.sln and .vcproj files

Question

Is there any fixed format for the ".sln" and ".vcproj" files??? And could I get any document which can describe it....

Answer 1

These files are solution and visual c# projects file, and automatically generated by the IDE when request for solution/project templates in Visual Studio. I edited these files in the past but not created manually. I presume, you have to follow specific data structure in order to be able to recognize by the IDE. Like below

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 11.00
# Visual Studio 2010
Project("{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}") = "sampleWPF", "sampleWPF\sampleWPF.csproj", "{05B3B11C-AB46-4FD9-B0F5-DCABE7288DB0}"
EndProject
Global
	GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
		Debug|x86 = Debug|x86
		Release|x86 = Release|x86
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(ProjectConfigurationPlatforms) = postSolution
		{05B3B11C-AB46-4FD9-B0F5-DCABE7288DB0}.Debug|x86.ActiveCfg = Debug|x86
		{05B3B11C-AB46-4FD9-B0F5-DCABE7288DB0}.Debug|x86.Build.0 = Debug|x86
		{05B3B11C-AB46-4FD9-B0F5-DCABE7288DB0}.Release|x86.ActiveCfg = Release|x86
		{05B3B11C-AB46-4FD9-B0F5-DCABE7288DB0}.Release|x86.Build.0 = Release|x86
	EndGlobalSection
	GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
		HideSolutionNode = FALSE
	EndGlobalSection
EndGlobal

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Regards,
Nairs

Answer 2

Hi,

a solution file description for vS 2008 can be found at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb165951(v=vs.90).aspx

Maybe http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/xhkhh4zs.aspx is usefull for Visual Studio 2010.

The project files are described with MSBuild. A good starting point could be http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd393574.aspx

There is also a msdn forum covering MSBuild.

With kind regards,

Konrad Neitzel

Answer 3

Hi,

Thanks for the link.

I have checked those links you have mentioned and was helpful for understanding the project file. And have found schema for the .*proj files. Is there something like schema for ".sln" files ?

on msdn they explained the contents of ".sln" file but I am interested in something like full schema for ".sln" files.

Please tell if there is such document available or not ?

with regards,

Aviral Bhatnagar

Answer 4

Hi Aviral,

at least I do not know such a file. And sln files are not in XML format so there connot be a xsd file as it was provided for project files. So at least I would have switched towards an xml file if I intended to create something like that (or in other words: If I wanted to do something like that I would use the existing standards and implementation).

With kind regards,

Konrad

Answer 5

You may get more help if you post to the Visual Studio extensibility forum. This forum is for help in generating help files.

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