For example, say you want to make a template which will appear in File | New File which will prompt the user for a name and location but then actually create several related files.

Just use an arbitrary empty file as the template, and declare it to have an instantiatingWizardURL attribute with an instance of WizardDescriptor.InstantiatingIterator. The wizard iterator can specify any sequence of Swing panels you like to ask the user whatever questions you like, and at the end it can do whatever you like to create the new files. Return the created files in instantiate().

Here is an example of a wizard that creates a number of files. This is the layer file that declares it (look at emptyLibraryDescriptor).

You may wish to reuse a standard GUI panel for picking a folder and name, as in Templates.createSimpleTargetChooser.

The NetBeans 5.0 module development support has a (meta-)wizard New Wizard. Choose New File for Registration Type and follow the wizard steps.

See also Multiple Files from a Single Wizard (and its comments) ---

Applies to: NetBeans 5.0, 5.5, 6.X