MSBuild (Visual C++) Overview

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04/28/2015

MSBuild is the standard build system for Visual C++ projects. When you build a project in the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE), it uses the msbuild.exe tool, an XML-based project file, and optional settings files. Although you can use msbuild.exe and a project file on the command line, the IDE provides a user interface so that you can more easily configure settings and build a project. This overview describes how Visual C++ uses the MSBuild system.

Prerequisites

Read the following documents about MSBuild.

MSBuild
Overview of MSBuild concepts.
MSBuild Reference
Reference information about the MSBuild system.
MSBuild Project File Schema Reference
Lists the MSBuild XML Schema elements, together with their attributes, and parent and child elements. Especially note the ItemGroup, PropertyGroup, Target, and Task elements.
MSBuild Command-Line Reference
Describes the command-line arguments and options that you can use with msbuild.exe.
MSBuild Task Reference
Describes MSBuild tasks. Especially note these tasks, which are specific to Visual C++: BscMake Task, CL Task, CPPClean Task, LIB Task, Link Task, MIDL Task, MT Task, RC Task, SetEnv Task, VCMessage Task, XDCMake Task, XSD Task.

MSBuild on the Command Line

The following statement from the MSBuild Command-Line Reference document illustrates that the msbuild.exe tool takes an implicit or explicit project file argument (a .vcxproj file for Visual C++ projects) and zero or more command-line options.

msbuild.exe [project file] [options]

Use the /target (or /t) and /property (or /p) command-line options to override properties and targets that are specified in the project file.

An essential function of the project file is to specify a target, which is a particular operation applied to your project, and the inputs and outputs that are required to perform that operation. A project file can specify one or more targets, which can include a default target.

Each target consists of a sequence of one or more tasks. Each task is represented by a .NET Framework class that contains one executable command. For example, the CL task contains the cl.exe command.

A task parameter is a property of the class task and typically represents a command-line option of the executable command. For example, the FavorSizeOrSpeed parameter of the CL task corresponds to the /Os and /Ot compiler options.

Additional task parameters support the MSBuild infrastructure. For example, the Sources task parameter specifies a set of tasks that can be consumed by other tasks. For more information about MSBuild tasks, see MSBuild Task Reference.

Most tasks require inputs and outputs, such as file names, paths, and string, numeric, or Boolean parameters. For example, a common input is the name of a .cpp source file to compile. An important input parameter is a string that specifies the build configuration and platform, for example, "Debug|Win32". Inputs and outputs are specified by one or more user-defined XML Item elements contained in an ItemGroup element.

A project file can also specify user-defined properties and item-definition-groupitems. Properties and items form name/value pairs that can be used as variables in the build. The name component of a pair defines a macro, and the value component declares the macro value. A property macro is accessed by using $(name) notation, and an item macro is accessed by using %(name) notation.

Other XML elements in a project file can test macros, and then conditionally set the value of any macro or control the execution of the build. Macro names and literal strings can be concatenated to generate constructs such as a path and file name. On the command line, the /property option sets or overrides a project property. Items cannot be referenced on the command line.

The MSBuild system can conditionally execute a target before or after another target. Also, the system can build a target based on whether the files that the target consumes are newer than the files it emits.

MSBuild in the IDE

When you set project properties in the IDE and then save the project, Visual C++ writes the project settings to your project file. The project file contains settings that are unique to your project, but it does not contain all the settings that are required to build your project. The project file contains Import elements that include a network of additional support files. The support files contain the remaining properties, targets, and settings that are required to build the project.

Most targets and properties in the support files exist solely to implement the build system. The following section discusses some useful targets and properties that you can specify on the MSBuild command line. To discover more targets and properties, explore the files in the support file directories.

Support File Directories

By default, the primary Visual C++ support files are located in the following directories.

Directory	Description
drive:\Program Files\MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\version\	Contains the primary target files (.targets) and property files (.props) that are used by the targets. By default, the $(VCTargetsPath) macro references this directory.
drive:\Program Files\MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\version\Platforms\platform\	Contains platform-specific target and property files that override targets and properties in its parent directory. This directory also contains a .dll file that defines the tasks that are used by the targets in this directory. The platform placeholder represents the ARM, Win32, or x64 subdirectory.
drive:\Program Files\MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\version\Platforms\platform\PlatformToolsets\toolset\	Contains the directories that enable the build to generate Visual C++ applications with the specified version of the toolset. The platform placeholder represents the ARM, Win32, or x64 subdirectory. The toolset placeholder represents the toolset subdirectory for building Windows, Windows XP, or Windows Phone apps.
drive:\Program Files\MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\Platforms\platform\PlatformToolsets\toolset\	Contains the directories that enable the build to generate either 9.0 or Visual C++ 10.0 applications. The platform placeholder represents the Itanium, Win32, or x64 subdirectory. The toolset placeholder represents the v90 or v100 toolset subdirectory.

Support Files

The support file directories contain files with the following extensions.

Extension	Description
.targets	Contains Target XML elements that specify the tasks that are executed by the target. May also contain Property Group, Item Group, Item Definition Group, and user-defined Item elements that are used to assign files and command-line options to task parameters. For more information, see Target Element (MSBuild).
.props	Contains Property Group and user-defined Property XML elements that specify file and parameter settings that are used during a build. May also contain Item Definition Group and user-defined Item XML elements that specify additional settings. Items defined in an item definition group resemble properties, but cannot be accessed from the command line. Visual C++ project files frequently uses items instead of properties to represent settings. For more information, see ItemGroup Element (MSBuild), ItemDefinitionGroup Element (MSBuild), and Item Element (MSBuild).
.xml	Contains XML elements that declare and initialize IDE user interface elements such as property sheets and property pages, and text box and list box controls. The .xml files directly support the IDE, not MSBuild. However, the values of IDE properties are assigned to build properties and items. Most .xml files are in a locale-specific subdirectory. For example, files for the English-US region are in $(VCTargetsPath)\1033\.

.targets

Contains Target XML elements that specify the tasks that are executed by the target. May also contain Property Group, Item Group, Item Definition Group, and user-defined Item elements that are used to assign files and command-line options to task parameters.

For more information, see Target Element (MSBuild).

.props

Contains Property Group and user-defined Property XML elements that specify file and parameter settings that are used during a build.

May also contain Item Definition Group and user-defined Item XML elements that specify additional settings. Items defined in an item definition group resemble properties, but cannot be accessed from the command line. Visual C++ project files frequently uses items instead of properties to represent settings.

For more information, see ItemGroup Element (MSBuild), ItemDefinitionGroup Element (MSBuild), and Item Element (MSBuild).

.xml

Contains XML elements that declare and initialize IDE user interface elements such as property sheets and property pages, and text box and list box controls.

The .xml files directly support the IDE, not MSBuild. However, the values of IDE properties are assigned to build properties and items.

Most .xml files are in a locale-specific subdirectory. For example, files for the English-US region are in $(VCTargetsPath)\1033\.

User Targets and Properties

To use MSBuild most effectively on the command line, it helps to know which properties and targets are useful and relevant. Most properties and targets help implement the Visual C++ build system, and consequently are not relevant to the user. This section describes some worthwhile user-oriented properties and targets.

PlatformToolset Property

The PlatformToolset property determines which Visual C++ toolset is used in the build. The value of the property is concatenated with literal strings to form the path of a directory that contains the property and target files that are required to build a project for a particular platform.

Set the PlatformToolset property to v110 to use Visual C++ in Visual Studio 2012 tools and libraries to build your application.

msbuild myProject.vcxproj /p:PlatformToolset=v110

Set the PlatformToolset property to v100 to use Visual C++ 2010 tools and libraries to build your application.

msbuild myProject.vcxproj /p:PlatformToolset=v100

Set the PlatformToolset property to v90 to use Visual C++ 2008 tools and libraries to build your application. The Visual C++ 2008 toolset must already be installed on your computer for this property to be effective.

msbuild myProject.vcxproj /p:PlatformToolset=v90

PreferredToolArchitecture Property

The PreferredToolArchitecture property determines whether the 32-bit or 64-bit compiler and tools are used in the build. This property does not affect the output platform architecture or configuration. By default, MSBuild uses the x86 version of the compiler and tools if this property is not set, or is set to any value other than x64.

Set the PreferredToolArchitecture property to x64 to use the 64-bit compiler and tools to build your application.

msbuild myProject.vcxproj /p:PreferredToolArchitecture=x64

UseEnv Property

By default, the platform-specific settings for the current project override the PATH, INCLUDE, LIB, LIBPATH, CONFIGURATION, and PLATFORM environment variables. Set the UseEnv property to true to guarantee that the environment variables are not overridden.

msbuild myProject.vcxproj /p:UseEnv=true

Targets

There are hundreds of targets in the Visual C++ support files. However, most are system-oriented targets that the user can ignore. Most system targets are prefixed by an underscore (_), or have a name that starts with "PrepareFor", "Compute", "Before", "After", "Pre", or "Post".

The following table lists several worthwhile user-oriented targets.

Target	Description
BscMake	Executes the Microsoft Browse Information Maintenance Utility tool, bscmake.exe.
Build	Builds the project. This is the default target for a project.
ClCompile	Executes the Visual C++ compiler tool, cl.exe.
Clean	Deletes temporary and intermediate build files.
Lib	Executes the Microsoft 32-Bit Library Manager tool, lib.exe.
Link	Executes the Visual C++ linker tool, link.exe.
ManifestResourceCompile	Extracts a list of resources from a manifest and then executes the Microsoft Windows Resource Compiler tool, rc.exe.
Midl	Executes the Microsoft Interface Definition Language (MIDL) compiler tool, midl.exe.
Rebuild	Cleans and then builds your project.
ResourceCompile	Executes the Microsoft Windows Resource Compiler tool, rc.exe.
XdcMake	Executes the XML Documentation tool, xdcmake.exe.
Xsd	Executes the XML Schema Definition tool, xsd.exe.

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