How can I open a project without opening its associated solution in Visual Studio?

Question

I have a solution that contains few projects. The problem is that when I want to open just one of the projects by clicking on the specific .csproj file, it opens all the solution.

How can I open just one project?

Thanks.

score 34 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 13 '11 at 11:07

34

You can create a new solution, and add this project to the solution. Then this project will have a solution of it's own.

answered Jan 13 '11 at 11:07

0x26res

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Took me a few minutes to find out how to create a blank solution. For anyone else, in VS 2013 it's New Project -> Installed -> Other Project Types (expand rather than select) -> Visual Studio Solutions -> Blank Solution. – Giles Dec 11 '14 at 09:31
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If using the cli: `dotnet new sln` > `dotnet sln add PROJECT_NAME` – Chris Owens Dec 09 '20 at 21:47

score 10 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 13 '11 at 11:07

10

It's a hack but rename the .sln file to some other extension temporarily, then double click the csproj. Visual Studio seems to have intellismarts about detecting solutions.

answered Jan 13 '11 at 11:07

Jafin

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No help me. VS2015 still open renamed solution. – nim Jul 23 '15 at 14:44
Worked for me in VS2015 by renaming the extension. In VS2015 I didn't see an obvious way to create a new solution with no projects. – ymmyk Jun 19 '17 at 20:45
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This was perfect for me as I only wanted to temporarily open the project without its solution. – GordonM Mar 14 '18 at 03:04
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Still works VS2019. I hate when software "tries to be smart" – CodingYourLife Apr 18 '19 at 09:33

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited Apr 05 '16 at 16:47

1

The only way I have been able to do this is to remove the project from the main solution and save it and close it.

You should now be able to open the solution and the project file independently.

Note: opening the csproj file will create a new solution for you.

edited Apr 05 '16 at 16:47

Sam Hanley

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answered Apr 05 '16 at 15:54

user3401346

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score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 26 '19 at 09:35

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Why do I want to open a single project from a solution? I have a solution with 66 subprojects, so it is helpful if you can only edit a single project. I have already tried many possibilities, as described above. Today I mostly do it with the command "Scope to this" in the project explorer. So I have the focus only on one project. So I hope this tip was helpful for you :-)

answered Jan 26 '19 at 09:35

Franz

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Perfect - thanks! – tobbenb3 Aug 23 '23 at 12:27

score -1 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 27 '21 at 13:19

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Depending on your needs. I just want to open the project so I copied the projectfolder to a temp folder and then I just open the project. But I don't want it in version control and all edits will be lost unless overwrite to the original folder.

answered Apr 27 '21 at 13:19

Tomas Hesse

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score -3 · Answer 6 · answered Jan 13 '11 at 11:05

-3

You can't. The basic unit of Visual Studio is a solution.

answered Jan 13 '11 at 11:05

Christian Studer

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You can have projects independent of solution files. I.e. no solution file at all. Yes, the "Solution Explorer" will still look like there is a solution whether you have a solution file or not, but it doesn't really mean anything with out the file. But you did not answer what Itay.B was asking. He was asking how to open a project separately from a solution it was already part of. – Aug 01 '16 at 13:01

How can I open a project without opening its associated solution in Visual Studio?

6 Answers6