Visual studio project template creating solution file in outer directory

Question

I am creating multiproject template for Visual studio using VSTemplate.

I am new to project template and refering this url to create multi project template for Visual Studio.

<VSTemplate Version="2.0.0" Type="ProjectGroup"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vstemplate/2005">
  <TemplateData>
    <Name>MVC with Repo and UoW</Name>
    <Description>Basic by Jenish</Description>
    <Icon>Icon.ico</Icon>
    <ProjectType>CSharp</ProjectType>
    <ProjectSubType>
    </ProjectSubType>
    <SortOrder>1000</SortOrder>
    <CreateNewFolder>false</CreateNewFolder>
    <DefaultName>MVC</DefaultName>
    <ProvideDefaultName>true</ProvideDefaultName>
    <LocationField>Enabled</LocationField>
    <EnableLocationBrowseButton>true</EnableLocationBrowseButton>
  </TemplateData>
  <TemplateContent>
    <ProjectCollection>

          <ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="$safeprojectname$.Common">
            KLS.Common\MyTemplate.vstemplate
          </ProjectTemplateLink>



          <ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="$safeprojectname$.Data.Contract">
            KLS.Data.Contract\MyTemplate.vstemplate
          </ProjectTemplateLink>
          <ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="$safeprojectname$.Data.Repositories">
            KLS.Data.Repositories\MyTemplate.vstemplate
          </ProjectTemplateLink>



          <ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="$safeprojectname$.Manager">
            KLS.Manager\MyTemplate.vstemplate
          </ProjectTemplateLink>



          <ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="$safeprojectname$.Models">
            KLS.Models\MyTemplate.vstemplate
          </ProjectTemplateLink>


      <ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="$safeprojectname$.Web">
        KLSFoods\MyTemplate.vstemplate
      </ProjectTemplateLink>

    </ProjectCollection>
  </TemplateContent>
  <WizardExtension>
    <Assembly>RestTemplateWizard, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=c9a76f51a8a9555f</Assembly>
    <FullClassName>RestTemplateWizard.RootWizard</FullClassName>
  </WizardExtension>
</VSTemplate>

screenshot 1:

As per above screen shot Mytemplate.vstemplate is main root file and all the folder except packages contains separate vstemplate file for each project.

Now problem is I want same structure to be generated as it appears on the first screen shot but it generates solution in outer directory. Is there any way I can force the template to create solution as per screen shot1.

Template is currently generating the solution like this.

screenshot 2:

Mvc1 will hold all the project folder and what I want is create solution file where all the project folder is defined. because currently it refers the packages folder wrongly

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

3 years late, but this may help others.

1) In your wizard class declare a DTE field, and save the automationObject parameter to RunStarted(...) in this field:

public class MyWizard : IWizard
{
    DTE dte;
    ...


    public void RunStarted( object automationObject, Dictionary<string, string> replacementsDictionary, WizardRunKind runKind, object[] customParams )
    {
        dte = automationObject as DTE;

        ...

2) In RunFinished, use the dte object to save the solution wherever you want:

    public void RunFinished()
    {
        if( dte != null )
        {
            var solution = dte.Solution;
            var path = <whatever path you want>;
            solution.SaveAs( path );
        }
        ...

You may want to inspect the contents of replacementsDictionary at RunStarted and use one of the values in there; for instance, you can use the $destinationdirectory$ entry to construct the path to the solution file (I'm using that one).

Answer 2

I had the same issue, my workaround was to edit the solution file (*.sln) and move the file in the expected folder.

This is the folder structure generated by the template (not what I was expecting):

My Solution folder:

notice the .sln file not in the same folder of the projects

folder DDD_Backend10xxxx, contains all the projects:

step 1: Move the .sln file in the sub folder containing all the projects (as required for project to work):

*.sln file moved to same folder with the rest of the projects

The .sln file is now with the project folders and in the correct solution folder level.

step 2: open and edit the .sln file and modify the paths of ALL the projects:

• Paths not edited that cause ERRORS:

Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "BusinessLayer", "DDD_Backend10xxxx\BusinessLayer", "{F9E1B70C-F692-414B-97C6-BCEC22F6C1F3}" EndProject

Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "BusinessLayer", "DDD_Backend10xxxx\BusinessLayer\BusinessLayer.csproj", "{0CF94CF4-97C6-4079-8F60-672CBE9B77D5}" EndProject

//Other project references...

• Fixed edited paths: remove the folder "DDD_Backend10xxxx" from path

Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "BusinessLayer", "BusinessLayer", "{F9E1B70C-F692-414B-97C6-BCEC22F6C1F3}" EndProject

Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "BusinessLayer", "BusinessLayer\BusinessLayer.csproj", "{0CF94CF4-97C6-4079-8F60-672CBE9B77D5}" EndProject

//Other project references...

step 3: modify the primary/root project root_project_name.csproj file, for nuget extension reference path. Modify any reference to the packages folder, so that they'll reference the packages folder in the same folder level. ie.

from: Import Project="....\packages\Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform.1

to: Import Project="..\packages\Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform.1

This is an essential reference for nuget package update or installation.

step 4: Run nuget to update/restore the packages. Once nuget updates/restores the packages a "packages" folder will be created in the correct folder level. (Run the command update-package -reinstall in the Package Manager Console window.)