Rename Project/Solution

[netman06]

Hello,

I would like to know if there is any way that I can rename an entire project / solution.

I created a project called say WindowsApp1, and then realized that I do not want that name, I'd like to rename it to something else.

So I'd like to rename all references to WindowsApp1 throughout the project to another name.

Can I do this?

Thanks,

-Mike

[kleinma]

start by right clicking the project or solution name in the solution explorer window, and select rename. Then name it what you want.

If it is the project you are renaming, then the other step would be to go into the project properties, and rename the assembly name and root namespace fields to match the new name. This is an optional step, but you will likely want to do it.

These fields are initially named whaever you call the project when you first created it, but it doesn't rename these fields when you do a project rename after the fact.

[netman06]

Thanks,

-Mike

[BrianS]

Am I blind or is there no Save Project As ?

[kleinma]

you are blind

Actually, it is there, just not exactly how you might expect it to be.

There are 2 entries in the file menu. a Save and Save As for the current item in the solution explorer. So if you wanted to "save project as" you would first select the project in the solution explorer, then click the file menu, and the save as option will be to save the project as...

Of course this is only useful if you wanted to keep the original project file for some reason, and not just do a rename. Remember saving the project file as another name is not going to make a full copy of the project, it simply creates a second vbproj file.

[JuggaloBrotha]

Remember saving the project file as another name is not going to make a full copy of the project, it simply creates a second vbproj file.

Doesn't it just rename the vbproj file? Not creating a new one.

[kleinma]

Doesn't it just rename the vbproj file? Not creating a new one.

No. Not when you click on the project in the solution explorer and select "Save projectname As.." from the file menu. It will rename the project in the solution explorer as well as the file, but you then have 2 project file names in your source code folder. The original and the new one.

[JuggaloBrotha]

No. Not when you click on the project in the solution explorer and select "Save projectname As.." from the file menu. It will rename the project in the solution explorer as well as the file, but you then have 2 project file names in your source code folder. The original and the new one.

Duh, that's right. I was thinking the renaming process was just renaming the project and not renaming via "Save Project As"

My Bad

[ProAquatics]

start by right clicking the project or solution name in the solution explorer window, and select rename. Then name it what you want.

If it is the project you are renaming, then the other step would be to go into the project properties, and rename the assembly name and root namespace fields to match the new name. This is an optional step, but you will likely want to do it.

These fields are initially named whaever you call the project when you first created it, but it doesn't rename these fields when you do a project rename after the fact.

I'm new to this forum so I my be posting a reply incorrectly. I'm trying to do basically the same task as JuggaloBrotha...that is I would like to use an existing project as a template and make a copy, rename it, make modifications and save it as a different project. As you know, most development software packages allow the user to save the project under a new name (not only industry standard but common sense). After all, isn't that how this type of software is supposed to work? Unless I'm missing something, Visual Studio 2008 make this extremely difficult to do. Also, do you know if Microsoft carries this "problem/oversight" to Visual Studio 2010? Thanks.

[kleinma]

It isn't a problem of an oversight. It is just how things work in Visual Studio, and it makes sense to me. A solution can be made up of multiple projects, and projects can be made up of muliple different files of various types. Some files can be linked in from a static place on the drive, or added and copied to the source code folder itself.

If all you want to do is take an existing project and use it as the starting point for another project, then just make a copy of the first project folder in windows and then open up that copy and rename the solution and/or project file from there.