1. Things (I think) you
should know
about project files and MSBuildDavid Wengier
Developer - .NET Project System
Microsoft
@davidwengier twitch.tv/davidwengier

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What is a Project System?
Project
System
Test Explorer
MSBuild
VS API (DTE)
Debugger
Solution Explorer
Compiler

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What is a project file?

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A project file is an MSBuild
file.

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Legacy vs SDK-style

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<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
<PropertyGroup>
<OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
<TargetFramework>net472</TargetFramework>
</PropertyGroup>
</Project>
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="15.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<Import
Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)$(MSBuildToolsVersion)Microsoft.Common.props"
Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)$(MSBuildToolsVersion)Microsoft.Common.props
')" />
<PropertyGroup>
<Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration>
<Platform Condition=" '$(Platform)' == '' ">AnyCPU</Platform>
<ProjectGuid>{6656A70A-50E8-40A0-996B-81489FB455BE}</ProjectGuid>
<OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
<RootNamespace>ConsoleApp9</RootNamespace>
<AssemblyName>ConsoleApp9</AssemblyName>
<TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.7.2</TargetFrameworkVersion>
<FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment>
<AutoGenerateBindingRedirects>true</AutoGenerateBindingRedirects>
<Deterministic>true</Deterministic>
</PropertyGroup>
<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
<PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
<DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
<DebugType>full</DebugType>
<Optimize>false</Optimize>
<OutputPath>binDebug</OutputPath>
<DefineConstants>DEBUG;TRACE</DefineConstants>
<ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
<WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
</PropertyGroup>
<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
<PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
<DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
<Optimize>true</Optimize>
<OutputPath>binRelease</OutputPath>
<DefineConstants>TRACE</DefineConstants>
<ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
<WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<Reference Include="System" />
<Reference Include="System.Core" />
<Reference Include="System.Xml.Linq" />
<Reference Include="System.Data.DataSetExtensions" />
<Reference Include="Microsoft.CSharp" />
<Reference Include="System.Data" />
<Reference Include="System.Net.Http" />
<Reference Include="System.Xml" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<Compile Include="Program.cs" />
<Compile Include="PropertiesAssemblyInfo.cs" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<None Include="App.config" />
</ItemGroup>
<Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />
</Project>

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Imports and Sdks

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<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
<PropertyGroup>
<OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
<TargetFramework>net472</TargetFramework>
</PropertyGroup>
</Project>
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="15.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<Import
Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)$(MSBuildToolsVersion)Microsoft.Common.props"
Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)$(MSBuildToolsVersion)Microsoft.Common.props
')" />
<PropertyGroup>
<Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration>
<Platform Condition=" '$(Platform)' == '' ">AnyCPU</Platform>
<ProjectGuid>{6656A70A-50E8-40A0-996B-81489FB455BE}</ProjectGuid>
<OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
<RootNamespace>ConsoleApp9</RootNamespace>
<AssemblyName>ConsoleApp9</AssemblyName>
<TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.7.2</TargetFrameworkVersion>
<FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment>
<AutoGenerateBindingRedirects>true</AutoGenerateBindingRedirects>
<Deterministic>true</Deterministic>
</PropertyGroup>
<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
<PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
<DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
<DebugType>full</DebugType>
<Optimize>false</Optimize>
<OutputPath>binDebug</OutputPath>
<DefineConstants>DEBUG;TRACE</DefineConstants>
<ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
<WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
</PropertyGroup>
<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
<PlatformTarget>AnyCPU</PlatformTarget>
<DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
<Optimize>true</Optimize>
<OutputPath>binRelease</OutputPath>
<DefineConstants>TRACE</DefineConstants>
<ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
<WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<Reference Include="System" />
<Reference Include="System.Core" />
<Reference Include="System.Xml.Linq" />
<Reference Include="System.Data.DataSetExtensions" />
<Reference Include="Microsoft.CSharp" />
<Reference Include="System.Data" />
<Reference Include="System.Net.Http" />
<Reference Include="System.Xml" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<Compile Include="Program.cs" />
<Compile Include="PropertiesAssemblyInfo.cs" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<None Include="App.config" />
</ItemGroup>
<Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />
</Project>

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Implicit imports

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How does MSBuild work?
You can ignore this bit if you already know.

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The biggest simplification ever:
public class Project
{
public Dictionary<string, string> Properties { get; set; }
public Dictionary<string, Dictionary<string, string>> Items { get; set; }
}

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The biggest simplification ever, cont:
<Project>
<PropertyGroup>
<Foo>Bar</Foo>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<Compile Include="Main.cs“ MyMetadata="Zam" />
</ItemGroup>
</Project>
<Project>
<PropertyGroup>
<Foo>Baz</Foo>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<Compile Update="Main.cs" MyMetadata="Zim" />
</ItemGroup>
</Project>

13. @davidwengier twitch.tv/davidwengier
The biggest simplification ever, cont:
<Project>
<PropertyGroup>
<Foo>Baz</Foo>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<Compile Update="Main.cs" MyMetadata="Zim" />
</ItemGroup>
</Project>
<Project>
<PropertyGroup>
<Foo>Bar</Foo>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<Compile Include="Main.cs" MyMetadata="Zam" />
</ItemGroup>
</Project>

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Code reuse in project files

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Better package references

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What MSBuild sees

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Performance Summary

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Build logging

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VS Build logging

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Imports Tree

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In summary:
• Project files are MSBuild files
• Project files are code
• Code reuse (Import)
• Separation of concerns (Import, Include vs Update)
• Order is important
• Use /pp or /bl to see what is going on
• Stuff we didn’t cover:
• Function calls (Tasks)
• Variables (properties)
• Conditionals (condition)

22. Thank You
@davidwengier twitch.tv/davidwengier