MSBuild Unveiled

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

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

3. Abracadabra VS Build System Pre build step 0011010101 1110010110 1101100111 0010100111 Post build step Produces Authors PROJECT FILE - $%#^$&% - @$#%$^# Final Product Visual Studio .NET 2002/2003 Feeds

4. Final Product MSBuild Produces Authors Feeds Authors DEVELOPER MSBuild Design Goals PROJECT FILE <Project> <Property … /> <Item … /> <Target … /> </Project>

5. 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

6. 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>

7. MSBuild Key Components • Items • Properties • Targets • Tasks

8. 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>

9. Build Items • Reference ItemGroups with@(ItemCollectionName)Example: • <Csc Sources=„@(Compile)“/> <ItemGroup> <Compile Include=“Hello.cs” /> <Compile Include=“Program.cs” /> </ItemGroup>

10. 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>

11. 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>

12. 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)

13. Reserved Properties • Some PropertyNames are reserved: • MSBuildProjectDirectory • MSBuildProjectFile • MSBuildProjectExtension • MSBuildProjectFullPath • MSBuildProjectName • MSBuildBinPath • MSBuildProjectDefaultTargets • MSBuildExtensionsPath • Environment Variables are accessible as Properties

14. Setting Properties • You can set Properties from the commandline MSBuild.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>

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

16. Default Targets • Use DefaultTargets Attribute <Project DefaultTargets=“Compile”> ... </Project> • InitialTargets are executed first <Project InitialTargets=“Clean”> ... </Project>

17. 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>

18. 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>

19. 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>

20. 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>

21. 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>

22. Summary • Properties • Items • Targets • Tasks • Projects