Extending Visual Studio Projects

Overview

From version 25.2 onwards, the ComUnity Developer Toolkit supports full extension of the auto-generated Visual Studio project. Developers can now:

These enhancements remove the previous limitation where customisation beyond basic code injection required direct server access. Projects downloaded from the Toolkit can now reflect a much broader range of development use cases.

Accessing the Feature in the Toolkit

To access the Visual Studio Project customisation tools:

  1. Navigate to your project from the main Projects view.

  2. Click on the Project Settings panel.

  3. In the left-hand menu, select Visual Studio project.

  4. A tabbed interface will be presented:

    • Files: Upload templates, configuration files, or other resources.

    • NuGet packages: Add external packages for runtime and development needs.

    • Framework references: Enable additional .NET Framework libraries.

Files Tab

  • Project path: Specify the internal file path under the custom/ directory (e.g. templates/ReportTemplate.xlsx).

  • File upload: Drag and drop a file, or click Select a file.

  • Uploaded files will appear in the list and be included on the next project rebuild.

Note: All uploaded files are stored under the custom/ directory. Files cannot be added to other areas of the solution structure.

1. Adding Custom Files and Directories

The Toolkit allows uploading arbitrary files that are automatically included in the custom directory of your Visual Studio project.

Example:

Upload an Excel file under custom/templates/ReportTemplate.xlsx and reference it in your service logic to generate a custom report.

2. Adding NuGet Packages

You can now include third-party libraries by specifying NuGet package dependencies through the Toolkit.

How it works:

  • Specify the package name and version in the Toolkit interface under the relevant entity or service configuration.

  • Rebuild the project.

  • The package is downloaded and added to the project during build.

  • Code referencing the package can be written in the relevant custom service class.

Example: To read Excel files, add:

Package Name: ClosedXML  
Version: 0.97.0

You can then use ClosedXML to open and manipulate Excel spreadsheets programmatically.

3. Adding .NET Framework References

In addition to NuGet packages, you can now enable specific .NET Framework references that your custom code requires.

How it works:

  • Select the desired system libraries (e.g. System.Xml.Linq) from a list in the Toolkit.

  • These are added as references in the .csproj file during build.

  • They become available to all custom classes within the project.

Example: Enable System.Xml.Linq to use:

using System.Xml.Linq;

for XML manipulation.

Typical Workflow

  1. Write and test your code locally Develop in Visual Studio using the downloaded project. Use the custom folder for all your extensions.

  2. Mirror changes in the Toolkit

    • Upload any files required (e.g. templates).

    • Define NuGet packages and/or framework references under the corresponding entity or service.

  3. Rebuild the project Rebuild via the Toolkit. All new references and resources will be included in the generated Visual Studio project.

  4. Download and build Open the new project in Visual Studio, restore packages if needed, and build successfully.

Notes

  • Entity Framework: The Toolkit uses the Code-First approach. Model files are regenerated during build and cannot be edited directly.

  • Persistent configuration: Custom files, NuGet packages, and references are stored in the Toolkit’s configuration and persist across rebuilds.

  • No manual patching: These enhancements eliminate the need to manually edit the project on the server or after download.

Example Use Case

You need to generate a formatted Excel report for a data export feature:

  1. Upload ReportTemplate.xlsx under custom/templates/.

  2. Add the ClosedXML NuGet package via the Toolkit.

  3. Add your report generation logic under custom/MyEntity/MyEntityService.cs.

  4. Enable System.IO if required.

  5. Rebuild and download the project.

  6. Your code compiles successfully and can now generate Excel files using the uploaded template.

Availability

This feature is available in Toolkit v25.2 and above. Ensure your environment is up to date to access this functionality.

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