Is it possible to make Visual Studio reference a virtual directory?

Question

I am working with a dated VB.Net Web Forms solution. Projects within reference a virtual directory set through Local IIS. The code analysis / IntelliSense can never reference this virtual directory.

Given this solution / project structure:

└── Main Solution
    ├── Controls Project
    │   └── controls
    │       └── myControl
    └── My Site Proect (references Controls Project)
        └── virtual directory to Controls Project (added via Local IIS)

The code is full of:

<%@ Register TagPrefix="myControl" TagName="MyTag" Src="~/controlsProject/controls/myControl.ascx" %>

VS always gives the green underline and complains:

Path C:\mySite\My Site Project 1\Controls Project\controls not found

• Project 1 is a site within Local IIS
• The virtual directory is added to Project 1 via IIS
• The project settings within Visual Studio use Locval IIS as a server and has the project URL set to https://myProject.local
• I have tried setting the "Override application root URL" but it seems to make no difference.
• Visual Studio 2019, Windows 10, IIS 10

The code compiles fine, the sites run fine so it's not a major issue. I don't know if what I want is possible, just scratching my compulsive itch. Any ideas? Or is this just a quirk I have to live with?

Thanks

Answer 1

If you doesn’t include this folder physically (as image below shows) intellisense doesn’t work as references missing in config file project. To do that you need from Visual Studio to make visible excluded folders from upside button (as image shows) -> right click on excluded folder -> include in project.

I hope this can help you