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MSBuild is Microsoft’s build engine: it reads a project’s build instructions, evaluates configuration and inputs, then runs targets and tasks to produce an output. Visual Studio uses MSBuild, but the engine can also be run from a command line or script, including through the .NET CLI.
What MSBuild is—and how it relates to Visual Studio
MSBuild is the system that interprets build descriptions and carries out the work they specify. A project file—often a .csproj, .vbproj, or .vcxproj—uses MSBuild’s XML format to describe configuration, inputs, and build logic. Visual Studio uses MSBuild to load and build managed projects; MSBuild itself is not the Visual Studio IDE. It can also be invoked independently for command-line, scripted, or CI builds. Microsoft’s MSBuild overview describes the project-file model and its building blocks.
The name can refer to the engine, the project-file system, or the implementation bundled with a particular .NET SDK or Visual Studio installation. That distinction matters when checking which project types, SDKs, properties, and targets an environment supports.
How an MSBuild build works
A build has two main phases after startup processes the command-line input: evaluation and execution. During evaluation, MSBuild reads the project and its imported files, determines property values, and identifies items. During execution, it runs the selected targets and the tasks within them. Microsoft’s build-process overview explains this sequence.
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- Properties store configuration as key/value pairs, such as settings that affect a build.
- Items identify inputs, such as source files or other files included in a project.
- Targets organize work into named build steps and can depend on other targets.
- Tasks perform the operations called by targets.
These pieces work together: properties configure the build, items identify what it works on, targets sequence work, and tasks do the work. Asking MSBuild to run one target may also run its prerequisite targets. A solution file (.sln) is not itself an MSBuild XML project; command-line MSBuild interprets the solution and builds the projects required for the chosen configuration. Visual Studio also manages its own project-build orchestration.
Which command should you use?
| Need | Starting point | Scope and limits |
|---|---|---|
| Build a .NET project in the usual workflow | dotnet build |
The standard .NET SDK command; it is equivalent to dotnet msbuild -restore. It uses the .NET SDK’s MSBuild implementation. |
| Pass MSBuild targets or properties to an SDK-style project | dotnet msbuild |
Provides MSBuild command-line capabilities for SDK-style projects. Microsoft’s command page specifies the .NET 6 SDK and later. |
| Build Visual Studio project types with Visual Studio or Build Tools installed | MSBuild.exe |
Can build project or solution input. The exact available properties and targets depend on project type and imported files. |
The .NET SDK provides .NET build commands on Windows, macOS, and Linux; MSBuild.exe is available through Visual Studio or Visual Studio Build Tools. For command details, see the .NET CLI reference for dotnet msbuild and the MSBuild command-line reference.
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Build normally with the .NET SDK
For a standard .NET build, run dotnet build from the project directory. This is usually the clearest choice when you want the SDK’s ordinary restore-and-build workflow rather than a specific MSBuild target.
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Use dotnet msbuild when you need direct MSBuild target or property control for an SDK-style project. For example, a target can be selected with -target:TargetName, and a property can be supplied with -property:Name=Value. The available names and their effects depend on the project and its imports. Shell quoting matters for arguments containing semicolons or commas; consult the command-line reference for syntax.
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Not every .NET CLI command forwards MSBuild switches in the same way. Microsoft documents relevant switch forwarding for commands including dotnet build, dotnet publish, and dotnet msbuild; dotnet run does not forward them in that manner.
Project files, SDK-style projects, and imports
MSBuild project files can import other files to share defaults and build logic. A .props file commonly supplies properties, while a .targets file commonly defines targets and related behavior. Traditional project files may show more of this plumbing explicitly. In an SDK-style .NET project, an SDK reference provides implicit imports, so much of the standard setup is not written out in the project file. Microsoft explains this in its guidance on referencing an MSBuild Project SDK and the .NET project SDK.
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For .NET projects, Microsoft.Common.props supplies defaults and Microsoft.Common.targets defines standard build behavior and extension points. Import order helps explain why a value may not take effect: a later project setting or imported file can override an earlier one.
Share settings across a directory
Directory.Build.props is commonly used for shared properties. It is imported early enough that values in the project can override them. Directory.Build.targets is imported after the project file, making it suitable for later shared target customizations. For either file, confirm that it is in the relevant directory scope and that no later definition changes the value you intended to set.
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- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
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Add work around existing targets
For SDK-specific customization, use documented extension points such as BeforeTargets or AfterTargets to run work before or after a target. This lets a project extend the build without casually editing SDK-owned target files. See Microsoft’s guidance on MSBuild .targets files.
When a property or target behaves unexpectedly
- A property appears to be ignored: check where it is defined and when that file is imported. A later definition may override it.
- A target runs more work than expected: inspect its target dependencies; invoking a named target can trigger prerequisites.
- A command-line switch has no effect: check whether the CLI command forwards that switch to MSBuild and whether the option syntax is correct for the shell.
- A build works on one machine but not another: compare the project type, SDK, Visual Studio or Build Tools installation, and imported files. Available properties and targets are not universal across all MSBuild contexts.
Microsoft’s common MSBuild project properties reference documents properties, but the applicable set depends on the project type and build environment.
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