MSBuild Concepts

MSBuild lets you create and edit extensible build solutions. Use the following links to learn more about the concepts behind MSBuild.

In This Section

• MSBuild Overview
  Describes the general concepts behind the MSBuild file format and how all the pieces fit together.

• MSBuild Items
  Describes items, which act as inputs to the build system.

• MSBuild Properties
  Describes how to use property names and values in MSBuild project files.

• MSBuild Targets
  Explains targets, which define how the MSBuild project is built.

• MSBuild Tasks
  Describes tasks, which are reusable units of build execution.

• MSBuild Advanced Concepts
  Describes logging, batching, and transforms.

• Building for Specific .NET Framework Versions
  Explains how to configure builds to target a specific .NET Framework version.

• Using Multiple Processors to Build Projects
  Describes how MSBuild can build projects more rapidly in systems that have multiple or multi-core processors.

Reference

• MSBuild Project File Schema Reference
  Describes the elements of the MSBuild project file format.

• MSBuild Task Reference
  Describes the tasks that are included with MSBuild.

• MSBuild Reference
  Contains reference information.

• MSBuild
  Contains topics about how to use the Microsoft build platform that is integrated into Visual Studio.