How to skip delete on folder during publish?

Question

I cannot make it, so that the Publish from visual studio doesnt delete the App_Data folder on the server website. But i would also like it to keep deleting all files (except that folder) to keep the dir "clean".

I have tried this in csproj, .pubxml. And alterations of it (theres one not OnBeforePackageUsingManifest, but iis something)

<PropertyGroup>
  <OnBeforePackageUsingManifest>AddCustomSkipRules</OnBeforePackageUsingManifest>
</PropertyGroup>
<Target Name="AddCustomSkipRules">
  <ItemGroup>
    <MsDeploySkipRules Include="SkipDeleteAppData">
      <SkipAction>Delete</SkipAction>
      <ObjectName>filePath</ObjectName>
      <AbsolutePath>$(_Escaped_PackageTempDir)\\App_Data\\.*</AbsolutePath>
      <XPath>
      </XPath>
    </MsDeploySkipRules>
    <MsDeploySkipRules Include="SkipDeleteAppData">
      <SkipAction>Delete</SkipAction>
      <ObjectName>dirPath</ObjectName>
      <AbsolutePath>$(_Escaped_PackageTempDir)\\App_Data\\.*</AbsolutePath>
      <XPath>
      </XPath>
    </MsDeploySkipRules>
  </ItemGroup>
</Target>

I even get if i use "SkipAction=Delete" thats it is unable to do so, as Delete is not recognized.

Are there any way to do this? preferably from .pubxml, but csproj will do aswell. Not that much for having to deal with msdeploy command line.

Using visual studio 2015.

Answer 1

Came here looking for a way to keep the "certify the web" .wellknown\acme-challenge folders web.config during a Visual Studio 2019 publish. Thought I'd share it.

Adding the following to pubxml file will cause deploy NOT to delete the web.config during publish.

<ItemGroup>
  <MsDeploySkipRules Include="CustomSkipFile">
    <ObjectName>filePath</ObjectName>
    <AbsolutePath>.well-known\\acme-challenge\\web.config</AbsolutePath>
  </MsDeploySkipRules>
</ItemGroup>

Hope this helps somebody!