.NET Framework Class Library
ToolTask Class

When overridden in a derived form, provides functionality for a task that wraps a command line tool.

Namespace:  Microsoft.Build.Utilities
Assembly:  Microsoft.Build.Utilities (in Microsoft.Build.Utilities.dll)
Syntax

Visual Basic (Declaration)
Public MustInherit Class ToolTask _
    Inherits Task
Visual Basic (Usage)
Dim instance As ToolTask
C#
public abstract class ToolTask : Task
Visual C++
public ref class ToolTask abstract : public Task
JScript
public abstract class ToolTask extends Task
Remarks

This abstract class provides default implementations for the methods and properties of a task that wraps a command line tool.

Examples

The following example creates a ToolTask that runs MSIL Assembler (Ilasm.exe). The CommandLineBuilder, ToolLocationHelper, and TaskLoggingHelper classes are used to generate the information needed to run the task.

Visual Basic
Imports System
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.Text
Imports Microsoft.Build.Utilities
Imports Microsoft.Build.Framework

Namespace MSBuildTasks

    ''' <summary>
    ''' A very simple and incomplete ToolTask to wrap the ILASM.EXE tool.
    ''' </summary>
    Public Class ILAsm
        Inherits ToolTask

        ''' <summary>
        ''' Parameter bag.
        ''' </summary>
        Protected Friend ReadOnly Property Bag() As Hashtable
            Get
                Return propertyBag
            End Get
        End Property

        Private propertyBag As New Hashtable()

        ''' <summary>
        ''' The Source file that is to be compled (.il)
        ''' </summary>
        Public Property [Source]() As ITaskItem
            Get
                Return Bag("Source")
            End Get
            Set(ByVal value As ITaskItem)
                Bag("Source") = value
            End Set
        End Property

        ''' <summary>
        ''' Either EXE or DLL indicating the assembly type to be generated
        ''' </summary>
        Public Property TargetType() As String
            Get
                Return Bag("TargetType")
            End Get
            Set(ByVal value As String)
                Bag("TargetType") = value
            End Set
        End Property '

        Protected Overrides ReadOnly Property ToolName() As String
            Get
                Return "ILAsm.exe"
            End Get
        End Property

        ''' <summary>
        ''' Use ToolLocationHelper to find ILASM.EXE in the Framework directory
        ''' </summary>
        Protected Overrides Function GenerateFullPathToTool() As String
            ' Ask ToolLocationHelper to find ILASM.EXE - it will look in the latest framework directory available
            Return ToolLocationHelper.GetPathToDotNetFrameworkFile(ToolName, TargetDotNetFrameworkVersion.VersionLatest)
        End Function

        ''' <summary>
        ''' Construct the command line from the task properties by using the CommandLineBuilder
        ''' </summary>
        Protected Overrides Function GenerateCommandLineCommands() As String
            Dim builder As New CommandLineBuilder()

            ' We don't need the tool's logo information shown
            builder.AppendSwitch("/nologo")

            Dim targetType As String = Bag("TargetType")
            ' Be explicit with our switches
            If Not (targetType Is Nothing) Then
                If [String].Compare(targetType, "DLL", True) = 0 Then
                    builder.AppendSwitch("/DLL")
                ElseIf [String].Compare(targetType, "EXE", True) = 0 Then
                    builder.AppendSwitch("/EXE")
                Else
                    Log.LogWarning("Invalid TargetType (valid values are DLL and EXE) specified: {0}", targetType)
                End If
            End If
            ' Add the filename that we want the tool to process
            builder.AppendFileNameIfNotNull(Bag("Source"))

            ' Log a High importance message stating the file that we are assembling
            Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.High, "Assembling {0}", Bag("Source"))

            ' We have all of our switches added, return the commandline as a string
            Return builder.ToString()
        End Function
    End Class
End Namespace
C#
using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Text;
using Microsoft.Build.Utilities;
using Microsoft.Build.Framework;

namespace MSBuildTasks
{
    /// <summary>
    /// A very simple and incomplete ToolTask to wrap the ILASM.EXE tool.
    /// </summary>
    public class ILAsm : ToolTask
    {
        #region Member Data
        /// <summary>
        /// Gets the collection of parameters used by the task class.
        /// </summary>
        /// <value>Parameter bag.</value>
        protected internal Hashtable Bag
        {
            get
            {
                return bag;
            }
        }

        private Hashtable bag = new Hashtable();
        #endregion

        #region ILAsm Task Properties
        /// <summary>
        /// The Source file that is to be compled (.il)
        /// </summary>
        public ITaskItem Source
        {
            get { return Bag["Source"] as ITaskItem; }
            set { Bag["Source"] = value; }
        }
        /// <summary>
        /// Either EXE or DLL indicating the assembly type to be generated
        /// </summary>
        public string TargetType
        {
            get { return Bag["TargetType"] as string; }
            set { Bag["TargetType"] = value; }
        }
        #endregion

        #region ToolTask Members
        protected override string ToolName
        {
            get { return "ILAsm.exe"; }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// Use ToolLocationHelper to find ILASM.EXE in the Framework directory
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns></returns>
        protected override string GenerateFullPathToTool()
        {
            // Ask ToolLocationHelper to find ILASM.EXE - it will look in the latest framework directory available
            return ToolLocationHelper.GetPathToDotNetFrameworkFile(ToolName, TargetDotNetFrameworkVersion.VersionLatest);
        }
        #endregion

        #region ILAsm Task Members
        /// <summary>
        /// Construct the command line from the task properties by using the CommandLineBuilder
        /// </summary>
        /// <returns></returns>
        protected override string GenerateCommandLineCommands()
        {
            CommandLineBuilder builder = new CommandLineBuilder();

            // We don't need the tool's logo information shown
            builder.AppendSwitch("/nologo");

            string targetType = Bag["TargetType"] as string;
            // Be explicit with our switches
            if (targetType != null)
            {
                if (String.Compare(targetType, "DLL", true) == 0)
                {
                    builder.AppendSwitch("/DLL");
                }
                else if (String.Compare(targetType, "EXE", true) == 0)
                {
                    builder.AppendSwitch("/EXE");
                }
                else
                {
                    Log.LogWarning("Invalid TargetType (valid values are DLL and EXE) specified: {0}", targetType);
                }
            }

            // Add the filename that we want the tool to process
            builder.AppendFileNameIfNotNull(Bag["Source"] as ITaskItem);

            // Log a High importance message stating the file that we are assembling
            Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.High, "Assembling {0}", Bag["Source"]);

            // We have all of our switches added, return the commandline as a string
            return builder.ToString();
        }
        #endregion
    }
}
Inheritance Hierarchy

System..::.Object
  Microsoft.Build.Utilities..::.Task
    Microsoft.Build.Utilities..::.ToolTask
      Microsoft.Build.Tasks..::.ToolTaskExtension
Thread Safety

Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.
Platforms

Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP Starter Edition, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98

The .NET Framework and .NET Compact Framework do not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.
Version Information

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.5, 3.0, 2.0
See Also

Reference

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Community Content

Brandon Bloom
Bag?
What value does the Bag property add? As far as I can tell, this could be replaced by simple fields.
Tags :

Brian Grunkemeyer - MSFT
Minor typo

In the C# example, you're missing an 'i' in "compiled"
/// The Source file that is to be compled (.il)

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