Existing files that reside in directories outside of the workspace can be added to a project via the following methods:

• Dragging and dropping the file set from a system directory to SQL Project Explorer.
• Copying and pasting the file set from a system directory to SQL Project Explorer.
• Executing the Import command.

To drag/drop or copy/paste files from a system directory to SQL Project Explorer

1. With the SQL Project Explorer view open, navigate to the directory where the files you want to add to the project are located on the system.
2. Drag and drop the files you need from Windows Explorer into SQL Project Explorer. The files appear in the tree view under the appropriate categories.

To use the Import command

1. Right-click anywhere on the Project Explorer and select Import. The Import dialog appears.
2. Expand the General node and double-click File System. A dialog containing the import specification parameters appears.
• In the From directory field, manually type the directory location of the files you want to import to Project Explorer, or click Browse and navigate to the appropriate folder. The panels below the field populate with the folder selection and a list of suitable files contained in that folder. Use the check boxes beside each folder and file to specify what folders/files you want the import function to add in Project Explorer.
• In the Into folder field, manually type the name of the folder within Project Explorer where you want to import the files specified in the panels above, or click Browse and navigate to the appropriate folder.
• Select the Overwrite existing resources without warning check box if you do not want to be prompted when the import process overwrites Project Explorer files that contain the same name as the imported files.
• Choose Create complete folder structure or Create selected folders only, depending on whether you want the import process to build the folder structure of the imported directory automatically, or only create those folders you selected in the panels above, respectively.
3. Click Finish. The import process moves all selected folders and files into Project Explorer and thus into the DB Optimizer development environment.