how to configure all C# project in a solution

Question

I have a solution which contains a lot of C# projects, how can I change the configuration of all projects very quickly, like I want to change the output folder from bin to MyBin. I know C++ property sheet can do the similar thing but C# doesn't have property sheet.

Answer 1

You can use a common 'partial' project file to store common stuff.

Move all the stuff that you want to be changed simultaneously into a stand-alone .proj file, e.g. common.proj:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputPath>Debug</OutputPath>
    <Platform>AnyCPU</Platform>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

Than use msbuild import declaration to 'include' common part into every project in your solution:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <Import Project="common.proj" />
</Project>

MsBuild imports work more or less in the same manner as C++ includes: before a project is built all the import directives are replaced with the content of the imported file. Now you can change your common properties just in one file - common.proj

There's one important thing to mention: VS caches included project files, so you'd have to reload all the projects after applying a change to common.proj file (so I suggest building from command-line when you actively change commom.proj)

We use this approach to manage code-analysis settings (as they are supposed to be the same across all the projects in the solution).