How to copy all json file to new folder by MsBuild? - msbuild

Question

Steps to reproduce
On windows it works fine with this command :
<PropertyGroup>
<SolutionDir Condition="$(SolutionDir) == '' Or $(SolutionDir) == '*Undefined*'">..\</SolutionDir>
<PreBuildEvent>IF NOT EXIST "$(TargetDir)DataFiles" MKDIR "$(TargetDir)DataFiles"</PreBuildEvent>
<PostBuildEvent>FOR /R "$(SolutionDir)\Api.Tests\Scenarios" %25%25f IN (*.json) DO COPY "%25%25f" "$(TargetDir)DataFiles\" /Y</PostBuildEvent>
</PropertyGroup>
On linux , I have this kind of error
Build FAILED.
[12:44:39][Step 1/1]
[12:44:39][Step 1/1] /usr/share/dotnet/sdk/2.1.302/Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(1331,5): error MSB3073: The command "IF NOT EXIST "DataFiles" MKDIR "DataFiles"" exited with code 127. [/opt/jetbrains/buildAgent/work/4fc9032bf5656724/Api.Tests/Api.Tests/Api.Tests.csproj]
[12:44:39][Step 1/1] 0 Warning(s)
[12:44:39][Step 1/1] 1 Error(s)

Answer 1

Your post build event uses CMD.EXE specific code - also known as (Windows) BATCH commands. In other words it is platform specific.
Best thing is to use MSBuild built-in features to copy files:
Remove the PreBuildEvent and PostBuildEvents properties
Add the following inside the "Project" tag of your project file (best at the end).
<PropertyGroup>
<BuildDependsOn>
$(BuildDependsOn);_CopyAuxFiles
</BuildDependsOn>
</PropertyGroup>
<Target Name="_CopyAuxFiles">
<MakeDir Directories="$(TargetDir)DataFiles"/>
<ItemGroup>
<Files Include="$(SolutionDir)\Api.Tests\Scenarios\*.json"/>
</ItemGroup>
<CopyFile SourceFiles="#(Files)" DestinationFolder="$(TargetDir)DataFiles"/>
</Target>
You might need to replace "$(TargetDir)" with "$(OutputPath)".

Answer 2

I have resolved it by
<Target Name="CopyScenarios" AfterTargets="Build">
<ItemGroup>
<Scenarios Include="$(ProjectDir)/Scenarios/**/*.json" />
</ItemGroup>
<Copy SourceFiles="#(Scenarios)" DestinationFiles="#(Scenarios->'$(TargetDir)DataFiles/%(Filename)%(Extension)')" SkipUnchangedFiles="false" />
</Target>