MSBuild Anti-Pattern Catalog

Scope and routing

DO NOT INVOKE when the primary request explicitly asks to convert, migrate, modernize, or rewrite a legacy/old-style project to SDK style; use msbuild-modernization. Migration prompts often mention ToolsVersion, explicit Compile/Reference entries, packages.config, or Microsoft.CSharp.targets, but merely reviewing or auditing a file that contains those patterns remains in scope here. USE FOR broad review, audit, lint, or maintainability/correctness checks of project/build files, including custom targets; prioritized cross-cutting findings; discrete anti-patterns; F# ordering/FS0039; cross-platform paths; and focused Import safety verdicts. Review/audit is analysis-only unless fixes are requested. For concrete property/item defects use property-patterns/item-management; use target-authoring for implementation and extension-points for NuGet auto-import/layout discovery. Exclude non-MSBuild systems.

A numbered catalog of common MSBuild anti-patterns. Each entry follows the format:

• Smell: What to look for
• Why it's bad: Impact on builds, maintainability, or correctness
• Fix: Concrete transformation

Use this catalog when scanning project files for improvements.

Review output contract

For review, audit, maintainability, or correctness-risk requests: