Modifying the build for every solution in a repository

Just like you can have Directory.Build.props and Directory.Build.targets to customize your projects' build, you can also use Directory.Solution.props and Directory.Solution.targets to customize your solutions (command-line) builds. Just like the original (older?) mecanisms, Visual Studio will not load those customizations either, however.
In order to inspect how and where they are included in the build, it's useful to set use the troubleshooting technique of setting the envvar MSBUILDEMITSOLUTION=1 and run a build. You can inspect the .metaproj MSBuild project generated from the solution, where you will see the imported projects.
For a Directory.Solution.props with:
1
<Project>
2
  <PropertyGroup>
3
    <SolutionPropsProp>from-solution.props</SolutionPropsProp>
4
  </PropertyGroup>
5
</Project>
Copied!
And a Directory.Solution.targets with:
1
<Project>
2
  <PropertyGroup>
3
    <SolutionTargetsProp>from-solution.targets</SolutionTargetsProp>
4
  </PropertyGroup>
5
​
6
  <Target Name="CustomSolutionBuild">
7
  </Target>
8
</Project>
Copied!
You will see a .metaproj similar to:
1
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
2
<Project ToolsVersion="Current" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" InitialTargets="ValidateSolutionConfiguration;ValidateToolsVersions;ValidateProjects" DefaultTargets="Build">
3
  <PropertyGroup>
4
    <RoslynTargetsPath>C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\5.0.100-rc.2.20479.15\Roslyn</RoslynTargetsPath>
5
    <_DirectorySolutionPropsFile>Directory.Solution.props</_DirectorySolutionPropsFile>
6
    <_DirectorySolutionPropsBasePath>C:\Code\kzu\moq</_DirectorySolutionPropsBasePath>
7
    <DirectorySolutionPropsPath>C:\Code\kzu\moq\Directory.Solution.props</DirectorySolutionPropsPath>
8
    <SolutionPropsProp>from-solution.props</SolutionPropsProp>
9
    <Configuration>Debug</Configuration>
10
    <Platform>Any CPU</Platform>
11
    ...
12
    <_DirectorySolutionTargetsFile>Directory.Solution.targets</_DirectorySolutionTargetsFile>
13
    <_DirectorySolutionTargetsBasePath>C:\Code\kzu\moq</_DirectorySolutionTargetsBasePath>
14
    <DirectorySolutionTargetsPath>C:\Code\kzu\moq\Directory.Solution.targets</DirectorySolutionTargetsPath>
15
    <SolutionTargetsProp>from-solution.targets</SolutionTargetsProp>
16
  </PropertyGroup>
17
  ...
18
  <Target Name="_IsProjectRestoreSupported" Returns="@(_ValidProjectsForRestore)" />
19
  <Target Name="CustomSolutionBuild" />
20
  <Target Name="Build" Outputs="@(CollectedBuildOutput)">
21
  ...
22
</Project>
Copied!
Notice how the targets aren't imported but rather embedded in specific places (top of property group for .props-declared properties, bottom of property group for .targets-declared properties, and before Build target for targets). If you have properties, they are actually even evaluated before being embedded in the file, i.e.:
1
<SolutionNow>$([System.DateTime]::Now)</SolutionNow>
Copied!
is embedded in the .metaproj as the actually evaluated value, such as:
1
    <SolutionNow>10/21/2020 4:36:30 AM</SolutionNow>
Copied!

testing - Previous

Skip tagged scenarios in SpecFlow with Xunit

Next - msbuild

Detect CI builds for every CI system

Last modified 1mo ago

Copy link