VS.NET Templates
One of the nice features of the VS.NET is the possibility to add new templates to the project items. This feature is extremely handy when one creates a unique template, which should be used across all the application in the company.
Our web framework, for instance, uses special pages types, and divided roughly to 3 types of pages: Base Page, Search Page and Update Page. Therefore, it was very useful to add the appropriate template to the VS.NET. This way, when a developer wants to add new web form, he can choose the most appropriate template to start work from, and he does not need to cut and paste the regular code of the WebForm template.
That been said, there is a problem with this process. It is very cumbersome and error prone, and involves modifying vsdir and vsz files, as well as messing with scripts no one understand, not to mention debug.
Am I the only one to feel this way? Did you also fell into the “Template Trap“? I think of creating a small Add-In which will automate this process, and help placing all the files in their right place. Do you think this tool would be useful for you?
Drop me a line!