Some variables are empty in project context

[AKhrulev]

I use post-build event in this way:

<Project Sdk="WixToolset.Sdk/4.0.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Configurations>Release Pro;Release Std</Configurations>
    <Platforms>x64</Platforms>
    <OutputName>MyProjectName</OutputName>
    <PostBuildEvent>xcopy "$(ProjectDir)$(OutDir)$(TargetFileName)" "$(ProjectDir)binToSign\$(Platform)\$(Configuration)\" /Y</PostBuildEvent>
    <RunPostBuildEvent>OnOutputUpdated</RunPostBuildEvent>
  </PropertyGroup>
...

But the result in Output is:

error MSB3073: The command "xcopy "" "binToSign\x64\Release Pro\" /Y" exited with code 4.

We see that $(Platform) and $(Configuration) are valid, but variables $(ProjectDir), $(OutDir), $(TargetFileName) are empty. How to have correct values of these empty variables in project context?

WiX Toolset Visual Studio Extension version 1.0.0.22
wix version: 4.0.0+8c757c0f

[BMurri]

This has nothing to do with WiX per se. It is a classic MSBuild "issue" that will never be "fixed". The issue is that root-level PropertyGroup (and ItemGroup) elements in MSBuild files are fully evauated at the time they are parsed, and the properties you are depending on haven't been defined above their use (or aren't defined at the root-level of any msbuild file or argument). You will find that an equivalent property in a C# project will fail in the same way.

The classic solution is to move your definition to a target that runs before the target that consumes that property (or item, as the case may be).

[robmen]

PostBuildEvent is an anachronism in Sdk-style projects. You can do it, but it requires using explicit Sdk imports. HeatWave will automatically convert v3 .wixprojs using PostBuildEvent to use explicit Sdk imports, but if you manually add PostBuildEvent in a v4 .wixproj, you'll need to do the manual Sdk import yourself.

This topic has been discussed on this Discussion forum in the past for more information.