I have a Windows Application and I need to create a GAX package that will:

1- Add a new item to the project menu to start a new wizard.
2- Collect some user data (usedatagrid, allowCRUD, etc) and with it create a new Form and implement on it some interfaces.

How can I accomplished that?

So far I was able to create the new item on the project menu by adding a Recipe and implement an action to create a new class (just the .cs file) using TextTemplateAction and T4. But the problem is getting GAX to create the Form (Form1.cs and Form1.Designer.cs)


Please help!!!

Mateus

This is a fragment from an empty GAT Guidance Package. The first action (TextTemplateAction) generated the template using the "YourTemplateFileName.cs.t4" and it saves the output (string) in the Content variable.

Then the AddFromStringAction uses the GenerateClass's Content to add the file to the TargetProject.

<Action Name="GenerateClass" Type="Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio.Library.Templates.TextTemplateAction, Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio.Library"
Template="YourTemplateFileName.cs.t4" >
<Input Name="ClassName" RecipeArgument="ClassName" />
<Output Name="Content" />
</Action>
<Action Name="AddClass" Type="Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.Library.Actions.AddItemFromStringAction, Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.Library"
Open="true">
<Input Name="Content" ActionOutput="GenerateClass.Content" />
<Input Name="TargetFileName" RecipeArgument="TargetFile" />
<Input Name="Project" RecipeArgument="TargetProject" />
</Action>

HTH
-Adrian

Hi Mateus, I think you are in the right direction. If you want a general guidance on how to implement your scenario you could take a look at the source code of the p&p software factories in order to see how this is accomplished by them (this is a quite common scenario so I think it won't be hard to find a recipe that does something similar).

If the problem that you are having is specific please tell us a little more about it. (for example, if you are having problems adding the designer file as a child of the Form.cs file).

HTH,
-Adrian

That's the problem.... How can I create the file and the designer class and add it to the project.

I'll try to look at the source code but if you have a sample I'll appreciate....

This is a fragment from an empty GAT Guidance Package. The first action (TextTemplateAction) generated the template using the "YourTemplateFileName.cs.t4" and it saves the output (string) in the Content variable.

Then the AddFromStringAction uses the GenerateClass's Content to add the file to the TargetProject.

<Action Name="GenerateClass" Type="Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio.Library.Templates.TextTemplateAction, Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio.Library"
Template="YourTemplateFileName.cs.t4" >
<Input Name="ClassName" RecipeArgument="ClassName" />
<Output Name="Content" />
</Action>
<Action Name="AddClass" Type="Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.Library.Actions.AddItemFromStringAction, Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.Library"
Open="true">
<Input Name="Content" ActionOutput="GenerateClass.Content" />
<Input Name="TargetFileName" RecipeArgument="TargetFile" />
<Input Name="Project" RecipeArgument="TargetProject" />
</Action>

HTH
-Adrian

But how can I write a t4 template that will generate the class and the designer?

thanks for your help!

Thanks Adrian....

I saw how can I do it looking at the WebClientFactory source code...

Great! There is a lot of cool stuff in the source code of the factories to learn how-to implement many common scenarios.

-Adrian