This step-by-step article describes how to create a custom Web Form template so that you can include a cascading style sheet (CSS) reference in all Web Forms in a Visual C# .NET Web project.
Typically, Web site designers must maintain a consistent look-and-feel on every page for a particular Web site. This article describes how to create a custom Web Form template that contains a link to a CSS style sheet. When you create all Web Forms in an application with this template, you provide an easy way to maintain a consistent design across the site.
The technique that is described in this article is based on the concept of Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Enterprise Templates. For more information, see the "
REFERENCES" section of this article.
back to the topEdit WebProjectItems.vsdir file
- In Notepad, open the WebProjectItems.vsdir file from the following folder:
In Visual Studio .NET 2002:C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET\VC#\CSharpProjectItems\WebProjectItems
In Visual Studio .NET 2003:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\VC#\CSharpProjectItems\WebProjectItems
- Add the following text to the end of the file:
..\MyCustomWebFormWiz.vsz|{FAE04EC1-301F-11d3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}|My Custom
Form|10|#2263|{FAE04EC1-301F-11d3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}|4534|0|WebForm.aspx
- Save the file.
back to the topCreate custom Web form wizard
- Open the following folder:
In Visual Studio .NET 2002:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET\VC#\CSharpProjectItems
In Visual Studio .NET 2003:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\VC#\CSharpProjectItems
- Copy the CSharpAddWebFormWiz.vsz file to the MyCustomWebFormWiz.vsz file.
- In Notepad, open the MyCustomWebFormWiz.vsz file, and then change the Param value as follows:
Param="WIZARD_NAME = MyCustomWebFormWiz"
- Save the file.
back to the topCreate custom Web form template
- Open the following folder:
In Visual Studio .NET 2002:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET\VC#\VC#Wizards
In Visual Studio .NET 2003:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\VC#\VC#Wizards
- Copy CSharpAddWebFormWiz to a new directory that is named MyCustomWebFormWiz.
- Open the following folder:
In Visual Studio .NET 2002:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET\VC#\VC#Wizards\MyCustomWebFormWiz\Templates\1033
In Visual Studio .NET 2003:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\VC#\VC#Wizards\MyCustomWebFormWiz\Templates\1033
- In Notepad, open the WebForm1.aspx file, and then add the following link reference (which appears indented) between the <meta name=vs_targetSchema> tag and the closing <head> tag as follows:
<meta name=vs_targetSchema content="[!output DEFAULT_TARGET_SCHEMA]">
<link id="link1" rel="stylesheet" href="myStyleSheet.css" type="text/css" runat="server" />
</head>
- Save the file.
back to the topTest link reference
- Start Microsoft Visual Studio .NET.
- On the File menu, point to New, and then click Project.
- Click Visual C# Projects under Project Types, and then click ASP.NET Web Application under Templates.
- On the Project menu, click Add New Item to add a style sheet to the project, and then name the style sheet myStyleSheet.css.
- Set the background color of the body element to blue for testing purposes.
- On the Project menu, click Add New Item.
- Click My Custom Form under Templates, name the file, and then click Open to add a custom Web Form to the application. Notice that the style sheet is applied automatically to the new Web Form and that the background is blue.
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