Import element does not expand ItemGroup correctly
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I'm trying to populate an ItemGroup
with directory basenames, pass it through a transform to create absolute paths from them and import the files residing there. It works flawlessly in a Message
element, but fails to do anything in an Import
. What am I missing?
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<ItemGroup>
<MyDependencies Include="Dir1" />
<MyDependencies Include="Dir2" />
</ItemGroup>
<!-- "Expansion: C:pathDir1import.targets;C:somepathDir2import.targets" -->
<Target Name="TestMessage" BeforeTargets="PrepareForBuild">
<Message
Importance="High"
Text="Expansion: @(MyDependencies -> 'C:path%(Identity)import.targets')"
/>
</Target>
<!-- Uncomment to trigger error -->
<!--<Import Project="@(MyDependencies -> 'C:path%(Identity)import.targets')" />-->
</Project>
The Import
's path remains unexpanded and leads to:
error MSB4102: The value "@(MyDependencies -> 'C:path%(Identity)import.targets')" of the "Project" attribute in element <Import> is invalid. Illegal characters in path.
msbuild msbuild-itemgroup
add a comment |
I'm trying to populate an ItemGroup
with directory basenames, pass it through a transform to create absolute paths from them and import the files residing there. It works flawlessly in a Message
element, but fails to do anything in an Import
. What am I missing?
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<ItemGroup>
<MyDependencies Include="Dir1" />
<MyDependencies Include="Dir2" />
</ItemGroup>
<!-- "Expansion: C:pathDir1import.targets;C:somepathDir2import.targets" -->
<Target Name="TestMessage" BeforeTargets="PrepareForBuild">
<Message
Importance="High"
Text="Expansion: @(MyDependencies -> 'C:path%(Identity)import.targets')"
/>
</Target>
<!-- Uncomment to trigger error -->
<!--<Import Project="@(MyDependencies -> 'C:path%(Identity)import.targets')" />-->
</Project>
The Import
's path remains unexpanded and leads to:
error MSB4102: The value "@(MyDependencies -> 'C:path%(Identity)import.targets')" of the "Project" attribute in element <Import> is invalid. Illegal characters in path.
msbuild msbuild-itemgroup
This is a classic evaluation order problem (and a duplicate IIRC). I can't pinpoint the exact piece of documentation stating this but the transform is only evaluated in a pass after importing. edit well docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/msbuild/… says "During the execution phase of a build ... Item values and item transformations are also expanded" and it says Import is part of the evaluation phase so I guess that does answer it.
– stijn
Dec 28 '18 at 9:53
@stijn damn, the documentation is incomplete but it looks like you're right and item groups plain don't work withImport
...
– Quentin
Dec 28 '18 at 14:57
add a comment |
I'm trying to populate an ItemGroup
with directory basenames, pass it through a transform to create absolute paths from them and import the files residing there. It works flawlessly in a Message
element, but fails to do anything in an Import
. What am I missing?
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<ItemGroup>
<MyDependencies Include="Dir1" />
<MyDependencies Include="Dir2" />
</ItemGroup>
<!-- "Expansion: C:pathDir1import.targets;C:somepathDir2import.targets" -->
<Target Name="TestMessage" BeforeTargets="PrepareForBuild">
<Message
Importance="High"
Text="Expansion: @(MyDependencies -> 'C:path%(Identity)import.targets')"
/>
</Target>
<!-- Uncomment to trigger error -->
<!--<Import Project="@(MyDependencies -> 'C:path%(Identity)import.targets')" />-->
</Project>
The Import
's path remains unexpanded and leads to:
error MSB4102: The value "@(MyDependencies -> 'C:path%(Identity)import.targets')" of the "Project" attribute in element <Import> is invalid. Illegal characters in path.
msbuild msbuild-itemgroup
I'm trying to populate an ItemGroup
with directory basenames, pass it through a transform to create absolute paths from them and import the files residing there. It works flawlessly in a Message
element, but fails to do anything in an Import
. What am I missing?
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<ItemGroup>
<MyDependencies Include="Dir1" />
<MyDependencies Include="Dir2" />
</ItemGroup>
<!-- "Expansion: C:pathDir1import.targets;C:somepathDir2import.targets" -->
<Target Name="TestMessage" BeforeTargets="PrepareForBuild">
<Message
Importance="High"
Text="Expansion: @(MyDependencies -> 'C:path%(Identity)import.targets')"
/>
</Target>
<!-- Uncomment to trigger error -->
<!--<Import Project="@(MyDependencies -> 'C:path%(Identity)import.targets')" />-->
</Project>
The Import
's path remains unexpanded and leads to:
error MSB4102: The value "@(MyDependencies -> 'C:path%(Identity)import.targets')" of the "Project" attribute in element <Import> is invalid. Illegal characters in path.
msbuild msbuild-itemgroup
msbuild msbuild-itemgroup
asked Dec 27 '18 at 16:42
Quentin
44.4k584140
44.4k584140
This is a classic evaluation order problem (and a duplicate IIRC). I can't pinpoint the exact piece of documentation stating this but the transform is only evaluated in a pass after importing. edit well docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/msbuild/… says "During the execution phase of a build ... Item values and item transformations are also expanded" and it says Import is part of the evaluation phase so I guess that does answer it.
– stijn
Dec 28 '18 at 9:53
@stijn damn, the documentation is incomplete but it looks like you're right and item groups plain don't work withImport
...
– Quentin
Dec 28 '18 at 14:57
add a comment |
This is a classic evaluation order problem (and a duplicate IIRC). I can't pinpoint the exact piece of documentation stating this but the transform is only evaluated in a pass after importing. edit well docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/msbuild/… says "During the execution phase of a build ... Item values and item transformations are also expanded" and it says Import is part of the evaluation phase so I guess that does answer it.
– stijn
Dec 28 '18 at 9:53
@stijn damn, the documentation is incomplete but it looks like you're right and item groups plain don't work withImport
...
– Quentin
Dec 28 '18 at 14:57
This is a classic evaluation order problem (and a duplicate IIRC). I can't pinpoint the exact piece of documentation stating this but the transform is only evaluated in a pass after importing. edit well docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/msbuild/… says "During the execution phase of a build ... Item values and item transformations are also expanded" and it says Import is part of the evaluation phase so I guess that does answer it.
– stijn
Dec 28 '18 at 9:53
This is a classic evaluation order problem (and a duplicate IIRC). I can't pinpoint the exact piece of documentation stating this but the transform is only evaluated in a pass after importing. edit well docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/msbuild/… says "During the execution phase of a build ... Item values and item transformations are also expanded" and it says Import is part of the evaluation phase so I guess that does answer it.
– stijn
Dec 28 '18 at 9:53
@stijn damn, the documentation is incomplete but it looks like you're right and item groups plain don't work with
Import
...– Quentin
Dec 28 '18 at 14:57
@stijn damn, the documentation is incomplete but it looks like you're right and item groups plain don't work with
Import
...– Quentin
Dec 28 '18 at 14:57
add a comment |
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rYMFkdAnscyll3LwUu3PzR hKZLio37,RDVe K SCej2ll6CyyvxVqnbvEEKFEJ,E6HoUdUWV PBDly1H
This is a classic evaluation order problem (and a duplicate IIRC). I can't pinpoint the exact piece of documentation stating this but the transform is only evaluated in a pass after importing. edit well docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/msbuild/… says "During the execution phase of a build ... Item values and item transformations are also expanded" and it says Import is part of the evaluation phase so I guess that does answer it.
– stijn
Dec 28 '18 at 9:53
@stijn damn, the documentation is incomplete but it looks like you're right and item groups plain don't work with
Import
...– Quentin
Dec 28 '18 at 14:57