MSDeploy skip rules when using MSBuild PublishProfile with Visual Studio 2012

Question

I'm trying to use WebDeploy to publish a website using custom MSDeploy skip rules and a publish profile saved in Visual Studio 2012.

I have the publish profile working from the command line, but the skip rule to skip deleting a folder isn't working.

I have an ErrorLog subfolder in my web app with a web.config file inside it to set the proper folder permissions. Without any skip rules, the ErrorLog folder and web.config file are published normally, but all existing error log files in the folder on the server are deleted on publish.

---

Error with <SkipAction>Delete</SkipAction>

When I add a custom skip rule to my wpp.targets file, the skip rule is no longer accepting a value for the <SkipAction> element. If I set <SkipAction>Delete</SkipAction>, I get the following error:

C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v11.0\Web\Microsoft.Web.Publishing.targets(4377,5): error : Web deployment task failed. (Unrecognized skip directive 'skipaction'. Must be one of the following: "objectName," "keyAttribute," "absolutePath," "xPath," "attributes.<name>.") [C:\inetpub\wwwroot\My.Website\My.Website\My.Website.csproj]

If I simply omit the <SkipAction> element, the ErrorLog folder is deleted when it would normally be published.

If I set <SkipAction></SkipAction>, again, the ErrorLog folder is deleted on publish.

If I set <KeyAttribute>Delete</KeyAttribute>, then ErrorLog and the web.config file are published normally.

My understanding is that in order to use custom skip rules, you need to call MSBuild from the command line instead of publishing from within VS 2012. I'd still like to use my saved publishing profiles, however, and I understand that's now possible as of VS 2012.

---

My MSBuild command line:

C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\MSBuild.exe My.Website.sln /p:Configuration=Release;DeployOnBuild=true;PublishProfile="Test Server - Web Deploy"

---

My.Website.wpp.targets:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <AfterAddIisSettingAndFileContentsToSourceManifest>AddCustomSkipRules</AfterAddIisSettingAndFileContentsToSourceManifest>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <Target Name="AddCustomSkipRules">
    <Message Text="Adding Custom Skip Rules" />
    <ItemGroup>
      <MsDeploySkipRules Include="SkipErrorLogFolder1">
        <SkipAction></SkipAction>
        <KeyAttribute>Delete</KeyAttribute>
        <ObjectName>dirPath</ObjectName>
        <AbsolutePath>$(_Escaped_WPPAllFilesInSingleFolder)\\ErrorLog$</AbsolutePath>
        <XPath></XPath>
      </MsDeploySkipRules>
    </ItemGroup>
  </Target>
</Project>

---

My MSBuild output showing the custom skip rule, but still deleting the files:

GenerateMsdeployManifestFiles:
  Generate source manifest file for Web Deploy package/publish ...
AddCustomSkipRules:
  Adding Custom Skip Rules
MSDeployPublish:
  Start Web Deploy Publish the Application/package to http://testserver.domain.com/MSDEPLOYAGENTSERVICE ...
  Starting Web deployment task from source: manifest(C:\inetpub\wwwroot\My.Website\My.Website\obj\Release\Package\My.Website.SourceManifest.xml) to Destination: auto().
  Deleting filePath (MyWeb/ErrorLog\test.txt).
  Updating setAcl (MyWeb/).
  Updating setAcl (MyWeb/).
  Updating filePath (MyWeb/ErrorLog\Web.config).
  Updating filePath (MyWeb/Web.config).
  Updating setAcl (MyWeb/).
  Updating setAcl (MyWeb/).
  Successfully executed Web deployment task.
  Publish is successfully deployed.

Answer 1

Edit: It turns out you are right: the skip directive is ignored when executed from Visual Studio.

Fortunately, there's a workaround.

What you want is this:

<!-- Skip the deletion of any file within the ErrorLog directory -->
<MsDeploySkipRules Include="SkipErrorLogFolder1">
  <SkipAction>Delete</SkipAction>
  <ObjectName>filePath</ObjectName>
  <AbsolutePath>ErrorLog</AbsolutePath>
</MsDeploySkipRules>

In addition, you need to prevent VS from using the UI-task (which appears to contain a bug regarding the skip rules). You can do this by declaring the following in your wpp.targets or pubxml:

<PropertyGroup>
  <UseMsDeployExe>true</UseMsDeployExe>
</PropertyGroup>

I've tested this locally and I can confirm that it works as desired: the additional file is updated but no files in the directory are deleted.