MSBuild - Including References - msbuild

Question

I'm trying to learn MSBuild; and to begin I have a C# project file that looks like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="12.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<PropertyGroup>
<RootNamespace>$(MSBuildProjectName)</RootNamespace>
<AssemblyName>$(MSBuildProjectName)</AssemblyName>
<TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.5.1</TargetFrameworkVersion>
<FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment>
<AutoGenerateBindingRedirects>true</AutoGenerateBindingRedirects>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<Compile Include="**\*.cs" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<Reference Include="System" />
<Reference Include="System.Core" />
<Reference Include="System.Xml.Linq" />
<Reference Include="System.Data.DataSetExtensions" />
<Reference Include="Microsoft.CSharp" />
<Reference Include="System.Data" />
<Reference Include="System.Xml" />
</ItemGroup>
<Target Name="Build">
<Csc
AdditionalLibPaths="C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\"
References="#(Reference)"
Sources="#(Compile)"
OutputAssembly="$(MSBuildProjectName).exe"
/>
</Target>
</Project>
However, CSC fails, saying it can't find the metadata file 'xyz', once for each reference that I've tried to include. Additionally, Visual Studio reports a similar problem:
So what am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

The reason you getting this error because of the Target Name = "Build"
<Target Name="Build">
<Csc AdditionalLibPaths="C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\"
References="#(Reference)"
Sources="#(Compile)" OutputAssembly="$(MSBuildProjectName).exe" />
</Target>
In particularly the line:
<Csc AdditionalLibPaths="C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\"
References="#(Reference)"
Sources="#(Compile)" OutputAssembly="$(MSBuildProjectName).exe" />
If you don't need you can remove this additional lib paths, if needed search on the web you should be able to fine how to set up the AddtionalLib paths. This might assist you.