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Invalid project description [message #270705]

Thu, 07 May 2009 21:37

Eclipse User

Hi,
I'm experiencing the following error:
I created a project Test on eclipse Ganymede.
I deleted the project Test(the entry on eclipse, not the contents) and
renamed the contents to TestBackup
I try to create a new Test project, I receive an error:

Invalid project description

Test_Dir overlaps the location of another project:'test'

Is this behavior from eclipse, normal?

Re: Invalid project description [message #270708 is a reply to message #270705]

Thu, 07 May 2009 22:08

Eclipse User

It turns out that every time I try to use an directory for my new project
by unchecking the 'Use default location:' check box. I'll file a bug if
you like.

Re: Invalid project description [message #270742 is a reply to message #270705]

Fri, 08 May 2009 12:49

Eclipse User

Originally posted by: eclipse-news.rizzoweb.com

Marcelo Sena wrote:
> Hi,
> I'm experiencing the following error:
> I created a project Test on eclipse Ganymede.
> I deleted the project Test(the entry on eclipse, not the contents) and
> renamed the contents to TestBackup
> I try to create a new Test project, I receive an error:
>
> Invalid project description
>
> Test_Dir overlaps the location of another project:'test'
>
> Is this behavior from eclipse, normal?
>

What version of Eclipse?
You say that you try to create a second project named Test, but the
error message you gave indicates the name Test_Dir - which is it? Can
you please be more specific in the exact steps you are taking, including
all values that you enter into the wizards and the directory structure
on disk.

Eric

Re: Invalid project description [message #648318 is a reply to message #270705]

Wed, 12 January 2011 07:09

Eclipse User

This has happened to me, too, using Eclipse 3.4.2. on Ubuntu What i did:

1. Create a New Project
2. Choose a directory inside the current workspace (in which there are more project dirs already) e.g. /xxx/workspace/my_new_project
3. Eclipse says project location overlaps with another project (NOT true, as other projects are in /xxx/workspace/otherproject, etc.)

What I did to workaround the problem:
1. Go to "%ECLIPSE_HOME%\configuration\.settings" and delete the workspace listed at the key RECENT_WORKSPACES
2. Restart Eclipse, go to File>Switch Workspace>Other... and select your workspace dir again
3. Now I could create new projects as always

hope this helps

Re: Invalid project description [message #694315 is a reply to message #648318]

Fri, 08 July 2011 06:20

Eclipse User

I had this for a while and the logical leap I had to make was:

When I am creating a new project if I deselect the 'use default location' checkbox then I can't add a project into that same workspace (doh). I kept deselecting and then trying to create a new folder within the workspace. The solution was of course simple. Leave the checkbox selected and just type the project name in and viola the project creates fine and any existing code artefacts at that location appear in the project.

If I really don't want to use the default location (say I want a quick project test on c:\test) then that will work but (c:\<default location>\test won't.)

Simple and obvious really. Shrugs.

Re: Invalid project description [message #708333 is a reply to message #694315]

Tue, 02 August 2011 13:48

Eclipse User

I stumbled over the same problem trying to create a new project for a set of tutorial files unpacked from a ZIP file.

I found this thread and tried the "deselect the 'use default location box' " trick but that didn't work for me. I'm using Eclipse 3.7.0.

And I don't know what "File | New | Project | Android Project | Create project from existing source" is supposed to do but I couldn't get it to work for the above unzipped files. I kept getting that error.

I found what did work is:
1) Copy the unzipped file tree for the project to wherever you want it to eventually reside.
2) File | Import | General | Existing Projects into Workspace | Select root directory:
and point it to wherever you put the zipped files, check-box on for the Project that is the one you want, then Finish

Step 2 seems to not actually move the files anywhere (even though the term 'import' implied that to me), but it seems to just make Eclipse aware of where the project is located and it uses the project from that directory.

That seems to work at least for me.

Re: Invalid project description [message #990589 is a reply to message #270705]

Thu, 13 December 2012 05:25

Eclipse User

I had a similar issue when I have noticed that Eclipse saves a full copy of my project (located in a directory somewhere outside the workspace) in the workspace directory. I am not surprised if I am using Eclipse in the wrong way. It was this copy that caused my problems. There are two solutions:

1. Remove this copy.
2. Create a new workspace.

The following is a bit off topic, but I think many of the issues with Eclipse (problems like the one discussed here, or problems with version management of your source code) is caused by two things, which in turn makes people confused:

1. The "workspace" concept, which can be removed entirely if you ask me. Let the user open any project anywhere in the file structure, and store all project data and other meta data at the location of the project, not in a different location. If a workspace fills the same purpose as a "Solution" in Visual Studio, then a single file (the .sln file in VS) is all that is needed, not an entire directory with a full copy of all projects! That is just a waste of disc space!

2. The diffuse definition of a "project". What file is it that defines the project? In Eclipse there doesn't seem to be such a file. The entire directory structure is your project, with all possible and impossible obscure files containing metadata about your project.

Re: Invalid project description [message #1035565 is a reply to message #990589]

Sat, 06 April 2013 23:22

Eclipse User

I encountered the same problem when using Hudson to build my project, after renaming one of my plug-ins.
My solution is deleting the .metadata folder under the workspace of the Hudson job.

Re: Invalid project description [message #1374316 is a reply to message #270705]

Thu, 22 May 2014 11:27

Eclipse User

I was getting the same error message when I deleted all of the projects from a Project Explorer and then tried to add the projects back.
I discovered the mistakes I made.

In Eclipse Version: 4.2.0, This error message would happen when I:
1) Clicked "File" menu item,
2) Selected "Import",
3) In "Import", Opened "Android",
4) Selected "Existing Android Code Into Workspace",
5) Clicked "Next",
6) In "Import Projects", Browsed and clicked the directory containing my Android projects,
7) If a particular project was among the selected, I got an error message of this format:

Invalid project description.
Reason: Invalid project description.
Details:
$ProjectPath + " overlaps the location of another project: '" + $ProjectName + "'"
Where:
$ProjectPath = full path of project directory
$ProjectName = project name

I had no such problems if I made different selections in steps 3 and 4:
1) Clicked "File" menu item,
2) Selected "Import",
3) In "Import", Opened "General",
4) Selected "Existing Projects Into Workspace",
5) Clicked "Next",
and followed the same steps from there, it ran as expected.

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