Multiple projects in one solution - best way?

[Stefan Uhlemann]

Hi,

What is the best way for a web application with multiple projects
(modularity) using same Masterpage and style sheets.

Used system: Visual Studio 2008
Framework: 2.0

Target: Building a modular system (like plug-ins) for a big intranet
solution.
The modules should using its own subfolder within main project (like
/modules/customers, /modules/products... etc.)
The main menu (within main) should automatically build its sub-entries
depending on installed submodules.

Thank you

Stefan

 

[Gareth Erskine-Jones]

Hi,

What is the best way for a web application with multiple projects
(modularity) using same Masterpage and style sheets.

Using your source control software is probably the best way to do this
- you can store a style sheet (for example) in a single location in
your repository, but then use the file in multiple projects.

It's a good idea to get this set up before you start - nothing quite
like finding you have loads of projects with slightly different
versions of a file, and then trying to fix them up to use the same
one.

A potential problem with this approach is that it can make regression
testing rather difficult - if you change the css file in one project,
it changes for all of the others, with the obvious risk that the
change will be deleterious for one of your other projects.

 

[Stefan Uhlemann]

Hi Mark,

Thank you for your reply.

Well, i´m trying to prevent making a "copy" of all styles and masterpages.

I tried this solution:
http://blogs.msdn.com/webdevtools/archive/2006/07/01/652986.aspx

It works fine, but the designer can´t display the masterpages correctly (and
styles) which makes designmode in Visual Studio unusable.

Stefan

 

[Stefan Uhlemann]

The reason preventing the copy of the masterpage is building the menu within
the main project.
The main menu looks like this:

Main Menu (Build by the main project)
- Menu point 1
- Menu Point 2
- Menu Point 3
SubModule 1 (which is build by another "depending" project)
- Sub Menu 1.1
- Sub Menu 1.2
SubModul 2 (another project)
- Sub Menu 2.1
- Sub Menu 2.2 and so on...

I guess, if i copy the masterpage this will not be possible...