MSBuild
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
MSBuild is the build platform for Microsoft and Visual Studio. For Visual Studio 2005 (8.0) the MSBuild tools are contained within the .NET Framework 2.0. This makes it possible to build Visual Studio projects and solutions without the Visual Studio IDE installed. The MSBuild is free.
MSBuild acts on MSBuild project files which has a similar XML syntax to Apache Ant or NAnt. Even though the syntax is based upon XML, the fundamental structure and operation is comparable to the early Unix-based make utility.
Pull processing is a term in Lean Manufacturing which could be used to describe the mode of operation for such a utility. The user specifies the result rather than all the steps in a procedural manner. Based on dependency checks the utility will produce intermediate or part results as needed without the need of conditionals and iterations like a procedure oriented tool would have.
Maintenance utility is also a term often used in conjunction with such tools.
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[edit] Target
The focus of the tool is the result Target specified when invoking MSBuild with the project file. Subsequent dependent Targets are executed before the requested Target. Each Target may be self contained with the necessary Tasks to complete itself. A Target is typically a file, directory or simply a job like cleaning the build structure.
[edit] Task
A Task is a command which is executed in order to complete a Target. A Task is typically implemented in a .NET assembly as a class which inherits from the Task class or implements the ITask interface. A lot of ready-to-use Tasks exist, and communities like gotdotnet are active in developing new Tasks.
[edit] Properties and Items
In addition the MSBuild provides Properties and Items which resembles the Macro in make in a way but are said to be more powerful.
[edit] Naming convention
One common mistake is to think of Targets in a MSBuild project as procedural command. The latter are conceptually 'verbs' while the Targets are the 'noun' representing the result of the invocation.
Naming Targets as commands is bad practice and contributes to making such Template:Result-oriented tools obscure and difficult to understand. In order to increase the psychological distance between traditional procedural script commands and Targets, a strict naming convention is recommended. The Targets should be 'nouns' while the adjacent Tasks should be 'verbs'.
- Target: WHAT to make (a noun)
- ex: OutputDirectory, CleanJob, MyProduct, ReleaseBuild, DebugBuild, SetupFiles, HelloWorld.o
- Task: HOW to make it (a verb)
- ex: MakeDir, CopyFile, DeleteFile, Build
[edit] Team Foundation Build
The Visual Studio Team System also depends on MSBuild to perform the actual Team Builds via the Visual Studio Team Foundation Server. The builds are most likely not executed on the server it self, but remotely on one or more Build Servers with the necessary software installed (i.e. Team Foundation Server (Build)).
