Creating Projects from Standalone Files

The recommended way to work with Visual COBOL is to include all source files in a project because this enables full support for the IDE editing, compiling and debugging features. There is limited support in the IDE for standalone files or such that are opened in the IDE using the Open Folder functionality, Open > Folder. Visual COBOL provides a command for creating projects for these files in order to enable full editor, build and debug functionality.

To create a project from a standalone COBOL file:

1. Open the file in Visual Studio using the File > Open > File command, double-clicking the file in Windows Explorer.

   The file loads in the editor. If no program symbols file is found for your program, the editor shows a task bar with commands to either browse for a symbols file or view the Compiler directives to use for compiling the file.

2. Right-click in the editor and click Create COBOL Project.

   This starts the Create COBOL project wizard.

   Alternatively, if the standalone file is visible in Solution Explorer (if Show Miscellaneous files in Solution Explorer is enabled from Tools > Options > Environment > Documents), you can also right-click the file in Solution Explorer, and click Create COBOL Project.

3. Specify a name and output type for your project, and whether to create a project that compiles to .NET COBOL.
4. Click OK.

   This creates a new project that contains your file. The project has the properties specified in Tools > Options > Micro Focus Tools > Standalone Editing > Build Directives.

5. You can continue working with the project as you would normally do with any other COBOL project.

To create a project from the files in a folder opened in Solution Explorer:

1. In Visual Studio, click Open > Folder.

2. Right-click in either the folder or a file in the folder and click Create COBOL Project.

   This starts the Create COBOL project wizard.

3. Specify a name and output type for your project, and whether to create a project that compiles to .NET COBOL.
4. Click OK.

   This creates a new project that contains your file. The project has the properties specified in Tools > Options > Micro Focus Tools > Standalone Editing > Build Directives.

5. You can continue working with the project as you would normally do with any other COBOL project.