Can multiple projects in solution build to single directory?
-
We have multiple C#/VB/C++/web projects in our solution. We would like all the outputs (exe, dll, tlb etc...) to finally end up in a single solution 'bin' directory. Because of known bugs in the IDE these projects have to build into their own 'bin' directory instead of a common solution bin directory. However for development testing we would like a build step or something that copies all the outputs from the current active configuration into a single bin directory. Currently we use a C++ makefile project and batch files but there does not seem to be a clean way to get the output path of all the projects for the current configuration. The macro available only give details of the makefile project. Does anyone know how this can be done? Add-in? New project templates? Any suggestions greatfully received.
Simplest solution is to right-click on each project, select Project Properties and modify the Bin output field. I do this now and it works fine. Hope this helps! Kevin "Semicolons in a programming language are like mother's milk."
-
Simplest solution is to right-click on each project, select Project Properties and modify the Bin output field. I do this now and it works fine. Hope this helps! Kevin "Semicolons in a programming language are like mother's milk."
We've had nothing but problems building .NET projects into the same directory using this method ranging from VS.NET have assembly files locked to assembly dependancy problems. I think the problem is that we have several projects that all reference a common set of other projects also built in the solution.
-
We've had nothing but problems building .NET projects into the same directory using this method ranging from VS.NET have assembly files locked to assembly dependancy problems. I think the problem is that we have several projects that all reference a common set of other projects also built in the solution.
Hmm...that's interesting. I currently have a few DLL assemblies in my project. One of those is the assembly for all my NUnit unit tests. I set that project to have the others as dependencies. The main executable will have those same dependencies and as long as the unit test assembly is not included, there shouldn't be any problems. Perhaps you need to modify your project dependencies. You may have a cycle. Kevin "Semicolons in a programming language are like mother's milk."
-
We've had nothing but problems building .NET projects into the same directory using this method ranging from VS.NET have assembly files locked to assembly dependancy problems. I think the problem is that we have several projects that all reference a common set of other projects also built in the solution.
We ran into the same issues you're describing here. The easiest solution I found was to build all of the projects into their own directory as you suggested. Then for the one project that is your executable application, Add a Reference to each of the other projects in your solution, even if your code does not require it. Make sure the "Copy Local" property of this reference is set to "true". Just by adding the reference and setting this property, the compiler will automatically go fetch the compiled DLL's from your other project and copy them over to your output directory for your executable prior to compiling your executable. Feel free to drop me a line if you have further questions about this. Michael CSO, ActiveWare LLC http://www.ActiveWareSolutions.com
-
We ran into the same issues you're describing here. The easiest solution I found was to build all of the projects into their own directory as you suggested. Then for the one project that is your executable application, Add a Reference to each of the other projects in your solution, even if your code does not require it. Make sure the "Copy Local" property of this reference is set to "true". Just by adding the reference and setting this property, the compiler will automatically go fetch the compiled DLL's from your other project and copy them over to your output directory for your executable prior to compiling your executable. Feel free to drop me a line if you have further questions about this. Michael CSO, ActiveWare LLC http://www.ActiveWareSolutions.com
Hi, we've also looking right now for a solution to fix it up ,) the bad thing about this "normal" way is that if you use the versioning feature, VS.Net have a problem with the different version numbers, build error like "Could not copy Assembly X with Version 1.1.3.349304909 from project Y to output directory bla bla" The other thing is that you've got thousands of assembly in your bin's. I tested out the solution with one bin dir, but the visual studio locks the file, tries to copy those file, you can set up "Copy Local" as you like, the effect is always the same ;( .:Greets from Jerry Maguire:.
-
Hi, we've also looking right now for a solution to fix it up ,) the bad thing about this "normal" way is that if you use the versioning feature, VS.Net have a problem with the different version numbers, build error like "Could not copy Assembly X with Version 1.1.3.349304909 from project Y to output directory bla bla" The other thing is that you've got thousands of assembly in your bin's. I tested out the solution with one bin dir, but the visual studio locks the file, tries to copy those file, you can set up "Copy Local" as you like, the effect is always the same ;( .:Greets from Jerry Maguire:.
My apologies, I don't think I was clear in my previous message. Rather than using just one bin dir for each project in your solution, compile each project into its own separate bin dir. This will prevent the locking problem. Michael CSO, ActiveWare LLC http://www.ActiveWareSolutions.com
-
My apologies, I don't think I was clear in my previous message. Rather than using just one bin dir for each project in your solution, compile each project into its own separate bin dir. This will prevent the locking problem. Michael CSO, ActiveWare LLC http://www.ActiveWareSolutions.com
Ok, letz say we build in bin\debug for the debug solution configuration. Now our second projects need to reference the first assembly in bin\debug. If you reference this assembly ( bin\debug), you're not able to do a "Release" build, 'cause the first dll is still in debug config ? How to solve that ? Or do you copy after the build the assembly to the magic "bin" dir and reference the assembly from there ? .:Greets from Jerry Maguire:.
-
Ok, letz say we build in bin\debug for the debug solution configuration. Now our second projects need to reference the first assembly in bin\debug. If you reference this assembly ( bin\debug), you're not able to do a "Release" build, 'cause the first dll is still in debug config ? How to solve that ? Or do you copy after the build the assembly to the magic "bin" dir and reference the assembly from there ? .:Greets from Jerry Maguire:.
No need to do the "manual copy" you ask about after the build. If both projects are in the same solution, when you go to Add a Reference, go to the "Projects" tab which will list all of the projects contained in the current solution. From this tabpage, you can reference the second "project" rather than browsing to the DLL that is output by the project. By referencing the project itself, VS.NET will automatically find the Release build or the Debug build depending on the active configuration for your solution. Michael CSO, ActiveWare LLC http://www.ActiveWareSolutions.com
-
No need to do the "manual copy" you ask about after the build. If both projects are in the same solution, when you go to Add a Reference, go to the "Projects" tab which will list all of the projects contained in the current solution. From this tabpage, you can reference the second "project" rather than browsing to the DLL that is output by the project. By referencing the project itself, VS.NET will automatically find the Release build or the Debug build depending on the active configuration for your solution. Michael CSO, ActiveWare LLC http://www.ActiveWareSolutions.com
Yep, know you face the problem !!!! We don't want to add 12 projects to one solution. Cause this makes the whole thing slow down ( Visual Source Safe etc..).... if you open this solution via VPN you could wait 10 minutes till VS is open and you're able to add one line of code ,) that's exactly our problem, that we have to add the reference to a assembly, and not directly to a project. .:Greets from Jerry Maguire:.
-
Yep, know you face the problem !!!! We don't want to add 12 projects to one solution. Cause this makes the whole thing slow down ( Visual Source Safe etc..).... if you open this solution via VPN you could wait 10 minutes till VS is open and you're able to add one line of code ,) that's exactly our problem, that we have to add the reference to a assembly, and not directly to a project. .:Greets from Jerry Maguire:.
I used to setup same output path for release and debug for all of the projects in my solution. In this way you get all of resultant assemblies at single place which makes the job easier for managing references. Output path for library projects can be set as following: 1- Right click project --> Go to properties 2- At left side, of newly shown window, go to "Compile" 3- Select "All Configurations" from Configuration dropdown. 4- Brows the path you want dll to go. Do this for all Library project that you want output to go on common path. :) Munawar Hussain Lahore, Pakistan