Automatic copy files to output during application building

Question

There is Copy to Output Directory property for files in C# projects. But in VC++ projects it is absent. I know, that I can use Build events in VC++ and write there something like

xcopy /y /d %(FullPath) $(OutDir)

Is there a way to avoid the use of CMD (and other scripting methods)? Can msbuild do something to help in this case?

Solution 1

It depends on what version of Visual Studio you are using. Format of VC++ project file in Visual Studio 2008 is not MSBuild and so using xcopy in PostBuildStep is a good choice.

VC++ project in Visual Studio 2010 has MSBuild format. Thus, there is functionality of MSBuild Copy task.

Below is a sample:

<Copy
    SourceFiles="%(FullPath)"
    DestinationFolder="$(OutDir)"
/>

If the destination directory does not exist, it is created automatically

An MSDN Copy task reference is here

Solution 2

Can MSBuild do something to help in this case?

Using MSVC 2012, this worked for me:

Assumed you have a file "Data/ThisIsData.txt" in your c++ Project.

Unload the project (right click --> Unload Project).
Edit project XML (right click --> Edit .vcxproj)
Now you see the projects MSBuild file as XML in your editor.

Find "ThisIsData.txt". It should look something like:

<ItemGroup>
<None Include="Data\ThisIsData.txt" />
...
</ItemGroup>

Now add an other item group like this:

<ItemGroup>
<Content Include="Data\ThisIsData.txt">
<CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
</Content>
...
</ItemGroup>

Reload the project and build.
Your file "ThisIsData.txt" should get copied to $(OutDir)\Data\ThisIsData.txt.

Why duplicating the ItemGroup?

Well if you simply change the None include to a content include, the IDE does not seem to like it any more, and will not display it. So to keep a quick edit option for my data files, I decided to keep the duplicated entries.

Solution 3

In VS 2015 it is possible to give C projects the functionality that is in C#. (Idea from building off of jochen's answer.) Instead of adding another ItemGroup, modify the given itemgroup adding a CopyTo element. I.E, using his example, simply enhance the original entry to:

<ItemGroup>
  <None Include="Data\ThisIsData.txt" />
    <DeploymentContent>true</DeploymentContent>
    <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
...
</ItemGroup>

No other ItemGroup required. By adding the CopyTo element, you add an "Included In Project" property.

Solution 4

In Visual Studio 2017 you can do this in the IDE. I am not sure about earlier versions.

Simply add the file as an included project file so it shows in the Solution Explorer. Then right click on the file and select the Properties menu.

Change the Content to "Yes" and change the Item Type to "Copy file"

If you look at the changes it made to the project file you can see it added this:

<ItemGroup>
  <CopyFileToFolders Include="Filename.txt">
    <DeploymentContent>true</DeploymentContent>
    <FileType>Document</FileType>
  </CopyFileToFolders>
</ItemGroup>

Solution 5

Following henri-socha's answer about VS2015 (and probably VS2013 and VS2012, or anything using MSBuild style projects), the ItemGroup item type is important.

Specifically <Text> items do not seem to be copied, whereas <Content> items do.

So, for a project directory Data containing a text file ThisIsData.txt, this will create a subdirectory Data under the $(OutDir) directory and copy the file ThisIsData.txt from the project into it if it's newer:

<ItemGroup>
  <Content Include="Data\ThisIsData.txt">
    <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
  </Content>
</ItemGroup>

This won't, although it is what the Visual Studio IDE will insert if you add the text file to your project, and set the Content property to True.

<ItemGroup>
  <Text Include="Data\ThisIsData.txt">
    <DeploymentContent>true</DeploymentContent>
  </Text>
</ItemGroup>

So in other words you need to add the file via the IDE to make it realise the file is included in the project (which adds <Text> tag ItemGroup), and then open the project in a text editor and add the <Content> tag ItemGroup to get it to do what you want.

I'm not sure what the <DeploymentContent> tag actually does. It may be a remnant since the only MSDN reference I could find considers it archived: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa712517.aspx

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Comments

[Loom]

Thanks (+1). Did you try @AntonK solution?

[Harini Sampath]

Second time I've forgotten this and used this answer, wish I could up-vote twice

[birdypme]

To keep the item in the IDE, you should rename the element in the .vcxproj.filters file too, replacing <None by <Content for the same files you modified in the .vcxproj

[Vertigo]

One can even achieve this through the IDE. Just go to the item's properties and manually enter 'Content' into Item Type field.

[RoG]

Great answer - this is the step I was missing. I think it could be improved by stating where the <Copy.../> code you provide should be added. (Which file, where in the file).

[Anton K]

@Snaptastic That's why there is a MSDN link for description in detail.

[RoG]

I have been given a C++ solution with has 5 vcproj files containing ~4900 lines in total, so I would find this a helpful addition to the answer. It's not directly explained in the link provided, and links as answers are generally frowned upon. I don't have a problem with hunting for the info myself, but one of the aims of SO is intended to save me and others that sort of work, right?

[user2190601]

I needed to additionally wrap the copy in <Target Name="MyCopyTarget" AfterTargets="Build"></Target> My target element was a element of the root Project element in the project file.

[Gam]

@Vertigo what you said is not<true>, at least in visual studio 2017. The error I get is "the item type Content is not supported by this project item provider"

[Vertigo]

@James, I've rechecked this in 2015 and 2017 and it is true. The only difference is that 2015 didn't modify .vcxproj.filters file whereas 2017 did.

[habakuk]

Works for me in Visual Studio 2017. Thanks!

[Draex_]

Doesn't work for me in VS 2017. When VS tries to load the project, it gives me this error: Items outside Target elements must have one of the following operations: Include, Update or Remove. [vcxproj filename], my code: <ItemGroup> <None Include="..\IncludedLibraries\jpeglib\libjpeg-9.dll" /> <DeploymentContent>true</DeploymentContent> <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory‌​> </ItemGroup>

[Will Custode]

This is also the best solution for Visual Studio 2019.

[TheLastGIS]

Can confirm that this works in VS 2017. Thank you @Eric. To reiterate - make sure to RIGHT CLICK and select Properties to open the Properties dialog. The 'Item Type' setting is not available in the 'Properties' view (under the Solution Explorer view) when you just select the file. When you just select the file you <b>can</b> change the Content setting to True (equivalent to 'Yes' in the Properties dialog). This may seem pedantic, but it cost me about 30 min of heartache.

[Jasongiss]

Just to mention that it looks like the 'Copy File' Item Type was added in VS 2017 - it doesn't exist in VS 2015.

[KulaGGin]

Doesn't work for me either in VS2019 C++ DLL project: i.imgur.com/MEglijk.png