Using the Windows Azure SDK Samples in Visual Studio

The Windows Azure SDK contains a set of samples that will help you get started with and to learn about Windows Azure.  In this post, I want to cover some potential issues that some of you may run into. 

Potential issue #1: You try to load one of the Windows Azure SDK Samples, found as a zip file in the Windows Azure SDK install folder (Default is: C:\Program Files\Windows Azure SDK\v1.0), by opening the sln (for example HelloFabric.sln) and you receive the following error:

ccproj cannot be opened because its project type (.ccproj) is not supported by this version of the application.  To open it, Please use a version that supports this type of project.

Solution: You've installed the Windows Azure SDK but have not installed the Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio.  Install the tools to get Visual Studio support for building Windows Azure services.

Potential Issue #2:

You click File->New->Project or "Create Project" from the start page and you don't see the option to create Cloud Service projects:

i.e. you see this:

Instead of this:

Solution: As with potential issue #1, you've installed the Windows Azure SDK but have not installed the Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio.  Install the tools to get Visual Studio support for building Windows Azure services.

Potential Issue #3:

You try to open one of the samples in the Windows Azure SDK by opening up the sln in Visual Studio and receive one or both of the following security warning:

Solution: You are opening the files from a untrustworthy source location (such as the Program Files directory or a file share).  Copy the samples to a writeable, full trust location.

Potential Issue #4:

You hit "F5" to debug and you see the ASP.Net Development Server instead of the Development Fabric:

Or, you click "Publish" and you see the following dialog instead of packaging and navigating to the Azure Services Developer Portal:

Solution: You need to ensure that the Cloud Service project is the startup project.  In Solution Explorer, right Click the project that has the globe and 3 blocks and select "Set as Startup Project". 

In Visual Web Developer Express Edition, you simply need to click on that project in order to make it bold.

The bolded project in Solution Explorer is the startup project.