dotnet-msbuild-authoring
dotnet-msbuild-authoring
Guidance for authoring MSBuild project system elements: custom targets with BeforeTargets/AfterTargets/DependsOnTargets, incremental build with Inputs/Outputs, props vs targets import ordering, items and item metadata (Include/Exclude/Update/Remove), conditions, property functions, well-known metadata, and advanced Directory.Build.props/Directory.Build.targets patterns.
Version assumptions: .NET 8.0+ SDK (MSBuild 17.8+). All examples use SDK-style projects.
Scope boundary: This skill owns MSBuild authoring fundamentals -- custom targets, import ordering, items, conditions, property functions, and advanced Directory.Build patterns. Basic solution layout and shared configuration (Directory.Build.props structure, CPM, .editorconfig) is owned by [skill:dotnet-project-structure]. MSBuild error interpretation and CI drift diagnosis is owned by [skill:dotnet-build-analysis].
Cross-references: [skill:dotnet-project-structure] for solution layout and basic Directory.Build.props structure, [skill:dotnet-build-analysis] for interpreting MSBuild errors and CI drift.
Custom Targets
Targets are the unit of execution in MSBuild. Each target runs a sequence of tasks and can declare ordering relationships with other targets.
Defining a Custom Target
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