How do I add an existing directory tree to a project in Visual Studio?

The issue is simple really. Instead of creating folders in Visual Studio, I create a directory structure for my project on the file system. How do I include all the folders and files in a project, keeping the structure?

If I "Add Existing File" on a folder named Services and navigate to a file in the directory structure .. Services > AccountManagement > CreateAccount.cs, it appears in Visual Studio like so: Services > CreateAccount.cs. I do not want this.

I have an entire directory structure worked out already, as I am mimicking our client developers using the same structure for organization. How do I add all the folders and files to the project in Visual Studio? Or do I have to do what most Microsoft users do and "put up with it" and recreate each and every folder through Visual Studio?

You need to put your directory structure in your project directory. And then click "Show All Files" icon in the top of Solution Explorer toolbox. After that, the added directory will be shown up. You will then need to select this directory, right click, and choose "Include in Project."

You can also drag and drop the folder from Windows Explorer onto your Visual Studio solution window.

In Visual Studio 2015, this is how you do it.

If you want to automatically include all descendant files below a specific folder:

<Content Include="Path\To\Folder\**" />

This can be restricted to include only files within the path specified:

<Content Include="Path\To\Folder\*.*" />

Or even only files with a specified extension:

<Content Include="Path\To\Folder\*.jpg" >

Copy & Paste.

To Add a folder, all the sub-directories, and files we can also Copy and Paste. For example we can:

1. Right click in Windows explorer on the folder, and Copy on the folder with many files and folders.

2. Then in Visual Studio Solution explorer, right click on the destination folder and click paste.

3. Optional add to TFS; Then in the top folder right click and check in to TFS to check in all sub-folders and files.

You can use a symbolic link. This makes modifying the file in one project modify it in the other (as it's actually the same file).

To do this:

1. Open cmd prompt as administrator
2. mklink /d [current project directory name] [directory in other project it should point to]

This has it's drawbacks and pitfalls, but I use it on occasion for duplicate libraries that need different names.

Edit for Anoop: Steps to add to Visual Studio:

1. Create link in the project folder using the steps above.
2. In Visual Studio... select project in Solution Explorer.
3. At the top of Solution Explorer... click the Show All Files button (may need to click it twice if already active).
4. The link will now show in your project... right-click and choose Include In Project.

These are the steps I follow and works for a couple different projects.