MSBuild

Links

Plugins

MSBuild Extras - Toolkit for .NET 1.1 MSBee

Install

I have installed the .NET Framework - SDK, ../dotnet/sdk, which installs a shortcut to an SDK Command Prompt. Running msbuild from this prompt runs the tool.

Getting Started

A very simple project file:

<Project DefaultTargets = "Compile" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" >
    <PropertyGroup>
        <!-- Set the application name as a property -->
        <appname>HelloWorldCS</appname>
    </PropertyGroup>

    <!-- Specify the inputs by type and file name -->
    <ItemGroup>
        <CSFile Include = "consolehwcs1.cs"/>
    </ItemGroup>

    <Target Name = "Compile">
        <!-- Run the Visual C# compilation using input files of type CSFile -->
        <CSC Sources = "@(CSFile)" OutputAssembly = "$(appname).exe">
            <!-- Set the OutputAssembly attribute of the CSC task to the name of the executable file that is created -->
            <Output TaskParameter = "OutputAssembly" ItemName = "EXEFile" />
        </CSC>

        <!-- Log the file name of the output file -->
        <Message Text="The output file is @(EXEFile)"/>
    </Target>
</Project>

To build this project (which compiles consolehwcs1.cs into an exe):

msbuild

All files

To build all cs files in the src/main/java/ folder:

<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
    <PropertyGroup>
        <OutputPath>.\target</OutputPath>
    </PropertyGroup>
    <ItemGroup>
        <cs_source Include = "src\main\java\**\*.cs"/>
    </ItemGroup>
    <Target Name="Compile">
        <MakeDir Directories = "${OutputPath}"/>
        <Csc Sources = "@(cs_source)"
            TargetType = "module"
            OutputAssembly = "${OutputPath}\lucene-app-dotnot.netmodule"/>
    </Target>
</Project>

Note: The cs_source array is accessed using the @ symbol and normal brackets (not curly brackets).

Library

To create a dll file:

<Project DefaultTargets = "Compile" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" >
    <PropertyGroup>
        <!-- Set the application name as a property -->
        <appname>Cow</appname>
    </PropertyGroup>

    <!-- Specify the inputs by type and file name -->
    <ItemGroup>
        <CSFile Include = "cow.cs"/>
    </ItemGroup>

    <Target Name = "Compile">
        <!-- Run the Visual C# compilation using input files of type CSFile -->
        <CSC
            Sources = "@(CSFile)"
            TargetType = "library">

            <!-- Set the OutputAssembly attribute of the CSC task to the name of the executable file that is created -->
            <Output TaskParameter = "OutputAssembly" ItemName = "EXEFile" />
        </CSC>

        <!-- Log the file name of the output file -->
        <Message Text="The output file is @(EXEFile)"/>
    </Target>
</Project>

Note, the TargetType is set to library.

References

To include references:

<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
    <PropertyGroup>
        <OutputPath>target</OutputPath>
    </PropertyGroup>
    <ItemGroup>
        <cs_source
            Include = "src\main\java\**\*.cs"
            Exclude = "
                **\JavaBuiltInRTFHandler.cs;
                **\NekoHTMLHandler.cs;
                **\PDFBoxPDFHandler.cs;
                **\POIExcelDocHandler.cs;
                **\POIPowerPointHandler.cs;
                **\POIWordDocHandler.cs
                "/>
    </ItemGroup>

    <ItemGroup>
        <Reference Include="log4net.dll"/>
        <Reference Include="Lucene.Net.dll"/>
        <Reference Include="LuceneIndexAccess.dll"/>
        <Reference Include="Snowball.Net.dll"/>
    </ItemGroup>

    <Target Name="Compile">
        <MakeDir Directories = "$(OutputPath)"/>
        <Csc Sources = "@(cs_source)"
            References = "@(Reference)"
            TargetType = "library"
            OutputAssembly = "$(OutputPath)\lucene-app-dotnet.dll"
            />
    </Target>
</Project>

Note the References = "@(Reference)" section in the Csc task.

When a project like this is loaded into a Microsoft IDE, the references cause an error like this:

Warning       1       The referenced component 'log4net.dll' could not be found.

I can’t solve this. I have tried setting the HintPath and the ReferencePath but it makes no difference. You can still browse the objects so I guess it might be ok for now.

.NET 1.1

To target .NET 1.1 using MSBuild:

Install the .NET 1.1 SDK.
Download MSBee (see plugin links above). I installed to:
```
C:\Program Files\MSBuild\MSBee\
```

This installs a new Power Toys for Visual Studio program group. This group contains a manual for MSBee.