Managing Project Dependency Diagrams with Solution Folders

Background

When working with large solutions, project dependency diagrams can become cluttered by default grouping. This article explains how to view individual project dependencies without removing projects from their solution folders.

Problem

When generating a Project Dependency Diagram (via Right-click Solution → Diagrams → Show Project Dependency Diagram), the diagram displays solution folders as single nodes rather than individual projects. This "grouped" view hides the specific dependencies between projects located in different folders.

Cause

By default, the dependency diagram generator respects the organizational structure of your solution. It treats solution folders as "Groups" to simplify the initial view. While this helps with high-level architecture, it obscures the granular project-to-project relationships needed for detailed analysis.

Resolution

You can view individual projects and their specific dependencies using the following methods:

1. Ungroup All Nodes

To remove all folder boundaries and see a flat graph of all projects:

• Via Toolbar: Look for the Hide Groups icon in the diagram's top toolbar.
• Via Context Menu: Right-click on any empty space within the diagram canvas and select Hide Groups.

2. Expand Specific Folders

If you only need to see projects within a specific folder while keeping others collapsed:

• Double-Click: Double-click any solution folder node within the diagram to expand it.
• Partial Expansion: You can expand nested folders (e.g., expanding a src folder and then a Database sub-folder) to see how those specific internal projects interact with the rest of the solution.