I can change the build path for a project in Visual Studio from the Project Properties dialog. But making a change to the .csproj file would interfere with the setup of other developers on the team, since this file is checked into source control.
So how can I change the build path so that this change only goes into the .user file?
Here's one way to do it:
In Visual Studio, make a change in the project properties.
Identify what changed in the .csproj file (using a diff tool)
Put that change into the .csproj.user file, making sure to include the xml structure.
Revert the change in the .csproj file so it remains unchanged.
Example of a changed path in a .csproj.user file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project>
<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
<OutputPath>..\..\..\CustomPath\</OutputPath>
</PropertyGroup>
</Project>
Related
I have a Directory.Build.props file located in the same directory as the .sln file.
<Project>
<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
<DocumentationFile>bin\Debug\$(MSBuildProjectName).xml</DocumentationFile>
</PropertyGroup>
<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
<DocumentationFile>bin\Release\$(MSBuildProjectName).xml</DocumentationFile>
</PropertyGroup>
</Project>
When I build the solution using MSBuild, I am able to generate the XML files properly. However, using a Build -> Rebuild Solution task in Visual Studio doesn't generate the XML file.
Is there a difference in how Visual Studio 2017 builds and uses Directory.Build.props as opposed to MSbuild?
I had added the directory.build.props as a solution item. This somehow prevented Visual Studio from picking it up and using it in the build process. Once I removed it as a solution item, this worked fine.
You also might have to delete your .vs directory (or portion of) as it seems to be cached there as well.
https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/content/problem/248037/defaultbuildprops-with-langversion-is-not-used-by.html
You need to check that your project file contains next row in the beginning of file
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="15.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props" Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props')" />
Without row Import 'magic' doesn't happen. So, you need to insert this row to all your old projects
So I have a solution with 70ish projects that I updated to use a Directory.build.props file to use a single bin folder to make our CI process cleaner. Works great and now everything is in 1 locaction
BUT the problem now is when I open Visual Studio 2017 it creates a bunch of extra project folders now that NEVER get used. Anyway to disable this? It's just confusing to people and clutters up everyone's dev repo.
Example:
%sourceroot%\bin\release\ (this is where all the projects get happily binplaced)
%sourceroot%\bin\project1Neverused\ (unwanted folders that just clutter my dev box up)
%sourceroot%\bin\project2neverUsed\
%sourceroot%\bin\project1Neverused\
%sourceroot%\bin\project2neverUsed\
Here's my Directory.build.props file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="15.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<PropertyGroup>
<SolutionDir>$(MSBuildThisFileDirectory)</SolutionDir>
<OutputPath>$(SolutionDir)bin\$(Configuration)\$(MSBuildProjectName)</OutputPath>
<OutDir>$(OutputPath)</OutDir>
</PropertyGroup>
</Project>
Now open the sln file in Visual studio and if you look VS will have auto generated those folders even though you haven't built anything yet. I want that to be disabled because it's just generating junk folders that aren't used. Since we use a props file for msbuild to binplace we didn't update each project file from the default of "bin\debug"
Yes, Visual Studio will create those bin/obj folder by default when you create a new project/solution. It seems that there is no direct setting to prevent Visual Studio from generating these folders.
As a workaround, you can try to add a delete task in Directory.build.props file to delete the those folder:
<Target Name="CleanFolder" AfterTargets="Build">
<RemoveDir Directories="$(BaseIntermediateOutputPath)" />
<RemoveDir Directories="$(ProjectDir)bin" />
</Target>
Hope this helps.
When I change the Debugging settings in the Project Properties (in my case especially the Environment value) it is not saved to the project or solution file.
Where is it saved?
Thanks to the Stack Overflow question Should I add the Visual Studio .suo and .user files to source control I was able to solve the question with Chris Nielsens answer which I quote here:
You can open both the .user and the .csproj files in any text editor. I just tested copy-pasting the relevant debug settings from the .user into the .csproj, then deleting the .user file. Debugging continued to work, happily reading the correct settings from their new location in the .csproj file. This should provide a way to commit debug settings without committing the .user file. Be sure you put them in the right configuration (debug, release, etc.). Works on my machine! =)
I just copied:
<LocalDebuggerEnvironment>PATH=$(CxPathd);%PATH%</LocalDebuggerEnvironment>
<DebuggerFlavor>WindowsLocalDebugger</DebuggerFlavor>
from the .user file to the .vcxproj file to the same section of the document:
<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'" Label="Configuration">
In my case these where the only entries in the .user file so it would be okay in my case to check them into the SCM but it maybe cleaner to copy it to the .vcxproj file.
Those settings are saved in the projectname.vcxproj.user file, located in the same directory as the project file. It looks like this for example:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="12.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<PropertyGroup>
<ShowAllFiles>true</ShowAllFiles>
</PropertyGroup>
<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'">
<LocalDebuggerCommandArguments>
</LocalDebuggerCommandArguments>
<DebuggerFlavor>WindowsLocalDebugger</DebuggerFlavor>
<LocalDebuggerEnvironment>PATH=$(CxPathd);%PATH%</LocalDebuggerEnvironment>
</PropertyGroup>
</Project>
If you are using the new SDK-style projects, debug settings are now stored in ./Properties/LaunchSettings.json. They are shared between all projects in the same folder.
I am building a project file for our application that I am going to execute from our build machine. I was wondering if it is possible for me to open the project file and get the same view visual studio gives me of the solution when I open a solution file.
So here is my Contosa.proj file so far.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project DefaultTargets="Build" ToolsVersion="12.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<PropertyGroup>
<Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)'=='' ">Debug</Configuration>
<RootNamespace>Contosa</RootNamespace>
<AssemblyName>Contosa</AssemblyName>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<Projects Include="C:\Users\localuser\Documents\Perforce\Contosa\Branches\Working23\UI\Desktop\ContosaClient\ContosaClient.csproj" />
</ItemGroup>
<Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />
<Target Name="Build">
<PropertyGroup>
<Contosa>$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\UI\Desktop\ContosaClient\ContosaClient.csproj</Contosa>
</PropertyGroup>
<MSBuild Projects="$(Contosa)"
Properties="Configuration=QA;
VisualStudioVersion=12.0;
DevEnvDir=C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\Common7\IDE\;
SolutionDir=$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\"/>
</Target>
</Project>
Currently double clicking this file with visual studio as its associated application will open the Contosa.proj for text editing. I would really like it to be possible to associate my Contosa.proj file with visual studio like our Contosa.sln file is. So when developers open it with visual studio they get the same view that you get from the Contosa.sln. I don't understand what parts of a csproj or a sln file make them open as projects or solutions in visual studio.
UPDATE 1
I am looking to do what this user Replace .sln with MSBuild and wrap contained projects into targets did but I want the project file to be able to opened by the user like a solution file. I want the Projects I include to be loaded into the solution explorer.
When visual studio installs, it configures explorer to launch visual studio when a .csproj is doubleclicked (How can I set a file association from a custom file type to a program). Your windows, and your developers windows, don't know what a .proj is. So rename it .csproj or distribute a .sln which references .proj
I have a fairly straightforward MVC 5 project in Visual Studio 2013. I have successfully set up publishing via Web Deploy to the server. I want to exclude a certain file from deployment without having to preview/uncheck it every time I publish (I am publishing the Release build).
I have edited the .csproj file for the project to include the <ExcludeFilesFromDeployment> tag.
<Project...>
<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
...
<ExcludeFilesFromDeployment>Library-that-is-not-good-for-server.dll</ExcludeFilesFromDeployment>
</PropertyGroup>
But nothing changes/the file still needs to be unchecked for addition when I go to publish in VS2013.
I have also tried adding a bin\ in front of the library, just in case. Not to mention, a warning pops up for the element that says "The element 'PropertyGroup' in namespace 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003' has invalid child element 'ExcludeFilesFromDeployment' in namespace 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003'. ..."
Microsoft's documentation that I was able to find in searches regarding excluding files from deployment, and the ExcludeFilesFromDeployment tag, http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee942158(v=vs.110).aspx, claim that the instructions only apply to VS2012 and partially to VS2010. Does anyone know what has changed for VS2013 or what I am doing wrong?
You need to add it in the profileName.pubxml file.
profileName.pubxml file position is:
my project ----> Properties ----> PublishProfiles ---> profileName.pubxml
Example:
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<PropertyGroup>
<ExcludeFilesFromDeployment>
Library-that-is-not-good-for-server.dll
</ExcludeFilesFromDeployment>
''' ''''
You probably need to have the following definition also in the 'profileName'.pubxml file:
<DeleteExistingFiles>False</DeleteExistingFiles>
Please remove all files from your Temp publish location(normally obj\Release\Package\PackageTmp) after excluding some files or directories.