CODEWITHSUNDEEP
visual-studiovisual-studio-2019project-template
Simon Price
Simon Price

Reputation: 3261

How to add correct reference in VS Project Template with multiple projects

I am trying to create a project template in Visual Studio that has multiple projects within the solution.

In the main it works well and the only issue I am facing is referencing the other projects within the solution.

enter image description here

As you can see in the image the one project is referenced correctly as this path is set and not dynamic, the rest are all based off of the project name in the vstemplate file.

<VSTemplate Version="2.0.0" Type="ProjectGroup"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vstemplate/2005">
  <TemplateData>
    <Name> Api Template</Name>
    <Description>Base Template for Api Project</Description>
    <Icon>Icon.ico</Icon>
    <ProjectType>CSharp</ProjectType>
  </TemplateData>
  <TemplateContent>
    <ProjectCollection>
      <ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="$projectname$.Api" CopyParameters="true">
        Template.Api\Api.vstemplate
      </ProjectTemplateLink>
      <ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="$projectname$.Application" CopyParameters="true">
        Template.Application\Appilication.vstemplate
      </ProjectTemplateLink>
      <ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="$projectname$.Infrastructure" CopyParameters="true">
        Template.Infrastructure\Infrastructure.vstemplate
      </ProjectTemplateLink>
      <ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="$projectname$.Shared" CopyParameters="true">
        Template.Shared\Shared.vstemplate
      </ProjectTemplateLink>
      <SolutionFolder Name="Common">
        <ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="Mediator.Common" CopyParameters="true">
          Mediatr.Common\MediatorCommon.vstemplate
        </ProjectTemplateLink>
        <ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="Common.Types" CopyParameters="true">
          Common.Types\CommonTypes.vstemplate
        </ProjectTemplateLink>
        <ProjectTemplateLink ProjectName="Common.Http" CopyParameters="true">
          Common.Http\HttpCommon.vstemplate
        </ProjectTemplateLink>
      </SolutionFolder>
    </ProjectCollection>
  </TemplateContent>
</VSTemplate>

Next in the .csproj file where the references are being built up

<ItemGroup>
  <ProjectReference Include="..\Mediator.Common\Mediator.Common.csproj" />
  <ProjectReference Include="..\$projectname$.Application\$projectname$.Application.csproj" />
  <ProjectReference Include="..\$projectname$.Infrastructure\$projectname$.Infrastructure.csproj" />
  <ProjectReference Include="..\$projectname$.Shared\$projectname$.Shared.csproj" />
</ItemGroup>

This is trying to create the reference but I need it to drop the 'Api' from the middle.

I go this far from looking at this questions

Adding references in Visual Studio project template?

Using CustomParameter with Visual Studio Multi-Project Template

However, when looking here https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/template-parameters?view=vs-2019 when I try and add any other item in the reference is just wrong and is just shows as the $value$ rather than the project or anything else to do with it.

How can I refences the projects correctly so that the template I am creating doesnt need intervention immediately.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 975

Answers (1)

Simon Price
Simon Price

Reputation: 3261

After much searching, trying failing I finally stumbled across this page

https://www.programmingwithwolfgang.com/create-a-net-core-visual-studio-template/

which then led me to the answer I was needing

<ItemGroup>
    <ProjectReference Include="..\$ext_projectname$.Application\$ext_projectname$.Application.csproj" />
    <ProjectReference Include="..\$ext_projectname$.Infrastructure\$ext_projectname$.Infrastructure.csproj" />
</ItemGroup>

I was missing the ext_ after the starting $

Upvotes: 3

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