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POWhen to use <ProjectReference> in project files?
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  1. POWhen to use <ProjectReference> in project files?
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    copied!<p><strong>Summary:</strong></p> <p>Projects build in wrong order with visual studio and managed C++ and C# projects</p> <p><strong>Description:</strong></p> <p>I have a massive (100+ projects) solution file that is building a few projects in the wrong order. The solution file contains the following types of projects:</p> <ul> <li>native C/C++</li> <li>Managed C++</li> <li>Managed C#</li> </ul> <p>The solution contains all the proper dependencies between the different types of projects. Ok, so when I build from the command line (Using MSBuild), there is a problem. The dependencies for the managed projects (both C++ and C#) get built in the wrong order. For instance a project will fail to build because a managed dependency is missing. For instance a managed C++ file will have a using declaration that will fail:</p> <pre><code>#using &lt;foo.dll&gt; </code></pre> <p>since foo.dll doesn't exist yet.</p> <p>Which means that foo.dll should have been built before, but wasn't. Like I mentioned earlier, the dependencies are properly set up in the solution file. For instance, if foo depends on baz, I have this in the solution file...</p> <pre><code>Project("{C4ABA494-43D0-400A-9917-20E167A12CFD}") = "Foo", "...\Foo.vcxproj", "{5A42640E-9E0A-442B-8A40-AA91AD5444AC}" ProjectSection(ProjectDependencies) = postProject ... {2CE32AE0-B129-40BA-B06E-A628FA149AB3} = {2CE32AE0-B129-40BA-B06E-A628FA149AB3} EndProjectSection EndProject ... Project("{C4ABA494-43D0-400A-9917-20E167A12CFD}") = "baz", "...\baz.csproj", "{2CE32AE0-B129-40BA-B06E-A628FA149AB3}" ProjectSection(ProjectDependencies) = postProject ... EndProjectSection EndProject </code></pre> <p>So the solution file correctly has the dependency. But the dependency in the Foo.vcxproj project is only expressed by the #using directive. I've read on the visual studio blog that there is a known bug in ordering projects in msbuild. <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudio/archive/2010/12/21/incorrect-solution-build-ordering-when-using-msbuild-exe.aspx" rel="noreferrer">http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudio/archive/2010/12/21/incorrect-solution-build-ordering-when-using-msbuild-exe.aspx</a></p> <p>Their work around is to add an item called to my projects, like this:</p> <pre><code>&lt;ProjectReference Include="... foo.csproj"&gt; &lt;ReferenceOutputAssembly&gt;false&lt;/ReferenceOutputAssembly&gt; &lt;/ProjectReference&gt; </code></pre> <p>Anyways, <strong>my question is</strong>: do I need to do this ONLY for my managed C++ projects? Or do I do this for Managed C++ AND C# projects? (I kind of believe I don't need to do this for C# projects since their dependencies are explicit)</p> <p>Note: I have tried putting this on ALL projects in my build, and it didn't work so hot, as I got lots of strange build errors in my native projects...</p> <p>Thanks for any response to this.</p>
 

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