devenv commandline switch /clean has no effect

[roel.schreurs]

Sometimes, I want to archive or transport a solution. In such cases, I
would like to remove all redundant files from the solution, i.e. all
compiler output. The documention describes the command line switch
/clean (see
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/vsintro7/html/vxlrfclean.asp).
However, when I perform this for a solution, not a single file is
removed. I have seen that the process devenv is actually started and it
terminates without any errors. Below are the steps to reproduce this
behaviour:

Start the VS.NET 2003 IDE.
Create a new blank solution.
Accept the default Name Solution1 and choose C:\Temp as Location.
Add a new Visual Basic Project - Windows Application with default Name
WindowsApplication1. A Form with Name is created automatically. At this
point, a listing of all files ("dir /s /b /on c:\temp\solution1" in cmd
window) shows:
C:\Temp\Solution1\Solution1.sln
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\AssemblyInfo.vb
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\bin
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\Form1.resx
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\Form1.vb
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\obj
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\WindowsApplication1.vbproj
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\WindowsApplication1.vbproj.user
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\obj\Debug
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\obj\Debug\temp
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\obj\Debug\TempPE

Keeping Solution configuration Debug, choosing Build and listing agains
shows additional files:
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\bin\WindowsApplication1.exe
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\bin\WindowsApplication1.pdb
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\obj\Debug\WindowsApplication1.exe
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\obj\Debug\WindowsApplication1.Form1.resources
C:\Temp\Solution1\WindowsApplication1\obj\Debug\WindowsApplication1.pdb

Then closed the IDE and executed "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual
Studio .NET 2003\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe" /clean debug
"C:\Temp\Solution1\Solution1.sln" from the command line.

No files have been cleaned, while I would have expected that all .pdb,
..exe and the .resources files would have been removed.

Has anybody succesfully used the command swith /clean?

Thanks in advance,

Roel Schreurs
The Netherlands

 

[Michael Nemtsev]

Hello (e-mail address removed),

I've got alternative solution - use DPack tool, http://www.usysware.com/dpack/
It has feature to archive the clean project

Sometimes, I want to archive or transport a solution. In such cases, I
would like to remove all redundant files from the solution, i.e. all
compiler output.

---
WBR,
Michael Nemtsev :: blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/laflour

"At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not
cease to be insipid." (c) Friedrich Nietzsche

 

[Sergey M]

Roel,

would like to remove all redundant files from the solution, i.e. all
compiler output. The documention describes the command line switch
/clean (see
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/vsintro7/html/vxlrfclean.asp).
However, when I perform this for a solution, not a single file is
removed.

This is a know issues with VS.NET 2003, i.e. Clean command line
parameter (and IDE command afaik) simply doesn't work.

Michael, thanks for the referral.