I am trying to add a new project template for an often used pattern. Starting from the class library template I have done the following (it still does not show up in the new project window):
- opened the .vstemplate file
- changed name and description to 'hard coded' values (my template). The values in there pulled from the csharpui.dll resources.
- changed the TemplateID, DefaultName, and ProjectItems included.
- saved these to the ProjectemplatesCache folder and as a zip in the ProjectTemplates folder.
- restarted VS2010 and checked the new project location which should have shown my new template.
specifically, the folders I saved to were..
C:\program files\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Common7\IDE\ProjectTemplatesCache\CSharp\Windows\1033\HostComm.zip (the zip is the folder name, not a zip file)
and
C:\program files\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Common7\IDE\ProjectTemplates\CSharp\Windows\1033 (this folder has a HostComm.zip file in it)
Has anyone else done this? Can it be done? If it can then what did I miss?
Best Answer
Doing this by hand is pretty courageous. Having a folder name with an extension .zip sounds wrong, I don't see a similar one in the existing templates. Watch out for the shell's habit of turning .zip archives into folders.
Best thing to do is to use the documented procedure to create a project template and verify what effects it has so you can repro them accurately yourself. Create a new project, using one of the existing templates as a starter. You might as well make it look as close as possible to the ultimate template you want to end up with, add project items as desired.
Then use File + Export Template. Next. Fill in the text boxes, note the Output location. Finish. Have a look-see at the generated .zip file.