[Build Optimization] Enable incremental builds by making assembly version generation conditional

.github/workflows/build_dynamo_all.yml

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies for windows runtime
         run: dotnet restore ${{ github.workspace }}\Dynamo\src\Dynamo.All.sln --runtime=win-x64 -p:Configuration=Release -p:DotNet=net10.0
       - name: Build Dynamo with MSBuild for Windows
-        run: msbuild ${{ github.workspace }}\Dynamo\src\Dynamo.All.sln /p:Configuration=Release /warnAsError:RS0016,RS0017 /p:PublicApiAnalyzers=true
+        run: msbuild ${{ github.workspace }}\Dynamo\src\Dynamo.All.sln /p:Configuration=Release /p:RegenerateAssemblyInfo=true /warnAsError:RS0016,RS0017 /p:PublicApiAnalyzers=true
       - name: Look for DynamoCLI.exe
         run: |
           Write-Output "***Locating DynamoCLI.exe!***"

.github/workflows/build_dynamo_core.yml

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies for windows runtime
         run: dotnet restore ${{ github.workspace }}\Dynamo\src\DynamoCore.sln --runtime=win-x64 -p:Configuration=Release -p:DotNet=net10.0
       - name: Build DynamoCore with MSBuild for Windows
-        run: msbuild ${{ github.workspace }}\Dynamo\src\DynamoCore.sln /p:Configuration=Release
+        run: msbuild ${{ github.workspace }}\Dynamo\src\DynamoCore.sln /p:Configuration=Release /p:RegenerateAssemblyInfo=true
       - name: Look for DynamoCLI.exe
         run: |
           Write-Output "***Locating DynamoCLI.exe!***"
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies for linux runtime
         run: dotnet restore ${{ github.workspace }}\Dynamo\src\DynamoCore.sln --runtime=linux-x64 -p:Configuration=Release -p:Platform=NET_Linux -p:DotNet=net10.0
       - name: Build DynamoCore with MSBuild for Linux
-        run: dotnet build ${{ github.workspace }}\Dynamo\src\DynamoCore.sln -c Release /p:Platform=NET_Linux
+        run: dotnet build ${{ github.workspace }}\Dynamo\src\DynamoCore.sln -c Release /p:Platform=NET_Linux /p:RegenerateAssemblyInfo=true
       - name: Look for DynamoCLI
         run: |
           Write-Output "***Locating DynamoCLI for Linux!***"
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies for linux runtime
         run: dotnet restore ${{ github.workspace }}/Dynamo/src/DynamoCore.sln --runtime=linux-x64 -p:Configuration=Release -p:Platform=NET_Linux -p:DotNet=net10.0
       - name: Build DynamoCore with dotnet for Linux
-        run: dotnet build ${{ github.workspace }}/Dynamo/src/DynamoCore.sln -c Release /p:Platform=NET_Linux
+        run: dotnet build ${{ github.workspace }}/Dynamo/src/DynamoCore.sln -c Release /p:Platform=NET_Linux /p:RegenerateAssemblyInfo=true
       - name: Look for DynamoCLI.exe
         run: |
           echo "***Locating DynamoCLI for Linux!***"

.github/workflows/dynamo_bin_diff.yml

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies for windows runtime
         run: dotnet restore ${{ github.workspace }}\Dynamo\src\Dynamo.All.sln -p:Configuration=Release --runtime=win-x64 -p:DotNet=net10.0
       - name: Build Dynamo with MSBuild
-        run: msbuild ${{ github.workspace }}\Dynamo\src\Dynamo.All.sln /p:Configuration=Release
+        run: msbuild ${{ github.workspace }}\Dynamo\src\Dynamo.All.sln /p:Configuration=Release /p:RegenerateAssemblyInfo=true
       - name: Look for DynamoCLI.exe
         run: |
           Write-Output "***Locating DynamoCLI.exe!***"
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dependencies for windows runtime
         run: dotnet restore ${{ github.workspace }}\master\src\Dynamo.All.sln -p:Configuration=Release --runtime=win-x64 -p:DotNet=net10.0
       - name: Build Dynamo with MSBuild
-        run: msbuild ${{ github.workspace }}\master\src\Dynamo.All.sln /p:Configuration=Release
+        run: msbuild ${{ github.workspace }}\master\src\Dynamo.All.sln /p:Configuration=Release /p:RegenerateAssemblyInfo=true
       - name: Look for DynamoCLI.exe
         run: |
           Write-Output "***Locating DynamoCLI.exe!***"

README.md

@@ -33,6 +33,23 @@ If you are working on legacy branches, you may need to install legacy .NET Frame
 The Dynamo user interface is Windows-only, but the Dynamo engine can be built for other platforms. [Directions for building Dynamo on Linux or OS X can be found here](https://github.com/DynamoDS/Dynamo/wiki/Dynamo-on-Linux,-Mac).
 Find more about how to build Dynamo at our [wiki](https://github.com/DynamoDS/Dynamo/wiki) and [Dynamo Developer Resources](https://developer.dynamobim.org/).
 
+#### Incremental Builds
+
+To enable faster incremental builds during local development, assembly version information is not automatically regenerated on every build. This prevents unnecessary rebuilds of all projects.
+
+If you need to generate a new version number (e.g., for official builds or releases), pass the `RegenerateAssemblyInfo=true` property:
+
+```bash
+# For Windows with MSBuild
+msbuild src\Dynamo.All.sln /p:Configuration=Release /p:RegenerateAssemblyInfo=true
+
+# For Linux/Mac with dotnet
+dotnet build src/DynamoCore.sln -c Release /p:RegenerateAssemblyInfo=true
+```
+
+CI builds automatically regenerate version information with timestamps.
+
+
 ### Create a Node Library for Dynamo
 
 If you're interested in developing a Node library for Dynamo, the easiest place to start is by browsing the [DynamoSamples](https://github.com/DynamoDS/DynamoSamples).

src/AssemblySharedInfoGenerator/AssemblyInfoGenerator.csproj

@@ -30,9 +30,14 @@
       <DependentUpon>AssemblySharedInfo.tt</DependentUpon>
     </Compile>
   </ItemGroup>
+  <PropertyGroup>
+    <!-- By default, do not regenerate AssemblySharedInfo.cs to enable incremental builds.
+         Set RegenerateAssemblyInfo=true (e.g., in CI builds) to regenerate with current timestamp. -->
+    <RegenerateAssemblyInfo Condition="'$(RegenerateAssemblyInfo)' == ''">false</RegenerateAssemblyInfo>
+  </PropertyGroup>
   <Import Project="Sdk.targets" Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk" />
   <Import Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v$(VisualStudioVersion)\TextTemplating\Microsoft.TextTemplating.targets')" Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v$(VisualStudioVersion)\TextTemplating\Microsoft.TextTemplating.targets" />
-  <Target Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v$(VisualStudioVersion)\TextTemplating\Microsoft.TextTemplating.targets')" Name="T4TemplateGen" BeforeTargets="Build">
+  <Target Condition="'$(RegenerateAssemblyInfo)' == 'true' AND Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v$(VisualStudioVersion)\TextTemplating\Microsoft.TextTemplating.targets')" Name="T4TemplateGen" BeforeTargets="Build">
     <CallTarget Targets="TransformAll" />
     <Message Importance="high" Text="Running Template Generator for AssemblyInfoProperties" />
   </Target>