For projects that manage items as links, such as Visual C++, you can remove an item from your project. The item is removed from Solution Explorer and the item's file is disassociated from the project, but not permanently removed from storage. Projects that manage the items as files, such as Web projects, do not support the Remove command.

To remove an item or project

For projects that manage items either as files, such as Web projects, or using a combination of files and links, such as Visual Basic and Visual C#, you can delete an item from your project. The item is removed from Solution Explorer and the item's file is permanently removed from storage. Projects that manage the items as links do not support the Delete command.

To permanently delete an item

Using the Exclude command, you can temporarily remove an item from the project. After excluding the file, you can still see it in Solution Explorer by clicking Show All Files. For projects that manage items either as files, or using a combination of files and links, you can exclude an item from your project.

Not all projects allow you to exclude project items from builds. References in Visual C++, other reference-based projects and links to files in Visual Basic and Visual C# projects can be excluded from the project using slightly different methods.

Additionally, you can remove an entire project, and all of its contents from the solution using the Unload command. For more information, see How to: Unload and Reload Projects.

Physical project items in Web and other directory-based projects and physical project items in Visual Basic, Visual C#, and other mixed-model projects can be temporarily removed from a project using the Exclude From Project command.

To temporarily exclude an item that represents a file

You can include the excluded file in your project by using the Include in Project command.

To include an item that represents a file

Excluding Items from Deployment Projects

To exclude an item from a deployment project

1. In Solution Explorer, select the file you want to exclude.

2. On the Solution Explorer toolbar, select Properties.

3. In the Properties window, set the Exclude property to True.

See How to: Exclude Items from a Deployment Project for alternative steps.

Note:
Adding a file to a project directory in Windows Explorer does not automatically add that file to the project; the file will appear in Solution Explorer in the Show All Files view but it is not part of the project until you select Include in Project from the Project menu.

To temporarily unload a project from a solution

Tasks

Concepts