My project B in one configuration depends on outputs of project A in different configurations. Thus I use something like this in project B:
<Project
...
<PropertyGroup>
<BuildDependsOn>
BatchDeps;
$(BuildDependsOn);
</BuildDependsOn>
</PropertyGroup>
<Target Name="BatchDeps">
<MSBuild Projects="$(SolutionPath)" Targets="A" Properties="Configuration=Config1" SkipNonexistentTargets="True"/>
<MSBuild Projects="$(SolutionPath)" Targets="A" Properties="Configuration=Config2" SkipNonexistentTargets="True"/>
</Target>
</Project>
Now I would like to support incremental build so that when sources of the project A change then B actually builds instead of reporting "All outputs are up-to-date".
How to achieve this behavior ?
Related
I have a solution that contains a console application with a .csproj file like the this:
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
<PropertyGroup>
<OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
<TargetFramework>netcoreapp1.1</TargetFramework>
</PropertyGroup>
</Project>
I also have a library project that uses the console application to generate a heap of C# code that get compiled into the library, the library .csproj file looks like this.
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk" InitialTargets="RunGenerator">
<PropertyGroup>
<TargetFramework>netstandard1.4</TargetFramework>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<ProjectReference Include="../generator/generator.csproj">
<ReferenceOutputAssembly>false</ReferenceOutputAssembly>
</ProjectReference>
</ItemGroup>
<Target Name="RunGenerator">
<Exec Command="dotnet run -p "../generator/generator.csproj" input output" />
</Target>
</Project>
This fails because the dependency analysis says that a netstandard1.4 assembly cannot reference a netcoreapp1.1 assembly. That is correct except that I am not referencing the assembly.
I can work around that issue by building the generator project like this:
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk" InitialTargets="RunGenerator">
<PropertyGroup>
<TargetFramework>netstandard1.4</TargetFramework>
</PropertyGroup>
<Target Name="RunGenerator">
<Exec Command="dotnet build "../generator/generator.csproj"" />
<Exec Command="dotnet run -p "../generator/generator.csproj" input output" />
</Target>
</Project>
The problem is that the generator project no longer takes part in the dependency analysis when these projects are built using the containing solution file and the explicit build of the generator project sometimes runs concurrently with another build of the same project initiated by the solution build and this results in errors because files are locked etc.
Is it possible to have a project dependency without checking the target framework?
Can anyone suggest a workaround?
Thanks.
Here are some MSBuild tips. You might need to combine a few of these ideas.
You can use your solution file to add an explicit project dependency. See https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/ide/how-to-create-and-remove-project-dependencies (This question was originally asked here: Visual Studio 2010: How to enforce build order of projects in a solution?). Unfortunately, this is really hard to do if you don't have VS. The format is .sln files is kinda a nightmare.
To avoid the concurrent build issue, use the MSBuild task instead of the Exec task. See https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/msbuild/msbuild-task
<Target Name="CompileAnotherProject">
<MSBuild Projects="../generator/generator.csproj" Targets="Build" />
</Target>
dotnet-run invokes "dotnet build" automatically. This is actually problematic in concurrent builds. You can instead add a target to your generator.csproj that runs the app after it has been built. "dotnet filepath.dll" runs the compiled app without building it.
<Target Name="RunCodeGen" AfterTargets="Build">
<Exec Command="dotnet $(AssemblyName).dll input output"
WorkingDirectory="$(OutDir)" />
</Target>
I have right now this in a script and want to have it in a msbuild instead.
msbuild /t:Build;PipelinePreDeployCopyAllFilesToOneFolder XXXXX\XXXX.XXX.xxx\XXXXX.XXXX.XXXXX1.csproj /p:Configuration="Release";_PackageTempDir=....\Deploy\XXXX1
msbuild /t:Build;PipelinePreDeployCopyAllFilesToOneFolder XXXXX\XXXX.XXX.xxx\XXXXX.XXXX.XXXXX2.csproj /p:Configuration="Release";_PackageTempDir=....\Deploy\XXXX2
How would this be written in a msbuild script? I only have managed to do it with one build but to create diffrent folders in the Deploy folder I havent been able to do.
Could someone teach me?
You can specify OutDir (new projects) or OutputPath (some old project types) as Properties when you call msbuild task to build your project. Or whatever property you want, like your "_PackageTempDir"
Something like this:
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" DefaultTargets="BatchMyProjects" ToolsVersion="4.0">
<ItemGroup>
<BuildMyProjects Include="XXXX-Project-1" />
<BuildMyProjects Include="XXXX-Project-2" />
</ItemGroup>
<Target Name="BatchMyProjects" >
<ItemGroup>
<ProjectsToBuild Condition="Exists('SomeSourcePath\%(BuildMyProjects.Identity)/%(BuildMyProjects.Identity).csproj')">
<ProjectName>SomeSourcePath/%(BuildMyProjects.Identity)/%(BuildMyProjects.Identity).csproj</ProjectName>
<PublishSubFolder>%(BuildMyProjects.Identity)</PublishSubFolder>
</ProjectsToBuild>
</ItemGroup>
<MSBuild Projects="%(ProjectsToBuild.ProjectName)" Targets="Build;PipelinePreDeployCopyAllFilesToOneFolder"
Properties="Configuration=Release;
OutDir=SomePathToDeploy/Deploy/%(ProjectsToBuild.PublishSubFolder)/;
OutputPath= SomePathToDeploy/Deploy/%(ProjectsToBuild.PublishSubFolder)/;
_PackageTempDir=SomePathToDeploy/Deploy/%(ProjectsToBuild.PublishSubFolder)/
" />
</Target>
</Project>
Also I created gist for this same example
This do work but that seems abit strange. I rateher have it to work as you mentioned
<Target Name="testar" >
<MSBuild Projects="..\xxxxxx\xxxxxx1.csproj" Targets="Build;PipelinePreDeployCopyAllFilesToOneFolder" Properties="Configuration=Release;_PackageTempDir=../../Deploy/xxx1/"/>
<MSBuild Projects="..\xxxx\xxxxxx2.csproj" Targets="Build;PipelinePreDeployCopyAllFilesToOneFolder" Properties="Configuration=Release;_PackageTempDir=../../Deploy/xxx2/"/>
</Target>
I have an MSBuild script which compiles my existing solution but I'd like to change some properties of one of the projects within the solution at compile-time, including but not limited to AssemblyProduct and AssemblyTitle.
Here's a snippet of my build script:
<Target Name="Compile" >
<MSBuild Projects="..\MySolution.sln"
Properties="Configuration=MyReleaseConfig;Platform=x86" />
</Target>
I've got one main executable and several DLLs that are compiled. I am aware of the MSBuild Extension Pack and I suspect it might help me to get to where I need to be, although I'm not sure how to proceed.
Can I selectively change AssemblyInfo properties at build time?
You're on the right track with the MSBuild Extension Pack.
I find the easiest way to conditionally generate the assembly details at build time is to add an "AssemblyVersion" target directly to my .csproj file(s) that require an updated AssemblyInfo file. You can add the target directly to each csproj file that requires an updated AssemblyInfo file, or as I prefer to do it, create a custom targets file with the AssemblyVersion target and have each csproj file include your custom targets file.
Either way you likely want to use the MSBuild Extension Pack or the MSBuild Community Tasks to use their respective AssemblyInfo task.
Here's some code from our build scripts:
<!-- Import the AssemblyInfo task -->
<Import Project="$(MSBuildCommunityTasksPath)\MSBuild.Community.Tasks.Targets"/>
<!-- Overriding the Microsoft.CSharp.targets target dependency chain -->
<!-- Call our custom AssemblyVersion target before build, even from VS -->
<PropertyGroup>
<BuildDependsOn>
AssemblyVersion;
$(BuildDependsOn)
</BuildDependsOn>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<AssemblyVersionFiles Include="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs"/>
</ItemGroup>
<Target Name="AssemblyVersion"
Inputs="#(AssemblyVersionFiles)"
Outputs="UpdatedAssemblyVersionFiles">
<Attrib Files="%(AssemblyVersionFiles.FullPath)"
Normal="true"/>
<AssemblyInfo
CodeLanguage="CS"
OutputFile="%(AssemblyVersionFiles.FullPath)"
AssemblyCompany="$(CompanyName)"
AssemblyCopyright="Copyright $(CompanyName), All rights reserved."
AssemblyVersion="$(Version)"
AssemblyFileVersion="$(Version)">
<Output TaskParameter="OutputFile"
ItemName="UpdatedAssemblyVersionFiles"/>
</AssemblyInfo>
</Target>
Sneal's answer was very helpful, but I'd like to show what I actually ended up doing. Instead of editing csproj files (there are several) I instead added tasks to my build script. Here's a snippet:
<PropertyGroup>
<ProductName>MyApp</ProductName>
<CompanyName>MyCompany</CompanyName>
<Major>1</Major>
<Minor>0</Minor>
<Build>0</Build>
<Revision>0</Revision>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<AssemblyVersionFiles Include="..\MyMainProject\Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs"/>
</ItemGroup>
<Target Name="AssemblyVersionMAIN" Inputs="#(AssemblyVersionFiles)" Outputs="UpdatedAssemblyVersionFiles">
<Attrib Files="%(AssemblyVersionFiles.FullPath)" Normal="true"/>
<AssemblyInfo
CodeLanguage="CS"
OutputFile="%(AssemblyVersionFiles.FullPath)"
AssemblyProduct="$(ProductName)"
AssemblyTitle="$(ProductName)"
AssemblyCompany="$(CompanyName)"
AssemblyCopyright="© $(CompanyName) 2010"
AssemblyVersion="$(Major).$(Minor).$(Build).$(Revision)"
AssemblyFileVersion="$(Major).$(Minor).$(Build).$(Revision)"
AssemblyInformationalVersion="$(Major).$(Minor).$(Build).$(Revision)">
<Output TaskParameter="OutputFile" ItemName="UpdatedAssemblyVersionFiles"/>
</AssemblyInfo>
</Target>
<Target Name="Compile" DependsOnTargets="AssemblyVersionMAIN">
<MSBuild Projects="..\MySolution.sln"
Properties="Configuration=Release;Platform=x86;Optimize=true" />
</Target>
Then, I can override my variables from the command line, or a batch script, like so:
set MAJ=1
set MIN=2
set BLD=3
set REV=4
msbuild buildScript.xml /t:Compile /p:Major=%MAJ% /p:Minor=%MIN% /p:Build=%BLD% /p:Revision=%REV%
<Target Name="SetVersion">
<ItemGroup>
<AssemblyInfoFiles Include="$(TargetDir)\**\AssemblyInfo.cs"/>
</ItemGroup>
<Message Text="change the Version number for:"/>
<Message Text="%(AssemblyInfoFiles.FullPath)"/>
<MSbuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.AssemblyInfo
AssemblyInfoFiles="#(AssemblyInfoFiles)"
AssemblyTitle="newTitle"
AssemblyMajorVersion="2"
AssemblyMinorVersion="0"/>
</Target>
I'd like to create a MSBuild project that reflects the project dependencies in a solution and wraps the VS projects inside reusable targets.
The problem I like solve doing this is to svn-export, build and deploy a specific assembly (and its dependencies) in an BizTalk application.
My question is: How can I make the targets for svn-exporting, building and deploying reusable and also reuse the wrapped projects when they are built for different dependencies?
I know it would be simpler to just build the solution and deploy only the assemblies needed but I'd like to reuse the targets as much as possible.
The parts
The project I like to deploy
<Project DefaultTargets="Deploy" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<PropertyGroup>
<ExportRoot Condition="'$(Export)'==''">Export</ExportRoot>
</PropertyGroup>
<Target Name="Clean_Export">
<RemoveDir Directories="$(ExportRoot)\My.Project.Dir" />
</Target>
<Target Name="Export_MyProject">
<Exec Command="svn export svn://xxx/trunk/Biztalk2009/MyProject.btproj --force" WorkingDirectory="$(ExportRoot)" />
</Target>
<Target Name="Build_MyProject" DependsOnTargets="Export_MyProject">
<MSBuild Projects="$(ExportRoot)\My.Project.Dir\MyProject.btproj" Targets="Build" Properties="Configuration=Release"></MSBuild>
</Target>
<Target Name="Deploy_MyProject" DependsOnTargets="Build_MyProject">
<Exec Command="BTSTask AddResource -ApplicationName:CORE -Source:MyProject.dll" />
</Target>
</Project>
The projects it depends upon look almost exactly like this (other .btproj and .csproj).
Wow, this is a loaded question for a forum post. I wrote about 20 pages on creating reusable .targets files in my book, but I'll get you started here with the basics here. I believe that the key to creating reusable build scripts (i.e. .targets files) is three elements:
Place behavior (i.e. targets) into separate files
Place data (i.e. properties and items, these are called .proj files) into their own files
Extensibility
.targets files should validate assumptions
The idea is that you want to place all of your targets into separate files and then these files will be imported by the files which will be driving the build process. These are the files which contain the data. Since you import the .targets files you get all the targets as if they had been defined inline. There will be a silent contract between the .proj and .targets files. This contract is defined in properties and items which both use. This is what needs to be validated.
The idea here is not new. This pattern is followed by .csproj (and other projects generated by Visual Studio). If you take a look your .csproj file you will not find a single target, just properties and items. Then towards the bottom of the file it imports Microsoft.csharp.targets (may differ depending on project type). This project file (along with others that it imports) contains all the targets which actually perform the build.
So it's layed out like this:
SharedBuild.targets
MyProduct.proj
Where MyProdcut.proj might look like:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<!-- This uses a .targets file to off load performing the build -->
<PropertyGroup>
<Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)'=='' ">Release</Configuration>
<OutputPath Condition=" '$(OutputPath)'=='' ">$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\BuildArtifacts\bin\</OutputPath>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<Projects Include="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\ClassLibrary1\ClassLibrary1.csproj"/>
<Projects Include="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\ClassLibrary2\ClassLibrary2.csproj"/>
<Projects Include="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\ClassLibrary3\ClassLibrary3.csproj"/>
<Projects Include="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\WindowsFormsApplication1\WindowsFormsApplication1.csproj"/>
</ItemGroup>
<Import Project="SharedBuild.targets"/>
</Project>
And SharedBuild.targets might look like:
<Project DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<!-- This represents a re-usable build file -->
<Target Name="SharedBuild_Validate">
<!-- See http://sedodream.com/2009/06/30/ElementsOfReusableMSBuildScriptsValidation.aspx for more info
about this validation pattern
-->
<ItemGroup>
<_RequiredProperties Include ="Configuration">
<Value>$(Configuration)</Value>
</_RequiredProperties>
<_RequiredProperties Include ="OutputPath">
<Value>$(OutputPath)</Value>
</_RequiredProperties>
<_RequiredItems Include="Projects">
<RequiredValue>%(Projects.Identity)</RequiredValue>
<RequiredFilePath>%(Projects.Identity)</RequiredFilePath>
</_RequiredItems>
</ItemGroup>
<!-- Raise an error if any value in _RequiredProperties is missing -->
<Error Condition="'%(_RequiredProperties.Value)'==''"
Text="Missing required property [%(_RequiredProperties.Identity)]"/>
<!-- Raise an error if any value in _RequiredItems is empty -->
<Error Condition="'%(_RequiredItems.RequiredValue)'==''"
Text="Missing required item value [%(_RequiredItems.Identity)]" />
<!-- Validate any file/directory that should exist -->
<Error Condition="'%(_RequiredItems.RequiredFilePath)' != '' and !Exists('%(_RequiredItems.RequiredFilePath)')"
Text="Unable to find expeceted path [%(_RequiredItems.RequiredFilePath)] on item [%(_RequiredItems.Identity)]" />
</Target>
<PropertyGroup>
<BuildDependsOn>
SharedBuild_Validate;
BeforeBuild;
CoreBuild;
AfterBuild;
</BuildDependsOn>
</PropertyGroup>
<Target Name="Build" DependsOnTargets="$(BuildDependsOn)"/>
<Target Name="BeforeBuild"/>
<Target Name="AfterBuild"/>
<Target Name="CoreBuild">
<!-- Make sure output folder exists -->
<PropertyGroup>
<_FullOutputPath>$(OutputPath)$(Configuration)\</_FullOutputPath>
</PropertyGroup>
<MakeDir Directories="$(_FullOutputPath)"/>
<MSBuild Projects="#(Projects)"
BuildInParallel="true"
Properties="OutputPath=$(_FullOutputPath)"/>
</Target>
</Project>
Don't look too much at the SharedBuild_Validate target yet. I put that there for completeness but don't focus on it. You can find more info on that at my blog at http://sedodream.com/2009/06/30/ElementsOfReusableMSBuildScriptsValidation.aspx.
The important parts to notice are the extensibility points. Even though this is a very basic file, it has all the components of a reusable .targets file. You can customize it's behavior by passing in different properties and items to build. You can extend it's behavior by overriding a target (BeforeBuild, AfterBuild or even CoreBuild) and you can inject your own targets into the build with:
<Project ...>
...
<Import Project="SharedBuild.targets"/>
<PropertyGroup>
<BuildDependsOn>
$(BuildDependsOn);
CustomAfterBuild
</BuildDependsOn>
</PropertyGroup>
<Target Name="CustomAfterBuild">
<!-- Insert stuff here -->
</Target>
</Project>
In your case I would create an SvnExport.targets file which uses the required properties:
SvnExportRoot
SvnUrl
SvnWorkingDirectory
You will use these properties to do the Export.
Then create another one for Biztalk build and deploy. You could split this up into 2 if necessary.
Then inside of your .proj file you just import both and setup the targets to build in the right order, and your off.
This is only really the beginning of creating reusable build elements, but this should get the wheels turning in your head. I am going to post all of this to my blog as well as download links for all files.
UPDATE:
Posted to blog at http://sedodream.com/2010/03/19/ReplacingSolutionFilesWithMSBuildFiles.aspx
Is there a way to get the Name of the currently running Target in MSBuild?
MSBuild does not provide a property (or other mechanism) that provides the name of the current executing target.
If you are thinking in terms of languages and frameworks that expose a stack trace at runtime, MSBuild has nothing equivalent to that.
If you are debugging and trying to visualize the order of target invocation, one trick is to define your own property and successively add values to it as a breadcrumb trail.
e.g.
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<Target Name="A" DependsOnTargets="B">
<PropertyGroup>
<Trace>$(Trace);A</Trace>
</PropertyGroup>
<Message Text="$(Trace)" />
</Target>
<Target Name="B" DependsOnTargets="C">
<PropertyGroup>
<Trace>$(Trace);B</Trace>
</PropertyGroup>
</Target>
<Target Name="C">
<PropertyGroup>
<Trace>$(Trace);C</Trace>
</PropertyGroup>
</Target>
</Project>
In the example, each PropertyGroup in each target is hard-coding a value that is added to the $(Trace) property.
Running this MSBuild file with verbosity set to normal will produce the output:
;C;B;A
It might be nice to have a generic snippet of code that could be pasted unchanged into each target but currently that's not possible.
You are probably looking for the $(MSBuildProjectFile) but "Target" is kind of vague.