MSBuild Task Reference

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.NET Framework 4.5

Tasks provide the code that runs during the build process. The tasks in the following list are included with MSBuild. When Visual C++ is installed, additional tasks are available that are used to build Visual C++ projects. For more information, see MSBuild Tasks Specific to Visual C++.

In addition to the parameters listed in the topics in this section, each task also has the following parameters:

Parameter	Description
Condition	Optional String parameter. A Boolean expression that the MSBuild engine uses to determine whether this task will be executed. For information about the conditions that are supported by MSBuild, see MSBuild Conditions.
ContinueOnError	Optional parameter. Can contain one of the following values: WarnAndContinue or true. When a task fails, subsequent tasks in the Target element and the build continue to execute, and all errors from the task are treated as warnings. ErrorAndContinue. When a task fails, subsequent tasks in the Target element and the build continue to execute, and all errors from the task are treated as errors. ErrorAndStop or false (default). When a task fails, the remaining tasks in the Target element and the build aren't executed, and the entire Target element and the build is considered to have failed. Versions of the .NET Framework before 4.5 supported only the true and false values. For more information, see How to: Ignore Errors in Tasks.

Parameter

Description

Condition

Optional String parameter.

A Boolean expression that the MSBuild engine uses to determine whether this task will be executed. For information about the conditions that are supported by MSBuild, see MSBuild Conditions.

ContinueOnError

Optional parameter. Can contain one of the following values:

WarnAndContinue or true. When a task fails, subsequent tasks in the Target element and the build continue to execute, and all errors from the task are treated as warnings.
ErrorAndContinue. When a task fails, subsequent tasks in the Target element and the build continue to execute, and all errors from the task are treated as errors.
ErrorAndStop or false (default). When a task fails, the remaining tasks in the Target element and the build aren't executed, and the entire Target element and the build is considered to have failed.

Versions of the .NET Framework before 4.5 supported only the true and false values.

For more information, see How to: Ignore Errors in Tasks.

In This Section

Task Base Class: Adds several parameters to the tasks that derive from the Task class.
TaskExtension Base Class: Adds several parameters to the tasks that derive from the TaskExtension class.
ToolTaskExtension Base Class: Adds several parameters to the tasks that derive from the ToolTaskExtension class.
AL (Assembly Linker) Task: Creates an assembly with a manifest from one or more files that are either modules or resource files.
AspNetCompiler Task: Wraps aspnet_compiler.exe, a utility to precompile ASP.NET applications.
AssignCulture Task: Assigns culture identifiers to items.
AssignProjectConfiguration Task: Accepts a list of configuration strings and assigns them to specified projects.
AssignTargetPath Task: Accepts a list of files and adds <TargetPath> attributes if they are not already specified.
CallTarget Task: Invokes a target in the project file.
CombinePath Task: Combines the specified paths into a single path.
ConvertToAbsolutePath Task: Converts a relative path or reference into an absolute path.
Copy Task: Copies files to a new location.
CreateCSharpManifestResourceName Task: Creates a Visual C#-style manifest name from a given .resx file name or other resource.
CreateItem Task: Populates item collections from the input items, allowing items to be copied from one list to another.
CreateProperty Task: Populates properties from the input values, allowing values to be copied from one property or string to another.
CreateVisualBasicManifestResourceName Task: Creates a Visual Basic-style manifest name from a given .resx file name or other resource.
Csc Task: Invokes the Visual C# compiler to produce executables, dynamic-link libraries, or code modules.
Delete Task: Deletes the specified files.
Error Task: Stops a build and logs an error based on an evaluated conditional statement.
Exec Task: Runs the specified program or command with the specified arguments.
FindAppConfigFile Task: Finds the app.config file, if any, in the provided lists.
FindInList Task: Finds an item in a specified list that has the matching itemspec.
FindUnderPath Task: Determines which items in the specified item collection exist in the specified folder and all of its subfolders.
FormatUrl Task: Converts a URL to a correct URL format.
FormatVersion Task: Appends the revision number to the version number.
GenerateApplicationManifest Task: Generates a ClickOnce application manifest or a native manifest.
GenerateBootstrapper Task: Provides an automated way to detect, download, and install an application and its prerequisites.
GenerateDeploymentManifest Task: Generates a ClickOnce deployment manifest.
GenerateResource Task: Converts .txt and .resx files to common language runtime binary .resources files.
GenerateTrustInfo Task: Generates the application trust from the base manifest, and from the TargetZone and ExcludedPermissions parameters.
GetAssemblyIdentity Task: Retrieves the assembly identities from the specified files and outputs the identity information.
GetFrameworkPath Task: Retrieves the path to the .NET Framework assemblies.
GetFrameworkSdkPath Task: Retrieves the path to the Windows Software Development Kit (SDK).
GetReferenceAssemblyPaths Task: Returns the reference assembly paths of the various frameworks.
LC Task: Generates a .license file from a .licx file.
MakeDir Task: Creates directories and, if necessary, any parent directories.
Message Task: Logs a message during a build.
Move Task: Moves files to a new location.
MSBuild Task: Builds MSBuild projects from another MSBuild project.
ReadLinesFromFile Task: Reads a list of items from a text file.
RegisterAssembly Task: Reads the metadata within the specified assembly and adds the necessary entries to the registry.
RemoveDir Task: Removes the specified directories and all of its files and subdirectories.
RemoveDuplicates Task: Removes duplicate items from the specified item collection.
RequiresFramework35SP1Assembly Task: Determines whether the application requires the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1.
ResGen Task: Obsolete. Use the GenerateResource Task task to convert .txt and .resx files to and from common language runtime binary .resources files.
ResolveAssemblyReference Task: Determines all assemblies that depend on the specified assemblies.
ResolveComReference Task: Takes a list of one or more type library names or .tlb files and resolves those type libraries to locations on disk.
ResolveKeySource Task: Determines the strong name key source
ResolveManifestFiles Task: Resolves the following items in the build process to files for manifest generation: built items, dependencies, satellites, content, debug symbols, and documentation.
ResolveNativeReference Task: Resolves native references.
ResolveNonMSBuildProjectOutput Task: Determines the output files for non-MSBuild project references.
SGen Task: Creates an XML serialization assembly for types in the specified assembly.
SignFile Task: Signs the specified file using the specified certificate.
Touch Task: Sets the access and modification times of files.
UnregisterAssembly Task: Unregisters the specified assemblies for COM interop purposes.
UpdateManifest Task: Updates selected properties in a manifest and resigns.
Vbc Task: Invokes the Visual Basic compiler to produce executables, dynamic-link libraries, or code modules..
Warning Task: Logs a warning during a build based on an evaluated conditional statement.
WriteCodeFragment Task: Generates a temporary code file by using the specified generated code fragment. Does not delete the file.
WriteLinesToFile Task: Writes the specified items to the specified text file.
XmlPeek Task: Returns values as specified by XPath query from an XML file.
XmlPoke Task: Sets values as specified by an XPath query into an XML file.
XslTransformation Task: Transforms an XML input by using an Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) or compiled XSLT and outputs to an output device or a file.

Concepts

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