How do I make a new project from Existing source files?

[WSinc]

I wanted to make a project from scratch, but the source files are already sitting in a folder.

Apparently I can't put the project back in the same folder I had before. It wants to create an entirely new folder. I have to call it "console1," or something that has no relevance.

Wasn't there a way to do that before? Why did they stop that option?

The problem with putting it in a new folder, is that INCLUDE, OUTPUT, and INPUT files are in a different place, which makes it more difficult to work with.

Why can't this be a simple and easy process?

Is there an article about this somewhere?

[WSinc]

Also, when I put the files into a new solution space, it does not give me a way to make a project from them.
It shows them in a solution, but there is no way to copy those into a new project.
And it won't compile them either- - it says "rebuild successful," but did not compile anything.

Why would it say that if it didn't do anyhting?

[Steven_L_Intel1]

Visual Studio has behaved this way since VS2008 - and I don't care for it either. You can create the project as empty and then add existing files to the project (right click on the project, select Add > Existing). Browse to where the files are, select them and click Ok. You can select multiple files.

Or you can rename the existing directory, create a new solution/project folder with the old name, then move the source files back to the newly created folder.

As for the build successful - it was. There were no errors since it didn't do anything.

[WSinc]

Well, if it did something then:

(1) why is there nothing in the build log, and
(2) Why does it say "cant find *.exe"

It never made an EXE, thats, why - - -

I noticed that all the files are in the solution part, but there is no way to put any of them in
any projects.

Furthermore, when I make a NEW project, no matter where, it does not give
me a way to add any files from anywhere, so I am stuck with an empty project.

[anthonyrichards]

At this stage it might be a good idea to take a couple of screen shots of your VS window (using the Print screen key with one hand while holding the mouse in place with the other), pasting each in turn into a picture editor and saving them as JPG's and then posting them here.

I attach two examples fro my VS2005 window: the first is a screen shot showing the solution explorer and the second shows what I get when right-clicking the mouse on the project. Clearly you should be able to add files to a project.

To create a new project, just use the File...New project menu item.
Perhaps post here screen-shots of where you have/get a problem with this.

A picture paints a thousand words, etc.. and would considerably clarify what's happening.

[dboggs]

I have the same issue re. creating a new project using existing files. To elaborate on your suggested technique--and hopefully confirm my limited understanding of VS--let me comment as follows.

In the first suggestion (create a new empty project and add existing files using VS menu), I note that "adding" the existing files doesn't really move them, it just adds links to them. Thus, the VS Project internal files will be in a new folder and the source code files will remain in the old folder. I find this difficult to manage. Instead, I move (or copy) the source files, WORKING OUTSIDE OF VS, to the new folder; then working inside of VS I add them to the project.

In the second suggestion (rename the existing directory...), when you say "then move the source files back to the newly created folder," I assume you mean to do this by working outside of VS, for the same reason mentioned above. Then, after moving the files into the newly created folder, you still have to work inside of VS to add the files to the project.

At least, this is the way I do it. The lack of documentation on these matters is unfortunate.

[WSinc]

Unfortunately, they cut corners on the documnetation on a LOT of topics,
then we have to waste extra time addressing these issues.

And it also wastes INTEL personnel time, beacuse they have to field a lot of
questions that don't get answered in the documentation.

The fundamental problem is,
They assume (wrongly) that when you make a new project you are starting from scratch,
so the folder has to be a "virgin" folder.

[John_B__Walter]

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I think "create project..." and "create project from existing code" are functions of the Visual Studio IDE, not Intel Visual Fortran.

In any case it makes sense to me to start with a fresh folder. Anything you want to reuse from another project can easily be copied or moved with what ever operating system you're using.

I never noticed the "created project from existing code" before, but its there in VS-2008 that I'm currently using.

[Steven_L_Intel1]

Create Project From Existing Code is a Visual C++ thing that does not work for Fortran at present.

The real problem here is that, as of VS2005 (or maybe 2008), VS refused to create a project in a folder that already existed. This is not something we can override. But maybe another solution is possible and I will ask the developers about it.

Our documentation does tell you how to create a project and add existing sources to it. But that part hasn't changed in a while and maybe we can add something about the need for a new folder. I will ask.

[WSinc]

One problem re putting the project in a different place than the source files, is that data files and other resources
are normally put in the same project as the folder. I guess one can navigate around with CHANGEDIRQQ or other
similar routines.

There is some confusion as to where one should put INCLUDE files. But as long as the project knows how to find them, maybe that isn't such a problem.

[Steven_L_Intel1]

The compiler will, by default, look for include (and module) files in the same folder as the source file that references them. Then it will follow any "additional INCLUDE directories" specified and folders listed in the INCLUDE system environment variable. (In VS, it will use the Include directories specified in Tools > Options > Intel Visual Fortran > Compilers).

You don't have to have the project and the source files in different places, but when you are first setting up a project when you have existing sources, then you may have a bit of extra work to do one time.