How to run .NET 4 code analysis on build server

Question

On a Windows Server 2003 R2 with .NET 4 SDK but without Visual Studio 2010, I have tried building a Visual Studio 2010 solution with

msbuild MySolution.sln /p:RunCodeAnalysis=true

but that fails.

What is required to run code analysis on such an environment?

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I get this error message:

C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v10.0\CodeAnalysis\Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.targets(129,9): error MSB6003: 
The specified task executable "FxCopCmd.exe" could not be run. 
Could not load file or assembly 
'Microsoft.VisualStudio.CodeAnalysis.Sdk, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken= b03f5f7f11d50a3a' 
or one of its dependencies. 
The system cannot find the file specified.

I have installed FxCop from the SDK and without luck pointed the variable FxCopDir to the installed location of FxCopCmd.exe, and also setting this registry entry to that location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0\Setup\EDev@FxCopDir

Answer 1

I had the same problem on my MSBuild server and fixed it by:

• Installing Windows SDK 7.1
• Setting up the registry keys FxCopDir and StanDir in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\10.0\Setup\EDev (in Win32).

I then copied over from the dev PC, to the FxCop folder on the build server, the following:

• The folder Rule Sets (default installation target is here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\Team Tools\Static Analysis Tools\FxCop)
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.CodeAnalysis.Sdk.dll
• Microsoft.VisualStudio.CodeAnalysis.Phoenix.dll
• phx.dll

Do a search for them on your dev PC with Visual Studio installed to locate them.

Then use the .NET 4.0 version of gacutil.exe to install Microsoft.VisualStudio.CodeAnalysis.Sdk.dll to the GAC.

You should then be able to run code analysis as part of an MSBuild build and have it work properly.