Develop and deploy WSS WebParts in one solution

There is one question always bother me these days: How to develop and deploy WSS webparts in one solution using the WSS extension for the VS2005? This solution should consist of such files:

• The Web Part classes.
• The web user control (.ascx files)

Today I found a easy way to realize what I need. (However, you could package these things into one solution manually, but that is a little bit complicated.)

First, Create a webpart project using the WSS add-in for VS2005. If you don't know how to do this, read Creating a Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Web Part Using Visual Studio 2005 Extensions.

You could add another webpart project, and the add-in will deploy them together when you click deploy.

Now, add another project, called "Module" project, this project is used to provision files, I shall put my web user control in this project later.

Create another project, and create a user control, I build a simple control which just let the label control display the text in the textbox. The simple code is like this:

<script runat="server">
Protected Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) 

Me.Label1.Text = Me.TextBox1.Text 

End Sub 
</script> 

<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox1" runat="server"></asp:TextBox>&nbsp; 
<asp:Button ID="Button1" runat="server" Text="Button" OnClick="Button1_Click" /> 
<br /> 
<asp:Label ID="Label1" runat="server" Text="Label"></asp:Label> 

Then, in the Module.xml file, I change the configuration.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 

<!-- _filecategory="Module" _filetype="File" _filename="module.xml" _uniqueid="aa01ed93-8312-48ea-a798-6645071c35c7" --> 

<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/"> 

<Module Name="Module1" Url="Controls" Path=""> 

<File Url="sample.txt" /> 

<File Url="MyControl.ascx" /> 

</Module> 

</Elements> 

Then, in one of my web part class, I could use the control like this:

protected override void CreateChildControls() 

{ 
Controls.Clear(); 
Controls.Add(Page.LoadControl("~/Controls/MyControl.ascx")); 
this.EnsureChildControls(); 
} 

The project look like this.

When deployed, there should be 3 features in the solution, consists of two webparts and a Module. I think this could reduce the deploy work when developing a webpart which using a custom web user control.

However, I didn't do much test work, if you find any problems with this method. Please feel free to tell me, thanks.