Cross-IDE Project Template Kit

Mar 10, 2026
9 minutes to read

The DevExpress Template Kit offers a unified project creation experience for Microsoft Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, and JetBrains Rider.

Installation

Install Template Kit for Visual Studio

The Template Kit is included in our Unified Component Installer.

You can also download the Template Kit from the Visual Studio Marketplace or install it as an extension in the Visual Studio IDE:

In Visual Studio, select Extensions → Manage Extensions….
Search for “DevExpress Template Kit for Visual Studio”.
Click the Install button.

Install Template Kit for Visual Studio Code

In Visual Studio Code, open the Extensions tab.
Search for “DevExpress Template Kit for VS Code”.
Click the Install button.

Install Template Kit for JetBrains Rider

Download the DevExpress Template Kit plugin for Rider.
Open JetBrains Rider settings and navigate to Plugins.
On the Plugins page, click the gear button and then click Install Plugin from Disk.
Select the plugin file.
Restart JetBrains Rider to apply changes.

Create a Project

Once the Template Kit is installed, you can use it to create DevExpress Blazor projects.

Create a Project in Visual Studio

In Visual Studio, select File → New → Project….
In the Create a new project dialog, search for DevExpress Template Kit.
Select the DevExpress v25.2 Template Kit template.
Click the Next button.
Specify the project name and location, and click the Create button.
Click Blazor in the left pane of the Template Kit window.
Configure the project and click the Create Project button.

Create a Project in Visual Studio Code

In Visual Studio Code, switch to the Explorer tab.
Click the New DevExpress Project button.
Specify the project name and press Enter.
Select a project location and click the Select Folder button.
Click Blazor in the left pane of the Template Kit window.
Configure the project and click the Create Project button.

Create a Project in JetBrains Rider

Click the New Solution button.
Select DevExpress Template Kit from the Other section.
Specify the solution name, target directory, and click the Create button.
Configure the project and click the Create Project button.

Supported Project Templates

The DevExpress Template Kit includes the following Blazor project templates:

Common

ASP.NET Core Blazor ApplicationCreates a web-based Blazor application similar to the Microsoft Blazor template.

Show Project Parameters

Add views to the applicationClick the tiles to create sample pages with DevExpress Blazor components: AI Chat, Chart, PDF Viewer, Pivot Table, Rich Text Editor, Report Designer, Report Viewer, Scheduler, or TreeList. The Template Kit automatically registers component packages, adds required static resources, and populates mock data. The project always includes Counter and Weather pages inspired by the standard Blazor Web App template from Microsoft.FrameworkSpecify the target .NET version.Render ModeSpecify the render mode for the application’s Razor components.Interactivity LocationChoose between global or per-component interactivity:

Global interactivity means any interaction or state-change may cause the entire application to be refreshed or re-rendered.
Per-page/component interactivity isolates the interactive behavior to specific parts of your application.

AuthenticationSpecify the authentication type.Add AI ResourcesRegister the selected provider for AI-powered DevExpress components. Specify your API key, endpoint, and model in the project’s appsettings.json file.ThemeSpecify an application theme (which applies common appearance settings to DevExpress Blazor components).Component Size ModeSpecify the global size mode for the entire application. You can override this setting for individual components in the application’s code.Add Bootstrap StylesheetInclude the standard Bootstrap CSS and reference it in the application’s root layout file.Add Open Iconic ResourcesInclude Open Iconic resources and reference the stylesheet in the application’s root layout file.Use DevExpress MCP

Install the DevExpress Documentation MCP Server for the generated solution. GitHub Copilot queries DevExpress documentation through this server to improve response accuracy and reduce model hallucinations. Refer to DevExpress Documentation MCP Server for setup details.

Reporting & Data Analytics

ASP.NET Core Blazor Reporting ApplicationCreates a web (Blazor Server or WebAssembly) application that displays a Report Viewer (JavaScript-Based or Native version) and/or an End-User Report Designer. The backend defines a pre-built tabular report bound to sample data (SQL, Object, or JSON). The application includes ready-to-use Docker files for deployment in Linux-based environments.

Show Project Parameters

FrameworkSpecify the target .NET version.Enable Docker Support Based on the Selected OSCreate a Dockerfile based on the selected operating system.Hosting ModelSpecify a hosting platform for Blazor Reporting Components.Add Page with JS-Based Report DesignerSelect this option to add a web page that contains the DevExpress Blazor Report Designer JavaScript control.Add Page with JS-Based Report ViewerSelect this option to add a web page that contains the DevExpress Blazor Report Viewer JavaScript control.Add Page with Native Report ViewerSelect this option to add a web page that contains the Blazor Report Viewer component. Applies to Blazor Server and standalone Blazor WebAssembly applications.Add SQL Data Connection to the Data Source WizardSelect this option to register a sample SQL connection string. Applies to Blazor Server and hosted Blazor WebAssembly applications.Add Sample JSON Data Connection StorageSelect this option to register a sample JSON data connection storage.Add Data Type to Object Data Source WizardSelect this option to register a sample data object. Applies to Blazor Server and hosted Blazor WebAssembly applications.Use DevExpress MCP

ASP.NET Core Blazor BI Dashboard ApplicationCreates a web (Blazor Server or Blazor WebAssembly Hosted) application with an integrated Web BI Dashboard Control that allows you to build an interactive data visualization UI.

Show Project Parameters

FrameworkSpecify the target .NET version.Exclude Demo DataSpecify whether to include a sample dashboard and data.Hosting ModelSpecify a hosting platform for the Blazor BI Dashboard component.Use DevExpress MCP

Hybrid & Enterprise Development

.NET MAUI Blazor Hybrid and Web AppCreates a .NET MAUI Blazor Hybrid application for Android and iOS with a Blazor Web project that incorporates DevExpress Blazor components and themes. The application mimics the Microsoft .NET MAUI Blazor Hybrid template.

Show Project Parameters

Add DevExpress .NET MAUI (Android/iOS)Integrate DevExpress .NET MAUI UI components for Android and iOS to the project. Requires the DevExpress Universal Subscription.Use DevExpress MCP

Hybrid WinForms ApplicationCreates a hybrid desktop (WinForms) application with a BlazorWebView-powered form and DevExpress themes/styles. The application supports Dependency Injection (DI) and integrates the DevExpress Blazor Data Grid control. Requires a subscription that includes Blazor UI components.

Show Project Parameters

FrameworkSpecify the target .NET version.Use DevExpress MCP

XAF Desktop & Web ApplicationCreates XAF-powered Windows Forms, ASP.NET Core Blazor UI, and Backend Web API Service projects using Entity Framework Core or XPO ORM for your desktop and web application development.

Show Project Parameters

FrameworkSpecify the target .NET version.ORMSelect an Object-Relational Mapping Library for the project.DatabaseSelect a database provider for the project.Database Schema UpdateSpecify whether the selected ORM automatically adds, modifies, or removes database objects that do not match data model structure.PlatformsAdd selected platform-specific projects.Blazor / Web API Service OptionsAdd a Web API to your project (either as a separate project or include it directly in the newly created project).Security OptionsInclude selected authentication options and a secure data layer to your project.Additional ModulesAdd the selected XAF built-in modules to the project.Multi-Tenant / SaaS-ready ApplicationSelect this option to separate application data and settings per tenant.NuGet Central Package Management (CPM)Add the Directory.Packages.props file to simplify managing common dependencies across all projects within a solution.Use DevExpress MCP

DevExpress Documentation MCP Server

The DevExpress Documentation MCP Server connects GitHub Copilot extension in your IDE to our latest help topics and allows Copilot to access API references, best practices, troubleshooting, and code snippets. When the Use DevExpress MCP option is selected or --use-devexpress-mcp flag is specified in the command line, the Template Kit installs the DevExpress Documentation MCP Server at the solution level.

Warning

The MCP Server requires a dedicated solution folder to function properly. If you create a project from Visual Studio, make sure the Place solution and project in the same directory option is not selected.

IDE security policies require manual approval of MCP server integration after a solution is created. To complete the solution configuration, perform the following steps:

Switch GitHub Copilot to Agent mode (Visual Studio | Visual Studio Code | Rider).
From the Copilot chat window, open Tools (Visual Studio | Visual Studio Code | Rider) and select the following MCP resources:
When prompted, approve and trust the DevExpress MCP server integration.

Build the Project

Install DevExpress component packages to build your project. You can use the DevExpress Unified Component Installer, which adds a local NuGet feed to your machine.

As an alternative to the Unified Component Installer, you can configure a personal DevExpress NuGet feed that loads required packages from the DevExpress NuGet Gallery:

Obtain your NuGet feed URL.
Register the source. You can do this in your IDE or from the CLI. See the corresponding help topic for details: