How To Deploy Files Stored in Layouts From Module

Question

I am trying to deploy a .ASPX file using a module in Visual Studio. In all of the examples I have seen the files to be deployed are stored within the module folder in the Visual Studio project.

My .ASPX file is stored in the Layouts folder in the project and should be deployed to a sub-folder within the layouts folder when deployed.

The Elements.xml file looks as follows but the file paths are wrong in it. There seems to be no way in Visual Studio to find the relative path to the ASPX file in the layout folder within the project structure so that I can put it into the Elements.xml file.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Elements xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/">
  <Module Name="AICreateNewItem">
<File Path="Layouts\SOMEFOLDER\aicreatenewitem.aspx" Url="Layouts\SOMEFOLDER\aicreatenewitem.aspx" />
  </Module>
</Elements>

How can I get the correct file path into the Elements.xml easily in Visual Studio?

Answer 1

Modules are used to deploy files to SharePoint Content Database. They can't deploy a file to physical folder. When you add a mapped folder like layouts to SharePoint VS Projects, the files inside the mapped folder automatically get deployed to physical path.