Msbuild targets list. Use the MSBuild project SDKs to simplify working with software development kits that require properties and targets to be imported. Warning Be sure to use different names than the predefined targets (for example, the custom build target here is CustomAfterBuild, not AfterBuild), since those predefined targets are overridden by the SDK import which also defines them. For a list of these additional parameters and their descriptions, see TaskExtension base class. MSBuild doesn't have a property for the list of targets requested to build. Aug 12, 2025 · Specify the order in which MSBuild targets run and whether the input to one target depends on the output of another target. In older versions of MSBuild, or in projects that don't use the Sdk attribute, it was a common practice to extend the behavior of a target like Build by overriding the target AfterBuild or BeforeBuild. targets that you can use to customize the build system in Visual Studio. Build. MSBuild includes several . Learn about the MSBuild reserved and well-known properties, predefined properties that store information about the project file and the MSBuild binaries. The root element of an MSBuild XML file will always be a project containing target elements. Feb 12, 2026 · Msbuild will process the first target in the file by default. The equivalent to macros in recent versions of Visual Studio are MSBuild properties. The dotnet msbuild command allows access to a fully functional MSBuild. <!-- Shows with atleast (Normal) verbosity --> <!-- Shows with atleast (Normal) verbosity --> <!-- Learn about the MSBuild Target element, which contains a set of tasks for MSBuild to execute sequentially. For instructions creating a NuGet package using MSBuild, see Create a NuGet package using MSBuild. Manipulating the IL of an assembly as part of a build requires a significant amount of plumbing code. csproj or msbuild. In fact, as one of the nice things that Mac developers get for FREE, both MSBuild and NuGet are added to your PATH when you installed Visual Studio Mac making building from the command line very easy. Jun 27, 2025 · Explore how MSBuild uses targets to group several tasks together and allow the build process to be factored into smaller units. When using explicit imports, you can import from a . MSBuild でターゲットを使用して複数のタスクをグループ化し、ビルド プロセスをより小さな単位に組み込む方法について MSBuild LOVES Multi-Targeting so you can build these projects from the command line all day long. Unlike using the Exec task to start MSBuild. microsoft. Use MSBuild to create a custom task for code generation that properly handles incremental build and clean operations and supports multitargeting. xml Given a build file (. For example, if you define a target named Deploy that depends on the targets PrepareForBuild and Build, you can express that dependency as follows: This topic describes how you can exclude files and folders from a web deployment package when you build and package a web application project. Go to the Macros dialog to see all of the properties and their current values in your project. The Microsoft Build Engine (MSBuild) is the build platform for . For example, by running from the command line, you can set certain MSBuild properties, generate a binary log to debug a build problem, or run a subset of the build, such as explicitly running a specific build target rather than the full build. This plumbing code involves knowledge of both the MSBuild and Visual Studio APIs. exe -ts SomeProject. NET Framework versions. For details on how MSBuild property definitions are created and used as macros in . This table describes a commonly used subset of the available macros; there are many more not listed here. For example <Target Name="CopyPackage" AfterTargets="Pack"> is there any list of all available built-in targets I can use with AfterTargets? https://github. . NET application by using custom MSBuild targets. A detailed guide on designing and creating a NuGet package, including files and versioning. GitHub Gist: instantly share code, notes, and snippets. targets, ProjectReference items are transformed into MSBuild task executions in order to provide a user-friendly interface: "reference the output of these projects". targets file defines two main pipelines: Build and Publish. Discover how MSBuild processes your project files, whether you invoke the build tool from Visual Studio or from a command line or script. The Microsoft. NET Languages? MSBuild is the build system at the heart of . <!-- Prints a basic message --> <!-- Message importance. 1+, NuGet is also a first-class MSBuild citizen with the pack and restore targets as described below. props, . targets file at any point. These files are automatically imported into most Visual Studio project files to simplify maintenance and readability. In Microsoft. - dotnet/msbuild MSBuild includes several . The support files, properties, and targets used by MSBuild for Visual Studio C++ projects. When you define a target in MSBuild, you can use the DependsOnTargets attribute to define target dependencies. com/NuGet/docs. vcxproj files, see MSBuild Properties. Most build systems that allow the creation of custom targets also have a command-line option for displaying the available targets in a project: gradle tasks rake --tasks grunt --help Developers working on projects that use MSBuild would The Microsoft Build Engine (MSBuild) is the build platform for . Because MSBuild is responsible for the project, almost any project in the MSBuild format can be successfully used in Visual Studio, even if the project was authored by a different tool and has a customized build process. <!-- How to print a message. exe command line to build specific targets of specific projects in your solutions and get help with troubleshooting. xml or whatever), I'd like to run a msbuild command that lists all the available, defined targets. Fody attempts to eliminate that plumbing code through an extensible add-in model. The list of already-built targets that can be skipped is shared between the parent and child builds. txt A target element can have both Inputs and Outputs attributes, indicating what items the target expects as input, and what items it produces as output. This shows the relationship between the key elements in an MSBuild project file: This table describes a commonly used subset of the available macros; there are many more not listed here. targets files that contain items, properties, targets, and tasks for common scenarios. How messages are shown can change with the logger being used. Does that function exist? I know I could do an Xpath search or something, on the build file, but that wouldn't find targets that are defined in included files. Learn how to specify the initial targets or the default targets to build first in MSBuild project files. Here's the widely used convention: . You can provide MSBuild properties to the dotnet pack command for the packing process. MSBuild uses this attribute to determine the order in which targets are executed. This no longer seems to work in Visual Studio. exe -target:Clean). Jul 25, 2015 · Given a build file (. Visual Studio hosts MSBuild to load and build managed projects. Discover how to use the MSBuild. props and Directory. 0 defines the file format for a VSIX deployment manifest file, which describes the contents of a VSIX package. A build event in the IDE results in an MSBuild target in the project file. - dotnet/msbuild The build can also fail if there is a locked file or other issue. When AndroidDeviceUserId is set in the main csproj file ( MAUI App ), the MSBuild targets correctly use it for deployment (FastDeploy/Install) but Visual Studio's vsdbg debug adapter does not pass --user to the am start command during F5 debugging. For more information, see NuGet pack target properties and the MSBuild Command-Line Reference. exe, this task uses the same MSBuild process to build the child projects. NET development, responsible for compiling code, managing dependencies, and packaging applications. The Examples section shows how to use the MSBuild -p switch for a couple of different scenarios. MSBuild allows you to specify build-targets such as Build or Clean with -target:<build-target> (Example: MSBuild. If you're not sure what targets are available, you can get a list of targets available for a single project by invoking MSBuild with the -targets (-ts) switch. Is there a way to list all defined variables in an executing MSBuild project? I'm trying to figure out exactly what paths and variables are set (to pass into WiX), and it's difficult to debug ever Explore the special imports Directory. If your MSBuild target configuration is compatible with building in parallel, you can check this input to pass the /m switch to MSBuild (Windows only). Dec 19, 2025 · What Are the Existing Default MSBuild Build Targets Common to All . An MSBuild file is implemented in XML. If all output items are up-to-date, MSBuild skips the target, which significantly improves the build speed. The command has the exact same capabilities as the existing MSBuild command-line client for SDK-style projects only. For example, MSBuild. Overriding predefined targets is an older method that is still supported, but, because MSBuild evaluates the definition of targets sequentially, there's no way to prevent another project that imports your project from overriding the targets you already have overridden. Here is a short summary of both. proj. This is the codebase of core Fody The VSIX extension schema 2. props files are imported early in the import order. md at main · MicrosoftDocs In prior versions of Visual Studio, these were called macros. targets, and . When the MSBuild script is started from the command line, it takes a build file as parameter as well as the names of the targets, which should be executed. targets files are imported late in the build Use MSBuild to create a custom task for code generation that properly handles incremental build and clean operations and supports multitargeting. Refer to the table at the end of this article for a list of predefined targets. - visualstudio-docs/docs/msbuild/target-element-msbuild. This repo is the home of the official documentation for Visual Studio. Of course, a developer can define their own target using a . Common. md#target-build-order Because pack and restore are MSBuild targets, you can access them to enhance your workflow. Does that function exist? MSBuild Cheat Sheet. Oct 6, 2025 · List All Targets, Properties, And Environment Variables # To list all MSBuild targets, properties, and environment variables for a build, build with logging Diagnostic (/v:diag). . MSBuild is the build engine that Visual Studio uses to process your project file when it performs a build. However, if you find a way, keep in mind that it might not be a single target, but instead a list of targets to build. Instead, you need to go to the command line: dotnet build -v:diag -tl:off > output. These targets allow you to work with NuGet as you would with any other MSBuild task or target. md at main · MicrosoftDocs Warning Be sure to use different names than the predefined targets (for example, the custom build target here is CustomAfterBuild, not AfterBuild), since those predefined targets are overridden by the SDK import which also defines them. props or . It is possible to run multiple targets in an MSBuild file. The first version of Visual Studio that supports a new TargetFramework becomes a floor for the feature bands of that SDK for Roslyn API surface, MSBuild targets, source generators, analyzers, and so on. With MSBuild 15. NET and Visual Studio. In this post, I describe how to run npm scripts when building a . com-nuget/blob/master/docs/reference/msbuild-targets. Further, you can use MSBuild items to add arbitrary assembly attributes to the generated file. You can use an MSBuild property to transform package-related project properties into assembly attributes in a generated code file. A list of all <Target /> tags that ship with MSBuild / Visual Studio - target. If your target configuration is not compatible with building in parallel, checking this option may cause your build to result in file-in-use errors, or intermittent or inconsistent build failures. MSBuild is import-order dependent, and the last definition of a property (or a UsingTask or target) is the definition used. Explore how the Microsoft Build Engine (MSBuild) platform provides a project file with an XML schema to control builds with properties, items, tasks, and targets. Build an MSBuild project to run on a target . You can configure MSBuild targets and tasks to run out-of-process with MSBuild so that you can target contexts that are considerably different than the one you are running on. How to use targets and tasks to provide execution instructions to MSBuild, using properties and items defined elsewhere in the project file. MSBuild projects can refer to other projects by using the MSBuild task to execute targets in another project and return values. NET Framework version, a target platform, or a software architecture, and view supported . smpxx, fdzr, ax31r, d1z3, xw2any, am6l, w1rm2m, qryp, xm91lf, ia0fs,