Speed Up with Project Templates Using Visual Studio 2005

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Speed Up with Project Templates Using Visual Studio 2005 - Part 2

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by Ameet Phadnis
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Article Contents:

Structure

Before we start, I would like to explain the current template structure in VS 2005. VS 2005, by default, comes with few templates to jump start projects. For example, for Web Applications the developer can start a project using ASP.NET Web Site, ASP.NET Web Service, Personal Web Site Starter Kit, Empty Web Site or ASP.NET Crystal Reports Web Site. When the developer clicks on File -> New -> Web Site, they are presented with the following screen to choose the kind of Web site they want to create

Figure 1

The IDE picks the template information from the following directory:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\ProjectTemplates\Web\VisualBasic\1033

The path mentioned above is based on the assumption that the developer had selected the default options while installing VS 2005.

If you take a look at the files under the above folder, you will notice that for each of the Web Options you have a zip file. This zip file contains all the files needed to create the project. It also contains one extra file with the extension as vstemplate. This file contains all the information it needs to create the project and add appropriate files to the project. The vstemplate file stores the Meta data on the project templates in XML format.

In short, to create a template you need to create a vstemplate file and a zip file of all files needed to create the project. However, the question arises about where we store the zip file. The readers would assume the zip file is stored under the same folder, but in reality VS 2005 allows you to store templates wherever you want. You can even store the templates on the network drive. This is a big help for developers working in a team. In order to make VS 2005 aware of these templates we need to make some minor changes. You can follow these steps to let VS 2005 know where the user defined templates are located.

1. In VS 2005, go to Tools->Options.

2. Expand Projects & Solutions.

3. Click On General.

4. Make the necessary changes in Visual Studio user Project Templates location and Visual Studio user Item Templates location.

5. By default, the options should be pointing to C:\Documents and Settings\<User>\My Documents\Visual Studio 2005\Templates. This can be changed to point to a network drive too.

Once the above steps are followed on each of the developer's machine, the developers can create a central repository of all the project templates to be used in the organization. So, each time either a project or item template is created, those templates can be pushed to this location. In the next few sections I will explain how to create Project Templates and Item Templates.

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User Comments

Title: Urgent requirement
Name: Arijit chakraborty
Date: 2009-02-18 12:36:19 AM
Comment:
dear Ameet,

I am a final year B.Tech student on a project of Online Examination System(ASP.Net).We r facing very problem when we r trying 2 import downloaded templates in our project.

If u kindly help us 2 do so,it will b great for us.Hope 2 hear u soon.

Thanks-
Arijit Chakraborty
mail_arijitchakraborty@rediffmail.com

Title: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
Name: Dave
Date: 2008-06-13 3:38:31 PM
Comment:
Thank you for taking the time to put this information together. This info is exactly what I needed and I didn't have to figure it out from piecing together tidbits of information spread across multiple poorly linked MS documentation and kb articles. Your efforts on this article are greatly appreciated!

Title: Location field missing in templates
Name: Cheryl
Date: 2008-04-06 10:59:03 PM
Comment:
Help!!! Like Jai, the location field is hidden on all my pre-existing templates. How does this happen and how do I fix it?

thx,

Cheryl

Title: Thanks, it helps
Name: elena
Date: 2007-08-01 8:20:28 PM
Comment:
Thanks for the tutorial, it expalined very well, though I am looking to create template for solution with few projects. Initially I read microsoft article and it was crap. Yours - great.

Title: Great Tutorial!
Name: Ashley
Date: 2007-07-16 5:34:52 PM
Comment:
You're tutorial was very helpful! The "Personal Web Site Starter Kit" option was a nice find! I've always developed my sites from scratch! Very nicely written!

Thank you!
Ashley

Title: My Export Wizard is grayed out
Name: Dannyhut
Date: 2007-06-26 6:52:13 PM
Comment:
Hi,

I have created a template but when I select the File Menu, my Export Wizard Menu Item is there but is grayed out and I can not select it. Please can any one help.

Thanks
Dannyhut

Title: Customizing the project template
Name: AP
Date: 2007-06-20 5:33:07 PM
Comment:
Check this article and it should help you out http://aspalliance.com/1001_Speed_Up_with_Project_Templates_Using_Visual_Studio_2005__Part_3

Title: Customizing the project template
Name: Moupiya
Date: 2007-06-20 1:22:00 AM
Comment:
HI Ameet
Nice article.It ehlped me to know many things.I have a query.I created a project template.Now i want when the user selects my project template then he is asked for whats all things he wants to select from the project template.
Like while i created the template project i added different folders.But the user may/may not need all the things.So when he selects my project template he is asked for the options
Thanks in advance
Moupiya

Title: Thank you
Name: DKB
Date: 2007-01-26 8:12:13 PM
Comment:
Thankyou for all your efforts in giving us this project to use. Is there somwhere in this site that helps with design of a web template know that would compliment these instructions just great

Title: Doubt
Name: Thiyagarajan.N
Date: 2006-12-11 11:45:30 PM
Comment:
Hi, I have a doubt while create the Project template.I want to create a Project template for 3-Tier web application in a single template.It should contains one Presentation layer,BLL and DAL of solutions. How can i do that?

thanks
Thiyagarajan.N

Title: Missing Templates Problem
Name: AS
Date: 2006-11-15 8:51:30 AM
Comment:
Well, this seems to be a known "hairy" problem. I have not found a solution to my problem just yet, but at least I know that it is a problem and some people have tried to solve it. I hope this link helps if you are experiencing it:

http://geekswithblogs.net/ehammersley/archive/2005/11/08/59451.aspx

Title: Still have a question
Name: AS
Date: 2006-11-15 8:38:48 AM
Comment:
Good article, thanks!

I have tried the steps that you mention.
However, when I go to create a new project I do not see the template that I just created. I can see the zip file that was created, but I do not see the specific template that I just created. I also tried re-setting, as suggested by Mike before, but it does not work. Any suggestions? I'd like to use templates to work with C# Windows applications - not web apps. Thank you again for your time!

Title: Thank you buddy
Name: Murat YILMAZ
Date: 2006-11-07 2:41:04 AM
Comment:
Hey,
Thank you buddy for your article.

Title: Edit item template
Name: Firoz
Date: 2006-10-06 4:36:28 AM
Comment:
A very good explanation of templates. Thanks.

One question though, can one edit an existing item (or project) template?

Title: very helpful
Name: Amanda
Date: 2006-10-05 3:54:56 PM
Comment:
Your article answered all of my questions and then some that I hadn't even thought of asking - thanks!

Title: Thank You!
Name: Jeffrey
Date: 2006-09-29 11:52:12 AM
Comment:
Thank you so much for this article and the way it was written. As a fairly new user, I was totally lost on the use of templates until I read your article. Few if any of the books that I have purchased ever even discussed templates. Thank uou once again.

Title: My Templates? (Got it!)
Name: S10
Date: 2006-09-27 11:04:37 AM
Comment:
The templates are under the Visual Basic root node in the New Project selection UI. I was looking under Windows and Starter kits and Other Project Types!

Title: My Templates?
Name: S10
Date: 2006-09-27 10:49:48 AM
Comment:
I've created a template for a DLL project instead of a Web Site. The Zip file has been created and is placed in the same directory as referred to by the Tools -> Options -> General -> User templates location directory.

However when I create a new project and use the newly created template, I do not seem to be given the "My Templates" bit of the UI! I've tried going into "Other Project Types"->Visual studio solutions as well, but the "My Templates" doesn't appear.

I've used VB.net to create the template. Does this matter?

Title: Export Template option
Name: Ameet
Date: 2006-09-16 2:43:09 PM
Comment:
Follow these steps. Its taken from the article itself

Please note: Some users might not see the Export Template option in their File Menu. You might need to add that option by following these steps.

· Right Click on the toolbar and select Customize.

· Click on the Commands tab.

· Under Categories, select File.

· Under Commands Select Export Template and drag the command under File Menu.

Title: Reset Import and Export Settings
Name: Mike
Date: 2006-09-16 9:23:30 AM
Comment:
If your Export Template Option is not visible, I just made if visible by Resetting all settings in the Import and Export Settings Wizard.
Tools->Import and Export Settings ->Reset all Settings
I can see the option now!

Title: Click File -> Export Templates
Name: Mike
Date: 2006-09-16 8:37:24 AM
Comment:
Any hint on how to make the Export Template option visible?
I'm using VS 2005 Professional.

Title: Gud
Name: MZH
Date: 2006-08-29 1:44:52 AM
Comment:
Very Very gud

Title: Excellent
Name: Harry K
Date: 2006-08-19 11:20:39 AM
Comment:
Now I know how to create a project and item template of my own. Many thanks for the concise step by step illustration.

Title: Location Field
Name: Jai
Date: 2006-08-18 12:48:05 PM
Comment:
when i created a project template and tried to use it the location field was hidden and i couldnt create my site at a different location, could you help me as to why it happens.

its a great time saver to work new projects this way.

thanks.
jai

Title: Well put together...
Name: Yogesh R
Date: 2006-08-18 10:47:22 AM
Comment:
your article is well put together. Since create best practices and templates are prone to change as we identify new standards and requirements, is there a way to change an existing custom template or Do we just need to create new projects from existing templates and create new templates from them?

Title: Thanks
Name: AD
Date: 2006-08-07 8:34:41 AM
Comment:
Very useful -- many thanks for the information.

Title: Nice!
Name: Tony A
Date: 2006-08-05 11:42:51 AM
Comment:
Nice article Ameet: Well and concisely written together with good illustrations: A great help:

Thanks and keep up the good work:

Regards

Tony A

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