How to: Customize a SharePoint Solution Package

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You can use the Package Designer to create and customize a package (.wsp). For example, you can add SharePoint project items and Features, specify if the Web server is reset when the solution is deployed, and set the deployment server type.

Opening the Package Designer

To open the Package Designer

  • In Solution Explorer, double-click Package.

    or

  • In Solution Explorer, right-click Package and then click View Designer.

Viewing the Packaged Manifest File

You can use the Package Designer to modify and generate the packaged manifest file. Then, you can view the XML code for this file in Visual Studio.

To view the XML source file

  1. Open the Package Designer.

  2. Click Manifest.

To view the packaged manifest file by using Solution Explorer

  1. In Solution Explorer, click Show All Files.

  2. Expand Package.

  3. Expand Package.package.

  4. Open the Package.Template.xml file.

    Note

    When you open the package template manifest XML file, the files are automatically validated and the warnings that appear in the Error List window can be ignored.

Changing the Manifest Template

You can change the XML code for the packaged manifest file in the Visual Studio XML Editor or the Manifest Template pane. Any changes to the XML code is merged into the packaged manifest file for the package.

To change the manifest template by using the XML Editor

  1. Open the Package Designer.

  2. Click Manifest.

  3. Expand the Edit Options node.

  4. Click Open in XML Editor.

    Changes to the XML are merged into the packaged manifest file.

To change the manifest template by using the Manifest Template pane

  1. Open the Package Designer.

  2. Click Manifest.

  3. Expand the Edit Options node.

  4. Change the XML that appears in the Manifest Template pane.

    Changes to the XML appear in the Preview of Packaged Manifest pane.

Overwriting the Packaged Manifest File

You can disable the Package Designer and create the manifest.xml file manually. The first time that you perform this procedure, the current settings in the Package Designer are saved to the package template XML file. Then, you can modify or overwrite the XML code.

Note

If you add or remove SharePoint project items and Features in the XML file while the Package Designer is disabled, these project items and Features are not packaged.

To overwrite packaged manifest file by disabling the designer

  1. Open the Package Designer.

  2. Click Manifest.

  3. Expand the Edit Options node.

  4. Click Overwrite generated XML and edit manifest in the XML editor.

  5. Click Yes.

    The template is updated with the current packaged manifest file.

Enabling the Package Designer

You can re-enable the Package Designer to customize the manifest.xml file.

To re-enable the designer

  1. Open the Feature Designer.

  2. Click Discard manifest edits and re-enable the designer.

  3. Click Yes.

    The template is refreshed with the original text, and any changes to the XML are lost.

See Also

Other Resources

Packaging and Deploying SharePoint Solutions