Visual Studio 2022 solution filter (*.slnf) files

A solution filter (.slnf) file in Visual Studio 2022 is a feature designed to load a subset of projects within a larger solution (.sln).

Working with solution filters has the following advantages:

• Benefits in .NET and C# projects

  Solution filters in Visual Studio 2022 are essential when working with large .NET or C# solutions. They allow you to reduce load times, focus on relevant projects, and improve productivity by providing a streamlined development environment. In large development projects, such as complex .NET or C# applications, solutions may consist of tens or hundreds of projects. Loading the entire solution can slow down the IDE, especially when you only need to work on a few core projects. Solution filters provide a way to:

  • Load only necessary projects.
  • Reduce Visual Studio's memory footprint.
  • Speed up build and debugging times for targeted development.

  Consider for example a .NET solution with multiple projects: a web API, a class library, and a set of unit tests. Suppose you are debugging a bug related to a library function. Instead of loading the entire solution, you can create a solution filter that includes only:

  • The class library project (LibraryProject.csproj).
  • The unit test project (LibraryProject.Tests.csproj).

  This setup ensures that you can focus on the relevant projects, reducing distractions and speeding up the development workflow.

• Benefits in Skyline DataMiner SDK

  Within Skyline DataMiner SDK, solution filters provide an additional key benefit, allowing you to easily publish or build a specific subset of projects by providing those dotnet-cli commands with a solution filter file. This can allow you to independently version or release different DataMiner application packages.

Creating a solution filter

1. Open a solution (.sln) in Visual Studio 2022.

2. Select the projects you want to work with by unloading the others (right-click a project and select Unload Project).

3. Right-click the solution and select Save As Solution Filter and specify a name (e.g. MyProjectSubset.slnf).

This will generate a .slnf file that references the original .sln but only loads the selected projects.

Switching between solution filters

Multiple .slnf files can be created for different contexts. For example:

• CoreDevelopment.slnf (loads core library and shared utilities)

• WebAPIDevelopment.slnf (loads the web API and its dependencies)

• FullBuild.slnf (loads everything for integration testing or deployment)

Developers can switch between these solution filters to tailor their working environment efficiently.

Structure of a solution filter file

A basic example of a .slnf file:

{
  "solution": {
    "path": "MySolution.sln"
  },
  "projects": [
    "src/MyProject/MyProject.csproj",
    "tests/MyProject.Tests/MyProject.Tests.csproj"
  ]
}

When you open this solution filter, only the MyProject and MyProject.Tests projects will be loaded.