specify project file of a solution using msbuild

build tfs msbuild release devenv
tjdoubts picture tjdoubts · Dec 17, 2012 · Viewed 90.2k times · Source

I want the commandline for building a particular project of a solution using msbuild like we do with devenv.com.In devenv.com we can specify a project of a solution using following commandline 

devenv.com /Build Release|x86 test.sln /project "testproject"

Using the above commandline i can build the testproject in the test.sln using devenv.com.What is the commandline for msbuild for the same solution.

Thanks

Answer

Easton L. picture Easton L. · Oct 23, 2013 
msbuild test.sln /t:project /p:Configuration="Release" /p:Platform="x86" /p:BuildProjectReferences=false

Notice that what is assigned to /t is the project name in the solution, it can be different from the project file name.

Also, as stated in How to: Build specific targets in solutions by using MSBuild.exe:

If the project name contains any of the characters %, $, @, ;, ., (, ), or ', replace them with an _ in the specified target name.

You can also build multiple projects at once:

msbuild test.sln /t:project;project2 /p:Configuration="Release" /p:Platform="x86" /p:BuildProjectReferences=false

To rebuild or clean, change /t:project to /t:project:clean or /t:project:rebuild

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