VS 2015 Embedding Manifest Error

[Groundsel]

I am in the process of upgrading my Visual Studio from VS 2010 to VS 2015.   Having done that, I am trying to rebuild a solution with 95 projects.  Everything seems to go swimmingly to the point of embedding the manifest.  All 95 projects gave the same error.  The executable into which the manifest was to be embedded could not be found.

When I look at the command line in project properties under "Manifest Tools", the reason seems evident.  VS 2010 used to look at the linker location to which the executable was written and embed the manifest there.  What I now get with the same project file is the manifest tools looking to what the default folder would have been had I not redirected the linker.

There is almost certainly a property which I need to correct so that the manifest tools are looking in the right place for the executable.  But, so far, I have not found it.  Can anyone please enlighten me?

Cheers!
Tom Stevens

[jimdempseyatthecove]

It may be necessary to delete and then recreate the Solution and Project files.

Jim Dempsey

[Groundsel]

I shall start with a project file.  What you suggest is a very large task.  An ancillary question comes up, however.  I tried copying the executable from where it is created  to where the manifest file appears (the DEBUG or RELEASE subdirectory of the project folder) and then to enter a build command.  I get back a message that the build succeeded but also that the number of successes is 0 (that 3 projects are "up to date").  Does that mean that the manifest was successfully embedded?  The initial build gave rise to an error message about the (manifest tool's?) inability to find the executable.  However, I would like to know whether the second build is really successful; that the manifest file has now been embedded.

[jimdempseyatthecove]

>> I get back a message that the build succeeded but also that the number of successes is 0 (that 3 projects are "up to date").  Does that mean that the manifest was successfully embedded?

Don'e know, but I suspect not.

Try this:

Perform the build as before (expect the error about manifest)
Do the COPY as you have
Perform a Clean
Perform the build as before (see if manifest error)

If that works, delete the copy of the files (with manifest)
Add to the Project a Post-Build step (one line Batch file to copy files)
delete the copied files
Perform a Clean
Perform the build as before (see if manifest error)

What I do not know is if the Post-Build step occurs before the Manifest stage.

Is your VS2010 still available?

If so, split the project that builds the main PROGRAM into two pieces:

a) One that has everything as before except where PROGRAM YourProgramNameHere is changed to SUBROUTINE YourProgramNameHere (and END PROGRAM). This is built as a Library file.
b) a Stub PROGRAM StubYourProgramNameHere that CALLs YourProgramNameHere and uses (dependent on) the library built in a)

Now then see if you can delete and rebuild in VS 2015 only the project with Stub PROGRAM StubYourProgramNameHere

Jim Dempsey

[Groundsel]

Perhaps I did not explain myself very well.  The 95 projects consist of 5 dll's and 90 programs which give rise to executables dependent on the dll's.  All were written to a Production directory where they interact with each other and the commercial FEM NASTRAN.  A GUI creates script run-files to apply them.  It will not surprise you then that I have the linker sending the executables and dll's to the Production directory.  VS 2010 used to send the new intermediate.manifest file to the same place as the linker: to the Production directory.

What I am doing now - since there seems no simpler way - is to:

1) Remove the linker redirection to the production directory.  That is I allow the default direction so that it joins the intermediate.manifest file.  The build now takes place without incident.

2) I shall write a *.bat script to take the executables to the production directory, renaming as necessary.

I have checked out a few projects and found this works.  Thanks for your help.