Understanding the 'PackageOptionalProjectsInIdeBuilds' Parameter in .csproj.user Files

Question

The Visual Studio IDE automatically sets the 'PackageOptionalProjectsInIdeBuilds' parameter to false when switching between different Git branches. I noticed that the value of this parameter, whether true or false, affects the size of the uwp app package.

What actions does Visual Studio take when it sets the 'PackageOptionalProjectsInIdeBuilds' parameter value to false? Additionally, what is the recommended value for this parameter?

Answer 1

Hello @Xie Steven ,

This parameter is located in the .csproj.user file, which stores user-specific settings for a project. Its primary function is to control whether projects marked as "optional" within your solution are included when you build from the Visual Studio IDE.

When PackageOptionalProjectsInIdeBuilds is set to false, Visual Studio's build process will exclude any optional projects and their dependencies. This results in:

• Smaller App Package Size: Since the optional components are not bundled, the final .uwp package is more lightweight.
• Faster Build Times: Compiling fewer projects speeds up the development cycle.

Visual Studio often sets this to false automatically when you switch Git branches to ensure a clean build state and prevent potential conflicts from differing project structures between branches.

what is the recommended value for this parameter?

The recommended value depends entirely on your development context:

• Set to true when you are actively working on or need to debug features within an optional project.
• Set to false when you want to create a release build without the optional features, or when you are working solely on the main application and want to improve build performance.

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I hope this helps clarify the purpose and behavior of this setting. Please let us know if you have any more questions. Thank you!