F# interactive: Reference a project in currently open solution

Question

I would like to use the F# interactive console with the projects in the currently open solution in Visual Studio 2010. Is there a quick and easy way to add a reference in the F# interactive console to reference projects in the currently open solution?

Answer 1

I've got lines like this at the top of my .fs file:

#if INTERACTIVE
#r @"C:\path\to\some.dll"
#I @"C:\Users\bford\path\to\a\project\in\this\solution\bin\Debug"
#r "Project.name"
#endif

Alt-Enter now drops me into fsi with all the required stuff loaded

Answer 2

I don't think there is any direct way to reference a project in the solution. The best way I can think of is to add a FSX file somewhere to your project with the #r directive:

#r @"bin\Debug\YourProject.dll"

Then you can at least reference the compiled DLL file simply by hitting Alt+Enter in Visual Studio. As far as I know, you cannot reference the project - you can only reference an assembly.

Currently, F# Interactive is really disconnected from the project system in Visual Studio. I suppose that closer integration would be quite useful (but probably difficult to provide).

Answer 3

If it's a project you reference often, you can add an 'always' reference to the FSI command line, under Tools->Options->F# Tools->F# interactive options. Add a -r switch like:

-r "C:\Users\yaddayadda\MyDll.dll"

Answer 4

Now in Visual Studio 2013 you can add a reference to the F# interactive window by right clicking on the referenced dll and clicking "Send to F# interactive".

Answer 5

I would think it should be straightforward to reference the current project, obtain the list of references it contains, and then optionally generate a list of #r (and possibly #i) statements for the interactive session being created, referencing the dll of the project itself as well.

For example: "fsi /i:pathOfLib1 /r:lib1 /i:pathOfLib2 /r:lib2 ...."

PS: base on the MSDN article it doesn't appear that library names can include their path prefixes hence the separate into /i and /i : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd233172%28v=vs.100%29.aspx

Answer 6

It would be good if the Visual Studio F# Interactive Options menu allowed for the stipulation of a startup script that the invocation could pass to FSI via the "--use:" directive. Such a script could then be passed solution metadata that allows for the environments to be more integrated such as loading latest project outputs.