Multi-project project template in Visual Studio

A Visual Studio project template is a pre-defined structure and configuration that serves as a starting point for creating new projects within the Visual Studio development environment. It provides a standardized setup with commonly used files, folders, and settings tailored to a specific type of project, such as a web application, desktop application, or library.

A project template for microservices offers a standardized structure, configuration, and best practices, saving time and ensuring consistency in development. It allows customization while maintaining a solid foundation for each microservice.

Steps to create a multi-project project template:
1. Complete the setup of the solution that you want to export (it's a good idea to save a copy of it).
2. Parameterize your solution by changing the namespaces and their references with $ext_safeprojectname$ (you can easily do this by searching for your current solution name throughout the solution and replacing it).

3. Export each project separately using the “Export Template” option (you can find this option in the Visual Studio menu). Now you will have zip files for each project.

4. Unzip all the exported templates and copy them to a separate folder (let's name this folder "Root").
5. Create a new file “<your_template_name>.vsTemplate”. This file should be of type “ProjectGroup” and should include the project collections that link to each project template, with an extra parameter CopyParameters=”true”. The structure should be as follows:

6. Zip (let's name this zip file "finalTemplate") all the contents (unzipped project template folders and <your_template_name>.vsTemplate) in the "Root" folder (tip: do this by selecting them one by one).
7. Place your finalTemplate.zip file in the following directory: C:\Users\<user_name>\Documents\Visual Studio <version>\Templates

Test your template by opening a new instance of Visual Studio and go to “Create a new project” Search for your template there, create a new project, and you will get your new project created based on your own project template.

Sometimes Visual Studio may be unable to import or update a new template. You can resolve this issue by repeating Step #3 and making sure you check the “Automatically import the template into Visual Studio” option. After doing this, your new template should hopefully be available. If your template is still not there, you can try the solutions mentioned here.

In conclusion, creating project templates is a valuable practice that streamlines the project creation process, promotes consistency, and enhances developer productivity. By following the steps outlined in this document, developers can design and customize templates tailored to their organization’s specific needs. These templates serve as a foundation for new projects, providing predefined structures, configurations, and best practices. With project templates, developers can save time, enforce standards, and ensure a consistent and efficient development workflow. Embracing the power of project templates empowers teams to create high-quality projects more efficiently, fostering collaboration and accelerating software delivery.