How to use T4 code generation templates with VS C++ projects?

Question

T4 template files are automatically recognizable by the IDE under C# projects, but I have no clue on how they can be integrated into C++ projects (other than using make files).

Any ideas?

Higgledypiggledy

Answer 1

T4 Template files can be integrated into C++ projects, but it's a bit more work than with a C#/VB project. Create a new text file in your C++ project and give it a .tt extension. Then write your template as normal. A C++ project then needs further work to get it to transform the templates. The quick and dirty way I got it to work was to add a custom build step and have it call "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextTemplating\1.1\TextTransform.exe" directly. Another way I found was to add a custom MSBuild task. Instructions can be found here

This page has more information and some good links to other pages on using T4 code generation.

Fighterbomber

Somehow it does not seem to work. Try creating a new Win32 C++ project. Then add a simple .tt file and click build. Nothing gets generated. – Conjunct

Thanks for your answer. It can be made to work, but is definitively not as convenient as C#. Hopefully this will change in the upcoming VS 2010. – Conjunct

Answer 2

MSBuild Task will not work as this is a vcproj file (C++) so vcbuild is used. The easiest way to get the tt compiled is to add a custom build step like below..

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextTemplating\1.1\TextTransform.exe" -out "$(ProjectDir)\VSProject.cpp" -I "$(ProjectDir)" "$(ProjectDir)\VSProject.tt"

I spent several hours investigating the MSBuild Task solution above and it's pretty good for managed code but I can't see any way to use it for C++ (bar converting the vcproj to csproj eek)

Hyoscyamine

Even with this solution, don't you still have to manually add the cpp file to the vcproj file? – Ludwog

Answer 3

For Visual Studio 2017 (and maybe 2015?)

The commands listed in the other answers are partly incorrect, as the file TextTransform.exe has been moved to a new directory: the devenv root folder, e.g.:

C:\Progra~1\Visual Studio 2017\Enterprise\Common7\IDE

The command should now be updated to the following:

"$(DevEnvDir)TextTransform.exe" -out "$(ProjectDir)xxx.cpp" "$(ProjectDir)xxx.tt"

where xxx is the file name of yout .tt template file

Manvell

C:\Program Files...\Common7\IDE is under the DevEnvDir environment variable in the developer console if anyone's looking. – Circuity

Answer 4

Having experimented with some of the above (and found them unsuitable for my specific case), I took a different approach that others may find helpful.

Rather than fight to get VS to accept a T4 template within a C++ project, I added a separate (empty) C# project to my solution. I put my template file at the root of the solution and add a link to it from the C# project. I #include the generated .h file from my C++ project.

I used the template to generate a version string that updates with every build. I added the AutoT4 tool to VS so that the string is updated with every build of the solution.

Embryology