How To: Build Non-MSBuild Projects with MSBuild

Building non-MSBuild projects is possible. For example you have to build VS2003, Installer, C++, Delphi projects etc. How can you do it? It's simple.

The MSBuild has a built-in task: Exec task. This task calls cmd.exe instead of directly invoking a process and runs the specified program or command with the specified arguments. You can use it in order to build non-MSBuild projects.

For example, in order to build a Visual Studio 2003 Project you should modify the MSBuild file as:

   1:  <PropertyGroup>

   2:  <VS2003_Devenv>$(ProgramFiles)\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\Common7\IDE\devenv.com</VS2003_Devenv>

   3:  <VS2003_SolutionName>$(SolutionRoot)\vs2003\VS2003Application\VS2003SLN.sln</VS2003_SolutionName>

   4:  <VS2003_Configuration>Debug</VS2003_Configuration>

   5:  </PropertyGroup>

   6:   

   7:   

   8:  <Target Name="AfterCompile">

   9:  <Exec Command="&quot;$(VS2003_Devenv)&quot; &quot;$(VS2003_SolutionName)&quot; /build $(VS2003_Configuration)"/>

  10:   

  11:  <MakeDir

  12:  Directories="$(BinariesRoot)\$(VS2003_Configuration)"

  13:  Condition="!Exists('$(BinariesRoot)\$(VS2003_Configuration)')" />

  14:   

  15:  <Copy

  16:  SourceFiles="$(SolutionRoot)\vs2003\VS2003Application\bin\$(VS2003_Configuration)\**\*.*"      

  17:  DestinationFiles="$(SolutionRoot)\vs2003\VS2003Application\bin\$(VS2003_Configuration)\**\*.* ->'$(BinariesRoot)\$(VS2003_Configuration)\%(RecursiveDir)%(Filename)%(Extension)')"

  18:  />

  19:  </Target>

Read here for more information about the target names and the MSBuild configuration file.

First declare some variables to use them during the build. (Lines 1 - 5) . Next in the AfterCompile target, use the MSBuild Exec task to build the VS2003 project by invoking the devenv.com program (Lines 9 -10). After that make a directory (using MakeDir task) for the output (if not exists) (Lines 11 - 13). Finally copy (using the Copy task)the output files to the build binaries root (Lines 15 - 18).

Notice that this assumes VS 2003 is installed on the build machine.

Good Luck!