Creating a SharePoint Solution Package (.wsp) in 5 steps

The following helps you to create .wsp (webpart solution package) for MOSS development without having WSP builder. Follow the below steps to generate wsp file.

1. Create DeploymentFiles folder in your project. Have a folder structure in the project as given below.
   
2. Create the file manifest.xml and the following is the sample content.
   xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
   <Solution xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/"
   SolutionId="412ACEA2-48D9-42f2-9794-4715258BB6F0"ResetWebServer="FALSE">
   <Assemblies> <Assembly DeploymentTarget="GlobalAssemblyCache" Location="WSPCreationApp.dll"> <SafeControls> <SafeControlAssembly="WSPCreationApp, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=Neutral, PublicKeyToken=d42377719d795a18" Namespace="WSPCreationApp"TypeName="*" Safe="True" /> 
   SafeControls>
   Assembly>
   Assemblies>
   <TemplateFiles>
   
   <TemplateFile Location="XML\TestFile.xml" />
   TemplateFiles>
   Solution>
3. Create the file BuildSharePointPackage.ddf and the following is the sample content.
   .Set DiskDirectoryTemplate=CDROM
   .Set CompressionType=MSZIP
   .Set UniqueFiles=Off
   .Set Cabinet=On
   .Set CabinetFileCountThreshold=0
   .Set FolderFileCountThreshold=0
   .Set FolderSizeThreshold=0
   .Set MaxCabinetSize=0
   .Set MaxDiskFileCount=0
   .Set MaxDiskSize=0
   ;**************************************************
   DeploymentFiles\manifest.xml
   %BuildDir%\WSPCreationApp.dll
    
   .Set DestinationDir=XML
   RootFiles\TEMPLATE\XML\TestFile.xml
4. Create the file BuildSharePointPackage.targets and the following is the sample content.
   xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
   <Project DefaultTargets="BuildSharePointPackage" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   <PropertyGroup>
   <MakeCabPath>"MAKECAB.EXE"MakeCabPath>
   PropertyGroup>
   <Target Name="BuildSharePointPackage">
   <Exec Command="$(MakeCabPath) /F DeploymentFiles\BuildSharePointPackage.ddf /D CabinetNameTemplate=$(MSBuildProjectName).wsp /D DiskDirectory1=wsp\$(Configuration) /D BuildDir=$(OutputPath) "/>
   <Exec Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU'"Command="$(MakeCabPath) /F DeploymentFiles\BuildSharePointPackage.ddf /D CabinetNameTemplate=$(MSBuildProjectName).cab /D DiskDirectory1=wsp\$(Configuration) /D BuildDir=$(OutputPath) "/>
   Target>
   Project>
5. Create the file WSPCreationApp.Bat and the following is the sample content.
   Rem Retracted Solution
   stsadm -o retractsolution -name WSPCreationApp.wsp -allcontenturls -immediate
   Rem Deleted Solution
   stsadm -o deletesolution -name  WSPCreationApp.wsp -override
   Rem Added Solution feature
   stsadm -o addsolution -filename WSPCreationApp.wsp
   Rem Deployed Solution
   stsadm -o deploysolution -name WSPCreationApp.wsp -url http://learning -immediate -allowgacdeployment -force
6. Modify the .CSProj /.VBProj file with the following entries.
   <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />
   
   <Import Project="DeploymentFiles\BuildSharePointPackage.Targets" />
   <Target Name="AfterBuild">
   <CallTarget Targets="BuildSharePointPackage" />
   Target>
7. Build the project. You should be having a wsp folder gets created with .cab  and .wsp inside it.

You are done! Happy Coding.!!

Source: http://geekswithblogs.net/evgenyblog/archive/2008/01/27/118966.aspx

~ Gangadhar Kotu