MSBuildHelper Class

MSBuild Extension Pack

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MSBuildHelper Class MSBuild Extension Pack Help 4.0.12.0
Valid TaskActions are:

Escape (Required: InputString Output: OutputString)

FilterItems (Required: InputItems1, RegexPattern Optional: Metadata Output: OutputItems)

FilterItemsOnMetadata (Required: InputItems1, InputItems2, Metadata Optional: Separator Output: OutputItems)

GetCommonItems (Required: InputItems1, InputItems2 Output: OutputItems, ItemCount)

GetCurrentDirectory (Output: CurrentDirectory)

GetDistinctItems (Required: InputItems1, InputItems2 Output: OutputItems, ItemCount)

GetItem (Required: InputItems1, PositionOutput: OutputItems)

GetItemCount (Required: InputItems1 Output: ItemCount)

GetLastItem (Required: InputItems1Output: OutputItems)

ItemColToString (Required: InputItems1 Optional: Separator Output: OutputString)

RemoveDuplicateFiles (Required: InputItems1 Output: OutputItems, ItemCount)

Sort (Required: InputItems1Output: OutputItems)

StringToItemCol (Required: ItemString, Separator Output: OutputItems, ItemCount)

UpdateMetadata (Required: InputItems1, InputItems2 Output: OutputItems)

Remote Execution Support: NA

Inheritance Hierarchy
SystemObject  Microsoft.Build.UtilitiesTask
    MSBuild.ExtensionPackBaseTask
      MSBuild.ExtensionPack.FrameworkMSBuildHelper

Namespace: MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework
Assembly: MSBuild.ExtensionPack (in MSBuild.ExtensionPack.dll) Version: 4.0.0.0

The MSBuildHelper type exposes the following members.

Constructors
  NameDescription
Public methodMSBuildHelper
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Properties
  NameDescription
Public propertyCurrentDirectory
Gets the current directory
Public propertyInputItems1
Sets InputItems1.
Public propertyInputItems2
Sets InputItems2.
Public propertyInString
Sets the input string
Public propertyItemCount
Gets the ItemCount.
Public propertyItemString
Sets the string to convert to a Task Item
Public propertyMetadata
Sets the Metadata
Public propertyOutputItems
Gets the OutputItems.
Public propertyOutString
Gets the output string
Public propertyPosition
Sets the position of the Item to get
Public propertyRegexPattern
Sets the regex pattern.
Public propertySeparator
Sets the separator to use for splitting the ItemString when calling StringToItemCol. Also used in FilterItemsOnMetadata
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Examples
Copy
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Default;UpdateMetadata;FilterItemsOnMetadata" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
    <PropertyGroup>
        <TPath>$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\MSBuild.ExtensionPack.tasks</TPath>
        <TPath Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\..\Common\MSBuild.ExtensionPack.tasks')">$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\..\Common\MSBuild.ExtensionPack.tasks</TPath>
    </PropertyGroup>
    <Import Project="$(TPath)"/>
    <Target Name="Default">
        <ItemGroup>
            <!-- Define some collections to use in the samples-->
            <Col1 Include="hello"/>
            <Col1 Include="how"/>
            <Col1 Include="are"/>
            <Col2 Include="you"/>
            <Col3 Include="hello"/>
            <Col3 Include="bye"/>
            <DuplicateFiles Include="C:\Demo\**\*"/>
            <XXX Include="AA"/>
            <XXX Include="AAB"/>
            <XXX Include="ABA"/>
            <XXX Include="AABA"/>
            <XXX Include="BBAA"/>
            <YYY Include="AA">
                <Filter>CC</Filter>
            </YYY>
            <YYY Include="AA">
                <Filter>CHJC</Filter>
            </YYY>
            <YYY Include="BB">
                <Filter>CCDG</Filter>
            </YYY>
            <YYY Include="CC">
                <Filter>CDC</Filter>
            </YYY>
            <YYY Include="DD">
                <Filter>CCEE</Filter>
            </YYY>
        </ItemGroup>
        <!-- Filter Items based on Name -->
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="FilterItems" InputItems1="@(XXX)" RegexPattern="^AA">
            <Output TaskParameter="OutputItems" ItemName="filtered"/>
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper>
        <Message Text="filtered Items: %(filtered.Identity)"/>
        <!-- Filter Items based on MetaData -->
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="FilterItems" InputItems1="@(YYY)" Metadata="Filter" RegexPattern="^CC">
            <Output TaskParameter="OutputItems" ItemName="filteredbymeta"/>
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper>
        <Message Text="filteredbymeta Items: %(filteredbymeta.Identity)"/>
        <!-- Convert an Item Collection into a string -->
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="ItemColToString" InputItems1="@(Col1)" Separator=" - ">
            <Output TaskParameter="OutString" PropertyName="out"/>
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper>
        <Message Text="OutString: $(out)"/>
        <!-- Escape a string with special MSBuild characters -->
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="Escape" InString="hello how;are *you">
            <Output TaskParameter="OutString" PropertyName="out"/>
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper>
        <Message Text="OutString: $(out)"/>
        <!-- Sort an ItemGroup alphabetically -->
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="Sort" InputItems1="@(Col1)">
            <Output TaskParameter="OutputItems" ItemName="sorted"/>
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper>
        <Message Text="Sorted Items: %(sorted.Identity)"/>
        <!-- Get a single item by position -->
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="GetItem" InputItems1="@(Col1)" Position="2">
            <Output TaskParameter="OutputItems" ItemName="AnItem"/>
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper>
        <Message Text="Item: %(AnItem.Identity)"/>
        <!-- Get the last item -->
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="GetLastItem" InputItems1="@(Col1)">
            <Output TaskParameter="OutputItems" ItemName="LastItem"/>
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper>
        <Message Text="Last Item: %(LastItem.Identity)"/>
        <!-- Get common items. Note that this can be accomplished without using a custom task. -->
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="GetCommonItems" InputItems1="@(Col1)" InputItems2="@(Col3)">
            <Output TaskParameter="OutputItems" ItemName="comm"/>
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper>
        <Message Text="Common Items: %(comm.Identity)"/>
        <!-- Get distinct items. Note that this can be accomplished without using a custom task. -->
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="GetDistinctItems" InputItems1="@(Col1)" InputItems2="@(Col3)">
            <Output TaskParameter="OutputItems" ItemName="distinct"/>
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper>
        <Message Text="Distinct Items: %(distinct.Identity)"/>
        <!-- Remove duplicate files. This can accomplish a large performance gain in some copy operations -->
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="RemoveDuplicateFiles" InputItems1="@(DuplicateFiles)">
            <Output TaskParameter="OutputItems" ItemName="NewCol1"/>
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper>
        <Message Text="Full File List contains: %(DuplicateFiles.Identity)"/>
        <Message Text="Removed Duplicates Contains: %(NewCol1.Identity)"/>
        <!-- Get the number of items in a collection -->
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="GetItemCount" InputItems1="@(NewCol1)">
            <Output TaskParameter="ItemCount" PropertyName="MyCount"/>
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper>
        <Message Text="$(MyCount)"/>
        <!-- Convert a seperated list to an ItemGroup -->
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="StringToItemCol" ItemString="how,how,are,you" Separator=",">
            <Output TaskParameter="OutputItems" ItemName="NewCol11"/>
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper>
        <Message Text="String Item Collection contains: %(NewCol11.Identity)"/>
    </Target>
    <Target Name="UpdateMetadata">
        <!-- This sample uses the UpdateMetadata TaskAction to update existing meatadata using that from another item -->
        <ItemGroup>
            <SolutionToBuild Include="$(BuildProjectFolderPath)\ChangeThisOne.sln">
                <Meta1>OriginalValue</Meta1>
            </SolutionToBuild>
            <SolutionToBuild Include="$(BuildProjectFolderPath)\ChangeThisToo.sln">
                <Meta1>OriginalValue</Meta1>
                <Meta2>Mike</Meta2>
            </SolutionToBuild>
        </ItemGroup>
        <Message Text="Before = %(SolutionToBuild.Identity) %(SolutionToBuild.Meta1) %(SolutionToBuild.Meta2)" />
        <ItemGroup>
            <ItemsToChange Include="@(SolutionToBuild)">
                <Meta1>ChangedValue</Meta1>
                <Meta2>Dave</Meta2>
            </ItemsToChange>
        </ItemGroup>
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="UpdateMetadata" InputItems1="@(SolutionToBuild)" InputItems2="@(ItemsToChange)">
            <Output TaskParameter="OutputItems" ItemName="SolutionToBuildTemp" />
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper >
        <ItemGroup>
            <SolutionToBuild Remove="@(SolutionToBuild)"/>
            <SolutionToBuild Include="@(SolutionToBuildTemp)"/>
        </ItemGroup>
        <Message Text="After  = %(SolutionToBuild.Identity) %(SolutionToBuild.Meta1) %(SolutionToBuild.Meta2)"/>
    </Target>
    <ItemGroup>
        <MyItems Include="$(AssembliesPath)\Assembly1.dll">
            <Roles>Role1</Roles>
            <GAC>true</GAC>
        </MyItems>
        <MyItems Include="$(AssembliesPath)\Assembly2.dll">
            <Roles>Role2</Roles>
            <GAC>true</GAC>
        </MyItems>
        <MyItems Include="$(AssembliesPath)\Assembly2.dll">
            <Roles>Role2</Roles>
            <GAC>false</GAC>
        </MyItems>
        <Roles Include="Role2;Role1"/>
    </ItemGroup>
    <Target Name="FilterItemsOnMetadata" DependsOnTargets="GetWorkingSets">
        <Message Text="1 = %(MyItemsWorkingSet.Identity) - %(MyItemsWorkingSet.GAC)"/>
    </Target>
    <Target Name="GetWorkingSets">
        <MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper TaskAction="FilterItemsOnMetadata" InputItems1="@(MyItems)" InputItems2="@(Roles)" Separator=";" MetaData="Roles">
            <Output TaskParameter="OutputItems" ItemName="MyItemsWorkingSet"/>
        </MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework.MsBuildHelper>
    </Target>
</Project>
See Also

Reference

MSBuild.ExtensionPack.Framework Namespace
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