[C#] VisualStudio 2008 exe problem

Question

Hi guys,

I have a VisualStudio Solution with 5 projects. I have 3/5 projects that has an .exe file on <mysolutionpath>/bin folder. Recently, I have added a new Project to my solution (a project with Main entry point) and I would its .exe file on <mysolutionpath/bin directory.

But I have exe on <mysolutionpath>/<recentproject>/bin and I don't know because happens this.

I'm a newbie of VisualStudio, could you help me?

EDIT: My VisualStudio solution has five "Windows Form Application" projects. When I compile my solution, I have this situation:

1) First.exe on /bin folder; 2) Second.exe on /bin folder; 3) Third project doesn't have a Main entry point; 4) Fourth.exe on /bin folder; 5) Fifth project doesn't have a Main entry point.

Now, I would add a new project to my solution then I do right click on my solution->Add->Windows Form Application, and new project (e.g. with name "TEST" with Main Entry point) is added to my solution. But when I ricompile the entire solution I expect to get TEST.exe on /bin folder but I have TEST.exe on /TEST/bin/TEST.exe and not on /bin/TEST.exe as happens with previously five projects. I hope that I explained well this time.

Answer 1

Assuming that your project is for an executable and not something else, such as a class library, then you will find the executable file in the output directory set within the project settings. If its not an executable project then you wont get a .exe output (for a class library expect .dll).

By default VS places executables from Debug and Release builds into separate directories, so you may want to look there as well.

Answer 2

VS is placing all projects in one output by default, if they are all binded by reference. If your next executable should be referenced by main - just do this, and it will appear in main output. If its not a choice, you could add (or change) .targets file. In my project I had such content:

<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003"&gt;
<PropertyGroup>
    <ClientPublishDirectory>$(SolutionDir)output\</ClientPublishDirectory>
    <PluginPublishDirectory>$(SolutionDir)output\</PluginPublishDirectory>
</PropertyGroup>
<Target Name="CopyOutputFiles">
    <CreateItem Include="$(OutputPath)\**\*.*;">
      <Output TaskParameter="Include" ItemName="OutputFiles" />
    </CreateItem>
    <Copy SourceFiles="@(OutputFiles)" DestinationFolder="$(ClientPublishDirectory)%(OutputFiles.RecursiveDir)" ContinueOnError="false" />
</Target>
<Target Name="CopyPluginsOutputFiles">
    <CreateItem Include="$(OutputPath)\**\*.*;">
    <Output TaskParameter="Include" ItemName="PluginsFiles" />
    </CreateItem>
    <Copy SourceFiles="@(PluginsFiles)" DestinationFolder="$(PluginPublishDirectory)%(PluginsFiles.RecursiveDir)" ContinueOnError="false" />
</Target>
<Target Name="Copy3rdParties">
    <CreateItem Include="$(SolutionDir)\..\libs\*.dll">
    <Output TaskParameter="Include" ItemName="OutputFiles" />
    </CreateItem>
    <Copy SourceFiles="@(OutputFiles)" DestinationFolder="$(ClientPublishDirectory)%(OutputFiles.RecursiveDir)" ContinueOnError="false" /> </Target> </Project>