OT: Strategy for Breaking Out Libraries

[Merk]

I have a number of small utility apps (some console, a windows service, and
a couple of Windows apps) that share common features like exception logging
and mailing features (to send short text messages).

All code common to these utilities is duplicated amongst the utilities. I am
planning to refactor and would like to move the common functionality out
into a separate dll that is then shared amongst these and future apps (i.e.,
install the new dll into the GAC).

Before I get into this refactoring effort I'd appreciate some guidance on
the Visual Studio project/solution aspect of breaking out the common
functionality. I'm using Visual Studio 2005 SP1 and .NET 3.0

Should I create a completely separate solution for the new .dll? If I do
that, can I then include the .dll project in other solutions? What about
stepping through code, and going from, say, a console app and stepping into
the dll's code and back again to the console app? I'd like to be able to do
that.

Thanks.

 

[Bob Johnson]

This article presents important considerations for managing solutions and
multiple projects in Visual Studio:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms998208.aspx

-HTH