Copying files into the application folder at compile time

If I have some files I want to copy from my project into the .\bin\debug\ folder on compilation, then it seems I have to put them into the root of the project. Putting them into a subfolder seems to copy them into the .\bin\debug\ folder in the same structure they're stored in.

Is there any way to avoid this?

Just to be clear: if I have a MyFirstConfigFile.txt and MySecondConfigFile.txt in a ConfigFiles folder and I set their Copy to Output to be Copy..., then they appear in the .\bin\debug\ConfigFiles\ folder. I want them to appear in the .\bin\debug\ folder.

You could do this with a post build event. Set the files to no action on compile, then in the macro copy the files to the directory you want.

Here's a post build Macro that I think will work by copying all files in a directory called Configuration to the root build folder:

copy $(ProjectDir)Configuration\* $(ProjectDir)$(OutDir)

You can use a MSBuild task on your csproj, like that.

Edit your csproj file

  <Target Name="AfterBuild">
    <Copy SourceFiles="$(OutputPath)yourfiles" DestinationFolder="$(YourVariable)" ContinueOnError="true" />
  </Target>

You can also put the files or links into the root of the solution explorer and then set the files properties:

Build action = Content

and

Copy to Output Directory = Copy if newer (for example)

For a link drag the file from the windows explorer into the solution explorer holding down the shift and control keys.

Personally I prefer this way.

Modify the .csproj to add

<ItemGroup>
	<ContentWithTargetPath Include="ConfigFiles\MyFirstConfigFile.txt">
	  <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
	  <TargetPath>%(Filename)%(Extension)</TargetPath>
	</ContentWithTargetPath>
</ItemGroup>

or generalizing, if you want to copy all subfolders and files, you could do:

<ItemGroup>
	<ContentWithTargetPath Include="ConfigFiles\**">
	  <CopyToOutputDirectory>PreserveNewest</CopyToOutputDirectory>
	  <TargetPath>%(RecursiveDir)\%(Filename)%(Extension)</TargetPath>
	</ContentWithTargetPath>
</ItemGroup>

copy from subfolder to subfolder

 if not exist "$(ProjectDir)$(OutDir)subfolder" mkdir "$(ProjectDir)$(OutDir)subfolder"

 copy "$(ProjectDir)subfolder\"  "$(ProjectDir)$(OutDir)subfolder\"

You want to use a Post-Build event on your project. You can specify the output there and there are macro values for frequently used things like project path, item name, etc.

You can use the PostBuild event of the project. After the build is completed, you can run a DOS batch file and copy the desired files to your desired folder.

I found this question searching for "copy files into the application folder at compile time". OP seems to have this sorted already, but if you don't:

In Visual Studio right-click the file, select properties, then change the option 'copy to output' to 'always'. See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/0c6xyb66.aspx