How to Create Custom SharePoint Content Type using Visual Studio

In this article, we are going to create a custom Content Type using Visual Studio 2010.

Steps Involved

Creating Empty SharePoint Project

Open Visual Studio 2010.
Go to File => New => Project.
Select 2010 from the installed templates SharePoint and choose Empty SharePoint Project.
Name it as CustomContentType.
Click Add.
Enter the SharePoint server farm URL.
Select 'Deploy it as a Farm Solution".
Click Finish.

Adding Content Type

Right-click the Solution Explorer and select Add a new item.
Select Content Type from the installed templates SharePoint and name it as CustomContentType.
Choose the base content type from which our custom content type should inherit, I have chosen "Item" as a base content type.
Double-click the Elements.xml file.

Replace the code with the below one.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
    <!-- Parent ContentType: Item (0x01) -->
    <ContentType ID="0x0100eb248db87d3f40efa20cdfae86fe0b50"
                 Name="Custom Content Type"
                 Group="Custom Content Types"
                 Description="My Content Type"
                 Inherits="TRUE"
                 Version="0">
        <FieldRefs>
        </FieldRefs>
    </ContentType>
</Elements>

In the above code, we are adding a Custom Content Type; with the group name as "Custom Content Types".
Build the solution.
Deploy the solution.

Testing

Go to the SharePoint site.
Go to Site Actions => Site Settings =>Galleries =>Site Content Types.
You will see the Custom Content Type that we have created in the group "Custom Content Types".