msbuild unveiled peter schneider mvp visual developer – visual c# mct, mcsd.net, mcad.net, mcdba...
TRANSCRIPT
MSBuild Unveiled
Peter SchneiderMVP Visual Developer – Visual C#MCT, MCSD.NET, MCAD.NET, [email protected]
In This Session…
MSBuild Architecture
MSBuild – File Format
MSBuild – Tips & Tricks
Au
tho
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PROJECT FILE - $%#^$&% - @$#%$^#
Abracadabra
Feed
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Visual Studio .NET 2002/2003
VS Build System
Produces
Final Product
Pre build step0011010101111001011011011001110010100111Post build step
Final Product
Produces
Feeds
Authors
DEVELOPER
Authors
MSBuild Design Goals
MSBuild
PROJECT FILE<Project> <Property … /> <Item … /> <Target … /></Project>
MSBuild in 5 minutes The underlying build engine in Visual
Studio 2005 Fully open and published XML file
format for describing build Visual Studio 2005 build is fully
customizable You extend the build by writing
managed code (tasks and loggers) You don’t need the IDE to build Visual
Studio projects
MSBuild File Format<Project xmlns=“http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003”> <PropertyGroup> <AppName>MyCoolApp</AppName> <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols> <OutputAssembly>$(AppName).exe</OutputAssembly> </PropertyGroup> <ItemGroup> <Compile Include=“Hello.cs” /> <Compile Include=“Program.cs” /> </ItemGroup> <Target Name=“Build”> <Message Text=“Executing Build Target for App $(AppName)” /> <Csc Sources=“@(Compile)” EmitDebugInformation=“$(DebugSymbols)”
OutputAssembly=“$(OutputAssembly)”/> </Target> <Import Project=“Microsoft.CSharp.targets” />
</Project>
MSBuild Key Components
Items
Properties
Targets
Tasks
Build Items Represent Input to the build system Grouped into Item Collections
Use userdefined CollectionNames Are used as Parameters for Tasks
Use Include and Exclude Attributes, Wildcards (**,*,?)
<ItemGroup> <Compile Include=“Hello.cs” /> <Compile Include=“Program.cs” /> </ItemGroup>
Build Items
Reference ItemGroups with@(ItemCollectionName)
Example:
<Csc Sources=„@(Compile)“/>
<ItemGroup> <Compile Include=“Hello.cs” /> <Compile Include=“Program.cs” /> </ItemGroup>
Build Item Metadata
Items may contain MetaData
<ItemGroup> <Compile Include=“Hello.cs”> <Group>1</Group> </Compile> <Compile Include=“Program.cs”> <Group>2</Group> </Compile></ItemGroup>
Used for batching<Target Name=“Testbatch”> <Message Text=“@(Compile)” Condition=“ ’%(Group)’ == ‘1’ ”/></Target>
Well Known Item Meta Data
%(FullPath)%(RootDir)%(Filename)%(Extension)%(RelativeDir)%(Directory)
%(RecursiveDir)%(Identity)%(ModifiedTime)%(CreationTime)%(AccessedTime)
<ItemGroup> <Compile Include=“*.cs” /></ItemGroup>
<Target Name=“BackupSources”> <Copy SourceFiles=“@(Compile)”
DestinationFiles=“%(Compile.Filename).bak” /></Target>
Build Properties
Properties are key/value pairs used to configure builds
Defined in PropertyGroups
<PropertyGroup> <Configuration>Debug</Configuration></PropertyGroup>
Reference Properties with$(Propertyname)
e.g. $(Configuration)
Reserved Properties
MSBuildProjectDirectory MSBuildProjectFile MSBuildProjectExtension MSBuildProjectFullPath MSBuildProjectName MSBuildBinPath MSBuildProjectDefaultTargets MSBuildExtensionsPath
Some PropertyNames are reserved:
Environment Variables are accessible as Properties
Setting Properties
You can set Properties from the commandlineMSBuild.exe MyProject.proj /p:Configuration=Debug
MSBuild.exe MyProject.proj /p:Configuration=Debug;Another=Test
You can set Properties depending on other properties
<DebugType Condition="'$(Flavor)'=='DEBUG'">full</DebugType>
Build Targets
Targets group tasks together in a particular order
Allows sections of the build process to be called individually (Commandline, CallTarget Task)
<Target Name=“Compile”> <Csc Sources=“@(SourceFiles)”/></Target>
MSBuild.exe MyProject.proj /t:CompileMSBuild.exe MyProject.proj /t:Clean;Compile
Default Targets
Use DefaultTargets Attribute
<Project DefaultTargets=“Compile”>...</Project>
InitialTargets are executed first
<Project InitialTargets=“Clean”>...</Project>
Incremental Builds
Reduce build time Only builds targets which are out-of-
date or not yet built Specify Inputs and Outputs of the
target
<Target Name=“Compile” Inputs = “@(SourceFiles)” Outputs = “HelloWorld.exe” >
<Csc Sources=“@(SourceFiles)” OutputAssembly=“HelloWorld.exe”/>
</Target>
Build Tasks
A Task is a unit of executable code which performs atomic build operations<Target Name=“MakePublishDirectory”>
<Message Text=“Creating Publish Directory”/> <MakeDir Directories=“$(PublishDir)”/>
</Target>
Build Task Outputs
Task can return Output mapped to Items or Properties
<Target Name="CopyFiles"> <Copy SourceFiles="@(MySourceFiles)" DestinationFolder="@(MyDestFolder)">
<Output TaskParameter="CopiedFiles" ItemName="SuccessfullyCopiedFiles"/>
</Copy> <Message Text=“@(SuccessfullyCopiedFiles,”,”)”></Target>
Build Task ContinueOnError
Specify the ContinueOnError Attribute to succeed target for non-critical tasks
Other possibilities:
<Target Name=“SampleTarget"> <TaskOne ContinueOnError="false"> </TaskOne> <TaskTwo> </TaskTwo> <OnError ExecuteTargets="OtherTarget" /> </Target>
Project Elements Use Choose, When, Otherwise
Elements<Project xmlns=“http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003”>
<PropertyGroup> <SampleProperty>Test</SampleProperty></PropertyGroup>
<Choose> <When Condition=“’$(SampleProperty)’ ==‘Test’”> <PropertyGroup> </PropertyGroup> </When> <Otherwise> </Otherwise></Choose>
</Project>
Summary
Properties Items Targets Tasks Projects