.

project template project selection

  1. Add and remove items from the project as required for your projection. Do not remove the editable project file, the AssemblyInfo file, or the .vstemplate file.

  2. Update the .vstemplate file to reflect any additions and deletions. The Project element must contain a ProjectItem chemical element for each file to be included in the template.

  3. Modify your code files and other user-facing content, and add together appropriate parameter substitutions.

  4. Change the generated content equally required.

  5. Build the project.

    Visual Studio creates a .zip file that contains your template. It is not deployed, and it is non available in the experimental case.

Create an item template

  1. Create an Particular Template project.

    The template generates a form file, an icon, a .vstemplate file, and an AssemblyInfo file. The class file contains some common parameter substitutions.

  2. Add and remove items from the project as required for your project.

  3. Update the .vstemplate file to reflect whatever additions and deletions. The Project element must contain a ProjectItem element for each file to exist included in the template.

  4. Change your code files and other user-facing content, and add together appropriate parameter substitutions.

  5. Alter generated content as required.

  6. Build the project.

    Visual Studio creates a compressed file that contains your template. It is not deployed, and information technology is not available in the experimental instance.

Deployment

To deploy the projection or item template

  1. Create a VSIX project. For more information, come across VSIX project template.

  2. Set the VSIX project equally the startup project. In the Solution Explorer, select the VSIX projection node, right-click, and select Set as Startup Project.

  3. Set the project template projection as an asset of the VSIX project. Open up the .vsixmanifest file. Go to the Avails tab and select New.

    1. Ready the Blazon field to Microsoft.VisualStudio.ProjectTemplate or Microsoft.VisualStudio.ItemTemplate.

    2. For source, select the A project in current solution option, and then select the project that contains your template.

  4. Build the solution, and press F5. The experimental instance appears.

  5. For a project template project, you lot should see your project template listed in the New Project dialog (File > New > Project), in the Visual C# or Visual Basic node. For an item template project, y'all should meet your item template listed in the Add New Detail dialog. To view the Add New Item dialog, from the Solution Explorer, select the projection node and select Add > New Item).

See also

  • Visual Studio template reference
  • NuGet packages in Visual Studio templates