What is the default folder that Microsoft Visual Basic builds in?

Question

I am totally new to Microsoft Visual Basic 2008 and the programming language itself. My problem is that I was following a tutorial on how to make a browser. The browser works in debug mode, and I clicked build under build at the top. At the bottom it says build succeeded, but I have no idea where the program was actually saved to. I have Windows XP SP3. Will someone please help.

Answer 1

The last line of the output window should give you the location of the built file. For instance, a simple console app build has the following line when I force a build

ConsoleApplication1 -> C:\Users\jaredpar\Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\ConsoleApplication25\ConsoleApplication1\bin\Debug\ConsoleApplication1.exe

If that doesn't give you the information you need then try the following

1. Open Solution Explore (View -> Solution Explorer)
2. Select the Project in Solution Explorer
3. Hit F4

This will bring up the properties window. One of the items will be "Project Folder". Go to the folder listed there. There will be a sub directory named "Bin" and under that "Debug". Your binary will be located in that folder.

Answer 2

Right click on your project name in the VS solution explorer. Click Open Folder in Windows Explorer. From there open the bin\debug folder.

Answer 3

The output folders can be changed by going into project properties, but by default they are /bin/Debug/ and /bin/Release/ under the project root directory (containing the .csproj or .vbproj file). The Debug and Release folders correspond to the active build configuration, e.g. if the current build configuration is Release then, then the output files are copied into /bin/Release. See this for more info on build configurations. Also, note that there is an /obj directory in the same parent directory of /bin - this stores temporary files used during the build process (it contains your compiled EXE/DLL without any dependencies, for example).

Answer 4

As above and Noldrin says, the default directory is the bin directory under the project folder but it can also be set by right clicking on the project in the vs explorer, selecting properties and then when the project properties panel appears, under compile you should have bin/release which defaults to the bin directory under the project saved directory, you can change it to c:\bin and the output will be stored in the bin directory in the root .. this is a bad idea though if you are working on multiple projects (under default is far better)

Answer 5

Shortest route, if you are just trying to build and run, not just build... is to hit F5

but as others have said, its in bin/Debug or Bin/release, depending on your build mode.