Add WPF templates to a class library project

Question

I have a class library that is going to have some WPF UI. I've got the framework plugged in. Is there a way I can incorporate the "Add Item" WPF templates? As of now, I only have UserControl. I can create the files myself, but it would save me a lot of time to be able to add them in the IDE.

Thanks.

Answer 1

A bit late but:

.NET projects have zero or more project types in the csproj file that enable/disable IDE features.

If you started from a class library and want to change it as if it were a WPF control library, you can just add these project types manually to the csproj file.

Add the <ProjectTypes> element as shown below to the <PropertyGroup> that also contains the <ProjectGuid>:

<Project ...>
  <ProjectGroup ...>
    <Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration>
    <Platform Condition=" '$(Platform)' == '' ">AnyCPU</Platform>
    <ProjectGuid>{64D2C408-BB81-4627-AF7C-672142229677}</ProjectGuid>
    <OutputType>Library</OutputType>
    <AppDesignerFolder>Properties</AppDesignerFolder>
    <RootNamespace>Some.Client.WPFLib</RootNamespace>
    <AssemblyName>Some.Client.WPFLib</AssemblyName>
    <TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.5.1</TargetFrameworkVersion>
    <FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment>

    <!-- add this line: -->
    <ProjectTypeGuids>{60dc8134-eba5-43b8-bcc9-bb4bc16c2548};{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}</ProjectTypeGuids>

    <SccProjectName>SAK</SccProjectName>
    <SccLocalPath>SAK</SccLocalPath>
    <SccAuxPath>SAK</SccAuxPath>
    <SccProvider>SAK</SccProvider>
  </ProjectGroup>
</Project>

These two guids are what you find in a WPF Application project and represent ProjectTypes "Windows C#" and "WPF". (http://www.codeproject.com/Reference/720512/List-of-Visual-Studio-Project-Type-GUIDs)