The Project Explorer is the user interface of the CrossWorks project system. It organizes your projects and files and provides access to the commands that operate on them. A toolbar at the top of the window offers quick access to commonly used commands for the selected project node or the active project. Right-click to reveal a shortcut menu with a larger set of commands that will work on the selected project node, ignoring the active project.

The selected project node determines what operations you can perform. For example, the Compile operation will compile a single file if a file project node is selected; if a folder project node is selected, each of the files in the folder are compiled.

You can select project nodes by clicking them in the Project Explorer. Additionally, as you switch between files in the editor, the selection in the Project Explorer changes to highlight the file you're editing.

To activate the Project Explorer:

Left-click operations

The following operations are available in the Project Explorer with a left-click of the mouse:

Action Description
Single click Select the node. If the node is already selected and is a solution, project, or folder node, a rename editor appears.
Double click Double-clicking a solution node or folder node will reveal or hide the node's children. Double-clicking a project node selects it as the active project. Double-clicking a file opens the file with the default editor for that file's type.

Toolbar commands

The following buttons are on the toolbar:

Button Description
Add a new file to the active project using the New File dialog.
Add existing files to the active project.
Remove files, folders, projects, and links from the project.
Create a new folder in the active project.
Menu of build operations.
Disassemble the active project.
Menu of Project Explorer options.
Display the properties dialog for the selected item.

Shortcut menu commands

The shortcut menu, displayed by right-clicking, contains the commands listed below.

For solutions:
Item Description
Build and Batch Build Build all projects under the solution in the current or batch build configuration.
Rebuild and Batch Rebuild Rebuild all projects under the solution in the current or batch build configuration.
Clean and Batch Clean Remove all output and intermediate build files for the projects under the solution in the current or batch build configuration.
Export Build and Batch Export Build Create an editor with the build commands for the projects under the solution in the current or batch build configuration.
Add New Project Add a new project to the solution.
Add Existing Project Create a link from an existing solution to this solution.
Paste Paste a copied project into the solution.
Remove Remove the link to another solution from the solution.
Rename Rename the solution node.
Source Control Operations Source-control operations on the project file and recursive operations on all files in the solution.
Edit Solution As Text Create an editor containing the project file.
Save Solution As Change the filename of the project file—note that the saved project file is not reloaded.
Properties Show the Properties dialog with the solution node selected.
For projects:
Item Description
Build and Batch Build Build the project in the current or batch build configuration.
Rebuild and Batch Rebuild Reuild the project in the current or batch build configuration.
Clean and Batch Clean Remove all output and intermediate build files for the project in the current or batch build configuration.
Export Build and Batch Export Build Create an editor with the build commands for the project in the current or batch build configuration.
Link Perform the project node build operation: link for an Executable project type, archive for a Library project type, and the combine command for a Combining project type.
Set As Active Project Set the project to be the active project.
Debugging Commands For Executable and Externally Built Executable project types, the following debugging operations are available on the project node: Start Debugging, Step Into Debugging, Reset And Debug, Start Without Debugging, Attach Debugger, and Verify.
Memory-Map Commands For Executable project types that don't have memory-map files in the project and have the memory-map file project property set, there are commands to view the memory-map file and to import it into the project.
Section-Placement Commands For Executable project types that don't have section-placement files in the project but have the section-placement file project property set, there are commands to view the section-placement file and to import it into the project.
Target Processor For Executable and Externally Built Executable project types that have a Target Processor property group, the selected target can be changed.
Add New File Add a new file to the project.
Add Existing File Add an existing file to the project.
New Folder Create a new folder in the project.
Cut Cut the project from the solution.
Copy Copy the project from the solution.
Paste Paste a copied folder or file into the project.
Remove Remove the project from the solution.
Rename Rename the project.
Source Control Operations Source-control, recursive operations on all files in the project.
Find in Project Files Run Find in Files in the project directory.
Properties Show the Project Manager dialog and select the project node.
For folders:
Item Description
Add New File Add a new file to the folder.
Add Existing File Add an existing file to the folder.
New Folder Create a new folder in the folder.
Cut Cut the folder from the project or folder.
Copy Copy the folder from the project or folder.
Paste Paste a copied folder or file into the folder.
Remove Remove the folder from the project or folder.
Rename Rename the folder.
Source Control Operations Source-control recursive operations on all files in the folder.
Compile Compile each file in the folder.
Properties Show the properties dialog with the folder node selected.
For files:
Item Description
Open Edit the file with the default editor for the file's type.
Open With Edit the file with a selected editor. You can choose from the Binary Editor, Text Editor, and Web Browser.
Select in File Explorer Create a operating system file system window with the file selected.
Compile Compile the file.
Export Build Create an editor window containing the commands to compile the file in the active build configuration.
Exclude From Build Set the Exclude From Build property to Yes for this project node in the active build configuration.
Disassemble Disassemble the output file of the compile into an editor window.
Preprocess Run the C preprocessor on the file and show the output in an editor window.
Cut Cut the file from the project or folder.
Copy Copy the file from the project or folder.
Remove Remove the file from the project or folder.
Import Import the file into the project.
Source Control Operations Source-control operations on the file.
Properties Show the properties dialog with the file node selected.