create-activity

name	create-activity
description	Generate complete, deployable UiPath activity packages. Detects SDK presence and produces all necessary files (activity, viewmodel, metadata, packaging, tests). Use when asked to create or scaffold UiPath activities.
allowed-tools	Bash, Glob, Grep, Read, Write, Edit, AskUserQuestion

UiPath Activity Development — Claude Code Skill

This skill file enables Claude Code to generate complete, deployable UiPath activity packages. For detailed reference on widgets, data sources, rules, bindings, advanced patterns, and testing, see the companion guide: activity-development-guide/index.md.

---

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when asked to:

• Create a new UiPath activity (or activity package)
• Add a new activity to an existing UiPath activity package
• Scaffold the project structure for UiPath activities

---

Before You Generate — Resolve Package Name

Before generating any file, determine {PackageName} and {Namespace}:

Step 1 — Infer from the prompt. If the user's request contains a dotted name (e.g. "AlexPetre.ConvertXml"), extract the full dotted name as {PackageName} and use it as {Namespace} too.

User writes	{PackageName}	{Namespace}
"AlexPetre.ConvertXml activity"	AlexPetre.ConvertXml	AlexPetre.ConvertXml
"create Acme.Utils.Csv activity"	Acme.Utils.Csv	Acme.Utils.Csv
"ConvertXml activity" (no dots)	ask — see Step 2	ask — see Step 2

Step 2 — Ask if no dotted name is found. If the prompt contains no dotted name, stop and ask:

What should the package be called? (e.g. YourName.ConvertXml)

Use the user's full answer as {PackageName} and {Namespace}.

Step 3 — Normalize to PascalCase. If the name is not already PascalCase, convert it: capitalize the first letter of each word and remove spaces/hyphens.

Rule: {PackageName} MUST NOT start with UiPath. Never generate a package whose name begins with UiPath.

---

SDK Detection

Before generating any files, check if the UiPath Activities SDK is present in the repository:

Glob for **/UiPath.Sdk.Activities/*.cs  or  **/UiPath.Sdk.Activities.projitems

• If found -> SDK mode (preferred): Use the SDK base classes and patterns described in the SDK Mode Overrides section below. The SDK provides dependency injection, telemetry, governance, project settings, retry, and connection binding support out of the box.
• If not found -> Classic mode: Use the standard templates below.

---

File Generation Checklist

Classic Mode

When creating a new activity package from scratch, generate ALL of these files in order:

#	File	Purpose
1	nuget.config	NuGet feed configuration
2	{PackageName}/{PackageName}.csproj	Main library project
3	{PackageName}/Activities/{ActivityName}.cs	Runtime activity class
4	{PackageName}/ViewModels/{ActivityName}ViewModel.cs	Design-time ViewModel
5	{PackageName}/Helpers/ActivityContextExtensions.cs	Runtime logging helper
6	{PackageName}/Resources/ActivitiesMetadata.json	Activity discovery metadata
6b	{PackageName}/Resources/Icons/activityicon.svg	Default activity icon (SVG 24x24)
7	{PackageName}/Resources/Resources.resx	Localized display strings
7b	{PackageName}/Resources/Resources.Designer.cs	Strongly-typed resource accessor
8	{PackageName}.Packaging/{PackageName}.Packaging.csproj	NuGet packaging project
9	{PackageName}.Tests/{PackageName}.Tests.csproj	Test project
10	{PackageName}.Tests/Unit/{ActivityName}UnitTests.cs	Unit tests
11	{PackageName}.Tests/Workflow/{ActivityName}WorkflowTests.cs	Workflow integration tests

Then run these commands to create the solution and build:

dotnet new sln -n {PackageName}
dotnet sln add {PackageName}/{PackageName}.csproj
dotnet sln add {PackageName}.Packaging/{PackageName}.Packaging.csproj
dotnet sln add {PackageName}.Tests/{PackageName}.Tests.csproj
dotnet build -c Release
dotnet test

When adding an activity to an existing package, generate only files 3, 4, 10, 11 and update files 6, 7, and 7b.

SDK Mode

When the SDK is detected, the checklist changes. Differences from classic mode are marked with [SDK].

#	File	Purpose
1	nuget.config	NuGet feed configuration (same as classic)
2	{PackageName}/{PackageName}.csproj	Main library project [SDK] — extra properties & packages
3	{PackageName}/Activities/{ActivityName}.cs	Runtime activity class [SDK] — partial, inherits SdkActivity<T>
3b	{PackageName}/ViewModels/{ActivityName}.Design.cs	[SDK NEW] — partial class with [ViewModelClass] attribute
4	{PackageName}/ViewModels/{ActivityName}ViewModel.cs	Design-time ViewModel [SDK] — inherits BaseViewModel
--	ActivityContextExtensions.cs	[SDK] — NOT needed (services via RuntimeServices)
5	{PackageName}/Directory.build.targets	[SDK NEW] — imports SDK build targets
6	{PackageName}/Resources/ActivitiesMetadata.json	Activity discovery metadata (same as classic)
6b	{PackageName}/Resources/Icons/activityicon.svg	Default activity icon (same as classic)
7	{PackageName}/Resources/Resources.resx	Localized display strings (same as classic)
7b	{PackageName}/Resources/Resources.Designer.cs	Strongly-typed resource accessor (same as classic)
8	{PackageName}.Packaging/{PackageName}.Packaging.csproj	NuGet packaging project (same as classic)
9	{PackageName}.Tests/{PackageName}.Tests.csproj	Test project [SDK] — extra properties
10	{PackageName}.Tests/Unit/{ActivityName}UnitTests.cs	Unit tests [SDK] — DI-based testing
11	{PackageName}.Tests/Workflow/{ActivityName}WorkflowTests.cs	Workflow integration tests (same as classic)

When adding an activity to an existing SDK package, generate files 3, 3b, 4, 10, 11 and update files 6, 7, and 7b.

Common Notes

Resources.Designer.cs — generate and commit for CLI builds: PublicResXFileCodeGenerator only runs inside Visual Studio. For dotnet build and CI builds, Resources.Designer.cs must be generated and committed to source (see Template 7b). Visual Studio will regenerate it automatically when the project is opened; that is expected and harmless.

For more details, see core/project-structure.md.

---

File Templates

1. nuget.config

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <packageSources>
    <add key="nuget.org" value="https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json" />
    <add key="UiPath Official" value="https://uipath.pkgs.visualstudio.com/Public.Feeds/_packaging/UiPath-Official/nuget/v3/index.json" />
  </packageSources>
</configuration>

2. Main Project .csproj

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Library</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <!-- Library gets distinct PackageId to avoid "Ambiguous project name" with Packaging project -->
    <PackageId>{PackageName}.Library</PackageId>
    <IsPackable>false</IsPackable>
    <!-- Explicit RootNamespace ensures embedded resource manifest name is {PackageName}.Resources.Resources -->
    <RootNamespace>{PackageName}</RootNamespace>
    <NoWarn>$(NoWarn);NU5104</NoWarn>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <None Remove="Resources\ActivitiesMetadata.json" />
    <EmbeddedResource Include="Resources\ActivitiesMetadata.json" />
    <EmbeddedResource Include="Resources\Icons\*.svg" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <!-- Pin to stable release (1.YYYYMMDD.patch). Never use 1.0.0-* — resolves to alpha missing key APIs. -->
    <PackageReference Include="System.Activities.ViewModels" Version="1.20251103.2" PrivateAssets="All" />
    <PackageReference Include="UiPath.Activities.Api" Version="24.10.1" PrivateAssets="All" />
    <PackageReference Include="UiPath.Workflow" Version="6.0.0-*" PrivateAssets="All" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Update="Resources\Resources.Designer.cs">
      <DependentUpon>Resources.resx</DependentUpon>
      <DesignTime>True</DesignTime>
      <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
      <CustomToolNamespace>{Namespace}</CustomToolNamespace>
    </Compile>
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <EmbeddedResource Update="Resources\Resources.resx">
      <LastGenOutput>Resources.Designer.cs</LastGenOutput>
      <Generator>PublicResXFileCodeGenerator</Generator>
      <CustomToolNamespace>{Namespace}</CustomToolNamespace>
    </EmbeddedResource>
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

3. Activity Class

// Activities/{ActivityName}.cs
using System.Activities;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Diagnostics;
using {Namespace}.Helpers;
using UiPath.Robot.Activities.Api;

namespace {Namespace};

public class {ActivityName} : CodeActivity{<ResultType> if applicable}
{
    [RequiredArgument]
    public InArgument<T>? {InputProp} { get; set; }

    public OutArgument<T>? {OutputProp} { get; set; }

    // Enum selector: plain TEnum, NOT InArgument<TEnum> — see activity-code.md
    public TEnum {EnumProp} { get; set; } = TEnum.DefaultValue;

    protected override {ReturnType} Execute(CodeActivityContext context)
    {
        context.GetExecutorRuntime().LogMessage(new LogMessage
        {
            EventType = TraceEventType.Information,
            Message = "Executing {ActivityName} activity"
        });

        var input = {InputProp}.Get(context);
        var result = ExecuteInternal(input);
        {OutputProp}?.Set(context, result);
        return result; // if CodeActivity<T>
    }

    // ExecuteInternal reads enum property directly — not via parameter or private field.
    // See activity-development-guide/runtime/activity-code.md for the ExecuteInternal pattern.
    public {ReturnType} ExecuteInternal({params})
    {
        return {EnumProp} switch
        {
            // Business logic here
        };
    }
}

Classic mode base class selection (for SDK mode, see SDK Mode Overrides section):

Base Class	When to Use
CodeActivity<T>	Simple synchronous activities returning a value
CodeActivity	Simple synchronous activities with no return value
AsyncCodeActivity<T>	Async activities (I/O, network calls)

Property type mapping:

C# Type	Purpose
InArgument<T>?	Input — accepts expressions/variables
OutArgument<T>?	Output — writes to variables
InOutArgument<T>?	Bidirectional — read and modify
TEnum (plain type)	Enum selector — maps to DesignProperty<TEnum> in ViewModel
T (direct type)	Other constants (bool, int, etc.)

For details on enum selectors, the ExecuteInternal pattern, and GetExecutorRuntime, see runtime/activity-code.md.

4. ViewModel Class

Property names MUST exactly match the Activity class property names.

// ViewModels/{ActivityName}ViewModel.cs
using System.Activities.DesignViewModels;

namespace {Namespace}.ViewModels;

public class {ActivityName}ViewModel : DesignPropertiesViewModel
{
    // Nullable without initializer — framework populates before InitializeModel
    public DesignInArgument<T>? {InputProp} { get; set; }
    public DesignOutArgument<T>? {OutputProp} { get; set; }
    public DesignProperty<TEnum>? {EnumProp} { get; set; }

    public {ActivityName}ViewModel(IDesignServices services) : base(services) { }

    protected override void InitializeModel()
    {
        base.InitializeModel();
        PersistValuesChangedDuringInit();

        var order = 0;

        // Use ! on every nullable property access — framework guarantees non-null here
        {InputProp}!.DisplayName = Resources.{ActivityName}_{InputProp}_DisplayName;
        {InputProp}!.Tooltip = Resources.{ActivityName}_{InputProp}_Tooltip;
        {InputProp}!.IsRequired = true;
        {InputProp}!.IsPrincipal = true;
        {InputProp}!.OrderIndex = order++;

        // Enum properties — runtime auto-renders enums as dropdowns
        {EnumProp}!.DisplayName = Resources.{ActivityName}_{EnumProp}_DisplayName;
        {EnumProp}!.IsPrincipal = true;
        {EnumProp}!.OrderIndex = order++;

        // Output properties — not principal, at the end
        {OutputProp}!.DisplayName = Resources.{ActivityName}_{OutputProp}_DisplayName;
        {OutputProp}!.Tooltip = Resources.{ActivityName}_{OutputProp}_Tooltip;
        {OutputProp}!.OrderIndex = order++;
    }
}

ViewModel property type mapping:

ViewModel Type	Maps to Activity Type	.Widget supported
DesignInArgument<T>	InArgument<T>	No
DesignOutArgument<T>	OutArgument<T>	No
DesignInOutArgument<T>	InOutArgument<T>	No
DesignProperty<T>	Direct T property	Yes

Common widget assignments (set in InitializeModel()):

// Toggle for booleans (only on DesignProperty, not DesignInArgument)
BoolProp!.Widget = new DefaultWidget { Type = ViewModelWidgetType.Toggle };

// Multi-line text
TextProp!.Widget = new DefaultWidget
{
    Type = ViewModelWidgetType.TextComposer,
    Metadata = new() { { TextComposerMetadata.IsSingleLineFormat, true.ToString() } }
};

// Autocomplete dropdown (searchable, allows expressions)
SearchProp!.Widget = new DefaultWidget { Type = ViewModelWidgetType.AutoCompleteForExpression };

// Plain number with constraints
NumProp!.Widget = new DefaultWidget
{
    Type = ViewModelWidgetType.PlainNumber,
    Metadata = new() { [PlainNumber.Min] = "0", [PlainNumber.Max] = "100", [PlainNumber.Step] = "1" }
};

For nullable properties, the ! operator, rules, dependencies, data sources, menu actions, validation, and advanced patterns, see:

• ViewModel Guide — nullable properties, InitializeModel patterns, resource cleanup
• Rules and Dependencies
• DataSource Patterns
• Menu Actions
• Validation
• Bindings
• Widgets
• Advanced Patterns

5. Helper Extension

// Helpers/ActivityContextExtensions.cs
using System.Activities;
using UiPath.Robot.Activities.Api;

namespace {Namespace}.Helpers;

public static class ActivityContextExtensions
{
    public static IExecutorRuntime GetExecutorRuntime(this ActivityContext context)
        => context.GetExtension<IExecutorRuntime>();
}

6. ActivitiesMetadata.json

{
  "resourceManagerName": "{PackageName}.Resources.Resources",
  "activities": [
    {
      "fullName": "{Namespace}.{ActivityName}",
      "shortName": "{ActivityName}",
      "displayNameKey": "{ActivityName}_DisplayName",
      "descriptionKey": "{ActivityName}_Description",
      "categoryKey": "{Category}",
      "iconKey": "activityicon.svg",
      "viewModelType": "{Namespace}.ViewModels.{ActivityName}ViewModel"
    }
  ]
}

When adding multiple activities, add entries to the activities array.

6b. activityicon.svg

Default activity icon. Place at {PackageName}/Resources/Icons/activityicon.svg.

<svg width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">
	<path d="M5.00671 19V14H7.00671V19H18V15.5H16L19 12.5L22 15.5H20V19C20 20.1 19.1 21 18 21H10.5H8.00671H7.00671C5.90214 21 5.00671 20.1046 5.00671 19Z" fill="#556068"/>
	<path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M8.11702 2.87616L12 5.46482V9.67703L5.86054 12.1328L2 9.3446V5.32297L8.11702 2.87616ZM4 6.67703V8.32198L6.13946 9.86718L10 8.32297V6.53518L7.88298 5.12384L4 6.67703Z" fill="#556068"/>
	<path d="M16 7.5C16 9.15685 17.3431 10.5 19 10.5C20.6569 10.5 22 9.15685 22 7.5C22 5.84315 20.6569 4.5 19 4.5C17.3431 4.5 16 5.84315 16 7.5Z" fill="#556068"/>
</svg>

All activities in the package share this icon. For per-activity icons, add SVG files to Resources/Icons/ and update iconKey in ActivitiesMetadata.json — the glob <EmbeddedResource Include="Resources\Icons\*.svg" /> picks them up automatically.

7. Resources.resx

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<root>
  <xsd:schema id="root" xmlns="" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:msdata="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-msdata">
    <xsd:element name="root" msdata:IsDataSet="true">
      <xsd:complexType>
        <xsd:choice maxOccurs="unbounded">
          <xsd:element name="data">
            <xsd:complexType>
              <xsd:sequence>
                <xsd:element name="value" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0" msdata:Ordinal="1" />
                <xsd:element name="comment" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0" msdata:Ordinal="2" />
              </xsd:sequence>
              <xsd:attribute name="name" type="xsd:string" msdata:Ordinal="0" />
              <xsd:attribute name="type" type="xsd:string" />
              <xsd:attribute name="mimetype" type="xsd:string" />
              <xsd:attribute ref="xml:space" />
            </xsd:complexType>
          </xsd:element>
          <xsd:element name="resheader">
            <xsd:complexType>
              <xsd:sequence>
                <xsd:element name="value" type="xsd:string" minOccurs="0" msdata:Ordinal="1" />
              </xsd:sequence>
              <xsd:attribute name="name" type="xsd:string" use="required" />
            </xsd:complexType>
          </xsd:element>
        </xsd:choice>
      </xsd:complexType>
    </xsd:element>
  </xsd:schema>
  <resheader name="resmimetype">
    <value>text/microsoft-resx</value>
  </resheader>
  <resheader name="version">
    <value>2.0</value>
  </resheader>
  <resheader name="reader">
    <value>System.Resources.ResXResourceReader, System.Windows.Forms, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089</value>
  </resheader>
  <resheader name="writer">
    <value>System.Resources.ResXResourceWriter, System.Windows.Forms, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089</value>
  </resheader>
  <!-- Activity display name and description -->
  <data name="{ActivityName}_DisplayName" xml:space="preserve">
    <value>{Activity Display Name}</value>
  </data>
  <data name="{ActivityName}_Description" xml:space="preserve">
    <value>{Activity description text}</value>
  </data>
  <!-- Property display names and tooltips: {ActivityName}_{PropertyName}_DisplayName / _Tooltip -->
  <data name="{ActivityName}_{PropertyName}_DisplayName" xml:space="preserve">
    <value>{Property Display Name}</value>
  </data>
  <data name="{ActivityName}_{PropertyName}_Tooltip" xml:space="preserve">
    <value>{Property tooltip/help text}</value>
  </data>
</root>

Naming convention:

• {ActivityName}_DisplayName — Activity display name
• {ActivityName}_Description — Activity description
• {ActivityName}_{PropertyName}_DisplayName — Property display name
• {ActivityName}_{PropertyName}_Tooltip — Property tooltip

7b. Resources.Designer.cs

Generate this file manually and commit it. Add one public static string property per key defined in Resources.resx.

// Resources/Resources.Designer.cs
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// <auto-generated>
//     This code was generated by a tool.
//
//     Changes to this file may cause incorrect behavior and will be lost if
//     the code is regenerated.
// </auto-generated>
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------

namespace {Namespace} {

    [System.CodeDom.Compiler.GeneratedCodeAttribute("System.Resources.Tools.StronglyTypedResourceBuilder", "17.0.0.0")]
    [System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCodeAttribute()]
    [System.Runtime.CompilerServices.CompilerGeneratedAttribute()]
    public class Resources {

        private static System.Resources.ResourceManager resourceMan;

        private static System.Globalization.CultureInfo resourceCulture;

        [System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCodeAttribute()]
        internal Resources() {
        }

        [System.ComponentModel.EditorBrowsableAttribute(System.ComponentModel.EditorBrowsableState.Advanced)]
        public static System.Resources.ResourceManager ResourceManager {
            get {
                if (object.ReferenceEquals(resourceMan, null)) {
                    System.Resources.ResourceManager temp = new System.Resources.ResourceManager("{PackageName}.Resources.Resources", typeof(Resources).Assembly);
                    resourceMan = temp;
                }
                return resourceMan;
            }
        }

        [System.ComponentModel.EditorBrowsableAttribute(System.ComponentModel.EditorBrowsableState.Advanced)]
        public static System.Globalization.CultureInfo Culture {
            get {
                return resourceCulture;
            }
            set {
                resourceCulture = value;
            }
        }

        public static string {ActivityName}_DisplayName {
            get {
                return ResourceManager.GetString("{ActivityName}_DisplayName", resourceCulture);
            }
        }

        public static string {ActivityName}_Description {
            get {
                return ResourceManager.GetString("{ActivityName}_Description", resourceCulture);
            }
        }

        public static string {ActivityName}_{PropertyName}_DisplayName {
            get {
                return ResourceManager.GetString("{ActivityName}_{PropertyName}_DisplayName", resourceCulture);
            }
        }

        public static string {ActivityName}_{PropertyName}_Tooltip {
            get {
                return ResourceManager.GetString("{ActivityName}_{PropertyName}_Tooltip", resourceCulture);
            }
        }
    }
}

The ResourceManager string "{PackageName}.Resources.Resources" must match the embedded resource manifest name. This is ensured by setting <RootNamespace>{PackageName}</RootNamespace> in the .csproj.

8. Packaging Project .csproj

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <GeneratePackageOnBuild>True</GeneratePackageOnBuild>
    <VersionBuild>$([System.DateTime]::UtcNow.DayOfYear.ToString("F0"))</VersionBuild>
    <VersionRevision>$([System.DateTime]::UtcNow.TimeOfDay.TotalMinutes.ToString("F0"))</VersionRevision>
    <VersionPrefix Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Release'">1.0.0</VersionPrefix>
    <VersionPrefix Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Debug'">1.0.$(VersionBuild)-dev.$(VersionRevision)</VersionPrefix>
    <PackageId>{PackageName}</PackageId>
    <Authors>{AuthorName}</Authors>
    <Description>{Package description}</Description>
    <PackageTags>UiPathActivities</PackageTags>
    <PackageOutputPath>..\Output\Packages\</PackageOutputPath>
    <TargetsForTfmSpecificBuildOutput>AddDlls</TargetsForTfmSpecificBuildOutput>
    <ProduceReferenceAssembly>False</ProduceReferenceAssembly>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <Target Name="AddDlls">
    <ItemGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Debug'">
      <BuildOutputInPackage Include="$(OutputPath){PackageName}.pdb" />
    </ItemGroup>
    <ItemGroup>
      <BuildOutputInPackage Include="$(OutputPath){PackageName}.dll" />
    </ItemGroup>
  </Target>
  <Target Name="RemoveMetaDll" AfterTargets="BuiltProjectOutputGroup">
    <ItemGroup>
      <BuiltProjectOutputGroupOutput Remove="@(BuiltProjectOutputGroupOutput)" />
    </ItemGroup>
  </Target>
  <Target Name="CleanPackageFiles" BeforeTargets="Build">
    <ItemGroup>
      <PackageFilesToDelete Include="$(PackageOutputPath)\$(PackageId)*.nupkg" />
    </ItemGroup>
    <Delete Files="@(PackageFilesToDelete)" ContinueOnError="WarnAndContinue" />
  </Target>
  <ItemGroup>
    <ProjectReference Include="..\{PackageName}\{PackageName}.csproj">
      <PrivateAssets>All</PrivateAssets>
    </ProjectReference>
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

Critical: PackageTags must contain UiPathActivities for Studio to discover the package.

9. Test Project .csproj

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <IsPackable>false</IsPackable>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="17.14.1" />
    <PackageReference Include="Moq" Version="4.20.72" />
    <PackageReference Include="xunit" Version="2.9.3" />
    <PackageReference Include="xunit.runner.visualstudio" Version="3.1.4">
      <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
      <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
    </PackageReference>
    <PackageReference Include="UiPath.Activities.Api" Version="24.10.1" DevelopmentDependency="true" />
    <PackageReference Include="UiPath.Workflow" Version="6.0.0-*" PrivateAssets="All" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <ProjectReference Include="..\{PackageName}\{PackageName}.csproj" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

10. Unit Tests

// Tests/Unit/{ActivityName}UnitTests.cs
using Xunit;

namespace {Namespace}.Tests.Unit;

public class {ActivityName}UnitTests
{
    [Fact]
    public void ExecuteInternal_ValidInput_ReturnsExpected()
    {
        var activity = new {ActivityName}();
        var result = activity.ExecuteInternal(/* args */);
        Assert.Equal(expected, result);
    }

    [Fact]
    public void ExecuteInternal_InvalidInput_Throws()
    {
        var activity = new {ActivityName}();
        Assert.Throws<ExpectedException>(() => activity.ExecuteInternal(/* bad args */));
    }
}

11. Workflow Tests

// Tests/Workflow/{ActivityName}WorkflowTests.cs
using System.Activities;
using Moq;
using UiPath.Robot.Activities.Api;
using Xunit;

namespace {Namespace}.Tests.Workflow;

public class {ActivityName}WorkflowTests
{
    private readonly Mock<IExecutorRuntime> _runtimeMock = new();

    [Fact]
    public void Execute_ValidInputs_ReturnsExpected()
    {
        // Use bare OutArgument — do NOT use Variable<T> (requires enclosing scope).
        // See activity-development-guide/testing/activity-testing.md
        var activity = new {ActivityName}
        {
            {InputProp}  = new InArgument<T>(/* value */),
            {OutputProp} = new OutArgument<T>()
        };

        var runner = new WorkflowInvoker(activity);
        runner.Extensions.Add(() => _runtimeMock.Object);

        var result = runner.Invoke(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));

        Assert.True(result.ContainsKey("{OutputProp}"));
        Assert.NotNull(result["{OutputProp}"]);
    }
}

---

SDK Mode Overrides

When in SDK mode, use these templates instead of the corresponding classic templates above. For files not listed here (nuget.config, ActivitiesMetadata.json, Resources.resx, Resources.Designer.cs, Packaging .csproj, activityicon.svg), use the classic templates unchanged.

SDK: Main Project .csproj (replaces Template 2)

The SDK compiles into your project via shared projects (.shproj/.projitems). Package versions are centrally managed by the SDK's Sdk.dependencies.build.targets — do NOT specify versions for SDK-managed packages.

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Library</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <PackageId>{PackageName}.Library</PackageId>
    <IsPackable>false</IsPackable>
    <RootNamespace>{PackageName}</RootNamespace>
    <UiPathActivityProject>True</UiPathActivityProject>
    <UiPathActivityDesignProject>True</UiPathActivityDesignProject>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <None Remove="Resources\ActivitiesMetadata.json" />
    <EmbeddedResource Include="Resources\ActivitiesMetadata.json" />
    <EmbeddedResource Include="Resources\Icons\*.svg" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="UiPath.Activities.Api" />
    <PackageReference Include="UiPath.Activities.Contracts" />
    <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection" />
    <PackageReference Include="UiPath.Telemetry.Client" />
    <PackageReference Condition=" '$(IsNetCoreUiPath)' == 'true' " Include="System.Activities.ViewModels" />
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Update="Resources\Resources.Designer.cs">
      <DependentUpon>Resources.resx</DependentUpon>
      <DesignTime>True</DesignTime>
      <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
      <CustomToolNamespace>{Namespace}</CustomToolNamespace>
    </Compile>
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <EmbeddedResource Update="Resources\Resources.resx">
      <LastGenOutput>Resources.Designer.cs</LastGenOutput>
      <Generator>PublicResXFileCodeGenerator</Generator>
      <CustomToolNamespace>{Namespace}</CustomToolNamespace>
    </EmbeddedResource>
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

• UiPathActivityProject=True -> imports UiPath.Sdk.Activities.shproj (runtime SDK code)
• UiPathActivityDesignProject=True -> imports UiPath.Sdk.Activities.Design.shproj (design-time SDK code)
• Optionally add <UseIntegrationService>True</UseIntegrationService> for connection/Integration Service support
• Optionally add <UseGovernanceService>True</UseGovernanceService> for governance support

SDK: Activity Class (replaces Template 3)

The activity is a partial class. The other partial contains the [ViewModelClass] attribute (see Template 3b).

// Activities/{ActivityName}.cs
using System;
using System.Activities;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.Threading;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
using UiPath.Robot.Activities.Api;
using UiPath.Sdk.Activities;

namespace {Namespace};

public partial class {ActivityName} : SdkActivity<{ResultType}>
{
    [RequiredArgument]
    public InArgument<T>? {InputProp} { get; set; }

    public {ActivityName}() : base() { }

    /// <summary>
    /// Constructor for unit testing — accepts a pre-configured service provider.
    /// </summary>
    internal {ActivityName}(IServiceProvider provider) : base(provider) { }

    protected override async Task<{ResultType}> ExecuteAsync(
        AsyncCodeActivityContext context,
        IServiceProvider serviceProvider,
        CancellationToken cancellationToken)
    {
        // Read ALL inputs before any await — context is disposed after first await
        var input = {InputProp}.Get(context);

        RuntimeServices.ExecutorRuntime?.LogMessage(new LogMessage
        {
            EventType = TraceEventType.Information,
            Message = $"Executing {ActivityName} with input: {input}"
        });

        var result = await DoWorkAsync(input, cancellationToken);

        return result;
    }

    protected override void OnCompleted(AsyncCodeActivityContext context, IServiceProvider serviceProvider)
    {
        base.OnCompleted(context, serviceProvider);
        // Runs after ExecuteAsync completes, with a fresh valid context.
    }
}

SDK base class selection:

Base Class	When to Use
SdkActivity<T>	Async activities returning a value (most common)
SdkNativeActivity<T>	Activities needing retry, bookmarks, or child activity scheduling
CodeActivity<T>	Simple synchronous activities (SDK not needed)
CodeActivity	Simple synchronous with no return value (SDK not needed)

Custom service registration — override DefaultRuntimeServicePolicy to register your own services:

public class MyServicePolicy : DefaultRuntimeServicePolicy
{
    public override IServicePolicy Register(Action<IServiceCollection> collection = null)
    {
        _services.TryAddSingleton<IMyService, MyService>();
        return base.Register(collection);
    }
}

// Use the custom policy as the second type parameter
public partial class {ActivityName} : SdkActivity<{ResultType}, MyServicePolicy>

SDK: ViewModel Registration (NEW Template 3b)

This file links the activity to its ViewModel via the [ViewModelClass] attribute. It is a partial of the activity class.

// ViewModels/{ActivityName}.Design.cs
using System.Activities.DesignViewModels;
using {Namespace}.ViewModels;

namespace {Namespace};

[ViewModelClass(typeof({ActivityName}ViewModel))]
public partial class {ActivityName}
{
}

SDK: ViewModel Class (replaces Template 4)

Inherits from the SDK's BaseViewModel instead of DesignPropertiesViewModel. Uses the built-in PropertyOrderIndex counter.

// ViewModels/{ActivityName}ViewModel.cs
using System;
using System.Activities.DesignViewModels;
using System.Activities.ViewModels;
using UiPath.Sdk.Activities.Design.ViewModels;

namespace {Namespace}.ViewModels;

internal class {ActivityName}ViewModel : BaseViewModel
{
    public DesignInArgument<T>? {InputProp} { get; set; }
    public DesignOutArgument<{ResultType}>? Result { get; set; }
    public DesignProperty<TEnum>? {EnumProp} { get; set; }

    public {ActivityName}ViewModel(IDesignServices services) : base(services) { }

    /// <summary>
    /// Constructor for unit testing — accepts a pre-configured service provider.
    /// </summary>
    internal {ActivityName}ViewModel(IDesignServices services, IServiceProvider activityServices)
        : base(services, activityServices) { }

    protected override void InitializeModel()
    {
        base.InitializeModel();

        {InputProp}!.IsPrincipal = true;
        {InputProp}!.IsRequired = true;
        {InputProp}!.DisplayName = Resources.{ActivityName}_{InputProp}_DisplayName;
        {InputProp}!.Tooltip = Resources.{ActivityName}_{InputProp}_Tooltip;
        {InputProp}!.OrderIndex = PropertyOrderIndex++;

        Result!.DisplayName = Resources.{ActivityName}_Result_DisplayName;
        Result!.OrderIndex = PropertyOrderIndex++;
    }
}

Key differences from classic ViewModel:

Classic	SDK
DesignPropertiesViewModel base	BaseViewModel base (or BaseViewModel<TPolicy>)
var order = 0; prop.OrderIndex = order++;	prop.OrderIndex = PropertyOrderIndex++; (built-in)
public class	internal class (linked via [ViewModelClass] attribute)
Constructor: (IDesignServices) only	Constructor: (IDesignServices) + testable (IDesignServices, IServiceProvider)
No DI in ViewModel	ActivityServices.GetService<T>() available for design-time DI

SDK: Directory.build.targets (NEW Template 5)

Place this file in the activity pack directory (parent of the .csproj). Adjust the relative path to point to the SDK location.

<Project>
  <Import Project="..\Activities.SDK\Sdk.dependencies.build.targets"/>
  <Import Project="..\Activities.SDK\Sdk.imports.build.targets"/>
</Project>

SDK: Test Project Additions (extends Template 9)

Add these properties to the test .csproj to import SDK test infrastructure:

<PropertyGroup>
  <UiPathActivityTests>true</UiPathActivityTests>
  <UiPathActivityDesignTests>true</UiPathActivityDesignTests>
</PropertyGroup>

SDK: Unit Test Pattern (replaces Template 10)

SDK activities accept an IServiceProvider in their constructor, enabling clean DI-based testing:

// Tests/Unit/{ActivityName}UnitTests.cs
using System;
using System.Activities;
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
using Moq;
using UiPath.Robot.Activities.Api;
using Xunit;

namespace {Namespace}.Tests.Unit;

public class {ActivityName}UnitTests
{
    private readonly Mock<IExecutorRuntime> _runtimeMock = new();

    private IServiceProvider BuildServiceProvider()
    {
        var services = new ServiceCollection();
        services.AddSingleton(_runtimeMock.Object);
        return services.BuildServiceProvider();
    }

    [Fact]
    public async Task ExecuteAsync_ValidInput_ReturnsExpected()
    {
        var provider = BuildServiceProvider();
        var activity = new {ActivityName}(provider)
        {
            {InputProp} = new InArgument<T>(/* value */)
        };

        var runner = new WorkflowInvoker(activity);
        var result = runner.Invoke(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));

        Assert.NotNull(result["Result"]);
    }
}

---

Quick Reference: Key Rules

Both Modes

1. Property names must match — ViewModel property names must exactly match Activity property names.
2. IsPrincipal = true for the 2-4 most important properties (shown in non-collapsible main panel).
3. IsRequired = true for mandatory properties.
4. Use OrderIndex with an incrementing counter to control display order.
5. Localize all strings via Resources.resx — never hardcode display names.
6. PackageTags must contain UiPathActivities for Studio discovery.
7. resourceManagerName in metadata JSON must be {PackageName}.Resources.Resources — set <RootNamespace>{PackageName}</RootNamespace> in the .csproj to guarantee this.
8. Generate and commit Resources.Designer.cs — PublicResXFileCodeGenerator only runs in Visual Studio; CLI builds need the committed file.
9. Read all inputs before any await — the ActivityContext is disposed after the first await. See core/activity-context.md.
10. Never rename or delete activity properties — existing .xaml workflows serialize by name; renaming/removing breaks deserialization. Deprecate with [Obsolete] + [Browsable(false)] instead.
11. Enum selectors must be plain TEnum — not InArgument<TEnum>. Maps to DesignProperty<TEnum> in the ViewModel.
12. ViewModel namespace is System.Activities.DesignViewModels — NOT System.Activities.ViewModels.
13. ViewModel properties must be nullable (DesignInArgument<T>?) — use ! on every access in InitializeModel().

Classic Mode Only

14. Always call base.InitializeModel() then PersistValuesChangedDuringInit() at the start of InitializeModel().
15. Separate business logic into ExecuteInternal() for testability. See runtime/activity-code.md.

SDK Mode Only

16. Activity must be partial — one file for runtime logic, one for [ViewModelClass] attribute.
17. ViewModel is internal — linked to activity via [ViewModelClass(typeof(...))], not via metadata JSON viewModelType.
18. Use RuntimeServices.ExecutorRuntime for logging — no helper extension needed.
19. Use PropertyOrderIndex++ — built into BaseViewModel, no manual counter variable needed.
20. Use constructor DI for testing — SDK activities accept IServiceProvider in an internal constructor.

---

Advanced Features Reference

For these features, consult the corresponding guide file in activity-development-guide/:

Feature	Guide File
UiPath platform (Studio, Robot, Orchestrator)	core/architecture.md
ActivityContext lifetime, async patterns	core/activity-context.md
Project structure, .csproj setup, troubleshooting	core/project-structure.md
Best practices	core/best-practices.md
Activity code patterns, enum selectors, ExecuteInternal	runtime/activity-code.md
Activities API (runtime/design-time services)	runtime/platform-api.md
Orchestrator integration and version checks	runtime/orchestrator.md
ViewModel patterns, nullable props, InitializeModel	design/viewmodel.md
Widget types and configuration	design/widgets/index.md
DataSource patterns (static, dynamic, enum, multi-select)	design/datasources.md
Rules and reactive dependencies	design/rules-and-dependencies.md
Menu actions (buttons, mode switching)	design/menu-actions.md
Validation (property-level, model-level, preview)	design/validation.md
Metadata schema (full field reference)	design/metadata.md
Orchestrator bindings (ActivitiesBindings.json)	design/bindings.md
Project settings (ArgumentSettingAttribute)	design/project-settings.md
Solutions vs Project scope (SolutionResourcesWidget)	design/solutions.md
Activity testing (unit + workflow)	testing/activity-testing.md
ViewModel testing approaches	testing/viewmodel-testing.md
Advanced patterns (bidirectional mapping, NativeActivity, bookmarks)	advanced/patterns.md
Activities SDK (DI, telemetry, retry, service policies)	advanced/sdk-framework.md