You signed in with another tab or window. Reload to refresh your session.You signed out in another tab or window. Reload to refresh your session.You switched accounts on another tab or window. Reload to refresh your session.Dismiss alert
title: Build the same source files with different options
3
-
description: Create different MSBuild build configurations so you can build the same source files with different options and see examples.
4
-
ms.date: 11/04/2016
2
+
title: Build the Same Source Files With Different Options
3
+
description: Create multiple MSBuild build configurations for your source files so you can run builds with different options, and review example configurations.
4
+
ms.date: 06/26/2025
5
5
ms.topic: how-to
6
6
helpviewer_keywords:
7
7
- source files, building with different options
@@ -12,152 +12,148 @@ author: ghogen
12
12
ms.author: ghogen
13
13
manager: mijacobs
14
14
ms.subservice: msbuild
15
+
#customer intent: As a developer, I want to create multiple MSBuild build configurations for my source files, so I can build the same files by using different options.
15
16
---
16
-
# Build the same source files with different options
17
17
18
-
When you build projects, you frequently compile the same components with different build options. For example, you can create a debug build with symbol information or a release build with no symbol information but with optimizations enabled. Or you can build a project to run on a specific platform, such as x86 or x64. In all these cases, most of the build options stay the same; only a few options are changed to control the build configuration. With MSBuild, you use properties and conditions to create the different build configurations.
18
+
# Create multiple build configurations for your source files
19
+
20
+
When you build projects, you frequently compile the same components with different build options. For example, you can create a debug build with symbol information or a release build with no symbol information but with optimizations enabled. Or you can build a project to run on a specific platform, such as x86 or x64. In all these cases, most of the build options stay the same. Only a few options are changed to control the build configuration. With MSBuild, you use properties and conditions to create the different build configurations for your source files.
19
21
20
22
## Use properties to control build settings
21
23
22
-
The `Property` element defines a variable that is referenced several times in a project file, such as the location of a temporary directory, or to set the values for properties that are used in several configurations, such as a Debug build and a Release build. For more information about properties, see [MSBuild properties](../msbuild/msbuild-properties.md).
24
+
The `Property` element defines a variable that has multiple references in a project file. The variable might identify the location of a temporary directory, or set the values for properties used in several configurations, such as Debug and Release builds. For more information about properties, see [MSBuild properties](msbuild-properties.md).
25
+
26
+
You can use properties to change the configuration of your build without having to change the project file. The `Condition` attribute of the `Property` and `PropertyGroup` elements allows you to change the value of properties.
23
27
24
-
You can use properties to change the configuration of your build without having to change the project file. The `Condition` attribute of the`Property` element and the `PropertyGroup` element allows you to change the value of properties. For more information about MSBuild conditions, see [Conditions](../msbuild/msbuild-conditions.md).
28
+
- To define a property that depends on another property, set the `Condition` attribute in a`Property` element:
25
29
26
-
### To set a group of properties that depends on another property
For more information about MSBuild conditions, see [Conditions](msbuild-conditions.md).
44
44
45
45
## Specify properties on the command line
46
46
47
-
Once your project file is written to accept multiple configurations, you need to have the ability to change those configurations whenever you build your project. MSBuild provides this ability by allowing properties to be specified on the command line using the **-property** or **-p** switch.
47
+
When your project file accepts multiple configurations, you need the ability to change the configurations whenever you build your project. MSBuild supports this action by allowing you to specify properties on the command line with the `-property` or `-p` switch.
48
48
49
-
###To set a project property at the command line
49
+
- To set a project property at the command line, use the `-property` (or `-p`) switch with the property name and value:
50
50
51
-
- Use the **-property** switch with the property and property value. For example:
51
+
```cmd
52
+
msbuild file.proj -property:Flavor=Debug
53
+
```
52
54
53
-
```cmd
54
-
msbuild file.proj -property:Flavor=Debug
55
-
```
55
+
- To specify more than one project property at the command line, use the `-property` (`-p`) switch with each property name and value:
56
56
57
-
or
57
+
```cmd
58
+
msbuild file.proj -p:Flavor=Debug -p:Platform=x86
59
+
```
58
60
59
-
```cmd
60
-
Msbuild file.proj -p:Flavor=Debug
61
-
```
61
+
- There's a shortcut for specifying multiple properties on the command line. Enter the `-property` (`-p`) switch once, and separate the list of property names and values by using the semicolon (`;`):
62
62
63
-
### To specify more than one project property at the command line
- Use the **-property** or **-p** switch multiple times with the property and property values, or use one **-property** or **-p** switch and separate multiple properties with semicolons (;). For example:
67
+
## Handle precedence across environment variables and properties
66
68
67
-
```cmd
68
-
msbuild file.proj -p:Flavor=Debug;Platform=x86
69
-
```
69
+
MSBuild processes environment variable values the same way it handles properties. When the build encounters multiple values for a property, it sets the value according to the order of precedence: command line (highest), project file, and environment variable (lowest).
70
70
71
-
or
71
+
- A property value specified on the command line takes precedence over any value set for the same property in the project file or environment variable.
72
72
73
-
```cmd
74
-
msbuild file.proj -p:Flavor=Debug -p:Platform=x86
75
-
```
73
+
- A property value set in the project file takes precedence over the corresponding value defined in an environment variable.
76
74
77
-
Environment variables are also treated as properties and are automatically incorporated by MSBuild. For more information about using environment variables, see [How to: Use environment variables in a build](../msbuild/how-to-use-environment-variables-in-a-build.md).
75
+
You can change the precedence behavior by using the `TreatAsLocalProperty` attribute in a project tag. When you list property names with this attribute, the property value specified on the command line doesn't take precedence over the value in the project file. For an example, see [Change precedence with the TreatAsLocalProperty attribute](#change-precedence-with-the-treataslocalproperty-attribute).
78
76
79
-
The property value that is specified on the command line takes precedence over any value that is set for the same property in the project file, and that value in the project file takes precedence over the value in an environment variable.
77
+
For more information, see [Use environment variables in a build](how-to-use-environment-variables-in-a-build.md).
80
78
81
-
You can change this behavior by using the `TreatAsLocalProperty` attribute in a project tag. For property names that are listed with that attribute, the property value that's specified on the command line doesn't take precedence over the value in the project file. You can find an example later in this topic.
79
+
## Use property groups to change build configurations
82
80
83
-
## Example 1
81
+
The following example demonstrates a project file that defines two property groups to build a Debug or Release version of the project.
84
82
85
-
The following code example, the "Hello World" project, contains two new property groups that can be used to create a Debug build and a Release build.
83
+
- To build the Debug version, use the `-property` (`-p`) switch with the `flavor` property value set to `debug`:
86
84
87
-
To build the debug version of this project, type:
85
+
```cmd
86
+
msbuild consolehwcs1.proj -p:flavor=debug
87
+
```
88
88
89
-
```cmd
90
-
msbuild consolehwcs1.proj -p:flavor=debug
91
-
```
89
+
- To build the Release version, use the `-property` (`-p`) switch with the `flavor` property value set to `retail`:
92
90
93
-
To build the retail version of this project, type:
<!-- Sets the default flavor if an environment variable called
104
-
Flavor is not set or specified on the command line -->
101
+
<!-- Set default flavor, if env variable 'Flavor' not set or specified on command line -->
105
102
<PropertyGroup>
106
103
<FlavorCondition="'$(Flavor)'==''">DEBUG</Flavor>
107
104
</PropertyGroup>
108
105
109
-
<!-- Define the DEBUG settings -->
106
+
<!-- Define DEBUG settings -->
110
107
<PropertyGroupCondition="'$(Flavor)'=='DEBUG'">
111
108
<DebugType>full</DebugType>
112
109
<Optimize>no</Optimize>
113
110
</PropertyGroup>
114
111
115
-
<!-- Define the RETAIL settings -->
112
+
<!-- Define RETAIL settings -->
116
113
<PropertyGroupCondition="'$(Flavor)'=='RETAIL'">
117
114
<DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
118
115
<Optimize>yes</Optimize>
119
116
</PropertyGroup>
120
117
121
-
<!-- Set the application name as a property -->
118
+
<!-- Set application name as a property -->
122
119
<PropertyGroup>
123
120
<appname>HelloWorldCS</appname>
124
121
</PropertyGroup>
125
122
126
-
<!-- Specify the inputs by type and file name -->
123
+
<!-- Specify inputs by type and file name -->
127
124
<ItemGroup>
128
125
<CSFile Include = "consolehwcs1.cs"/>
129
126
</ItemGroup>
130
127
131
128
<Target Name = "Compile">
132
-
<!-- Run the Visual C# compilation using input files
133
-
of type CSFile -->
129
+
<!-- Run Visual C# compilation using input file of type CSFile -->
134
130
<CSC Sources = "@(CSFile)"
135
131
DebugType="$(DebugType)"
136
132
Optimize="$(Optimize)"
137
133
OutputAssembly="$(appname).exe" >
138
134
139
-
<!-- Set the OutputAssembly attribute of the CSC
140
-
task to the name of the executable file that is
141
-
created -->
135
+
<!-- Set OutputAssembly attribute of CSC task to name of created executable file -->
142
136
<OutputTaskParameter="OutputAssembly"
143
137
ItemName = "EXEFile" />
144
138
</CSC>
145
-
<!-- Log the file name of the output file -->
139
+
<!-- Log file name of output file -->
146
140
<MessageText="The output file is @(EXEFile)"/>
147
141
</Target>
148
142
</Project>
149
143
```
150
144
151
-
## Example 2
145
+
## Change precedence with the TreatAsLocalProperty attribute
152
146
153
-
The following example illustrates how to use the `TreatAsLocalProperty` attribute. The `Color` property has a value of `Blue` in the project file and `Green` in the command line. With `TreatAsLocalProperty="Color"` in the project tag, the command-line property (`Green`) doesn't override the property that's defined in the project file (`Blue`).
147
+
The following example illustrates how to use the `TreatAsLocalProperty` attribute. The `Color` property has a value of `Blue` in the project file and `Green` in the command line. With the `TreatAsLocalProperty="Color"`attribute setting in the project tag, the command-line property (`Green`) doesn't override the property value defined in the project file (`Blue`).
154
148
155
149
To build the project, enter the following command:
0 commit comments