MSBuild Unveiled

Peter SchneiderMVP Visual Developer – Visual C#MCT, MCSD.NET, MCAD.NET, MCDBAps@ugwa.net

In This Session… MSBuild Architecture MSBuild – File Format MSBuild – Tips & Tricks

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Visual Studio .NET 2002/2003

VS Build System

Produces

Final Product

Pre build step0011010101111001011011011001110010100111Post build step

Final Product

Produces

FeedsAuthors

DEVELOPER

Authors

MSBuild Design Goals

MSBuild

PROJECT FILE<Project> <Property … /> <Item … /> <Target … /></Project>

MSBuild in 5 minutes The underlying build engine in Visual

Studio 2005 Fully open and published XML file

format for describing build Visual Studio 2005 build is fully

customizable You extend the build by writing

managed code (tasks and loggers) You don’t need the IDE to build Visual

Studio projects

MSBuild File Format<Project xmlns=“http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003”> <PropertyGroup> <AppName>MyCoolApp</AppName> <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols> <OutputAssembly>$(AppName).exe</OutputAssembly> </PropertyGroup> <ItemGroup> <Compile Include=“Hello.cs” /> <Compile Include=“Program.cs” /> </ItemGroup> <Target Name=“Build”> <Message Text=“Executing Build Target for App $(AppName)” /> <Csc Sources=“@(Compile)” EmitDebugInformation=“$(DebugSymbols)”

OutputAssembly=“$(OutputAssembly)”/> </Target> <Import Project=“Microsoft.CSharp.targets” />

</Project>

MSBuild Key Components

Items

Properties

Targets

Tasks

Build Items Represent Input to the build system Grouped into Item Collections

Use userdefined CollectionNames Are used as Parameters for Tasks

Use Include and Exclude Attributes, Wildcards (**,*,?)

<ItemGroup> <Compile Include=“Hello.cs” /> <Compile Include=“Program.cs” /> </ItemGroup>

Build Items Reference ItemGroups with

@(ItemCollectionName)

Example:

<Csc Sources=„@(Compile)“/>

<ItemGroup> <Compile Include=“Hello.cs” /> <Compile Include=“Program.cs” /> </ItemGroup>

Build Item Metadata Items may contain MetaData

<ItemGroup> <Compile Include=“Hello.cs”> <Group>1</Group> </Compile> <Compile Include=“Program.cs”> <Group>2</Group> </Compile></ItemGroup>

Used for batching<Target Name=“Testbatch”> <Message Text=“@(Compile)” Condition=“ ’%(Group)’ == ‘1’ ”/></Target>

Well Known Item Meta Data%(FullPath)%(RootDir)%(Filename)%(Extension)%(RelativeDir)%(Directory)

%(RecursiveDir)%(Identity)%(ModifiedTime)%(CreationTime)%(AccessedTime)

<ItemGroup> <Compile Include=“*.cs” /></ItemGroup>

<Target Name=“BackupSources”> <Copy SourceFiles=“@(Compile)”

DestinationFiles=“%(Compile.Filename).bak” /></Target>

Build Properties Properties are key/value pairs used to

configure builds Defined in PropertyGroups

<PropertyGroup> <Configuration>Debug</Configuration></PropertyGroup>

Reference Properties with$(Propertyname)

e.g. $(Configuration)

Reserved Properties

MSBuildProjectDirectory MSBuildProjectFile MSBuildProjectExtension MSBuildProjectFullPath MSBuildProjectName MSBuildBinPath MSBuildProjectDefaultTargets MSBuildExtensionsPath

Some PropertyNames are reserved:

Environment Variables are accessible as Properties

Setting Properties You can set Properties from the

commandlineMSBuild.exe MyProject.proj /p:Configuration=Debug

MSBuild.exe MyProject.proj /p:Configuration=Debug;Another=Test

You can set Properties depending on other properties

<DebugType Condition="'$(Flavor)'=='DEBUG'">full</DebugType>

Build Targets Targets group tasks together in a

particular order Allows sections of the build process to

be called individually (Commandline, CallTarget Task)<Target Name=“Compile”> <Csc Sources=“@(SourceFiles)”/></Target>

MSBuild.exe MyProject.proj /t:CompileMSBuild.exe MyProject.proj /t:Clean;Compile

Default Targets Use DefaultTargets Attribute

<Project DefaultTargets=“Compile”>...</Project>

InitialTargets are executed first<Project InitialTargets=“Clean”>...</Project>

Incremental Builds Reduce build time Only builds targets which are out-of-

date or not yet built Specify Inputs and Outputs of the

target

<Target Name=“Compile” Inputs = “@(SourceFiles)” Outputs = “HelloWorld.exe” >

<Csc Sources=“@(SourceFiles)” OutputAssembly=“HelloWorld.exe”/>

</Target>

Build Tasks A Task is a unit of executable code

which performs atomic build operations<Target Name=“MakePublishDirectory”>

<Message Text=“Creating Publish Directory”/> <MakeDir Directories=“$(PublishDir)”/>

</Target>

Build Task Outputs Task can return Output mapped to

Items or Properties

<Target Name="CopyFiles"> <Copy SourceFiles="@(MySourceFiles)" DestinationFolder="@(MyDestFolder)">

<Output TaskParameter="CopiedFiles" ItemName="SuccessfullyCopiedFiles"/>

</Copy> <Message Text=“@(SuccessfullyCopiedFiles,”,”)”></Target>

Build Task ContinueOnError Specify the ContinueOnError Attribute

to succeed target for non-critical tasks Other possibilities:

<Target Name=“SampleTarget"> <TaskOne ContinueOnError="false"> </TaskOne> <TaskTwo> </TaskTwo> <OnError ExecuteTargets="OtherTarget" /> </Target>

Project Elements Use Choose, When, Otherwise

Elements<Project xmlns=“http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003”>

<PropertyGroup> <SampleProperty>Test</SampleProperty></PropertyGroup>

<Choose> <When Condition=“’$(SampleProperty)’ ==‘Test’”> <PropertyGroup> </PropertyGroup> </When> <Otherwise> </Otherwise></Choose>

</Project>

Summary Properties Items Targets Tasks Projects