Using MSBuild to Build Multiple Configurations

buildconfigurationmsbuildmsbuild-task

I'm trying to edit my project file to enable me to have a project that builds multiple build configs at once. I've done this using a batching approach and using the MSBuild task (see below).

If I run the script, I get an this error:

Error 103 The OutputPath property is
not set for project
"ThisMSBuildProjectFile.csproj".
Please check to make sure that you
have specified a valid combination of
Configuration and Platform for this
project. Configuration='Debug'
Platform='AnyCPU'.

I get this if I add or omit the OutputPath from the MSBuild task. If used the VS2010 debugger to step through the script and the MSBuild Task is called – the debugger steps into the file again and then steps into OutputPath, so afaik, it should pick that value up, no?

Any help for this would be greatly appreciated – it's driving me crazy. Thanks, Paul.

ThisMSBuildProjectFile.csproj (surplus stuff taken out):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" DefaultTargets="Build">

  <!-- Only Import normal targets if not building multiple projects -->
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' != 'AllBuild|AnyCPU' "/>

  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == '' ">
    <DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
    <Optimize>true</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>C:\Folder\Etc\Output\$(Configuration)\</OutputPath>
    <OutDir>C:\Folder\Etc\Output\$(Configuration)\</OutDir>
    <BaseOutputPath>C:\Folder\Etc\Output\$(Configuration)\</BaseOutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>TRACE</DefineConstants>
    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <!-- Common -->
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
    <Platform>AnyCPU</Platform>
    <!-- Repeated properties from above here (including, of course, OutputPath) -->  
   </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
    <!-- Repeated properties from above here (including, of course, OutputPath) --> 
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Projects Include="C:\Folder\Etc\ThisMSBuildProjectFile.csproj" />
  </ItemGroup>

   <!-- Call this project file again, but with a different configuration - if this was working, this would call multiple  build configs -->
  <Target Name="Build" Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'AllBuild|AnyCPU' ">
    <Message Text="hm!"/>
    <!-- Tried thiswith and without the OutputPath property - makes no difference. -->
   <MSBuild  Projects="@(Projects)" Properties="Configuration=Debug;OutputPath=C:\Folder\Etc\Output\" ToolsVersion="4.0" Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'AllBuild|AnyCPU' "/>
 </Target>

   <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'AllBuild|AnyCPU' ">
    <!-- Repeated properties from above here (including, of course, OutputPath) --> 
  </PropertyGroup>

  <!-- Project files -->
  <ItemGroup>
    <Reference Include="System" />
    <Reference Include="System.Core" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs" />
    <Compile Include="Blah\Blah.cs" />
  </ItemGroup>

Best Answer

It is important to realize that when you use a "MSBuild" task, a new child MSBuild process will be started. The implication of this is that any items and properties you define in the parent MSBuild process will not be automatically passed to/visible from the child MSBuild process unless you explicitely pass them via Properties attribute on MSBuild element (as in <MSbuild Properties="..." />).

To answer your question, I wrote the following self-contained example that runs a child MSBuild project for all the specified configurations:

  1. First, create a directory for your MSBuild experiment (for example I used C:\temp\msbuildtest)

  2. In this directory, create the first file, main.proj:

    <Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" DefaultTargets="Build" ToolsVersion="4.0">
    <ItemGroup>
        <ConfigList Condition=" '@(ConfigList)' == '' and $(Config) != '' " Include="$(Config.Split('+'))" /><!-- parse all requested configurations into a list -->
        <ConfigList Condition=" '@(ConfigList)' == '' " Include="Debug" /><!-- if no configurations were specified, default to Debug -->
    </ItemGroup>
    <!--

    Build the child project for each requested configuration. -->
    <Target Name="Build">
        <MSBuild Projects="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\child.proj" Properties="Configuration=%(ConfigList.Identity);OutputPath=$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\bin\%(ConfigList.Identity)" Targets="Build" />
    </Target>
</Project>

  3. In the same directory, create the second file, child.proj (in your case this would be the actual C# project you're trying to build, but because I'm trying to illustrate my point, I am using a simple child project that instead of running C# compiler just prints values of properties :-) )

    <Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" DefaultTargets="Build" ToolsVersion="4.0">
    <Target Name="Build">
        <Message Text="Building configuration $(Configuration) with output path $(OutputPath)" Importance="High" />
    </Target>
</Project>

  4. Now you can run the example. First the default, if you don't explicitly specify configurations to build:

    C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\msbuild main.proj
> (cut the noise)
> Build:
>   Building configuration Debug with output path C:\temp_c\d\bin\Debug

    And then explicitly specified multiple configurations:

    C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\msbuild main.proj /property:Config=Debug+Release+Staging+Production
> (cut the noise)
> Build:
>   Building configuration Debug with output path C:\temp_c\d\bin\Debug
> Build:
>   Building configuration Release with output path C:\temp_c\d\bin\Release
> Build:
>   Building configuration Staging with output path C:\temp_c\d\bin\Staging
> Build:
>   Building configuration Production with output path C:\temp_c\d\bin\Production

You should be able to adapt this technique to your situation.

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