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Did you know… How to edit a .csproj or .vbproj project file within the IDE? - #332

This tip originates from the MSBuild team as a way to edit your MSBuild project file within the IDE to customize your build. But if you have any reason for editing your project file (including a C++ project), and don’t want to go to Notepad, this tip is for you.

1. On the Solution Explorer context menu, select Unload Project. This will put the project into an unavailable state.

Upload Project in Solution Explorer context menu

2. Right-click the unavailable project, and select Edit ConsoleApplication1.csproj

Edit <project name> command in context menu

3. Now you can make whatever customizations in the file

ConsoleApplication1.csproj file open in xml editor

4. When you’re finished, simply bring up the Solution Explorer context menu for the project, and select Reload project.

Reload Project option in context menu

5. And select Yes, that you want to close the already opened .csproj. (because you want to reopen it not in an editor). If you say No, VS just looks at you.

Message prompt whether to reopen solution

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Posted: Friday, October 10, 2008 3:00 AM by saraford

Comments

int19h said:

Or install PowerCommands, which adds "Edit Project File" to the context menu (which will auto-unload the project).

# October 10, 2008 8:30 AM

Pieter Gheysens said:

With the "PowerCommands for Visual Studio 2008", you can edit the MSBuild project file with one click. Also other very handy shortcuts included in the PowerCommands.

# October 10, 2008 10:54 AM

Pieter Gheysens said:

forgot to add the download link of the PowerCommands : http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/PowerCommands

# October 10, 2008 10:56 AM

gOODiDEA said:

.NET ASP.NETMVCandthenewIIS7RewriteModule

My10commonmistakesinASP.NET

C#CodingS...

# October 11, 2008 10:24 PM

Visual Studio Hacks said:

My latest in a series of the weekly, or more often, summary of interesting links I come across related to Visual Studio. Miguel de Icaza announced that Microsoft has changed the Managed Extensibility Framework License . (Now MS-PL) New on Visual Studio

# October 13, 2008 8:36 AM

xjb said:

# March 5, 2009 11:57 PM
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