Automatic copy files to output during application building

Question

There is Copy to Output Directory property for files in C# projects. But in VC++ projects it is absent. I know, that I can use Build events in VC++ and write there something like

xcopy /y /d %(FullPath) $(OutDir)

Is there a way to avoid the use of CMD (and other scripting methods)? Can msbuild do something to help in this case?

score 98 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 05 '12 at 11:29

98

Can MSBuild do something to help in this case?

Using MSVC 2012, this worked for me:

Assumed you have a file "Data/ThisIsData.txt" in your c++ Project.

Unload the project (right click --> Unload Project).
Edit project XML (right click --> Edit .vcxproj)
Now you see the projects MSBuild file as XML in your editor.

Find "ThisIsData.txt". It should look something like:

<ItemGroup>
<None Include="Data\ThisIsData.txt" />
...
</ItemGroup>

Now add an other item group like this:

<ItemGroup>
<Content Include="Data\ThisIsData.txt">
<CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
</Content>
...
</ItemGroup>

Reload the project and build.
Your file "ThisIsData.txt" should get copied to $(OutDir)\Data\ThisIsData.txt.

Why duplicating the ItemGroup?

Well if you simply change the None include to a content include, the IDE does not seem to like it any more, and will not display it. So to keep a quick edit option for my data files, I decided to keep the duplicated entries.

answered Nov 05 '12 at 11:29

jochen

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7
6

Thanks (+1). Did you try @AntonK solution? – Loom Nov 15 '12 at 13:12
1

Second time I've forgotten this and used this answer, wish I could up-vote twice – Indy9000 Mar 25 '15 at 11:51
4

To keep the item in the IDE, you should rename the element in the .vcxproj.filters file too, replacing – birdypme Jan 13 '16 at 10:03
1

One can even achieve this through the IDE. Just go to the item's properties and manually enter 'Content' into Item Type field. – Vertigo Mar 14 '16 at 16:48
2

@Vertigo what you said is not, at least in visual studio 2017. The error I get is "the item type Content is not supported by this project item provider" – Gam Dec 07 '17 at 06:15
@James, I've rechecked this in 2015 and 2017 and it is **true**. The only difference is that 2015 didn't modify `.vcxproj.filters` file whereas 2017 did. – Vertigo Dec 08 '17 at 14:47

score 19 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 11 '17 at 23:18

19

In VS 2015 it is possible to give C projects the functionality that is in C#. (Idea from building off of jochen's answer.) Instead of adding another ItemGroup, modify the given itemgroup adding a CopyTo element. I.E, using his example, simply enhance the original entry to:

<ItemGroup>
  <None Include="Data\ThisIsData.txt" />
    <DeploymentContent>true</DeploymentContent>
    <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
...
</ItemGroup>

No other ItemGroup required. By adding the CopyTo element, you add an "Included In Project" property.

answered Jan 11 '17 at 23:18

Henri Socha

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2
6

1

Works for me in Visual Studio 2017. Thanks! – habakuk Feb 01 '18 at 15:27
1

Doesn't work for me in VS 2017. When VS tries to load the project, it gives me this error: `Items outside Target elements must have one of the following operations: Include, Update or Remove. [vcxproj filename]`, my code: ` true PreserveNewest ` – Draex_ Mar 16 '19 at 13:55

score 19 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 17 '19 at 15:27

19

In Visual Studio 2017 you can do this in the IDE. I am not sure about earlier versions.

Simply add the file as an included project file so it shows in the Solution Explorer. Then right click on the file and select the Properties menu.

Change the Content to "Yes" and change the Item Type to "Copy file"

If you look at the changes it made to the project file you can see it added this:

<ItemGroup>
  <CopyFileToFolders Include="Filename.txt">
    <DeploymentContent>true</DeploymentContent>
    <FileType>Document</FileType>
  </CopyFileToFolders>
</ItemGroup>

answered Jun 17 '19 at 15:27

Eric

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2

2

This is also the best solution for Visual Studio 2019. – Will Custode Jun 20 '19 at 02:24
2

Can confirm that this works in VS 2017. Thank you @Eric. To reiterate - make sure to RIGHT CLICK and select Properties to open the Properties dialog. The 'Item Type' setting is not available in the 'Properties' view (under the Solution Explorer view) when you just select the file. When you just select the file you can change the Content setting to True (equivalent to 'Yes' in the Properties dialog). This may seem pedantic, but it cost me about 30 min of heartache. – TheLastGIS Oct 19 '19 at 05:21
Just to mention that it looks like the 'Copy File' Item Type was added in VS 2017 - it doesn't exist in VS 2015. – Jasongiss Jan 07 '20 at 22:15
Doesn't work for me either in VS2019 C++ DLL project: https://i.imgur.com/MEglijk.png – KulaGGin Jul 28 '21 at 10:51
This also works in Visual Studio 2022 for an older style C++ MFC project. – iCode Jan 10 '23 at 16:57

score 15 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 26 '11 at 09:29

15

It depends on what version of Visual Studio you are using. Format of VC++ project file in Visual Studio 2008 is not MSBuild and so using xcopy in PostBuildStep is a good choice.

VC++ project in Visual Studio 2010 has MSBuild format. Thus, there is functionality of MSBuild Copy task.

Below is a sample:

<Copy
    SourceFiles="%(FullPath)"
    DestinationFolder="$(OutDir)"
/>

If the destination directory does not exist, it is created automatically

An MSDN Copy task reference is here

answered Apr 26 '11 at 09:29

Anton K

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2

Great answer - this is the step I was missing. I think it could be improved by stating where the code you provide should be added. (Which file, where in the file). – RoG Aug 25 '16 at 09:32
@Snaptastic That's why there is a MSDN link for description in detail. – Anton K Sep 17 '16 at 21:38
7

I have been given a C++ solution with has 5 vcproj files containing ~4900 lines in total, so I would find this a helpful addition to the answer. It's not directly explained in the link provided, and links as answers are generally frowned upon. I don't have a problem with hunting for the info myself, but one of the aims of SO is intended to save me and others that sort of work, right? – RoG Sep 19 '16 at 12:41
2

I needed to additionally wrap the copy in My target element was a element of the root Project element in the project file. – Fredrick Jan 10 '17 at 15:17

score 7 · Answer 5 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:10

Following henri-socha's answer about VS2015 (and probably VS2013 and VS2012, or anything using MSBuild style projects), the ItemGroup item type is important.

Specifically <Text> items do not seem to be copied, whereas <Content> items do.

So, for a project directory Data containing a text file ThisIsData.txt, this will create a subdirectory Data under the $(OutDir) directory and copy the file ThisIsData.txt from the project into it if it's newer:

<ItemGroup>
  <Content Include="Data\ThisIsData.txt">
    <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
  </Content>
</ItemGroup>

This won't, although it is what the Visual Studio IDE will insert if you add the text file to your project, and set the Content property to True.

<ItemGroup>
  <Text Include="Data\ThisIsData.txt">
    <DeploymentContent>true</DeploymentContent>
  </Text>
</ItemGroup>

So in other words you need to add the file via the IDE to make it realise the file is included in the project (which adds <Text> tag ItemGroup), and then open the project in a text editor and add the <Content> tag ItemGroup to get it to do what you want.

I'm not sure what the <DeploymentContent> tag actually does. It may be a remnant since the only MSDN reference I could find considers it archived: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa712517.aspx

score 5 · Answer 6 · answered Jul 11 '19 at 12:03

5

In visual studio 2019 after setting the file as "Include in project" you can edit the properties an select as Item Type "Copy file" (as shown in https://i.stack.imgur.com/vac2b.png) This avoids the manual vcxproj file edition.

answered Jul 11 '19 at 12:03

Jacq

51
1
3

score 2 · Answer 7 · answered Dec 12 '17 at 10:42

You can specify copying in the project file as Jeff G answered in another question:

In the *.vcxproj file, change:

<Text Include="Filename.txt" />

to:

<Content Include="Filename.txt">
    <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
</Content>

Then in the *.vcxproj.filters file, change:

<Text Include="Filename.txt">
    <Filter>Resource Files</Filter>
</Text>

to:

<Content Include="Filename.txt">
    <Filter>Resource Files</Filter>
</Content>

where the <Text ...> tag is for specified text files (it'll be <Image ...> for image files etc.)

score -4 · Answer 8 · answered Dec 11 '13 at 17:33

-4

If it's a COM dll, you can add it to the root of your project, mark it as 'Content' and set copy to output directory to 'Always'. I had to do this for signature capture COM assembly.

answered Dec 11 '13 at 17:33

Automatic copy files to output during application building

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