Creating a custom Master page in SharePoint 2010 using Visual Studio 2010

In this article we will be seeing how to create a custom master page in SharePoint 2010 using Visual Studio 2010.

Steps Involved:

• Open Visual Studio 2010.
• Go to File => New => Project.
• Select Empty SharePoint Project from the installed template SharePoint 2010.
  
  
  
• Enter the Name.
• Click Ok.
• Enter the local site that you want to use it for debugging.
• Select "Deploy as a sandbox solution".
• Click Finish.
• Right click on the solution and click on "Add a new item".
• Select the Module template from the installed templates.
  
  
  
• Enter the name and click ok.
• Rename the Sample.txt to Sample.master.
• Replace the code with the following code snippet.
  
  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  <Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
  <Module Name="Module" List="116" Url="_catalogs/masterpage">
  <File Path="Module\Sample.master" Url="Module/Sample.master" Type="GhostableInLibrary" IgnoreIfAlreadyExists="false" />
  </Module>
  </Elements>
  
• Go to the SharePoint Designer.
• Open some existing site in the SharePoint Designer 2010.
• Go to Navigation => Site Objects =>Master Pages.
• Make a copy of v4.master.
• Do some modifications in the copy of v4.master and copy the code.
• Paste the code in the Sample.master.