Error during uploading of VSIX: Path may be too long in VSIX

Question

Hi,

when trying to upload my VSIX package into the Visual Studio gallery I receive the error:

Path may be too long in VSIX.

This makes no sense since I can install the VSIX just fine by double clicking it. Does anyone have a pointer to enlighten me about what specific path may be too long? My package name is SharePointDevTools.vsix, and inside the package I have a few templates that go about 5 subfolders deep (CSharp\SharePoint\2010\1033 or something)

Thanks

Wouter

Answer 1

Hi Wouter,

The path length takes into account other operating systems where the length of your templates (and the depth of the templates) will exceed 260 characters after the template cache is created for it.

Some options:
- reduce the folder name of where your templates are in (call it "t")
- reduce the name of the folders and or files in your template zip

It may work fine on your machine but on other operating systems (such as XP), the path to the localappdata folder gets pretty long.

Answer 2

It would be very helpful to know the actual value in the Visual Studio Gallery validation rule as it is checking the internal path lengths in the VSIX. I am also getting this error and when I checked the character count of the longest path, it was only 124 characters. I understand you want to help avoid installation errors, but at least tell us the magic number so we'll know what our constraints are.

Thank you,
Don Smith

Answer 3

I had this error and it was caused by spaces in the file name of the item template.

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http://blogs.msdn.com/rjacobs

Answer 4

The workaround when you have spaces somewhere is to replace the space with the one of the great symbols '%20' or '+'. This way spaces are handled in the native VSIX packing mechanism.

Answer 5

Sorry, but none of my paths are too long. Any other idea why this error message might have been generated? I also don't have spaces or any special characters. I was successful uploading several versions then I started getting this message.

Answer 6

I had this message, then moved my .vsix to c:\tmp (from a much longer path) for uploading, and then it went away (just to be replaced by another error though: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vsgalleryfeedback/thread/27fdd152-d7d9-4ab7-9415-69c73d7c928a)

 

So that doesn't make any sense if the problem is with paths inside the VSIX, but it still might be worth a try.

Answer 7

PS: the longest path within my vsix is 89 chars (relative dir+filename):

\package\services\digital-signature\xml-signature\bb0187fd819b4ac1aac5c2f3e0ae53fc.psdsxs

the original path of the vsix was 72 chars:

C:\Development\LicenseHeaderManager\signed\1.0\LicenseHeaderManager.vsix

total = 161

Answer 8

I have no spaces or long paths in the LightSwitch business type extension I just published. If I digitally sign it, I get the 'Path may be too long in VSIX' error. If I do not sign it, it uploads just fine. The cert is sitting in a root folder on a protected drive. I put a link to the digitally signed version sitting on my web site in the long description. This is definitely a defect.

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MicroApplications, Inc. -- Information Systems Integration and Custom Software Development

Answer 9

See this thread for some help on this:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/pl-PL/vsx/thread/9c5c65b2-7804-41f6-b0fa-9d79da7c0aae

My answer (that I think is most helpful) is:

So, to see the full path that it is using you have to go to:

%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0\Extensions

All extensions are listed there.  The full path includes the Extension Name, the Author and Version along with the actual path you want to use.

I had to get mine below 70 chars before it would be accepted.  YMMV.