MSBuild a project from a solution file

Question

I am attempting to kick off a .net Build using MSBuild from RTC (BuildForge). I keep getting the following exception:

error MSB1009: Project file does not exist. Switch: F:\Program Files (x86)\IBM\Build Forge\Agent\Captiva_Build_dotNET\BUILD_117\xxxxxx\Source Code\Components\xxxxxx\xxxxxxx.sln

The build command is as follows

MSBuild.exe "xxxx.sln" /t:xxx_yyyy_zzzzzz_asdfasdf_base

Where /t: Is one of the projects in the solution. I don't understand what I am doing wrong. I have the _ in the statement. That should be an easy build? Any ideas?

Answer 1

msbuild.exe /t:target is used to execute a particular target within a solution or project.

msbuild.exe MySolution.sln /t:Clean

To build a particular project you'd specify the project file rather than the solution.

msbuild.exe MyProject.csproj

Edit:

Eureka, you're absolutely right, I have used the MsBuildEmitSolution env variable to output the metaproj script, but never seen that before.

So before you can arrive at this:

MsBuild.exe MySolution.sln /t:ProjectName:TargetName

At the command line, set MsBuildEmitSolution:

set MsBuildEmitSolution=1

Then generate your metaproj.

MsBuild.exe MySolution.sln /pp

Open the output file MySolution.sln.metaproj in notepad and scroll down and find the relevant <Target /> node you wish to build and note the Name attribute string.

  <Target Name="Client_Test:Build">
    <MSBuild Condition="'%(ProjectReference.Identity)' == '...Client_Test.csproj'" Projects="@(ProjectReference)" Targets="Publish" BuildInParallel="True" ToolsVersion="$(ProjectToolsVersion)" Properties="..." />
  </Target>

And VOILA!

MsBuild.exe MySolution.sln /t:"Client_Test:Build"