Add project and project item templates
Applies to: 
Visual Studio 
Visual Studio for Mac
Note
This article applies to Visual Studio 2017. If you're looking for the latest Visual Studio documentation, see Visual Studio documentation. We recommend upgrading to the latest version of Visual Studio. Download it here
When you create your own project types, you must provide support for adding new projects and project items by using the standard Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE) dialog boxes. The following topics discuss different techniques for adding projects and project items.
In this section
Explains that the project provides most of the context information for what transpires in the environment.
Explains that a project item is usually a member of one project to help avoid ambiguity about which project is used to open the item.
Provides information about the two types of editors that can be used to open files in a project and the role the project plays in determining which editor to use when a project item is opened.
Explains what occurs when a Visual Studio project is created.
Explains the process for adding items to the Add New Item dialog box.
Provides an example of registering a new directory that contains custom templates made available by a VSPackage.
Provides an example of registering a new set of directories for the Add New Item dialog box.
Lists different types of command items used for extending project systems.
Lists CATIDs for objects that are used to extend Visual C++, Visual C#, and Visual Basic project systems.
Related sections
Provides step-by-step instructions for opening an item intrinsically bound to a specific editor for a project.
Provides step-by-step instructions for opening a standard editor.
Provides links to project subtype conceptual topics. Project subtypes extend existing Visual C# and Visual Basic projects.
Provides links to additional topics that offer information about how to design new project types.