Environment variables in WIX in BeforeBuild action - wix

Question

On my .wixproj file, I have a before build action to get the assembly version and append it to the output file name. However, how my code builds in my local machine is different than the one on the the TFS Server. So I am trying the following:
<Target Name="BeforeBuild">
<GetAssemblyIdentity AssemblyFiles="$(TargetDir)\myassembly.dll" Condition="$(env.COMPUTERNAME)=='THETFSSERVER'">
<Output TaskParameter="Assemblies" ItemName="AssemblyVersions" />
</GetAssemblyIdentity>
<GetAssemblyIdentity AssemblyFiles="$(SolutionDir)\Source\Project\bin\myassemblydll" Condition="$(env.COMPUTERNAME)!='THETFSSERVER'">
<Output TaskParameter="Assemblies" ItemName="AssemblyVersions" />
</GetAssemblyIdentity>
<CreateProperty Value="$(OutputName)_%(AssemblyVersions.Version)">
<Output TaskParameter="Value" PropertyName="TargetName"/>
</CreateProperty>
</Target>
I've tried &(env.COMPUTERNAME), [&COMPUTERNAME], and several other options that I saw online, and some other that made sense, but I can't manage to find what exactly to use to look at the computer name.... any ideas how to achieve that?

Answer 1

There is. It is $(COMPUTERNAME). There is a very easy way to find out what all the properties are when you first load a build script in MSBuild. All you have to do is generate a log using the diagnostic verbosity. Then look at the top of the log file and it will list out all initial properties and items.
For example:
msbuild.exe /l:FileLogger,Microsoft.Build.Engine;verbosity=diagnostic;logfile=diag.log MyProject.proj
Link from where the answer was taken
Alsol, the tfs is building under msbuild, and you probably building form visual studio. So, the condition can use $(BuildingInsideVisualStudio) property and not the computer name.