I would like to remove a step of the process when building libraries in C# with Visual Studio, like how the System libraries can simply be referenced by adding the statement: using System to the top of the file.
Normally when building a class library, you have to add a reference to the library in the project you want to consume the library from, and then you can add the using statement on the top of the file you wish to reference the library from.
Is there some way to remove the step of needing to explicitly add a reference (the step accomplishable via a right click on the project in the solution explorer in Visual Studio)? Perhaps by building class libraries to a specific location that Visual Studio automatically adds as referenced when creating new projects to consume the library?
The end goal is to be able to write C# class libraries, and simply have them available whenever I am writing an app, without needing to explicitly add a reference to each library in each new app I write. Whenever I want to edit a library, I could simply open that Visual Studio project, edit it, and then build it again. Then the updated library is available to all of the apps I have consuming that library.
I'm not sure why would you want to do this, cause it's a simple thing to set the using statements in the top of the page. But i'm almost certain that you can't get arround this.
This post states that: answer to get around of using statements
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I have an issue including a self-built library to a C#-project. I have created an own class library called ClassLibrary1 just to learn how to add libraries on Visual Studio 2019.
So I have written some simple code in a newly created .NET-class library project and have clicked on "create new solution" (directly translated from my german IDE-language. Maybe it's called slightly different) after writing the code. Back in the C#-project, I have selected the dll-file from bin/Debug/ of the class library's project folder.
After I have set the checkmark, the dll-file was shown in the solution-explorer under Assemblys like expected. But the issue I now have is that I still cannot use the ClassLibrary1.dll-file in the cs-file in this very project as I expected via the command "using ClassLibrary1;". It only shows me the error message "type- or namespacename "ClassLibrary1" not found" when trying to compile the C#-project and I don't get, why this is the case.
It seems like it has to be a very obvious problem but after some research on the internet and trying some things by myself still nothing has changed.
Thanks in advance for helpful replies.
The by far easiest way to manage a library is to use project references. Ensure that your library and the project that uses the library is in the same solution. Then right click the "references" and select "add Reference", go to the project tab and add a checkbox for the library. Read more about managing references.
You might also need to add namespaces for the classes you wish to use in the source files.
I would not recommend managing using file-references to lose dll-files, since it can easily become a hassle to manage. I.e. if you create a new version of the library you would need to build, and explicitly replace this file in all other projects and update all the references.
If you want to share libraries between multiple solutions the more popular solution would be to setup a nuget server. This solves some of the updating problems by maintaining multiple versions of the same library, and provides a nice interface to update references in all projects. But this is a somewhat more complicated solution, so I would not recommend this for new developers.
What is the use of the "References" list in my visual studio project? Why I can still get my project compiled and run it even though I remove all of the references?
When I create a new c# console project, it has a hello world template program, and the References list contains certain references from .Net I think. I removed all of them and the template program still work, why?
The template program has a bunch of usings that were in the references of the project so I thought if I remove all of them nothing will work, but the project still compiled and ran.
This seems to be a very simple question but I can not find anybody answering that online.
Say you need to create an image processing app. But you don't want to, or rather won't be able to create a JPEG encoder/decoder. So you will find a 3rd party library to do the encoding/decoding. And the 3rd party library needs to be put somewhere so that your project can find it. And that is the References folder (it is not really a folder).
Then you can use the 3rd party library's namespace in your own code. And it compiles. But if you remove the references, it won't because VS won't be able to find those namespaces.
If later you decide not to use this library, you will remove your using statement and all the relevant code. At this point, if you remove the references, your code will still compile because they are not used at all.
Ok to answer my question after some research and tests. There are indeed namespaces I can not reference if I don't add them into the References list, the ones that were still working after I removed references were the ones that are implicitly referenced by visual studio.
I have learned that from the links below.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/managing-references-in-a-project?view=vs-2019
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/vstudio/en-US/92a0c975-e350-4d8d-af8e-36ec0ad6c95c/specific-purpose-of-mscorlib-dll-in-net?forum=clr
I have a project contains a classLibrary and webapplication now what I want is to use this project in another project means I want to add this entire project to another project as dll so developer of newer project cant use, update and see my code they just add in their project and simply use them without knowing whats going on in these dll. I am new to this can someone help me on this. I just to reuse code of webform's code behind and classlibrary .cs files code class which are used and called in webform's code behind.
When you add a class library,
it compiles into a dll.
you can explore the file-system's BIN folder of your project,
and see the dll there after a project build.
What you want to do is take that dll,
and add it as a reference to another project.
Note: You may need to include a using [dll namespace] statement if you want to access
the dll objects / functions without explicitly writing it every time.
I created a mini sample,
here are some screen shots that should guide you through the process.
I'm using VS 2010, but it should be similar 2012 / 2013.
I'm writing applications and libraries simultaneously, and whenever I update a library it's a bit hard to get it recognized in the consumer application. I have open a separate Visual Studio instance for each library and application. After rebuilding a library I get in the consumer applications the warning/error below. I then either have to remove the reference and add it again. Or I have to clean and build the library solution 3-4 times, for such warning/error to disappear in the consumer app VS solution. Why would doing that 4 times make any difference to doing it 1 or 2 times..?
Would like to understand why this happens and if something can be done to make this work more smoothly?
Not sure if it's relevant but most of my applications I write in VB.NET and libaries in C# (as I'm in progress of changing everything to C#). I also have C# files from the libraries open in the consumer application VS, as it pops up during debugging. I also reference library dlls in the library project /bin/Debug folder, because I'm making a lot of changes at this point of development.
Warning 1 Namespace or type specified in the Imports 'somelibrary'
doesn't contain any public member or cannot be found. Make sure the
namespace or the type is defined and contains at least one public
member. Make sure the imported element name doesn't use any
aliases. 'local path'
..
Error 72 Unable to load referenced library 'path\somelibrary.dll': The
process cannot access the file because it is being used by another
process.
I'm writing applications and libraries simultaneously, and whenever I update a library it's a bit hard to get it recognized in the consumer application. I have open a separate Visual Studio instances for each library and application.
This is the fundamental source of your problem. Visual Studio does not like it when things outside it's control change. You should have a single solution open with all the relevant projects included in it. Then when something changes, all the projects which depend on that project will automatically be rebuilt. (At least, that's the default.)
After rebuilding a library I get in the consumer applications the warning/error below. I then either have to remove the reference and add it again. Or I have to clean and build the library solution 3-4 times, for such warning/error to disappear in the consumer app VS solution. Why would doing that 4 times make any difference to doing it 1 or 2 times..?
I don't think it has anything to do with how many times you clean and rebuild it, but how long it's been since you last made a change - you have to wait long enough for the VS instance building the dll to release the lock on the file, before the VS instance that is using it is able to access it.
When you build a project you lock up the .DLL file in the project you build it from, because that is the version of the assembly that the library instance of visual studio will use - however you are referencing that very same library in another process hence the reason you are seeing the error.
You have two options, keep having two instances and then close the two instances open them again and it will be fine.
What you are better off doing is adding the project itself you are referencing (and are getting the error for) to your solution. Then instead of referencing YourProject/bin/debug/assembly.dll add a reference to the local project via the Projects tab. This will then keep one process referencing the appropriate assemblies that it needs.
For every project in the solution check the project settings -> Compile tab -> advanced compile options... -> target framework(all configurations), see if they are all (for example) .NET framework 4. having different or the wrong framework might cause the problems you're having right now
I have already come across the Stack Overflow question "Is there a way to generate a DLL file from Visual Studio Express without explicitly creating a DLL project?", but it does not directly answer my query, so I'm raising it here.
The problem I am facing while trying to make the DLL is that I can't find any option under Build named build class file.
I have changed the project property to class file (shown below)
This is how it is:
And here is how my build option is getting displayed:
Also when I am using the command-line option the dll file is getting generated but it is not getting the properties I'm setting in the application.
I am new with Visual Studio so a litte bit confused about this part.
The "Build Solution" option in your second screenshot is the thing you need to click to produce your dll, alternatively you can right click on your project in the Solution Explorer and click "Build":
(If you only have one project in your solution then these two will both do exactly the same thing)
The output dll will normally be placed in the bin\Debug or bin\Release directory depending on whether you are in Release or Debug configuration, check the "Build" tab of the project properties for the exact path.
The reason why you aren't seeing a "Build class file" option is because this is what the "Build project" menu item does - it will produce a class library if the project output type is "Class Library", a windows executable if the project output type is "Windows Application" etc...
You're not trying to build a class file - you're trying to build a class library.
And you just build the solution - that will build each of the projects in your solution, including your LicenseCheckLibrary project is just a class library project.
It looks like you're basically there - look in the bin\Debug or bin\Release folders under LicenseCheckLibrary, and you'll find the DLL.
Why would you want to avoid building a DLL file in the first place? Are you developing an EXE file in order to test the logic and then conver it to DLL once it is working fine? If yes, why not create two projects: Windows Console and Class Library. Inside Class Library implement the licensing logic and use Windows COnsole to test the logic. When you say you are new with Visual Studio, what exactly do you mean? You never used it before or you are new to .NET Framework programming? .NET Framework has certain classes for developing licenses. Also, there were quetions here on stackoverflow regarding the licensing. Find some of them instead of reinventing the wheel.
Have a look at this article http://www.developer.com/net/net/article.php/3074001
Create a new class library project
Create classes and code
compile Project
Dll Created
Create a new project
Click on Add Reference
Navigate to the class library folder
Go into the debug folder or whatever and include
Remember you will prob have to include the namespace. in the new
project.