VSIX Tutorial-Adding a simple template

• Prev-Introduction
• Next-Adding a command

Setup the template project

• Add C# Item Template, create a project named MyExtension.IniParserTemplate
• Create a file tiniTemplate.tini, it will be the root item

[IniSetup]
Locale=en-US

• Rename class1 to tiniTemplate.cs
• Set the compile action for this .cs file to "none"
• Set the new project items inside the .vstemplate file. This will tell that
  • ReplaceParameters: During the application of the templates a list of key value pair is present. Those will be replaced inside the file and will be used insde the .vstemplate file.
  • TargetFileName: The file name that will be generated. This can contains paths. As in the .cs file that is considered the "child" of the .tini file.
  • ItemType: Optional. Content means that it will not be included or compiled. If nothing is specified the file will be considered according to the extension
  • Inner text: The filename inside the template project

    <ProjectItem  
        ReplaceParameters="true"
        TargetFileName="$fileinputname$.tini"
        ItemType="Content">tiniTemplate.tini</ProjectItem>
    <ProjectItem  
        ReplaceParameters="true"
        TargetFileName="$fileinputname$.tini\$fileinputname$.cs" >tiniTemplate.cs</ProjectItem>

• ...and change the default name to "IniTemplate.tini"

Include the template project inside the main project

• Add the reference to the MyExtension.IniParserTemplate project
• Set the properties of the assembly just included
  • Output Groups Included in VSIX: "TemplateProjectOutputGroup;" The group in which the item will be placed.
  • Reference Output Assembly: "false" It is not needed since the template will be included as a zip file by the build system
  • Template Type: "Item" We are creating an item template
  • VSIX Sub Path: "ItemTemplates\My Extension" The path inside the Visual Studio Wizard.
• Open the .vsixmanifest and add the new asset, relative to the MyExtension.IniParserTemplate. The %CurrentProject% variable is used as a reference

    <Asset
        Type="Microsoft.VisualStudio.ItemTemplate"
        d:Source="Project"
        d:ProjectName="%CurrentProject%.IniParserTemplate"
        d:TargetPath="|MyExtension.IniParserTemplate;TemplateProjectOutputGroup|"
        Path="ItemTemplates"
        d:VsixSubPath="ItemTemplates" />

Conclusion

Now everything is in place!

You can download the code

• Prev-Introduction
• Next-Adding a command

Last modified on: November 28, 2013