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+.. _build_visualstudio:
+
+======================
+Visual Studio Projects
+======================
+
+The build system automatically generates Visual Studio project files to aid
+with development, as part of a normal ``mach build`` from the command line.
+
+You can find the solution file at ``$OBJDIR/msvs/mozilla.sln``.
+
+If you want to generate the project files before/without doing a full build,
+running ``./mach configure && ./mach build-backend -b VisualStudio`` will do
+so.
+
+
+Structure of Solution
+=====================
+
+The Visual Studio solution consists of hundreds of projects spanning thousands
+of files. To help with organization, the solution is divided into the following
+trees/folders:
+
+Build Targets
+   This folder contains common build targets. The *full* project is used to
+   perform a full build. The *binaries* project is used to build just binaries.
+   The *visual-studio* project can be built to regenerate the Visual Studio
+   project files.
+
+   Performing the *clean* action on any of these targets will clean the
+   *entire* build output.
+
+Binaries
+   This folder contains common binaries that can be executed from within
+   Visual Studio. If you are building the Firefox desktop application,
+   the *firefox* project will launch firefox.exe. You probably want one of
+   these set to your startup project.
+
+Libraries
+   This folder contains entries for each static library that is produced as
+   part of the build. These roughly correspond to each directory in the tree
+   containing C/C++. e.g. code from ``dom/base`` will be contained in the
+   ``dom_base`` project.
+
+   These projects don't do anything when built. If you build a project here,
+   the *binaries* build target project is built.
+
+Updating Project Files
+======================
+
+Either re-running ``./mach build`` or ``./mach build-backend -b VisualStudio``
+will update the Visual Studio files after the tree changes.
+
+Moving Project Files Around
+===========================
+
+The produced Visual Studio solution and project files should be portable.
+If you want to move them to a non-default directory, they should continue
+to work from wherever they are. If they don't, please file a bug.
+
+Invoking mach through Visual Studio
+===================================
+
+It's possible to run mach commands via Visual Studio. There is some light magic
+involved here.
+
+Alongside the Visual Studio project files is a batch script named ``mach.bat``.
+This batch script sets the environment variables present in your *MozillaBuild*
+development environment at the time of Visual Studio project generation
+and invokes *mach* inside an msys shell with the arguments specified to the
+batch script. This script essentially allows you to invoke mach commands
+inside the MozillaBuild environment without having to load MozillaBuild.
+
+Projects currently utilize the ``mach build`` and ``mach clobber`` commands
+for building and cleaning the tree respectively. Note that running ``clobber``
+deletes the Visual Studio project files, and running ``build`` recreates them.
+This might cause issues while Visual Studio is running. Thus a full rebuild is
+currently neither recommended, nor supported, but incremental builds should work.
+
+The batch script does not limit its use: any mach command can be invoked.
+Developers may use this fact to add custom projects and commands that invoke
+other mach commands.