Adding umbraco folders to build with MsBuild

Question

If I use msbuild to build my project, all the folders not included in my solution are not deployed. Is there a way of deploying the umbraco and umbraco_client folders using msbuild? I have tried using Targets like:

https://gist.github.com/aaronpowell/6695293

How can we include the files created by ajaxmin in the msdeploy package created by MSBuild

https://blog.samstephens.co.nz/2010/10/18/msbuild-including-extra-files-multiple-builds/

But hey are not being copied to the output folder. Am I missing anything?

When you want to copy those folders to output folder, copy them before the real build process starts or after the build ends? Also, where the umbraco and umbraco_client fodlers exists, in which directory? — LoLance, Jul 31 '19 at 01:46
I want to copy them after the build to the final output folder for deployment. Both folders already exist physically in the project's folder but not included in the VS project. — Mario Lopez, Jul 31 '19 at 02:03

LoLance · Accepted Answer · 2019-07-31T05:08:53.480

You can use a msbuild target(run after the build ends) in which it calls the msbuild copy task to copy necessary files or folders to output folder. Use AfterTargets="build" to let the target run after the build.

A target script which works in my machine looks like this:

<Target Name="Copyumbraco" AfterTargets="build">
    <ItemGroup>
      <UmbracoFiles Include="$(ProjectDir)**\umbraco\**\*" />
      <Umbraco_ClientFiles Include="$(ProjectDir)**\umbraco_client\**\*" />
    </ItemGroup>
    <Copy SourceFiles="@(UmbracoFiles)" DestinationFolder="$(OutputPath)\%(RecursiveDir)"/>
    <Copy SourceFiles="@(Umbraco_ClientFiles)" DestinationFolder="$(OutputPath)\%(RecursiveDir)"/>
  </Target>

Using $(ProjectDir) property to define the path, so Msbuild can find those two folders if they are in project folder as you mentioned in comment.

The \%(RecursiveDir) set the msbuild copy task to copy the files to destination path with original folder structure. If what you want to just copy all files to Output folder, you don't need to set it, then the script should be:

<Target Name="Copyumbraco" AfterTargets="build">
    <ItemGroup>
      <UmbracoFiles Include="$(ProjectDir)**\umbraco\**\*" />
      <Umbraco_ClientFiles Include="$(ProjectDir)**\umbraco_client\**\*" />
    </ItemGroup>
    <Copy SourceFiles="@(UmbracoFiles)" DestinationFolder="$(OutputPath)"/>
    <Copy SourceFiles="@(Umbraco_ClientFiles)" DestinationFolder="$(OutputPath)"/>
  </Target>

Add the target script into the your project's project file(xx.csproj), make sure you place the script in the format below, then it can work when you use msbuild to build the project.

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">

  ...

  <Target Name="Copyumbraco" AfterTargets="build">
   ...
  </Target>
</Project>

In addition:

For normal projects like console app, class library, the $(OutputPath) represents the output path. But for web site project, we can use $(WebProjectOutputDir) , hint from Mario!

I'd like to add that because Umbraco is a website project I had to use $(WebProjectOutputDir) instead $(OutputPath) — Mario Lopez, Jul 31 '19 at 04:48
@MarioLopez Thanks for the reply, I will add `$(WebProjectOutputDir)` to the answer. — LoLance, Jul 31 '19 at 05:06

Adding umbraco folders to build with MsBuild

1 Answers1