Is it possible to configure the bin folder for a windows form app

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Hello everyone!

I am a beginner in Visual Studio and I have a project with a lot of DLL files so when I compile it, my bin folder is quite a mess. So I would like to know is it possible to organize my bin folder with just a folder with all DLL files and everything and outside my .exe that I can run?

Thank you in advance for everyone that will take the time to answer me.

Also I want to apologize if my English is not perfect.

Bye!

What I have tried:

For now, everything is in the same folder

Posted 23-Jan-22 22:27pm

Alex_bonbons

Updated 24-Jan-22 6:14am

Sean Ewington

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Solution 2

Depending on the version of .NET you're using, and which operating systems you want to run on, you may be able to use "single file deployment", where all dependencies are combined into one executable file:

Single file application - .NET | Microsoft Docs[^]

NB: The size of the file can be very large, since it will include the runtime and framework assemblies.

Posted 24-Jan-22 0:55am

Richard Deeming

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OriginalGriff · Accepted Answer · 2022-01-23T22:38:00

Solution 1

Pretty much, you should ignore the bin folder - it's there so that all the "required files" are available to the debugger / installation program and normally you won't go near it directly.

All the files in the bin folder are required to run your app, so thay have to be somewhere - and the location has to be "known" to VS (or it can't be sure the right version has been built) and the debugger (or it can;t execute the code in them).
The last thing you want is to install "under development" DLL files in the GAC where it might cause problems with other apps!

Posted 23-Jan-22 22:38pm

OriginalGriff

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Alex_bonbons 24-Jan-22 5:25am

Thank you originalGriff but what if I want to share my app to an other computer ? I have to share the entiere bin/release folder right ? That's why I want it to be cleaner.

I have never heard of under development or GAC so I will look online for these elements, thank you again !

OriginalGriff 24-Jan-22 5:39am

Generally speaking, you don't want to "share the whole folder" as is: you should use an installer which will register the DLL files with the GAC instead of loading a new set for each application.
Even if you do, they need to be where your app expects them to be when it runs - so moving them around is just going to be a PITA for everybody!

Try creating a Deployment project and it should do all the work for you.

Alex_bonbons 24-Jan-22 5:48am

Oh I understand ! I thought one needed the full version of VS in order to make installers, I look for tutorials to make it with the free version.

Thank you again for everything,

OriginalGriff 24-Jan-22 6:12am

You're welcome!