Trouble making ItemGroup Tags work

Question

I've been getting an error lately that really puzzles me, as it appears to be a part of MSBuild that violates its own schema...

If a project file is supposed to be an XML file based off of the standard Microsoft MSBuild XML schema, how can the system accept any given name as the title of an ItemGroup?  For example, if I try writing my own file, and use IntelliSense to determine what elements are valid, "ProjectFiles", or "Compile", or even "Bob", is not a viable option under ItemGroup.

I ask because this is just the problem I'm having with a very rudimentary file, as shown below.  When I try running MSBuild on this XML, I get the error shown (with command)...

<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">

<Target Name="Clean">

<ItemGroup>

<Compile Include="Authentication.dll"/>

</ItemGroup>

<Delete Files="@(Compile)" />

</Target>

</Project>

C:\Working Copy\MBIntranet\CommonObjects>msbuild Clean.xml
Microsoft (R) Build Engine Version 2.0.50727.1433
[Microsoft .NET Framework, Version 2.0.50727.1433]
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 2005. All rights reserved.

Build started 3/6/2009 5:09:06 PM.
__________________________________________________
Project "C:\Working Copy\MBIntranet\CommonObjects\Clean.xml" (default targets):

Target Clean:
  C:\Working Copy\MBIntranet\CommonObjects\Clean.xml(4,4): error MSB4067: The el
ement <Compile> beneath element <ItemGroup> is unrecognized.
Done building target "Clean" in project "Clean.xml" -- FAILED.

Done building project "Clean.xml" -- FAILED.

Build FAILED.
C:\Working Copy\MBIntranet\CommonObjects\Clean.xml(4,4): error MSB4067: The elem
ent <Compile> beneath element <ItemGroup> is unrecognized.
    0 Warning(s)
    1 Error(s)

It looks to me like MSBuild is choking on the violation of the MSBuild XML schema.  If that's the case, how can the given syntax for naming item groups work? 

Thanks

-Koombah

Answer 1

Hi,

You are usng a feature called dynamic item groups, which was introduced in MSBuild 3.5. This allows you to put item groups inside a target. However, since
you are running MSBuild 2.0 this gives you the error.

Regards
/Jakob

Answer 2

how can we still get this working if we have MSBuild 2 and VS2005 only

Answer 3

Move the itemgroup outside of the target or use CreateItem within a target.

Mike

Answer 4

Hi Mike

ANy chance you can show me the syntax please?

my code looks like this

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">

 <Target Name="Clean">
   <ItemGroup>
       <BinFiles Include="Project A\bin\*.*" />
               <BinFiles Include="Project B\bin\*.*" />
               <BinFiles Include="Project C\bin\*.*" />
               <BinFiles Include="Project D\bin\*.*" />

  </ItemGroup>
   <Delete Files="@(BinFiles)" />
 </Target>
</Project>

when i run this using command prompt and entering msbuild Build.xml /t:Clean

I get an MSB4067 error and an error message saying Workspace\Build.xml (4,1): error MSB4067:
The element <BinFiles> beneath element <Project> is unrecognized.