Dynamically create a property in msbuild to be used in a calltarget subtarget

Question

How do I create a property in msbuild so that I can use it in a CallTarget directive?

Essentially I am trying to call a target 'subroutine' where the properties act as parameters.

I tried making a toy csproj file which attempts to create a property, and then calls a target which echos it. It echos null.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <Target Name="Test">
    <CreateProperty Value="AAA">
        <Output TaskParameter="Value" PropertyName="Foo" />
    </CreateProperty>
    <CallTarget Targets="Test2" />
  </Target>
  <Target Name="Test2">
    <Message Text="Target Test2: Foo=$(Foo)" />
  </Target>
</Project>

Running msbuild TestProj.csproj /t:Test outputs:

Test:
  Target Test: Foo=AAA
Test2:
  Target Test2: Foo=

I guess the problem is I'm thinking about msbuild in an imperative fashion (which is apparently a common mistake), so I'm hoping someone can correct what appears to be a very fundamental misunderstanding in how msbuild works.

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered May 14 '12 at 12:17

2

You can use the target property DependsOnTarget to get the property passed from task to task.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <Target Name="Test">
    <CreateProperty Value="AAA">
        <Output TaskParameter="Value" PropertyName="Foo" />
    </CreateProperty>
  </Target>
  <Target Name="Test2" DependsOnTargets="Test">
    <Message Text="Target Test2: Foo=$(Foo)" />
  </Target>
</Project>

The just call the second target.

answered May 14 '12 at 12:17

James Woolfenden

6,498
33
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Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately that subtarget can be called by a few other targets so it is uncertain which target actually called it. This is probably an artifact of me abusing msbuild again.. – fostandy May 14 '12 at 23:52
1

@fostandy a decade later, I remain unconvinced there's another way to use MSBuild except abusing it. – Prof. Falken Nov 01 '21 at 16:50

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:51

0

Holy crap. This is apparently a bug in msbuild?

Overwrite properties with MSBuild

http://weblogs.asp.net/bhouse/archive/2006/03/20/440648.aspx

edit: Or this is a feature? https://stackoverflow.com/a/7539455

edited May 23 '17 at 11:51

Community

1
1

answered May 14 '12 at 11:28

fostandy

4,282
4
37
41

Dynamically create a property in msbuild to be used in a calltarget subtarget

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