MSBuild.NET.Legacy.Sdk

MSBuild.NET.Legacy.Sdk

Summary

An MSBuild SDK package that has updated legacy props and targets that came inbox with .NET Framework. This SDK package is mostly used for testing and for compiling exclusively with the X-Platform MSBuild. Use them to slowly migrate your legacy projects to SDK-style.

Package Name: MSBuild.NET.Legacy.Sdk

Getting started

Visual Studio v15.6+ includes support for SDK's resolved from NuGet. That makes using the custom SDKs much easier.

See Using MSBuild project SDKs guide on Microsoft Docs for more information on how project SDKs work and how project SDKs are resolved.

Using the SDK

1. Open your existing MSBuild v12, v14 and v15+ legacy project (in your code editor of your choice).

2. Remove the top Import element that imports Microsoft.Common.props, probably located just below the root <Project> element.

3. Remove the bottom Import element that imports Microsoft.{Common/CSharp/FSharp/VisualBasic}.targets, probably located just above the root </Project> element.

4. You can add the SDK import in four ways…

   First, Remove unnecessary attributes like xmlns, DefaultTargets (if only Build) and ToolsVersion (if only v15+). Keep any the other attributes if you have specified. Then add the SDK reference as per the following diffs.

   Using the Sdk attribute in the Project element:

   -<Project ToolsVersion="15.0" DefaultTargets="Build">
   +<Project Sdk="MSBuild.NET.Legacy.Sdk">
   -  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props" Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props')"/>
   
      <!-- Properties/Items/Targets -->
   
   -  <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets"/>
    </Project>

   Using the Sdk element under the Project element:

   -<Project ToolsVersion="15.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   +<Project>
   
   -  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props" Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props')"/>
   +  <Sdk Name="MSBuild.NET.Legacy.Sdk">
   
      <!-- Properties/Items/Targets -->
   
   -  <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets"/>
    </Project>

   Using explicit top and bottom imports with auto targets resolution:

   -<Project ToolsVersion="14.0" DefaultTargets="Build" InitialTargets="DoWork" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   +<Project InitialTargets="DoWork">
   
   -  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props" Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props')"/>
   +  <Import Sdk="MSBuild.NET.Legacy.Sdk" Project="Sdk.props"/>
   
      <!-- Properties/Items/Targets -->
   
   -  <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets"/>
   +  <Import Sdk="MSBuild.NET.Legacy.Sdk" Project="Sdk.targets"/>
   
      <Target Name="DoWork">
        <!-- Custom target logic -->
      </Target>
    </Project>

   Using explicit top and bottom imports with named targets:

   -<Project ToolsVersion="12.0" DefaultTargets="Build" InitialTargets="DoWork" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
   +<Project InitialTargets="DoWork">
   
   -  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props" Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props')"/>
   +  <Import Sdk="MSBuild.NET.Legacy.Sdk" Project="Microsoft.Common.props"/>
   
      <!-- Properties/Items/Targets -->
   
   -  <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets"/>
   +  <Import Sdk="MSBuild.NET.Legacy.Sdk" Project="Microsoft.CSharp.targets"/>
   
      <Target Name="DoWork">
        <!-- Custom target logic -->
      </Target>
    </Project>

5. Finally, You have to tell MSBuild that the Sdk should resolve from NuGet by

   • Adding a global.json containing the SDK name and version.
   • Appending a version info to the Sdk attribute value.

   You can put the SDK version in the global.json file next to your solution:

   {
       "msbuild-sdks": {
           "MSBuild.NET.Legacy.Sdk": "1.0.0"
       }
   }

   Then, all of your project files, from that directory forward, uses the version from the global.json file. This would be a preferred solution for all the projects in your solution.

   Then again, you might want to override the version for just one project OR if you have only one project in your solution (without adding global.json), you can do so like this:

   <Project Sdk="MSBuild.NET.Legacy.Sdk/1.0.0">
     <!-- Properties/Items/Targets -->
   </Project>

That's it! After that, you can use the Build target to build the projects: e.g., msbuild -t:Build ....

Important to Note

• It will only work with Visual Studio IDE (Windows/Mac) as it requires the desktop msbuild and the target Platform SDKs which are not cross-platform.
• It might work in Visual Studio Code, but you have to configure build tasks in launch.json to use desktop msbuild to build.