Using HelixBase to create a Sitecore 10.1.1 Helix-based solution

Prerequisites:

- Sitecore 10.1.1 instance with Sitecore Management Services 3.0.0 module installed

- Clone HelixBase

1. Based on the readme, I renamed the cloned repository, I run the rename.ps1 as follows:

2. Looks like the rename worked (except the folder name should be manually changed if need be):

3. Change local publish profile to point to the Sitecore instance:

4. Use the local publish profile (within the website folder) to publish the whole sln:

5. After the website is successfully published, when I reload the Sitecore instance, everything loads fine. No dll or web config overwrite issues! HelixBase already seems useful!

6. The boiler plate code comes with pre-existing serialization folder under each feature, but even if your feature doesn't have one, the folder automatically gets created based on configuration when you do a pull -

7. Once CLI is setup as per  this blog, first step is to login to Sitecore and provide CLI the access to the instance:

dotnet sitecore login --authority https://sc1011identityserver.dev.local --cm https://sc1011devsc.dev.local --allow-write true

8. My list of plugins now and I can find serialization there:

9. Next step is to make one of the existing features (I used ItemUnlock) in the Helixbase project as a template so that I can reuse the same while creating new feature projects:

Reference to create VS project template

10. Did the necessary cleanup/rename and this is how my sln looks with the new customcoremenu project: 

I'm also happy to see package references in this project similar to existing features since I created this feature from a template of an existing project.

11. When I build and publish, I could see the latest feature getting added to the bin folder and my site loads fine too

12. I hand-created my module.json for the CustomCoreMenu feature:

13. Since I've created the item in Sitecore core db and want to pull it, I issue the dotnet sitecore ser pull command:

14. I can see the yml file serialized to the serialization folder:

I felt that it would have been great if the module.json can be created automatically and this is where the Sitecore Module Explorer comes into picture but the tool is licensed. If ever you want to use the tool,

a. Download Sitecore for Visual Studio and install SVS.VSIX.vsix. Note that this supports only until VS 2019 as of writing this blog.

b. Once the plugin is installed, you should be able to see the Sitecore Module Explorer option in the menu as below, if not, restart Visual Studio and check:

this product is licensed:

Reference: https://github.com/muso31/Helixbase