0

Following on from my issues with a simple Visual Studio Installer Package, I'm making the switch to WiX. The learning curve is annoying, because once I've set this up I'm going to forget how it works before I need to do it again next project. But anyway, here we go.

My environment is Visual Studio 2019 and Azure DevOps (the full TFVC). The projects involved are class libraries and a WPF application all written in C#. I also have the WiXWax extension thingy to give me a GUI for adding projects and dependencies quickly.

When I created my WiX project I stupidly included a typo in the name of the project and consequently in the underlying folders. When I noticed this I decided to fix it;

  1. Unload the projects
  2. Using the source control explorer, rename the folder
  3. Using notepad, open the sln file and correcting the path to the project, and the project name
  4. Using notepad, open the project file and correct its references to the path and project name
  5. Rename the project files

As you can see I have changed every reference to the the incorrect spelling.

Unfortunately, Visual Studio won't load the project. I get an error telling me this:

C:(correctly spelled path that matches the file system and file names).wixproj : error : The project file 'C:(path with a typo in it)(correctly spelled project name).wixproj' has been moved, renamed or is not on your computer.

Now the message is partly correct, because the file it says has been moved or renamed has in fact been renamed. If I click on the error it opens the wixproj file (it's just an xml of course). This file doesn't have a self referenced location though, the only things that's close is the include to the projects which haven't changed and are correct (..<correct detals>.csproj)

I have opened every xml file including the solution files and wix project files and none of them contain the typo (Ctrl+F, case insensitive, not whole word - no results).

I have tried "Removing" the WiX project from the solution and re-adding it, but I get the same error and it doesn't add it to the solution file.

What is remembering the old path name, and how can I make it forget it?

edit: I've also tried Ctrl+Shift+F per Klaus' suggestion and it finds no references.

Jeff Whitty
  • 116
  • 7
  • Try Ctrl+Shift+F, specifying so search the solution directory – Klaus Gütter Sep 07 '20 at 08:04
  • Does removing the project from the solution and then re-adding it work? – Klaus Gütter Sep 07 '20 at 08:40
  • Nah mate, already tried that. "Add Existing Project" throws the same error in a dialog box. I have a suspicion it's Wax caching a "last used" setting or something, I might try uninstalling that. – Jeff Whitty Sep 07 '20 at 11:10
  • We need to see the source, if possible. Github? – Stein Åsmul Sep 07 '20 at 15:07
  • @SteinÅsmul seeing the source isn't relevant to the question, and I already specified it's TFVC. I wouldn't use git to scrape mud off my shoe, but this isn't a debate on version control systems. – Jeff Whitty Sep 09 '20 at 03:33
  • Thanks everyone, I've crossed that threshold of spending more time on the problem than it's worth and simply created a new project with a different name and path and no typo. – Jeff Whitty Sep 09 '20 at 03:35

0 Answers0