Common MSBuild Project Items

In MSBuild, an item is a named reference to one or more files. Items contain metadata such as file names, paths, and version numbers. All project types in Visual Studio have several items in common. These items are defined in the file microsoft.build.commontypes.xsd.

Common Items

The following is a list of all the common project items.

Reference

Represents an assembly (managed) reference in the project.

Item Name	Description
HintPath	Optional string. Relative or absolute path of the assembly.
Name	Optional string. The display name of the assembly, for example, "System.Windows.Forms."
FusionName	Optional string. Specifies the simple or strong fusion name for the item. When this attribute is present, it can save time because the assembly file does not have to be opened to obtain the fusion name.
SpecificVersion	Optional boolean. Specifies whether only the version in the fusion name should be referenced.
Aliases	Optional string. Any aliases for the reference.
Private	Optional string. Determines whether to copy the file to the output directory. Values are: Never Always PreserveNewest

COMReference

Represents a COM (unmanaged) component reference in the project.

Item Name	Description
Name	Optional string. The display name of the component.
Guid	Optional string. A GUID for the component, in the form {12345678-1234-1234-1234-1234567891234}.
VersionMajor	Optional string. The major part of the version number of the component. For example, "5" if the full version number is "5.46."
VersionMinor	Optional string. The minor part of the version number of the component. For example, "46" if the full version number is "5.46."
LCID	Optional string. The LocaleID for the component.
WrapperTool	Optional string. The name of the wrapper tool that is used on the component, for example, "tlbimp."
Isolated	Optional boolean. Specifies whether the component is a reg-free component.

COMFileReference

Represents a list of type libraries that feed into the ResolvedComreference target.

Item Name	Description
WrapperTool	Optional string. The name of the wrapper tool that is used on the component, for example, "tlbimp."

NativeReference

Represents a native manifest file or a reference to such a file.

Item Name	Description
Name	Required string. The base name of the manifest file.
HintPath	Required string. The relative path of the manifest file.

ProjectReference

Represents a reference to another project.

Item Name	Description
Name	Optional string. The display name of the reference.
Project	Optional string. A GUID for the reference, in the form {12345678-1234-1234-1234-1234567891234}.
Package	Optional string. The path of the project file that is being referenced.

Compile

Represents the source files for the compiler.

Item Name	Description
DependentUpon	Optional string. Specifies the file this file depends on to compile correctly.
AutoGen	Optional boolean. Indicates whether the file was generated for the project by the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE).
Link	Optional string. The notational path to be displayed when the file is physically located outside the influence of the project file.
Visible	Optional boolean. Indicates whether to display the file in Solution Explorer in Visual Studio.
CopyToOutputDirectory	Optional string. Determines whether to copy the file to the output directory. Values are: Never Always PreserveNewest

EmbeddedResource

Represents resources to be embedded in the generated assembly.

Item Name	Description
DependentUpon	Optional string. Specifies the file this file depends on to compile correctly.
Generator	Required string. The name of any file generator that is run on this item.
LastGenOutput	Required string. The name of the file that was created by any file generator that ran on this item.
CustomToolNamespace	Required string. The namespace in which any file generator that runs on this item should create code.
Link	Optional string. The notational path is displayed if the file is physically located outside the influence of the project.
Visible	Optional boolean. Indicates whether to display the file in Solution Explorer in Visual Studio.
CopyToOutputDirectory	Optional string. Determines whether to copy the file to the output directory. Values are: Never Always PreserveNewest
LogicalName	Required string. The logical name of the embedded resource.

Content

Represents files that are not compiled into the project, but may be embedded or published together with it.

Item Name	Description
DependentUpon	Optional string. Specifies the file this file depends on to compile correctly.
Generator	Required string. The name of any file generator that runs on this item.
LastGenOutput	Required string. The name of the file that was created by any file generator that was run on this item.
CustomToolNamespace	Required string. The namespace in which any file generator that runs on this item should create code.
Link	Optional boolean. Indicates whether to display the file in Solution Explorer in Visual Studio.
PublishState	Required string. The publish state of the content, either: Default Included Excluded DataFile Prerequisite
IsAssembly	Optional boolean. Specifies whether the file is an assembly.
Visible	Optional boolean. Indicates whether to display the file in Solution Explorer in Visual Studio.
CopyToOutputDirectory	Optional string. Determines whether to copy the file to the output directory. Values are: Never Always PreserveNewest

None

Represents files that should have no role in the build process.

Item Name	Description
DependentUpon	Optional string. Specifies the file this file depends on to compile correctly.
Generator	Required string. The name of any file generator that is run on this item.
LastGenOutput	Required string. The name of the file that was created by any file generator that ran on this item.
CustomToolNamespace	Required string. The namespace in which any file generator that runs on this item should create code.
Link	Optional string. The notational path to be displayed if the file is physically located outside the influence of the project.
Visible	Optional boolean. Indicates whether to display the file in Solution Explorer in Visual Studio.
CopyToOutputDirectory	Optional string. Determines whether to copy the file to the output directory. Values are: Never Always PreserveNewest

BaseApplicationManifest

Represents the base application manifest for the build, and contains ClickOnce deployment security information.

CodeAnalysisImport

Represents the FxCop project to import.

Import

Represents assemblies whose namespaces should be imported by the Visual Basic compiler.

See Also

Reference

Common MSBuild Project Properties