I have a situation where I need to copy a few specific files in a MSBuild script, but they may or may not exist. If they don't exist it's fine, I don't need them then. But the standard <copy> task throws an error if it cannot find each and every item in the list...
Use the Exists condition on Copy task.
<CreateItem Include="*.xml">
<Output ItemName="ItemsThatNeedToBeCopied" TaskParameter="Include"/>
</CreateItem>
<Copy SourceFiles="#(ItemsThatNeedToBeCopied)"
DestinationFolder="$(OutputDir)"
Condition="Exists('%(RootDir)%(Directory)%(Filename)%(Extension)')"/>
The easiest would be to use the ContinueOnError flag http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/7z253716.aspx
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<ItemGroup>
<MySourceFiles Include="a.cs;b.cs;c.cs"/>
</ItemGroup>
<Target Name="CopyFiles">
<Copy
SourceFiles="#(MySourceFiles)"
DestinationFolder="c:\MyProject\Destination"
ContinueOnError="true"
/>
</Target>
</Project>
But if something else is wrong you will not notice it. So the condition exist from madgnome's answer would be better.
It looks like you can mark MySourceFiles as SkipUnchangedFiles="true" and it won't copy the files if they already exist.
Related
I use the following to get a list of project files that need to be compiled. Each project is stored in a subdirectory of the projects directory.
<ItemGroup>
<dprs Include="c:\projects\**\*.dpr" />
</ItemGroup>
Is there a task that I can use to extract to extract the directory that each project file is in? I know I can write my own task to do this but I was hoping that one already exists and that I simply have not found it yet.
If I understand the question correctly, you shouldn't need a task - you can do this with well-known meta data. Does this do the trick?
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" ToolsVersion="3.5">
<ItemGroup>
<dprs Include="c:\projects\**\*.dpr" />
</ItemGroup>
<Target Name="Default">
<CreateItem Include="%(dprs.RelativeDir)">
<Output ItemName="_ProjectFileLocations" TaskParameter="Include" />
</CreateItem>
<Message Text="#(_ProjectFileLocations->'%(FullPath)', '%0D%0A')" />
</Target>
</Project>
From the tests I ran, it shouldn't list a directory twice in the new item group.
I want to remove folder from my deployment folder.
I'm using removedir task.
<ItemGroup>
<FolderToExcludefromDeploymentFolder Include="$(SourceDir)\Support" />
</ItemGroup>
<Target Name="BeforeBuild" BeforeTargets="Build">
<RemoveDir Condition="Exists('$(sourceDir)\Support')" Directories="#(FolderToExcludefromDeploymentFolder)" />
</Target>
In that case i get a folder in the solution tree.
In case of trying to delete the folder i get this error and the itemgroup element will automatically will be removed.
How can i fix this?
The only way I could fix this issue is to move all problematic properties to BeforeBuild target and set them as DefineConstants.
<Target Name="BeforeBuild">
<PropertyGroup>
<SourceDir>$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)..\..\..\Example</SourceDi>
<FolderToExclude>$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)..\..\..\Example\Support</FolderToExclude>
<DefineConstants>$(DefineConstants);SourceDir=$(SourceDir);FolderToExclude=$(FolderToExclude)</DefineConstants>
</PropertyGroup>
<RemoveDir Condition="Exists('$(sourceDir)\Support')" Directories="#(FolderToExclude)" />
</Target>
This solution worked for me but didn't find the reason behind this.
Is there any way to do this? I just need to copy a single file and thought there may be some syntax for the SourceFiles parameter of the Copy task that means you don't need to define an ItemGroup beforehand, I'd rather stick with ItemGroup than use Exec though.
Copy files also takes a straight propertygroup as input:
<PropertyGroup>
<SourceFile>Some file</SourceFile>
</PropertyGroup>
<Copy SourceFiles="$(SourceFile)" DestinationFolder="c:\"/>
Or even just a string
<Copy SourceFiles="Pathtofile" DestinationFolder="c:\"/>
Just put the single file name as the value for "SourceFiles".
Easy-Peezey.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project DefaultTargets="AllTargetsWrapper" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<PropertyGroup>
<WorkingCheckout>.</WorkingCheckout>
</PropertyGroup>
<Target Name="AllTargetsWrapper">
<CallTarget Targets="CopyItTarget" />
</Target>
<Target Name="CopyItTarget">
<Copy SourceFiles="c:\windows\system.ini" DestinationFolder="$(WorkingCheckout)\"/>
<Error Condition="!Exists('$(WorkingCheckout)\system.ini')" Text="No Copy Is Bad And Sad" />
</Target>
</Project>
For what it's worth, I needed to do the same thing, and wanted to put some version information in the file name. Here is how I did it for a project in $(SolutionDir) that references an executable created by another project in another solution that I can easily express the path to:
<Target Name="AfterBuild">
<GetAssemblyIdentity AssemblyFiles="$(SolutionDir)..\bin\$(Configuration)\SomeExectuable.exe">
<Output TaskParameter="Assemblies" ItemName="AssemblyVersions" />
</GetAssemblyIdentity>
<CreateProperty Value="$(TargetDir)$(TargetName)-%(AssemblyVersions.Version)$(TargetExt)">
<Output TaskParameter="Value" PropertyName="NewTargetPath" />
</CreateProperty>
<Copy SourceFiles="$(TargetPath)" DestinationFiles="$(NewTargetPath)" />
</Target>
How to specify additional assembly reference paths for the MSBuild tasks?
I have following script so far, but can't figure out how to specify additional search paths.
<ItemGroup>
<ProjectsToBuild Include="..\Main\Main.sln" />
</ItemGroup>
<!-- The follwing paths should be added to reference search paths for the build tasks -->
<ItemGroup>
<MyAddRefPath Include="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\..\Build\Lib1" />
<MyAddRefPath Include="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\..\Build\Lib2" />
</ItemGroup>
<MSBuild
Projects="#(ProjectsToBuild)"
Properties="Configuration=Debug;OutputPath=$(BuildOutputPath)">
</MSBuild>
UPDATE:
Please show one complete working script which invokes original project, such as an SLN with multiple additional reference paths.
No suggestions on how to improve the project structure please.
I know how to build a good structure, but now it's the task of building an existing piece of crap.
I have finaly figured out how to do it:
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<ItemGroup>
<ProjectsToBuild Include="ConsoleApplication1\ConsoleApplication1.csproj" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<AdditionalReferencePaths Include="..\Build\ClassLibrary1" />
<AdditionalReferencePaths Include="..\Build\ClassLibrary2" />
</ItemGroup>
<PropertyGroup>
<BuildOutputPath>..\Build\ConsoleApplication1</BuildOutputPath>
</PropertyGroup>
<Target Name="MainBuild">
<PropertyGroup>
<AdditionalReferencePathsProp>#(AdditionalReferencePaths)</AdditionalReferencePathsProp>
</PropertyGroup>
<MSBuild
Projects="ConsoleApplication1\ConsoleApplication1.csproj"
Properties="ReferencePath=$(AdditionalReferencePathsProp);OutputPath=$(BuildOutputPath)"
>
</MSBuild>
</Target>
The property you want to modify is AssemblySearchPaths. See the ResolveAssemblyReference task more information.
<Target Name="AddToSearchPaths">
<CreateProperty Value="x:\path\to\assemblies;$(AssemblySearchPaths)">
<Output PropertyName="AssemblySearchPaths" TaskParameter="Value" />
</CreateProperty>
</Target>
Making use of item groups, as in your example, it would look like:
<Target Name="AddToSearchPaths">
<CreateProperty Value="#(MyAddRefPath);$(AssemblySearchPaths)">
<Output PropertyName="AssemblySearchPaths" TaskParameter="Value" />
</CreateProperty>
</Target>
Looking in %WINDIR%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\Microsoft.Common.targets, you can see that the ResolveAssemblyReference Task is executed as part of the ResolveAssemblyReferences target. Thus, you want the newly added target to modify the AssemblySearchPaths property before ResolveAssemblyReferences is executed.
You've stated that you want to be able to modify the assembly search paths without modifying the project files directly. In order to accomplish that requirement you need to set an environment variable that will override the AssemblySearchPaths. With this technique you will need to provide every assembly reference path used by all the projects in the solutions. (Modifying the projects or copies of the projects would be easier. See final comments.)
One technique is to create a batch file that runs your script at sets the environment variable:
set AssemblySearchPaths="C:\Tacos;C:\Burritos;C:\Chalupas"
msbuild whatever.msbuild
Another way is to define a PropertyGroup in your custom msbuild file (otherwise known as the "hook" needed to make this work):
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<ItemGroup>
<ProjectsToBuild Include="..\Main\Main.sln" />
</ItemGroup>
<PropertyGroup>
<AssemblySearchPaths>$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\..\Build\Lib1;$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\..\Build\Lib2</AssemblySearchPaths>
</PropertyGroup>
<Target Name="Build">
<MSBuild Projects="#(ProjectsToBuild)" Properties="AssemblySearchPaths=$(AssemblySearchPaths);Configuration=Debug;OutputPath=$(OutputPath)" />
</Target>
</Project>
Now if it were me, and for whatever unexplained reason I couldn't modify the project files to include the updated references that I am going to build with, I would make copies of the project files, load them into the IDE, and correct the references in my copies. Synching the projects becomes a simple diff/merge operation which is automatic with modern tools like mercurial (heck I'm sure clearcase could manage it too).
...and remember that you don't need to use a target for this, you can use project-scoped properties or items, as...
<ItemGroup>
<MyAddRefPath Include="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\..\Build\Lib1" />
<MyAddRefPath Include="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\..\Build\Lib2" />
</ItemGroup>
<PropertyGroup>
<MyAddRefPath>$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\..\Build\Lib3</MyAddRefPath>
<!-- add in the property path -->
<AssemblySearchPaths>$(MyAddRefPath);$(AssemblySearchPaths)</AssemblySearchPaths>
<!-- add in the item paths -->
<AssemblySearchPaths>#(MyAddRefPath);$(AssemblySearchPaths)</AssemblySearchPaths>
</PropertyGroup>
...and if you do need to do this in a target to pick up paths from a dynamically populated item group, use inline properties, not the CreateProperty task (if you are not stuck in v2.0)
<Target Name="AddToSearchPaths">
<PropertyGroup>
<!-- add in the item paths -->
<AssemblySearchPaths>#(MyDynamicAddRefPath);$(AssemblySearchPaths)</AssemblySearchPaths>
</PropertyGroup>
</Target>
In MSBuild v4 one can use functions (like string.replace) on Properties. But how can I use functions on Metadata?
I'd like to use the string.replace function as below:
<Target Name="Build">
<Message Text="#(Files->'%(Filename).Replace(".config","")')" />
</Target>
Unfortunately this outputs as (not quite what I was going for):
log4net.Replace(".config","");ajaxPro.Replace(".config","");appSettings.Replace(".config","");cachingConfiguration20.Replace(".config","");cmsSiteConfiguration.Replace(".config","");dataProductsGraphConfiguration.Replace(".config","");ajaxPro.Replace(".config","");appSettings.Replace(".config","");cachingConfiguration20.Replace(".config","");cmsSiteConfiguration
Any thoughts?
You can do this with a little bit of trickery:
$([System.String]::Copy('%(Filename)').Replace('config',''))
Basically, we call the static method 'Copy' to create a new string (for some reason it doesn't like it if you just try $('%(Filename)'.Replace('.config',''))), then call the replace function on the string.
The full text should look like this:
<Target Name="Build">
<Message Text="#(Files->'$([System.String]::Copy("%(Filename)").Replace(".config",""))')" />
</Target>
Edit: MSBuild 12.0 seems to have broken the above method. As an alternative, we can add a new metadata entry to all existing Files items. We perform the replace while defining the metadata item, then we can access the modified value like any other metadata item.
e.g.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="12.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<ItemGroup>
<Files Include="Alice.jpg"/>
<Files Include="Bob.not-config.gif"/>
<Files Include="Charlie.config.txt"/>
</ItemGroup>
<Target Name="Build">
<ItemGroup>
<!--
Modify all existing 'Files' items so that they contain an entry where we have done our replace.
Note: This needs to be done WITHIN the '<Target>' (it's a requirment for modifying existing items like this
-->
<Files>
<FilenameWithoutConfig>$([System.String]::Copy('%(Filename)').Replace('.config', ''))</FilenameWithoutConfig>
</Files>
</ItemGroup>
<Message Text="#(Files->'%(FilenameWithoutConfig)')" Importance="high" />
</Target>
</Project>
Result:
D:\temp>"c:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\12.0\Bin\MSBuild.exe" /nologo test.xml
Build started 2015/02/11 11:19:10 AM.
Project "D:\temp\test.xml" on node 1 (default targets).
Build:
Alice;Bob.not-config;Charlie
Done Building Project "D:\temp\test.xml" (default targets).
I needed to do something similar, the following worked for me.
<Target Name="Build">
<Message Text="#(Files->'%(Filename)'->Replace('.config', ''))" />
</Target>
Those functions works in properties only (as I know). So create target which will perform operation throw batching:
<Target Name="Build"
DependsOnTargets="ProcessFile" />
<Target Name="ProcessFile"
Outputs="%(Files.Identity)">
<PropertyGroup>
<OriginalFileName>%(Files.Filename)</OriginalFileName>
<ModifiedFileName>$(OriginalFileName.Replace(".config",""))</ModifiedFileName>
</PropertyGroup>
<Message Text="$(ModifiedFileName)" Importance="High"/>
</Target>
Do you really need in your example such kind of task? I mean there exists MSBuild Well-known Item Metadata
EDIT: I should specify that this task processes all items in #(Files).
i dont think you can use functions directly with itemgroups and metadata (that would be easy)
However you can use batching:
Taking the ideas from this post:
array-iteration
I was trying to trim an itemgroup to send to a commandline tool (i needed to lose .server off the filename)
<Target Name="ProcessFile" DependsOnTargets="FullPaths">
<ItemGroup>
<Environments Include="$(TemplateFolder)\$(Branch)\*.server.xml"/>
</ItemGroup>
<MSBuild Projects=".\Configure.msbuild"
Properties="CurrentXmlFile=%(Environments.Filename)"
Targets="Configure"/>
</Target>
<Target Name="Configure" DependsOnTargets="FullPaths">
<PropertyGroup>
<Trimmed>$(CurrentXmlFile.Replace('.server',''))</Trimmed>
</PropertyGroup>
<Message Text="Trimmed: $(Trimmed)"/>
<Exec Command="ConfigCmd $(Trimmed)"/>
</Target>
For MSBuild 12.0, here's an alternative.
<Target Name="Build">
<Message Text="$([System.String]::Copy("%(Files.Filename)").Replace(".config",""))" />
</Target>
Got the same problem (except with MakeRelative), so I passed with another solution : Using good old CreateItem that take a string and transform to Item :)
<ItemGroup>
<_ToUploadFTP Include="$(PublishDir)**\*.*"></_ToUploadFTP>
</ItemGroup>
<CreateItem Include="$([MSBuild]::MakeRelative('c:\$(PublishDir)','c:\%(relativedir)%(filename)%(_ToUploadFTP.extension)'))">
<Output ItemName="_ToUploadFTPRelative" TaskParameter="Include"/>
</CreateItem>
<FtpUpload Username="$(UserName)"
Password="$(UserPassword)"
RemoteUri="$(FtpHost)"
LocalFiles="#(_ToUploadFTP)"
RemoteFiles="#(_ToUploadFTPRelative->'$(FtpSitePath)/%(relativedir)%(filename)%(extension)')"
UsePassive="$(FtpPassiveMode)" ></FtpUpload>