MSBuild Task Multiple Reference Paths

Question

I am building a project using MSBuild that contains multiple reference paths (i.e. Hint Paths) to assembly locations.  I can use the "Reference Path" property in the MSBuild task (as described in the post: http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=233361&SiteID=1) to set a single reference path, but how is it done for multiple paths?  I can't separate multiple paths with a semicolon, since that will terminate input for that specific property.  I've tried using an ItemGroup, but MSBuild complains that it isn't valid input for that field.

Will simply specifying the reference path twice add both paths, or will the second overwrite the first?  Is there a better solution?

Thanks,
Dave

Answer 1

Dave,

I would use the AdditionalReferencePath ItemGroup like so:

<ItemGroup>
    <!--  ADDITIONAL REFERENCE PATH
        The list of additional reference paths to use while resolving
        references. For example,
        <AdditionalReferencePath Include="C:\MyFolder\" />
        <AdditionalReferencePath Include="R:\Common\v1.4" />
    -->
    <AdditionalReferencePath Include="C:\References\Reference1 />
    <AdditionalReferencePath Include="C:\References\Reference2" />
    <AdditionalReferencePath Include="C:\References\Reference3" />
</ItemGroup>

Check out these articles for more info.

Resolving file references in team build ( Part -2 ) - http://blogs.msdn.com/manishagarwal/archive/2005/09/28/474769.aspx
Resolving references in Team Build ( Part 3 ) - https://blogs.msdn.com/manishagarwal/archive/2005/10/05/477363.aspx

- Steve

 

Answer 2

Dave,

This a modification of the reply in the post you refered to:

<Project DefaultTargets="BuildOtherProjects" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<ItemGroup>
        <ProjectReferences Include="commerce/Commerce.Cache/Commerce.Cache.csproj" />
    </ItemGroup>

<Target Name="BuildOtherProjects">
      <MSBuild
            Projects="@(ProjectReferences)"
            Properties="ReferencePath=C:\look\here%3BC:\also\look\here"
            Targets="Build">
            <Output
                TaskParameter="TargetOutputs"
                ItemName="AssembliesBuiltByChildProjects" />
        </MSBuild>
</Target>

The %3B escapes the ; so that is correctly passed into ReferencePath.

Answer 3

Actually that line should be

Properties="ReferencePath=C:\look\here&#59; C:\also\look\here"

Using %3B will not look up the assembly reference correctly, using the correct ASCII code however will.