I recently upgraded visual studio from version 2017 to 2022.
Now I'm having some very annoying problems.
I have a c#.net WPF project with about 25 usercontrols, all in the same namespace (MyProject.Usercontrols)
When one usercontrol won't compile, I will get an error for every instance of every usercontrol, saying that that usercontrol does not exist in namespace MyProject.Usercontrols.
So I get a list of hundreds of errors that I know are wrong. It can take me a while to find the actual error causing the problem. When I fix that one error, all of those namespace errors disappear.
Sometimes it won't even show me the real error and I get nothing but incorrect namespace errors. (I literally couldn't find the problem so i just had load an old backup and try again)
I never had problems like this is version 2017. Is there a setting I can change?
I've searched hard but i cannot find any thread with the same problem.
I'm not sure how to deal with this, I'm tempted to just go back to version 2017.
Maybe ask a different question, why are these namespaces failing at all? I've moved wpf projects from 2017 to 2019 to 2022 and haven't experienced this issue to this or any degree. I would advise to be more proactive and anticipate what will fail based on what you have seen so far.
If you are overwhelmed, create a single project and move one control into it (controls should stand on their own right?), determine its issue, and verify that your other controls do not follow the same failure pattern.
I am working on a small project involving a wpf-based UI program when I come to a intellisense problem. It constantly complains that several identifiers (class/method/property) cannot be found, and most of those are from another assembly. Similar issue has been asked by many other users of visual studio:
WPF assembly reference missing - project still building
Type or namespace cannot be found, when reference does exist
Getting "type or namespace name could not be found" but everything seems ok?
If the promble only happens on types in referenced assemblies I might just overlook it. But now even some types in the same assembly are determined 'missing' by intellisense. Today I created a new custom Window in this wpf project, and visual studio auto generated code for further use as follows:
public partial class ReceiveTest : Window
{
public ReceiveTest()
{
InitializeComponent();
}
}
Then intellisense told me that identifier 'InitializeComponent' cannot be found, and every control this window owns cannot be found either. This is really upsetting since it makes intellisense completely useless. Normally these 'missing' identifiers are declared in FileName.g.i.cs and managed by visual studio itself, however it seem visual studio somehow failed to recognize it.
Now I have done everything I can including solutions given in above links but failed again and again. Could anyone explain this problem and show me a way to solve it? I would be very very grateful.
P.S. I am using visual studio 2017 and PowerTool addon
Upgrading Test project from 2010 to 2017
Following this up on a recent problem with a test project on VS2017 after upgrade from 2010. Tried everything to get rid of the squiggly red and they wouldn't go.
Problem was that 'namespace.zone.section' had 'namespace' not found when it was there and seen by intellisense etc (and in some cases 'zone' or 'section')
Deleted sou files
Deleted project files
Deleted the references
Reapplied all after clean, restart, restart
server and all the above.
Still problem persisted.
So I deleted the test project (imported form 2010) recreated the project in 2017, copied all the original test classes into new project, added back all the other projects (supporting the tests), added moq etc back in. Only took about 20 mins.
And ... compiled and worked.
Conclusion was that the original project file (test project) had something in it that didn't get upgraded and screwed it all up. Anyway it is all fine now.
I post this so you don't have to wast your time.
I have a weird error showing up in my project when it is open in the VS2012 IDE. Everywhere where I make use of another referenced project it suddenly says "Type or Namespace name could not be found". And by "says", I mean it has the text underlined in red with the error when I hover over it. The intellisense doesn't work for that code. BUT (and here's the weird part), the errors do not show up in the error console and the project builds and runs fine.
I can even debug and step through the code and it works perfectly fine. So at runtime the project is referenced fine but at design time the IDE can't find it. This worked for the past 2 weeks, and only then suddenly went a little bonkers. It's really annoying because I am rubbish at coding without intellisense!
Has anybody ever seen anything like this or have any suggestions?
I had this. I referenced assemblies whose "Target Framework" were set to ".Net Framework 4" in the "Application" secion of the projects properties. I changed this to ".Net Framework 4.5" not just in the referenced assembly's project but also the project I was building and it worked. Give this a try.
I have found this is a known problem with VS2012. Check to see how you are building, 64 bit or 32 bit. It won't work with 64 bit but it will with 32 bit. It will say things are missing and design will not work, however the program will run fine. I have heard the new VS update that hasn't been released yet will fix it.
Manually delete all the references to the libraries of the other projects and re-add. Intellisense rebuilds whatever it needs at that point and doing this has helped me in the past.
Another source of this problem is a solution with multiple projects containing code for the same namespace. The compiler can handle this. Intellisense won’t.
Related to a couple other answers here, I had a "Data" project using a "Data" namespace. Built fine, but just started recently showing errors from intellisense (even though it continued building fine.) (VS 2015.)
I fixed this by changing my "Data" project and namespace to "MyCompany.Data".
Oddly, the problem didn't seem to show up until recently, but making the change did fix it. Presumably there was a conflict in namespace with another project or reference, which can build fine, but intellisense can't handle.
You can change this in the Application tab of Project properties. You can also open up an EDMX diagram, right click, choose model browser, choose the second collapsable item in the model browser tab, hit properties, and there you'll find the Namespace option for generated Entity Framework entities and contexts. (Similiarly, if you modify an Entity Framework Model's namespace, you might also need to change the related connection to match [in Web.Config for ASP.Net and MVC.])
Make sure that there is no class with the name same as Project default namespace.
make sure that you don't reference .net framework 4.5 projects in .net 4 projects!
Examine your .proj files in a text editor and make sure the paths to your references are correct.
This can also happen if you set the Build Action to "None" on the referenced file and forget about it.
I had the same problem, where it would build and run fine, it just would always show that error and I couldn't use intellisense with the class.
I actually used the automatic method of creating the class in a new file to resolve the issue, then just copied the code over from the real class. I deleted the old file, renamed the new file, and now it works.
I'm having a bit of trouble here, in our company we have a self rolled DA layer which uses self referencing generics. In Visual Studio 2010, the IDE was perfectly happy with this, however 2012 seems to be having difficulty, even though when we build, it succeeds.
Here is an example:
The DataObject definition is as follows:
[TypeDescriptionProvider(typeof(HyperTypeDescriptor.HyperTypeDescriptionProvider))]
public class DataObject<T> :
INotifyPropertyChanged,
IDataErrorInfo,
IEditableObject,
IDataObject
where T :
DataObject<T>,
new()
I realise it isn't the simplest of definitions, but its legal, and it builds perfectly fine.
However, this 'issue' causes intellisense to fail, as well as the 'Go To Definition' function, which needless to say is frustrating.
I've tried removing and re-adding the references, but the issue persists.
VS2010 is perfectly happy and is what I have gone back to using, VS2012 is very nice and responsive but if this issue persists its a deal breaker.
Anyone got any ideas?
Want to make a couple of things clear, this issue is an intermittent one (which is a pain as its really hard to track the root cause).
It breaks intellisense and 'go to definition' everywhere, not just for the class with the error.
I'll have a go at building a example solution to submit to connect, but time isn't on my side lately.
This can happen if you open the same solution/project with two instances of Visual Studio (even two Visual Studio 2010 for example). The Intellisense mechanism uses .NCB files that Visual Studio instances cannot really share. In this case, Intellisense behavior is strange.
Sounds silly, but I run into similar issues with new code that gets introduced or changed with intellisense. I tracked it down to basically needing to perform a save all, or sometimes even clean and rebuild / compile before it intellisense properly acknowledges the code being valid.
A similar that happens on occasion in VS2010 too that can be duplicated if you make a class structure, then edit code on another class to use it, then bounce back, hack out class functions and add new ones without any saving.
Sometimes, and this isn't always the case ReSharper can cause issues with references and GTD functionality. Do you have it installed?
I have a solution that contains a website and a class library in Visual Studio 2008.
I then have another web site project outside of the solution that needs to reference the class library. I right click the Bin folder or Project and select Add Reference, then select my Class Library Project, it adds the 15 or so DLLs that the class library needs to the websites bin folder, but none of the .cs files recognize the using statements.
using MyLibrary.MyFolder;
It says that it can't resolve it, and ReSharper just says it can be safely removed since it's not being used.
ReSharper can recognize that it needs the reference and suggests that it "Reference MyLibrary and use MyFolder". I'm not sure why it's suggesting I add a reference I already have. When I go with the suggestion, I get the error
"Failed to reference module. Probably, reference will produce circular dependencies between projects."
I've tried going to the websites property pages and removing all the references and re-adding them, but it gives the same errors. Any ideas why this isn't working?
Also, check that the new solution's projects run against a compatible framework to the project you're trying to include. I was trying to include a reference to a 4.0 project in a 3.5 project.
I found how to fix this issue (for me at least). Why it worked, I'm not sure, but it did. (I just tried against a second website that was having the same problem and the following solution worked for that as well).
I tried the normal cleaning of the projects and rebuilding, shutting down all my Visual Studio instances and restarting them, even tried restarting my computer.
What actually worked was opening up the project in Visual Studio, closing all the open tabs, and then shutting it down.
Before I had left the tabs open because I didn't think it mattered (and I hardly ever close the tabs I'm using).
One possibility is that the target .NET Framework version of the class library is higher than that of the project.
I had a similar problem, will all my references being buggered up by Resharper - The solution which worked for me is to clear the Resharper Cache and then restarting VS
tools->options->resharper->options-> general-> click the clear caches button and restart VS
I had a similar problems where VS would sometimes build and sometimes not. After some searching and attempts I discovered that I had an ambiguous reference to a class with the same name in different libraries ('FileManager'). The project that would not build were my Unit Tests that reference all modules in my solution. Enforcing the reference to a specific module sorted things out for me.
My point is: Rather than blaming ReSharper or VS, it may be a good idea to double check if there really isn't some kind of circular reference somehow. More than often, classes with the same names in different modules could cause confusion and is often a symptom of bad design (like in my case).
This sounds like a similar issue with ReSharper:
http://www.jetbrains.net/devnet/thread/275827
According to one user in the thread forcing a build fixes the issue (CTRL+Shift+B) after the first build..
Sounds like an issue with ReSharper specifically in their case.. Have you tried building regardless of the warnings and possible false errors?
Since they are both in the same solution, instead of adding a reference to the DLL, add a reference to the class library project itself (the Add Reference dialog will have a tab for this).
Ahh, it's a different solution. Missed that. How about you try instead of adding a reference to the project addding a reference to the compiled DLL of your class library. The Add Reference dialog has a Browse tab which does this.
After confirming the same version of asp.net was being used. I removed the project. cleaned the solution and re-added the project. this is what worked for me.
If you're referencing assemblies for projects that are in the same solution, add a Project reference (using the "Projects" tab) rather than browsing for the dll in the \bin\Debug (or \bin\Release) folder (using the "Browse" tab). See screen shot below. Only browse for the assembly/dll file if it's considered an external assembly.
I deleted *.csproj.user ( resharper file) of my project, then, close all tabs and reopen it. After that I was able to compile my project and there was no resharper warnings.
I had this problem. It took me ages to figure out. I had people over my shoulder to help. We rebuilt, cleaned and restarted Visual studio and this didn't fix it. We removed and re-added the references...
All to no avail.... Until!
The solution to my problem was that my class declaration was spelt incorrectly.
Before you start judging me harshly, allow me to explain why it wasn't stupid, and also why this mistake could be made by even the most intelligent of programmers.
Since the mistake was early on in the name, it wasn't appearing in the intellisense class listing when I began typing.
e.g.
Class name:
Message.cs
Declaration:
public class Massage
{
//code here
}
At a glance and in a small font, Massage looks identical to Message.
Typing M listed too many classes, so I typed e, which didn't appear in the mistyped version, which gave the impression that the class wasn't being picked up by the compiler.
I had a similar issue in VS 2010, when creating a test project for an MVC 2 application.
The symptoms were identical.
The message from ReSharper was somewhat misleading. For a moment I completely ignored ReSharper and did it the "manual VS way":
I cleaned the solution.
I manually added the reference to the MVC project.
I manually added the using directives.
ctrl-shift-b
At this stage I got a compilation error: I should have referenced the System.Web.Mvc assembly in my test project (sigh). Adding this reference causes the project to compile. The ReSharper issues remain, but the ReSharper test runner works.
When I restart VS, the ReSharper errors are gone too. I'm not sure if the restart is required - simply closing the .cs file might be enough.
From now on, when I see the ReSharper message
Failed to reference module. Probably,
reference will produce circular
dependencies between projects.
I'll read
Failed to reference module. Probably,
reference will produce circular
dependencies between projects,
or you are missing some references to dependencies of the reference's dependencies.
Another possible fix that just worked for me:
If you have Assembly A, which references Assembly B, both of which reference a non-project (external) assembly X, and Assembly B's code will not recognize that you have referenced X, then try the following steps in order:
Drop reference to X from BOTH A and B
Recreate reference to X in B
Recreate reference to X in A
Apparently, VS will not recognize a reference to an external assembly in a project that is a dependency of another project that already references the external. By setting up the references again from the ground up, you overcome this. It's just very odd.
I faced this problem, and I solved it by closing visual studio, reopening visual studio, cleaning and rebuilding the solution. This worked for me.
If using TFS, performing a Get latest (recursive) doesn't always work. Instead, I force a get latest by clicking Source control => Get specific version then clicking both boxes. This tends to work.
If it still doesn't work then deleting the suo file (usually found in the same place as the solution) forces visual studio to get all the files from the source (and subsequently rebuild the suo file).
If that doesn't work then try closing all your open files and closing Visual studio. When you next open Visual studio it should be fixed. There is a resharper bug that is resolved this way.
I had stumbled upon a similar issue recently. I am working in Visual Studio 2015 with Resharper Ultimate 2016.1.2. I was trying to add a new class to my code base while trying to reference a class from another assembly but Resharper would throw an error for that package.
With some help of a co-worker, I figured out that the referenced class existed in the global namespace and wasn't accessible from the new class since it was hidden by another entity of same name that existed in current namespace.
Adding a 'global::' keyword before the required namespace helped me to reference the class I was actually looking for. More details on this can be found on the page listed below:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/c3ay4x3d.aspx
If both projects are contained within the same solution, it will be more apropiate if you add the reference for the project you need, not its compiled dll.
I had the exact same problem.
I tried closing Visual Studio numerous times, I tried deleting and adding a new class library.Checked if I had the right version, if I had referenced it in the target project. Nothing worked.
Then I thought maybe, just maybe I cannot reference the library because it was empty... and that was it.
As soon as I added a class to it the problem was fixed. So if you have tried everything and you are close to losing your sanity. Just try adding something to the class library.
the solution for was just adding the access modifier
my class didnt have any access modifier then i just added public and it worked!
Contracts class library:
namespace Contracts
{
public interface ILoggerManager
{
void LogInfo(string message);
void LogWarn(string message);
void LogDebug(string message);
void LogError(string message);
}
}
Logger service class library:
using Contracts;
using NLog;
public class LoggerManager : ILoggerManager
{
private static NLog.ILogger logger = LogManager.GetCurrentClassLogger();
public LoggerManager()
{
}
}
I tried various solutions for this issue. An old WebForms application refused to acknowledge the existence of a library even though a reference existed.
Oddly, what worked was to add and reference the class library in Visual Studio 2022, safe the project, then reopen in an earlier version of Visual Studio.
My solution was simple, but I'll share it in case someone else has the same issue and finds this question by googling like I did.
It turns out that the most recent build of the supporting DLL was done in Debug mode, and my code was looking at the Release version of the DLL. I rebuilt the DLL in Release mode and all is working properly.
Unfortunately the only thing that worked for me was completely deleting and recreating the class library project, after having temporarily copied the class files in it elsewhere. Only then would the ASP.Net web project recognise the using statements that referred to the class library project. This was with Visual Studio 2010, not using ReSharper.
I had similar issue. What worked for me is that I had added wrong Class Library from visual studio. I added by using the search feature of visual studio.
What I needed to do was Add New Project > Visual C# > Class Library. And this newly added class library is the right one and can now be added as reference to any project.
You may forget to add reference the class library which you needed to import.
Right click the class library which you want to import in (which contains multiple imported class libraries), -->Add->Reference(Select Projects->Solution->select the class library which you want to import from->OK)