MSBuild : Architecting and Customized Build System

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MSBuild Architecting and Customized Build System
Assaf JacobyMicrosoft Sector ManagerAdvantech -
Microsoft Division (Magen) assafj_at_magen.com
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In This Session

• MSBuild Architecture
• MSBuild File Format
• MSBuild Tips Tricks
• Team Build

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Visual Studio .NET 2002/2003
Feeds
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MSBuild Design Goals
PROJECT FILE


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The Building BlocksOverall architecture of
MSBuild and Team Build
.NET Framework 2.0 Redist
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MSBuild in 5 minutes

• The underlying build engine in Visual Studio
  2005
  
• Fully open and published XML file format for
  describing build
  
• Visual Studio 2005 build is fully customizable
• You extend the build by writing managed code
  (tasks and loggers)
  
• You dont need the IDE to build Visual Studio
  projects

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MSBuild File Format
oper/msbuild/2003
MyCoolApp
true
(AppName).exely



(AppName) / itDebugInformation(DebugSymbols)
OutputAssembly(OutputAssembly)/
Sharp.targets /
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1 Editing a project using Visual Studio 2005

• Opening a project file for edit is 4 clicks away
  from within Visual Studio!
  
• When editing, you get full Intellisense based on
  the Project File Format Schema

Right Click on the project name in Solution
Explorer and Unload Project Right Click on the
unloaded project in Solution Explorer and Edit
Project
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2 Customizing the Build

• How do I run pre-build and post-build steps using
  built-in MSBuild features?

sh / /Target r Condition!Exists(_at_(PublishDir))
Directories_at_(PublishDir) /
estinationFolder_at_(PublishDir) /
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3 Customizing with more granularity

• How do I run custom steps during arbitrary points
  in the build process for example, what if I
  wanted to delete all files from c\temp\publish
  as a part of Clean target?

sh / DependsOn(CleanDependsOn)MyClean
emoveDir Directories_at_(PublishDir) /
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MSBuild File Format Basics (cont.)Task
Implementation
public class MakeDir Task private string
directories public string Directories
get return directories se
t directories value public over
ride bool Execute() foreach (strin
g directory in directories)
System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(directory)
return true
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Microsoft.SDC MSBuild Tasks

• Microsoft research UK has released number of
  extra tasks for MSBuild.
  
• These tasks include a number of common thing like
  file management source control etc.
  
• You can download it from www.gotdotnet.com

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4 Using built-in metadata
(FullPath) (RootDir) (Filename) (Extension)

(RelativeDir) (Directory)
(RecursiveDir) (Identity) (ModifiedTime) (C
reationTime)
(AccessedTime)
mGroup y SourceFiles_at_(Compile) DestinationFile
s(Compile.Filename).bak /
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5 Copying files recursively

• How can I use MSBuild constructs to copy all the
  contents of a folder from one directory to
  another?

oper/msbuild/2003 s IncludeC\foo\\.cs /
sively C\foocopy ? -- DestinationFolderC\foocopy\(RecursiveDi
r) /
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BatchingExample Bucketing items

• Build satellite assemblies by invoking AL once
  per Culture

OutputAssembly(Culture)\Resources.dll /
_at_(EmbeddedResource)
(Culture)
001.bmp
002.bmp
003.wmv
004.bmp
005.wmv
006.xml
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6 The Task

• Executes target(s) in another MSBuild project
• Runs entirely in-process
• Never builds the same target in the same project
  twice within a build
  
• Used for communication between projects
• Gathering information from referenced projects
• Building child projects

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7 Gathering performance summary

• Somehow, my build has slowed down tremendously.
  I need to find out whats going on!

Use the /ConsoleLoggerParameters switch or the
Diagnostic verbosity to gather performance
statistics.
C\project msbuild build.proj /ConsoleLoggerParam
etersPerformanceSummary
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What Is Team Build?

• A fully automated build solution that is easy to
  use and configure
  
• Capable of a complete end-to-end build
• Seamlessly integrated into Visual Studio Team
  System and Team Foundation Server
  
• Fully extensible through standard MSBuild
  extensibility mechanisms

In other words, its a build lab in a box
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Team BuildArchitecture
Drop Location
Team Foundation Client
Create build type Start build View Reports
Application Tier
Build Machine
Team Build Web Services
Data Tier
Sources Work items Team Build data
MSBuild
Team Foundation warehouse
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Team BuildBuild Execution
Get sources from source control
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Building In The Future

• Faster builds through
• Multi-proc builds
• Distributed build
• Extensible mechanisms for achieving incremental
  builds
  
• Easier task authoring
• Example Inline your task code
• Example Auto ToolTask generator

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Building In The Future (cont.)

• Continuous Integration through Team Build
• Richer IDE integration IDE becomes a visual
  build designer
  
• File format enhancements, including XML
  namespaces
  
• .SLN file format becomes MSBuild
• Debugging the build process

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Summary

• With MSBuild youll be able to
• Build a VS project without VS being installed
  since MSBuild ships with the CLR
  
• Author a project file with ease since the file
  format is open and backed up by an XSD
  
• Customize the build process through our
  comprehensive task extensibility model
  
• Do all this without losing any of the
• RADness you expect from an IDE!

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