Think that I have two solutions: vs2009.sln and vs2010.sln. Both of solution files have the same extension (.sln) but they have different icons. And they are opened in the related version of visual studio. I wonder how does visual studio determine this?
Edit:
Visual studio version selecter is ok but i wonder how can the icon be different even the extensions are same? I used to know that every extension has only one icon in registry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\explorer\Shell Icons
2.Edit: I found the answer finally. If anyone wonders about that, the answer is here http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc144122%28VS.85%29.aspx
Open your .sln file with Notepad or another text editor. Look for Format Version on the first line which correlates with a Visual Studio version. Here's some that I'm familiar with:
Format Version 8.00 is Visual Studio 2003
Format Version 9.00 is Visual Studio 2005
Format Version 10.00 is Visual Studio 2008
Format Version 11.00 is Visual Studio 2010
Format Version 12.00 is Visual Studio 2013
Solution files are text files.
The very first line contains version information.
For example, for a Visual Studio 2010 solution you will find:
Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 11.00
Additionally, when you have several different versions of Visual Studio installed, the .sln file goes through the Visual Studio Version Selector utility that reads this and opens the corresponding version of Visual Studio. Check the .sln file associations.
Try opening the .sln in a notepad
the first line itself says Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 10.00 or 11 or whatever version it is
Related
How to convert Visual Studio 2015 solution (.sln) to Visual Studio 2017.
In the past, when a solution from a previous version was opened in the newer VS there was a wizard doing the conversion, but it seems it's not the case in with these versions.
Edit the .sln file with a text editor like notepad. Change the first 3 lines to
Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
# Visual Studio 15
The first line is empty.
When you save the changes, the icon of the .sln file is changed and the solution will be opened by VS 2017 when double-clicked.
I cannot find Retarget Solution.
What I did instead:
Open the solution file using Visual Studio 2017
Select the solution file in Solution Explorer.
Type Ctrl-S
Actually I got the idea from here:
Upgrade Visual Studio 2013 solutions to Visual Studio 2015
open solution(sln) with vs2017
if prompt 'Retarget Project ...' click ok and done!
else in Solution Explorer > right click on solution name
select 'Retarget Solution'
5. select last version sdk and click ok and done!
In my case, I've searched and applied all solutions.
Installed netcore 2.1 x86 x64
Reinstalled VS2017
What was the solution?
There was a global.json next to the solution and it contained an sdk parameter, I changed it to 2.1.413 (the latest as of today 25/10), and it now compiles!!!
I edited my project (which was written in school using Visual Studio 2008) at home using Visual Studio 2010 Express. When I got back to school, I couldn't open my solution anymore as Visual Studio 2008 told me that the file was created with a newer version of Visual Studio. I asked my professor for help and he edited something in the assembly information of the solution and voila, I could open, run, edit it again as nothing ever happened.
However, I forgot what he did with the assembly information. Does anyone here know what he could have done? or is this approach not advisable?
At the top of the .sln file there would be a line:
Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 11.00
If you change the version to 10.00, it would correspond to Visual Studio 2008. Use any text editor for this.
The file format has not changed in between these versions (nor has it for Visual Studio 2012).
Edit the .sln file in Notepad and find the version number (11.0) on the first or second line. Change it to 10.0, save the file, and you should be good to go.
For extensions like .sln or .csproj, the default application is Microsoft Visual Studio Version Selector. I've got two versions installed, 2010 SP1 and 2012 RC. How exactly will this application decide which VS to launch?
I would say that it works like this:
If it finds any hint in the given file which version should be used, then it uses it. For example, at the top of .sln files there is something like this so the Version Selector can decide:
Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
# Visual Studio 2010
If it doesn't find any hint it will use whichever version was later installed (in my case I reinstalled 2010 SP1 after 2012 was already installed on my PC and now I think that VS2010 is opened more often than 2012 but am not 100% sure).
This is my feeling but what are the exact rules?
There are some version info in the file header. Otherwise it would not be possible for the file explorer to display different document icon on the .sln file with a number:
representing .sln files for VS versions 2008/2010/2012/2013/2015/2017/2019/2022
This number on the icon disappears if you edit the .sln file with notepad or some other text editor that does not preserve the UTF-8 signature (see comment by Paul Groke). In this case also the version selector cannot choose the right version, and you cannot open it from the file explorer. You can specifically open it from within Visual Studio and save the .sln file to fix it. Also see this for more on this issue.
The .sln file must be a UTF-8-BOM file and it must start like this:
[blank line]
Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version XX.XX[XXX...]
[description]
The [description] is for example # Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows Desktop for VS 2012 or # Visual Studio 15 for VS 2017.
The second line is case sensitive but the third line (description) is not. If it is missing, the Selector seems to start the latest VS.
The VisualStudioVersion entry is ignored.
However, for the right file icon to be displayed, the [description] has to be exact and case sensitive.
Open your solution in the right Visual Studio version. Click to select the solution. Click File --> Save xxx.sln.
How would you open a Visual Studio 2010 .sln file in Visual Studio 2008?
Is it possible? Are there any workarounds?
Have a look at these questions for information about how to convert the solution file between VS2008 and VS2010:
VS2010 possible to convert projects back to VS2008?
VS2010 and VS2008 project compatibility
But keep in mind, that once you have used some of the .NET 4 features (while in VS 2010), you will not be able to continue working with that solution in VS2008, since it does not support .NET 4. On the other hand, when using VS2010, you can still target .NET 3.5 or 2.0.
I think I need more information... but I will try it.
One option is to create a new project in VS 2008 and simply add the files to the project.
Other option is to edit the .sln file and replace* Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 11.00.* with Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 10.00.
The open the .csproj file and replace
with
Open the solution file (.sln) with notepad and change
Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 11.00
Visual Studio 2010
to
Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 10.00
Visual Studio 2008
Then open the solution file from visual studio 2008
I have created a project using Visual Studio 2008 and .NET Framework 2.0.
Now I want to open it in Visual Studio 2005 (.NET Framework 2.0).
When I try to open the solution in Visual Studio 2005 it is showing an error as "It is created using the Higher versions".
So is there any way I could open the project in Visual Studio 2005?
Or should I redo the entire project in Visual Studio 2005?
Please help me out!
Thanks in advance!
You can edit the solution file and project files (not recommended, but you can). If it's a csproj file, change the line
<ProductVersion>9.0.30729</ProductVersion>
to
<ProductVersion>8.0.50727</ProductVersion>
If it's the sln file, change:
Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 10.00
to
Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 9.00
Try opening the project file instead of the solution file. Otherwise just create a new VS2005 project and add all the files and folders from the VS2008 project.
You can use Visual Studio Project Converter, a handy tool to convert between most versions of Visual Studio (VS 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2008).
But unfortunately, converting .NET projects is not supported.
I have just encountered the same problem.
Modifying the .sln file and .csproj file by notepad is the solution.
If want to know more about the file format, we can create a simple project both in VS2005 and VS2008, then compare the project files.