The project bindings (e.g. step definitions) could not be discovered. Navigation, step completion and other features are disabled.

[jameswtelfer]

Used Visual Studio

Visual Studio 2026

Are the latest Visual Studio updates installed?

Yes

Content of reqnroll.json (if present)

{
    "$schema": "https://schemas.reqnroll.net/reqnroll-config-latest.json",
    // add the line below
    "generator": { "allowRowTests": false },

    "bindingAssemblies": [
    ]
}

Issue Description

The latest fixes for this problem do not work for me, or a couple of others working on the same codebase.

When opening a feature file, I get the following in the output window from the reqnroll extension:

Info: OnActivityStarted: Starting Visual Studio Extension...
Info: CreateProjectScope: Initializing project: Repro
Info: OnSettingsInitialized: Project settings initialized: .NETFramework,Version=v4.8,Reqnroll:3.3.3
Warning: AndDiscoveryProviderSucceed: Error during binding discovery. 
Command executed:
  T:\> C:\Program Files\dotnet\dotnet.exe exec "c:\program files\microsoft visual studio\18\professional\common7\ide\extensions\40qwqnl5.jmg\Connectors\Reqnroll-Generic-net8.0\reqnroll-vs.dll" discovery T:\Rerpo.dll D:\GitHub\reqnroll-vs-issue-repro\Repro\reqnroll.json
Exit code: 0
Message: 
Could discover bindings via: ReqnrollConnector.Discovery.DefaultBindingProvider: System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.
 ---> Reqnroll.ReqnrollException: Unable to load plugin: T:\Reqnroll.MSTest.ReqnrollPlugin.dll. Please check https://go.reqnroll.net/doc-plugins for details. (Framework: .NET 8.0.25)
 ---> System.TypeLoadException: Could not load type 'System.Runtime.Loader.AssemblyLoadContext' from assembly 'System.Runtime.Loader, Version=4.0.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a'.
   at Reqnroll.Plugins.DotNetCorePluginAssemblyResolver.Initialize(String path)
   at Reqnroll.Plugins.AssemblyResolverBase.<>c__DisplayClass4_0.<.ctor>b__0()
   at System.Lazy`1.ViaFactory(LazyThreadSafetyMode mode)
   at System.Lazy`1.ExecutionAndPublication(LazyHelper executionAndPublication, Boolean useDefaultConstructor)
   at System.Lazy`1.CreateValue()
   at Reqnroll.Plugins.AssemblyResolverBase.GetAssembly()
   at Reqnroll.Plugins.DotNetCorePluginAssemblyResolver.Load(String path)
   at Reqnroll.Plugins.DotNetCorePluginAssemblyLoader.LoadAssembly(String assemblyPath)
   at Reqnroll.Plugins.RuntimePluginLoader.LoadPlugin(String pluginAssemblyPath, ITraceListener traceListener, Boolean traceMissingPluginAttribute)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at Reqnroll.Plugins.RuntimePluginLoader.LoadPlugin(String pluginAssemblyPath, ITraceListener traceListener, Boolean traceMissingPluginAttribute)
   at Reqnroll.Infrastructure.ContainerBuilder.LoadPlugin(String pluginPath, IRuntimePluginLoader pluginLoader, RuntimePluginEvents runtimePluginEvents, UnitTestProviderConfiguration unitTestProviderConfigration, ITraceListener traceListener, Boolean traceMissingPluginAttribute)
   at Reqnroll.Infrastructure.ContainerBuilder.LoadPlugins(IRuntimeConfigurationProvider configurationProvider, ObjectContainer container, RuntimePluginEvents runtimePluginEvents, ReqnrollConfiguration reqnrollConfiguration, UnitTestProviderConfiguration unitTestProviderConfigration, Assembly testAssembly)
   at Reqnroll.Infrastructure.ContainerBuilder.CreateGlobalContainer(Assembly testAssembly, IRuntimeConfigurationProvider configurationProvider)
   at Reqnroll.Bindings.Provider.BindingProviderService.CreateGlobalContainer(Assembly testAssembly, String jsonConfiguration)
   at Reqnroll.Bindings.Provider.BindingProviderService.DiscoverBindings(Assembly testAssembly, String jsonConfiguration)
   at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Void** arguments, Signature sig, Boolean isConstructor)
   at System.Reflection.MethodBaseInvoker.InvokeDirectByRefWithFewArgs(Object obj, Span`1 copyOfArgs, BindingFlags invokeAttr)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.Reflection.MethodBaseInvoker.InvokeDirectByRefWithFewArgs(Object obj, Span`1 copyOfArgs, BindingFlags invokeAttr)
   at System.Reflection.MethodBaseInvoker.InvokeWithFewArgs(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)
   at System.Reflection.MethodBase.Invoke(Object obj, Object[] parameters)
   at ReqnrollConnector.Utils.ReflectionExtensions.ReflectionCallStaticMethod[T](Type type, String methodName, Type[] parameterTypes, Object[] args) in D:\a\Reqnroll.VisualStudio\Reqnroll.VisualStudio\Connectors\Reqnroll.VisualStudio.ReqnrollConnector.Generic\Utils\ReflectionExtensions.cs:line 14
   at ReqnrollConnector.Discovery.DefaultBindingProvider.GetBindingsJson(TestAssemblyLoadContext testAssemblyContext, Assembly testAssembly, String configFileContent) in D:\a\Reqnroll.VisualStudio\Reqnroll.VisualStudio\Connectors\Reqnroll.VisualStudio.ReqnrollConnector.Generic\Discovery\DefaultBindingProvider.cs:line 28
   at ReqnrollConnector.Discovery.DefaultBindingProvider.DiscoverBindings(TestAssemblyLoadContext testAssemblyContext, Assembly testAssembly, String configFileContent, ILogger log) in D:\a\Reqnroll.VisualStudio\Reqnroll.VisualStudio\Connectors\Reqnroll.VisualStudio.ReqnrollConnector.Generic\Discovery\DefaultBindingProvider.cs:line 17
   at ReqnrollConnector.Discovery.DiscoveryExecutor.Execute(DiscoveryOptions options, Func`3 testAssemblyFactory, ILogger log, IAnalyticsContainer analytics) in D:\a\Reqnroll.VisualStudio\Reqnroll.VisualStudio\Connectors\Reqnroll.VisualStudio.ReqnrollConnector.Generic\Discovery\DiscoveryExecutor.cs:line 51
Warning: AndDiscoveryProviderSucceed: The project bindings (e.g. step definitions) could not be discovered. Navigation, step completion and other features are disabled. 
  Please check the error message above and report to https://github.com/reqnroll/Reqnroll.VisualStudio/issues if you cannot fix.

This is with Reqnroll Extension 2026.1.477, reqnroll 3.3.3 and both VS2022 and VS2026 with the March 2026 update.

Note that our tests are targeting .NET Framework 4.8 and were originally migrated from SpecFlow 2.9.x in case that makes any difference.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open linked project
2. Build
3. Open the feature file

Link to a project repository that reproduces the issue

https://github.com/jameswtelfer/reqnroll-vs-issue-repro

[304NotModified]

Thanks for the repo project!

(Reqnroll.MsTest 3.3.3 with MsTest 2)

[clrudolphi]

Is this a new behavior on an existing project that previously worked fine within the VS Extension? If so, what has recently changed, such as an upgrade to Reqnroll Extension for Visual Studio or an upgrade in Reqnroll version?

[304NotModified]

Related

"System.Runtime.Loader is used for .NET (not .NET Framework) based frameworks only"
https://github.com/reqnroll/Reqnroll/blob/2ee23f417ac45135a16f6edbf1914fc284757c59/Reqnroll/Reqnroll.csproj#L30

But its really in the stacktrace 😅

[clrudolphi]

@jameswtelfer I've downloaded your sample and cannot reproduce the same symptom.
I had to first change the "Repro" project's properties to not set an Output path: (the solution came with a reference to a T: drive that I don't have, so I eliminated that).
I have updated my VisualStudio 2026 to the March 2026 release and I'm running the same Reqnroll for VisualStudio extension that you are (2026.1.477).

However, there is still something the matter with this project as the Reqnroll code-behind generator is not being invoked during compilation (that is, not tests are being generated from the feature file). I will continue to look into it.

[clrudolphi]

However, there is still something the matter with this project as the Reqnroll code-behind generator is not being invoked during compilation (that is, not tests are being generated from the feature file). I will continue to look into it.

Ah, that was due to this .csproj being an older-style (I've long since forgotten how those work, lol).

Is there any chance your project can be upgraded to a SDK style project file?

[jameswtelfer]

@clrudolphi making it an SDK project plus some additional binding redirects appears to fix the issue, at least in the Repro project. For the curious I have pushed those changes.

I will attempt migrating the real projects and see if that has similar success.