Random missing files compile errors while rebuilding the app

I want to clarify that this happens randomly (and frequently). And usually a solution rebuild fixes it. But that workaround is suboptimal and wasting a lot of time.

Hi Chai,

We are very happy to hear you like SyntaxEditor!

So these are blocking errors that you are experiencing?  Can you give us exact steps on how to reproduce them?  We will be happy to help track down and solve the problem to get you working properly, but need to be able to see what you see.  

If you need to repro this in a new simple sample project, please make one and email it to our support address.  Reference this post, include the repro steps, and rename the .zip file extension of what you send so it doesn't get spam blocked.

Thanks in advance for your help!

I've just sent you the repro zip file in a reply back to the Actipro Software Forum alias. Let me know if you can repro the problem on your side.

Hi Chai,

Thank you for the sample and detailed repro steps.  I was able to reproduce the problem with it via the steps you sent.

I did some searching on this and while I didn't find anything from Microsoft's forums on this, I did see a similar situation posted on a competitor's web site (who also offers a Windows 8 controls extension SDK) but they didn't find a solution.

Unfortunately what we are seeing here seems to be a bug with Visual Studio rather than something that we are able to control ourselves.  As you change the setting you mention in VS, it seems like something there that was cached gets removed but VS doesn't realize that it needs to refresh it.  And as you said in your email, doing a Rebuild Solution updates the missing cached data and gets things working again properly.

I would suggest that we contact Microsoft on this and report it to the VS team.  I will coordinate this with you via the related support ticket.

If that is the case, then there should definitely be a bug opened to VS team. Or if it is a known issue then maybe they can issue a workaround as it seems so easy to hit it. I can even repro it in your sample browser app that is just a straight XAML app without any dependency on other WinRT runtime component like the repro app I sent out earlier. I would strongly recommend that you contact Microsoft on behalf of your user as it seems like an important problem to get fixed. If your customer is going to run into it when they're using your product, then it seems justified for you to ask Microsoft to treat this issue with high priority as your product essentially help push adoption of their new platform. I'm looking forward to the resolution of this issue.

Hi Chai,

We would like to report this issue to Microsoft's Connect site but we need the easiest steps possible to make it happen.  You mentioned that you could make it happen in our Sample Browser app.  I tried doing the trick you sent in email where you change the debugger type around and run it, but that didn't make it happen.  How exactly did you repro it in our Sample Browser project?

For the sample is a bit nondeterministic. I,got it sometimes by just keep rerunning the app hitting F5.

We have posted a Connect bug report to Microsoft here.  Please go there an vote up the issue.  Thanks!