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How do I "Add Existing Item" an entire directory structure in Visual Studio?

Asked 2008-09-11T22:09:48.743
793

I have a free standing set of files not affiliated with any C# project at all that reside in a complicated nested directory structure.

I want to add them in that format to a different directory in an ASP.NET web application I am working on; while retaining the same structure. So, I copied the folder into the target location of my project and I tried to “add existing item” only to lose the previous folder hierarchy.

Usually I have re-created the directories by hand, copied across on a one-to-one basis, and then added existing items. There are simply too many directories/items in this case.

So how do you add existing directories and files in Visual Studio 2008?

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2 Answers

22

I didn't immediately understand this based upon these descriptions but here is what I finally stumbled on:

  1. Turn on "Show All Files" - there is an icon on the Solution Explorer toolbar
  2. Using Windows Explorer (not solution explorer), move your files into the directory structure where you want them to reside
  3. Click "Refresh" also on the Solution Explorer toolbar
  4. The files that you've moved should be visible "ghosted" in the Solution Explorer tree structure where you've placed them
  5. Right click on your ghosted files or folders and click "Include in Project". All the contents of a folder will be included
answered 2012-02-08T22:01:17.343
6

You need to put your directory structure in your project directory. And then click "Show All Files" icon in the top of Solution Explorer toolbox. After that, the added directory will be shown up. You will then need to select this directory, right click, and choose "Include in Project."

answered 2011-11-20T12:44:29.827

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