Resource file name too long

Question

I'm working on a project with some deeply nested (long namespace) files. The project wont compile because the filename of most of the resource files are too long. For eg.

Resource file
"obj\Debug\xxxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxxx.Services.DeliveryChannels.Web.Common.Resources.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.resources" has an invalid name. The item metadata "%(FullPath)" cannot be applied to the path
"obj\Debug\xxxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxxx.Services.DeliveryChannels.Web.Common.Resources.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.resources".
D:\Projects\XXXXX\TFS\xxxxx.xxxxx\src\xxxxx.xxxxxxxx.xxxxx\svcs\channels\web\src\xxxxxxx.Web.Common\obj\Debug\xxxx.xxxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx.Services.xxxxxxxxxx.Web.Common.Resources.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.resources

Another error:

File name
'..\..\..\..\..\obj\Debug\xxxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxxx.Services.DeliveryChannels.Web.Common.Resources.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.resources' is too long or invalid

How do I prevent the compiler from renaming the .resource file to the namespace? I would like the resource filenames to just be the same after compiling.

Answer 1

Edit the line 2291 on C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\Microsoft.Common.Targets

<GenerateResource
    Sources="@(EmbeddedResource)"
    UseSourcePath="$(UseSourcePath)"
    References="@(ReferencePath)"
    AdditionalInputs="$(MSBuildAllProjects)"
    NeverLockTypeAssemblies="$(GenerateResourceNeverLockTypeAssemblies)"
    StateFile="$(IntermediateOutputPath)$(MSBuildProjectFile).GenerateResource.Cache"
    StronglyTypedClassName="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedClassName)"
    StronglyTypedFileName="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedFileName)"
    StronglyTypedLanguage="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedLanguage)"
    StronglyTypedNamespace="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedNamespace)"
    StronglyTypedManifestPrefix="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedManifestPrefix)"
    PublicClass="%(EmbeddedResource.PublicClass)"
    OutputResources="@(EmbeddedResource->'$(IntermediateOutputPath)%(ManifestResourceName).resources')"
    Condition="'%(EmbeddedResource.Type)' == 'Resx' and '%(EmbeddedResource.GenerateResource)' != 'false' and '$(GenerateResourceMSBuildRuntime)' != 'CLR2'"
    SdkToolsPath="$(ResgenToolPath)"
    ExecuteAsTool="$(ResGenExecuteAsTool)"
    EnvironmentVariables="$(ResGenEnvironment)"
    MSBuildRuntime="$(GenerateResourceMSBuildRuntime)"
    MSBuildArchitecture="$(GenerateResourceMSBuildArchitecture)">

Change the output file name to something short like the source file name and hope for no collisons.

OutputResources="@(EmbeddedResource->'$(IntermediateOutputPath)%(Filename).resources')"

This is a hack to a dotnet system file, there must be other way to override this, I need to check the MsBuild docs.

Edit

I found a solution without needing to mess with system files.

See here MSDN http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudio/archive/2010/02/15/if-your-build-fails-with-msb6002-the-command-line-for-the-resgen-task-is-too-long.aspx.

You can just paste the entire Target inside your project, this way you don't need to change a system file. Just paste this before </Project> tag.

<Target
    Name="CoreResGen"
    DependsOnTargets="$(CoreResGenDependsOn)">

    <ItemGroup>
        <_Temporary Remove="@(_Temporary)" />
    </ItemGroup>

    <PropertyGroup>
        <GenerateResourceMSBuildArchitecture Condition="'$(GenerateResourceMSBuildArchitecture)' == ''">$(PlatformTargetAsMSBuildArchitecture)</GenerateResourceMSBuildArchitecture>

        <ResgenToolPath Condition="'$(ResgenToolPath)' == ''">$(TargetFrameworkSDKToolsDirectory)</ResgenToolPath>
    </PropertyGroup>

    <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(TargetFrameworkAsMSBuildRuntime)' != '' and '$(GenerateResourceMSBuildArchitecture)' != ''">
        <!-- In the general case, we want to fail to run the task if the task host it's requesting doesn't exist, because we'd rather let the
       user know there's something wrong than just silently generate something that's probably not quite right. However, in a few 
       circumstances, there are tasks that are already aware of runtime / bitness concerns, in which case even if we go ahead and run 
       the more recent version of the task, it should be able to generate something correct.  GenerateResource is one such task, so 
       we check for the existence of the targeted task host so that we can use it preferentially, but if it can't be found, we'll fall 
       back to the current task since it's still mostly correct.

       In particular, we need to do this because otherwise people with Dev10 on a machine that they upgrade to Win8 will be broken: 
       they'll have ResGen from the 7.0A SDK installed, so launching ResGen will still work, but the CLR2 task host is only installed by 
       the 8.0A SDK, which they won't have installed, and thus without this fallback mechanism, their projects targeting v3.5 will 
       suddenly start failing to build.-->
        <GenerateResourceMSBuildRuntime
            Condition="'$(GenerateResourceMSBuildRuntime)' == '' and 
                 $([MSBuild]::DoesTaskHostExist(`$(TargetFrameworkAsMSBuildRuntime)`, `$(GenerateResourceMSBuildArchitecture)`))">$(TargetFrameworkAsMSBuildRuntime)</GenerateResourceMSBuildRuntime>

        <!-- If the targeted runtime doesn't exist, fall back to current -->
        <GenerateResourceMSBuildRuntime Condition="'$(GenerateResourceMSBuildRuntime)' == ''">CurrentRuntime</GenerateResourceMSBuildRuntime>
    </PropertyGroup>

    <!-- 4.0 task has some new parameters that we want to make use of if we're targeting 4.0 -->
    <GenerateResource
        Sources="@(EmbeddedResource)"
        UseSourcePath="$(UseSourcePath)"
        References="@(ReferencePath)"
        AdditionalInputs="$(MSBuildAllProjects)"
        NeverLockTypeAssemblies="$(GenerateResourceNeverLockTypeAssemblies)"
        StateFile="$(IntermediateOutputPath)$(MSBuildProjectFile).GenerateResource.Cache"
        StronglyTypedClassName="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedClassName)"
        StronglyTypedFileName="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedFileName)"
        StronglyTypedLanguage="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedLanguage)"
        StronglyTypedNamespace="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedNamespace)"
        StronglyTypedManifestPrefix="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedManifestPrefix)"
        PublicClass="%(EmbeddedResource.PublicClass)"
        OutputResources="@(EmbeddedResource->'$(IntermediateOutputPath)%(Filename).resources')"
        Condition="'%(EmbeddedResource.Type)' == 'Resx' and '%(EmbeddedResource.GenerateResource)' != 'false' and '$(GenerateResourceMSBuildRuntime)' != 'CLR2'"
        SdkToolsPath="$(ResgenToolPath)"
        ExecuteAsTool="$(ResGenExecuteAsTool)"
        EnvironmentVariables="$(ResGenEnvironment)"
        MSBuildRuntime="$(GenerateResourceMSBuildRuntime)"
        MSBuildArchitecture="$(GenerateResourceMSBuildArchitecture)">

        <Output TaskParameter="FilesWritten"
                ItemName="FileWrites"/>
        <Output TaskParameter="StronglyTypedFileName"
                ItemName="Compile"/>

        <!-- Gather Sources as an output since it will contain OutputResource metadata indicating the final output resource that it was compiled into -->
        <Output TaskParameter="Sources"
                ItemName="_Temporary" />

    </GenerateResource>

    <!-- But we can't use those parameters if we're targeting 3.5, since we're using the 3.5 task -->
    <GenerateResource
        Sources="@(EmbeddedResource)"
        UseSourcePath="$(UseSourcePath)"
        References="@(ReferencePath)"
        AdditionalInputs="$(MSBuildAllProjects)"
        NeverLockTypeAssemblies="$(GenerateResourceNeverLockTypeAssemblies)"
        StateFile="$(IntermediateOutputPath)$(MSBuildProjectFile).GenerateResource.Cache"
        StronglyTypedClassName="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedClassName)"
        StronglyTypedFileName="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedFileName)"
        StronglyTypedLanguage="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedLanguage)"
        StronglyTypedNamespace="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedNamespace)"
        StronglyTypedManifestPrefix="%(EmbeddedResource.StronglyTypedManifestPrefix)"
        PublicClass="%(EmbeddedResource.PublicClass)"
        OutputResources="@(EmbeddedResource->'$(IntermediateOutputPath)%(ManifestResourceName).resources')"
        MSBuildRuntime="$(GenerateResourceMSBuildRuntime)"
        MSBuildArchitecture="$(GenerateResourceMSBuildArchitecture)"
        Condition="'%(EmbeddedResource.Type)' == 'Resx' and '%(EmbeddedResource.GenerateResource)' != 'false' and '$(GenerateResourceMSBuildRuntime)' == 'CLR2'">

        <Output TaskParameter="FilesWritten"
                ItemName="FileWrites"/>
        <Output TaskParameter="StronglyTypedFileName"
                ItemName="Compile"/>

        <!-- Gather Sources as an output since it will contain OutputResource metadata indicating the final output resource that it was compiled into -->
        <Output TaskParameter="Sources"
                ItemName="_Temporary" />

    </GenerateResource>

    <ItemGroup>
        <EmbeddedResource Remove="@(_Temporary)" />

        <!-- Add back the Sources list (with OutputResource metadata) that we output from GenerateResource into EmbeddedResource -->
        <EmbeddedResource Include="@(_Temporary)" />
        <_Temporary Remove="@(_Temporary)" />

        <!-- EMITTED FOR COMPATIBILITY REASONS ONLY. CONSUME EMBEDDEDRESOURCE INSTEAD -->
        <ManifestResourceWithNoCulture Include="@(EmbeddedResource->'%(OutputResource)')"
                                       Condition="'%(EmbeddedResource.WithCulture)'=='false' and '%(EmbeddedResource.Type)' == 'Resx'">
            <EmittedForCompatibilityOnly>true</EmittedForCompatibilityOnly>
        </ManifestResourceWithNoCulture>
        <ManifestNonResxWithNoCultureOnDisk Include="@(EmbeddedResource)"
                                            Condition="'%(EmbeddedResource.WithCulture)'=='false' and '%(EmbeddedResource.Type)' == 'Non-Resx'">
            <EmittedForCompatibilityOnly>true</EmittedForCompatibilityOnly>
        </ManifestNonResxWithNoCultureOnDisk>

        <!-- EMITTED FOR COMPATIBILITY REASONS ONLY. CONSUME EMBEDDEDRESOURCE INSTEAD -->
        <ManifestResourceWithCulture Include="@(EmbeddedResource->'%(OutputResource)')"
                                     Condition="'%(EmbeddedResource.WithCulture)'=='true' and '%(EmbeddedResource.Type)' == 'Resx'">
            <EmittedForCompatibilityOnly>true</EmittedForCompatibilityOnly>
        </ManifestResourceWithCulture>
        <ManifestNonResxWithCultureOnDisk Include="@(EmbeddedResource)"
                                          Condition="'%(EmbeddedResource.WithCulture)'=='true' and '%(EmbeddedResource.Type)' == 'Non-Resx'">
            <EmittedForCompatibilityOnly>true</EmittedForCompatibilityOnly>
        </ManifestNonResxWithCultureOnDisk>

    </ItemGroup>

</Target>