Create Solution Folder in Visual Studio Express 2013

Question

I noticed that when you open a solution in VS 2013 Express which contains solution folders, they load properly and the solutions builds properly. Unlike the express versions of Visual Studio 2010 which showed error messages when the solution loaded.

Here's a screenshot of the AvalonDock solution which is open in Visual Studio 2013 Express: enter image description here

Since Visual Studio 2013 Express can clearly use solution folders, my question is: How do you (if you can at all) create one?

Whether it is a straightforward way from inside Visual Studio or a "hacky" way (for example) of manipulating the .sln file.

Here you do not have solution folder.. `Test Projects` is the folder where projects are located... — Niranjan Singh, Nov 13 '13 at 14:15
That's the name of the solution folder. VS2010 express won't load them because it says it won't load solution folders. — Liam Flaherty, Nov 16 '13 at 00:17

score 11 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 22 '13 at 11:37

11

To create a new solution folder in VS2013 Express... Open your solution file in a text editor. Add the Project line to the top of the file. If you want to add more than one then you'll have to invent some new GUIDs. Open in VS2013, you can now rename, drag/drop projects into it etc.

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
# Visual Studio 2013
VisualStudioVersion = 12.0.21005.1
MinimumVisualStudioVersion = 10.0.40219.1
Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "New Folder", "New Folder", "   {765E7B51-3482-4523-AE2F-6299401EDD0B}"
EndProject
.
.
.

answered Nov 22 '13 at 11:37

Island Playa

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I saw this when looking at hacky ways to do it. But it must be an acceptable way to create the folders. Thanks – Liam Flaherty Nov 22 '13 at 22:22
Nice, thanks. To be safe, make sure you get a unique GUID for the solution folder project (e.g. from http://www.guidgen.com/) – yoyo Dec 05 '13 at 20:34
To future readers of this Question : note that the Project GUID (e.g. Project("{... ) for solution folders has to be different from the one of the actual projects. – CTZStef Feb 26 '14 at 18:48
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The first GUID in the example i.e. {2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8} is very important because it indicates the project type is a 'Folder'. The second GUID on the same line uniquely identifies the project, which can be any GUID obtained from any GUID generator. – reexmonkey Apr 04 '14 at 18:09

score 6 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 17 '14 at 11:14

6

Select Solution and press Ctrl+Shift+A. Then create text file. Text file will be placed at new folder "Solution Files", Then delete text file and rename folder. =)

answered Jul 17 '14 at 11:14

user3848868

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This is the best one. – Haiyuan Li Nov 05 '14 at 06:26
If you have PREMIUM or PROFESSIONAL, and you already have a "Solution Items" folder, then right click and "New Solution Folder" – Saxophonist Feb 13 '15 at 17:23

Yorro · Answer 3 · 2014-05-14T07:36:37.357

4

Alternatively, the Visual Studio Express 2013 Web fully supports this. If you don't want to mess around with the solution file, you can open the solution using the Web version and add the folder from there.

enter image description here

I don't know why the Web version supports it but not the Desktop

edited May 14 '14 at 07:36

answered Apr 13 '14 at 11:36

Yorro

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Create Solution Folder in Visual Studio Express 2013

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