OutputAttribute Class

Definition

Namespace:

Microsoft.Build.Framework

Assembly:

Microsoft.Build.Framework.dll

Package:

Microsoft.Build.Framework v17.11.4

Source:

OutputAttribute.cs

This attribute is used by task writers to designate certain task parameters as "outputs". The build engine will only allow task parameters (i.e. the task class' .NET properties) that are marked with this attribute to output data from a task. Project authors can only use parameters marked with this attribute in a task's <Output> tag. All task parameters, including those marked with this attribute, may be treated as inputs to a task by the build engine.

public ref class OutputAttribute sealed : Attribute

[System.AttributeUsage(System.AttributeTargets.Property, AllowMultiple=false, Inherited=false)]
public sealed class OutputAttribute : Attribute

[<System.AttributeUsage(System.AttributeTargets.Property, AllowMultiple=false, Inherited=false)>]
type OutputAttribute = class
    inherit Attribute

Public NotInheritable Class OutputAttribute
Inherits Attribute

Inheritance

Attribute

OutputAttribute

Attributes

AttributeUsageAttribute

Examples

The following example shows the code for a task that creates one or more directories.

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Security;
using System.Collections;
using Microsoft.Build.Framework;
using Microsoft.Build.Utilities;

namespace Microsoft.Build.Tasks
{
    /*
     * Class: MakeDir
     *
     * An MSBuild task that creates one or more directories.
     *
     */
    public class MakeDir : Task
    {
        // The Required attribute indicates the following to MSBuild:
        //	     - if the parameter is a scalar type, and it is not supplied, fail the build immediately
        //	     - if the parameter is an array type, and it is not supplied, pass in an empty array
        // In this case the parameter is an array type, so if a project fails to pass in a value for the
            // Directories parameter, the task will get invoked, but this implementation will do nothing,
            // because the array will be empty.
        [Required]
            // Directories to create.
        public ITaskItem[] Directories
        {
            get
            {
                return directories;
            }

            set
            {
                directories = value;
            }
        }

        // The Output attribute indicates to MSBuild that the value of this property can be gathered after the
        // task has returned from Execute(), if the project has an <Output> tag under this task's element for
        // this property.
        [Output]
        // A project may need the subset of the inputs that were actually created, so make that available here.
        public ITaskItem[] DirectoriesCreated
        {
            get
            {
                return directoriesCreated;
            }
        }

        private ITaskItem[] directories;
        private ITaskItem[] directoriesCreated;

        /// <summary>
        /// Execute is part of the Microsoft.Build.Framework.ITask interface.
        /// When it's called, any input parameters have already been set on the task's properties.
        /// It returns true or false to indicate success or failure.
        /// </summary>
        public override bool Execute()
        {
            ArrayList items = new ArrayList();
            foreach (ITaskItem directory in Directories)
            {
                // ItemSpec holds the filename or path of an Item
                if (directory.ItemSpec.Length > 0)
                {
                    try
                    {
                        // Only log a message if we actually need to create the folder
                        if (!Directory.Exists(directory.ItemSpec))
                        {
                            Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.Normal, "Creating directory " + directory.ItemSpec);
                            Directory.CreateDirectory(directory.ItemSpec);
                        }

                        // Add to the list of created directories
                        items.Add(directory);
                    }
                    // If a directory fails to get created, log an error, but proceed with the remaining
                    // directories.
                    catch (Exception ex)
                    {
                        if (ex is IOException
                            || ex is UnauthorizedAccessException
                            || ex is PathTooLongException
                            || ex is DirectoryNotFoundException
                            || ex is SecurityException)
                        {
                            Log.LogError("Error trying to create directory " + directory.ItemSpec + ". " + ex.Message);
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            throw;
                        }
                    }
                }
            }

            // Populate the "DirectoriesCreated" output items.
            directoriesCreated = (ITaskItem[])items.ToArray(typeof(ITaskItem));

            // Log.HasLoggedErrors is true if the task logged any errors -- even if they were logged
            // from a task's constructor or property setter. As long as this task is written to always log an error
            // when it fails, we can reliably return HasLoggedErrors.
            return !Log.HasLoggedErrors;
        }
    }
}

Remarks

The MSBuild engine will only allow task properties marked with this attribute to output data from a task. Project authors can only use properties marked with this attribute in the Output element of a project file. All other task properties are treated as inputs to a task.

For more information about using attributes, see Extending Metadata Using Attributes.

Constructors

OutputAttribute()

Default constructor.