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I'm new to visual studio, coming from Delphi.

I have a directory tree full of .cs files (root is \Common).
I also have a directory tree full of Applications (root is \Applications)
Finally, I've got a tree full of Assemblies (root is \Assemblies)

I'd like to keep my .cs files in the Common tree and all the environment voodoo (solutions, projects, settings, metadata, debug data, bin, etc.) in the Assmblies tree. So, for a simple example, I've got an assembly called PdMagic.Common.Math.dll. The Solution and project is located in \Assemblies\Common\Math. All of its source (.cs) files are in \Common\Math. (matrix.cs, trig.cs, mathtypes.cs, mathfuncs.cs, stats.cs, etc.)

When I use Add Existing Item to add matrix.cs to my project, a copy of it is added to the \Assemblies\Common\Math folder. I just want to reference it. I don't want multiple copies laying around. I've tried Add Existing Item, and used the drop down to "Add link" rather than just "Add", and that seems to do what I want.

Question: What is the "best practice" for this sort of thing? Do most people just put those .cs files all in the same folder as the project? Why isn't "Add link" the default?

Thanks!

jww
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Pete d'Oronzio
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  • To answer your other question, the Prism team has done a lot of work on making this work. Check out this post: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee321573.aspx – NerdFury Apr 09 '10 at 20:37
  • Prism "project linker" is perfect. Exactly what I had in mind. Now I have to figure out if I can use it. Thank you. – Pete d'Oronzio Apr 14 '10 at 14:49

8 Answers8

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You can just use Add As Link by clicking on the little down arrow to the right of the add button from Add-->Existing Item command...

(Thanks Peter)

Whilst I realise this is not in an answer to the original question (which regards best practices), I present this answer in order to save the time of others who have been directed here by the misleading title of this question.

BarrieK
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    Best answer so far, so here's your +10 rep! – Peter Majeed Apr 23 '12 at 18:16
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    Not the best answer to the question above, but the answer to what I was looking for! – Amir Abiri May 22 '13 at 12:45
  • I've been working in Visual Studio since before it had version numbers, and I never noticed this feature! Thanks! (side note @GrantWinney, I confirm your theory; this question is highly ranked for "how to add files as links," and that's how I got here.) – Paul Smith Apr 10 '15 at 21:30
  • Thankyou so much! Was looking for this solution and it's working and exact answer!! – aru Aug 01 '22 at 05:16
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The "best practice" in this case, is to not fight the tool. It allows you to do what you want, but you'll get more work done and be able to focus on code if you just let the IDE organize your project for you.

I would create an empty solution project called PdMagic.Common

This will give you a file structure like

PdMagic.Common\
PdMagic.Common\PdMagic.Common.sln

then I generally add a src and libs folder (via the file system, not VS)

inside the libs folder, i would place all my third party dependencies, and the src folder would hold all of my projects

PdMagic.Common\
PdMagic.Common\PdMagic.Common.sln
PdMagic.Common\libs
PdMagic.Common\libs\nunit
PdMagic.Common\src

Next, in Visual Studio, I would right click on the Solution I just created, and click "Add -> New Project", I would specify that I wanted it created in the \src folder and call it PdMagic.Common.Math

Now my folder structure would look like this

PdMagic.Common\
PdMagic.Common\PdMagic.Common.sln
PdMagic.Common\libs
PdMagic.Common\libs\nunit
PdMagic.Common\src
PdMagic.Common\src\PdMagic.Common.Math
PdMagic.Common\src\PdMagic.Common.Math\PdMagic.Common.Math.csproj
PdMagic.Common\src\PdMagic.Common.Math\Class1.cs

Then, as you add classes to your PdMagic.Common.Math project, they will go in the folder with the project file. This is how the IDE has the opinion we should work, and I think most developers go with it because trying to get any other layout on the file system would require too much fighting with the IDE. I know it can be hard to come from a different convention, and you instinctively want the same conventions in the new environment. However, if you stick with the conventions, (right or wrong in your opinion) you'll get more done because you won't be trying to force the IDE to do things the way you think they should be done.

NerdFury
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  • That's exactly the kind of answer I was looking for. While you were writing it, I was doing some experimenting myself and came up with a (common) case that I'm not sure it can handle. I am targeting both Silverlight and WPF. Most of the source (.cs) is the same, but different assemblies must be built for each. So, I need to have PdMagic.Common.Math for SL and PdMagic.Common.Math for WPF. I think this requires two projects that both use the same Class1.cs. Could I trouble you to take this one step further? Thanks again for your answer. – Pete d'Oronzio Apr 09 '10 at 13:57
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I think that the 'best practice' is to have those 'common' routines into an assembly that you can reference instead of pulling the source files into a bunch of different projects. You could add it as a pre-built assembly with "Add reference..." or by including a project for that assembly and adding a reference to the project (also done inthe "Add reference..." dialog).

This is one of those things that seems like a bit of work to set up initially (and it may be), but it generally pays off in the long run.

Michael Burr
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  • @MichaelBurr: you beat me to it! Faster keyboard, I guess. – Cyberherbalist Apr 07 '10 at 15:30
  • I think he wants to organize his project and files differently than VS thinks he should, and so he is fighting the IDE to make things they way he wants, instead of how MS says he should want. I don't think he's trying to reuse code already available in a different assembly. – NerdFury Apr 07 '10 at 15:34
  • @NerdFury: I understand that the .cs files aren't in an assembly currently; however, I think that it might be a good idea to package them in an assembly (or several) for use by multiple projects. That might well be being forced into the IDE's way of doing things, but I think it's the answer to the question posed. – Michael Burr Apr 07 '10 at 16:16
  • From what I get out of reading the question, it seems he has a scenario like this: http://screencast.com/t/YzFjY2Ux that he is trying to make work. I think he is fighting the IDE, and will make things harder for himself by trying to maintain this structure. – NerdFury Apr 07 '10 at 16:41
  • @NerdFury: oh, I see. Yes, I think you're right that he'll have to keep fighting the IDE to go down this path. It can be done (in the way he's doing it now), but the IDE apparently won't make it easy. – Michael Burr Apr 07 '10 at 17:01
  • Yes, you're all right. I am fighting the IDE and when I realized that is when I wrote my original post :) If you have a few extra minutes, please have a look at my comment on NerdFury's answer. – Pete d'Oronzio Apr 09 '10 at 13:59
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If you want to "reference" matrix.cs in your project, don't use Add Existing Item, create a reference ("Add Reference") to the class library or object that matrix.cs is a part of. If you don't want (or can't use) the library or object that matrix.cs is part of, then the Add Link is how you would get to it, but seriously I've never used that particular feature.

None of the developers I have ever worked with in .NET isolate their .cs files in separate folders. The only kind of segregation like that that I have seen as a practice is in MVC, where the models, views and controllers are in their own folders.

Cyberherbalist
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  • Thanks for that. It was my intent that matrix.cs and the other .cs code was to be put in a PdMagic.Common.Math library so that it could be referenced by other projects. If you don't mind, have a look at my comment on my original post. How do tool vendors handle the case of common .cs for SL and WPF code? These can often be identical .cs, but require different assemblies to be built for each. – Pete d'Oronzio Apr 09 '10 at 14:02
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Because you want to reference matrix.cs in the project, dont just use AddExistigItem, create a new referene to the class.

Bankruptcy Advice
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In Visual Studio 2019 it is:

  1. Right click on a project
  2. Add
  3. Existing item
  4. Select file
  5. Expand menu next to Add
  6. Add As Link

First Second

Fka
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VS has some useful extensions for this:

http://vscommands.com

and ProjectsLinker: http://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/5e730577-d11c-4f2e-8e2b-cbb87f76c044?SRC=VSIDE

hazzik
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and SourceShare: http://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/aa5d54dd-0b05-4689-ad2f-634e86de327f?SRC=VSIDE

hazzik
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