How to use the Microsoft Dynamics SL 2015 SDK with Visual Studio 2015

Solomon Cloud Solutions brings you tips on how to use the Dynamics SL 2015 SDK with VS 2015.

UPDATE 9/27/2016: The instructions below show how to use Visual Studio 2015 as a development environment for Dynamics SL 2015. However, you will not have access to the Code Inspector tool - Code Inspector was developed as a Visual Studio add-in, and add-ins are not supported in Visual Studio 2015.

Instructions:

Install the SL 2015 SDK

• When you execute the Templates.vsix (or controls.vsix) file, you may see a dialog box similar to the following:

Visual Studio 2015 is NOT listed as a choice. Why? When the SDK was originally delivered by Microsoft, Visual Studio 2015 was not targeted.

​Modify the files to work with VS 2015

The following steps will show you how to get the SL 2015 SDK installed and usable by Visual Studio 2015:

• Find the folder where the SDK was installed ( C:\Program Files (x8) Microsoft Dynamics SL\SDK )
• You will find two files: Templates.vsix and Controls.vsix
• Rename Templates.vsix to Templates.zip
• Extract the contents of the Templates.zip
• In the extracted folder, find the extension.vsix manifest and open it with Notepad
• Add the bolded lines below to the file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Vsix xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" Version="1.0.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/vsx-schema/2010">
  <Identifier Id="ProjectTemplates.SL.Dynamics.Microsoft.965da5b2-ddd1-4c25-bb77-97c123f06cab">
    <Name>Microsoft Dynamics SL Project Templates</Name>
    <Author>Microsoft</Author>
    <Version>9.0</Version>
    <Description xml:space="preserve">Microsoft Dynamics SL Project Templates</Description>
    <Locale>1033</Locale>
    <Icon>Dynamics_application_square.ico</Icon>
    <SupportedProducts>
      <VisualStudio Version="10.0">
        <Edition>Ultimate</Edition>
        <Edition>Premium</Edition>
        <Edition>Pro</Edition>
      </VisualStudio>
      <VisualStudio Version="11.0">
        <Edition>Ultimate</Edition>
        <Edition>Premium</Edition>
        <Edition>Pro</Edition>
      </VisualStudio>
      <VisualStudio Version="12.0">
        <Edition>Ultimate</Edition>
        <Edition>Premium</Edition>
        <Edition>Pro</Edition>
      </VisualStudio>
      <VisualStudio Version="14.0">
        <Edition>Ultimate</Edition>
        <Edition>Premium</Edition>
        <Edition>Pro</Edition>
      </VisualStudio>
    </SupportedProducts>
    <SupportedFrameworkRuntimeEdition MinVersion="4.0" />
  </Identifier>
  <References />
  <Content>
    <ProjectTemplate>ProjectTemplates</ProjectTemplate>
  </Content>
</Vsix>

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• Save the file and exit Notepad
• Zip up the files into Templates_for_VS2015.zip
• Rename the zip file to Templates_for_VS2015.vsix
• Repeat the steps above for the Controls.vsix file

Install the Templates and Controls

• Double-click the Templates_for_VS2015.vsix file. You should be prompted with a dialog box similar to the following:

Load Visual Studio and check for the new project template and the toolbox category for the SL controls. 

​Need assistance? Contact Solomon Cloud Solutions to explore how we can help you. 

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Solomon Cloud Solutions is a software publisher and consulting organization that provides development and consulting services to partners. Solomon Cloud Solutions was formed specifically to develop a complete cloud platform to accelerate development and deployment of their cloud based business solutions across their family of companies and their business partners. The Solomon Cloud Solutions companies operate under the brand names of Six Disciplines - publisher of performance management software, methodology and coaching and Beyond Software - publisher of project accounting software and are owned by Gary Harpst, Vernon Strong and Jack Ridge.