Target Authoring

---
name: target-authoring
description: "Canonical patterns for writing custom MSBuild targets. USE FOR: diagnosing and fixing custom target authoring anti-patterns; broken SDK target chains across files (e.g., Directory.Build.targets silently redefining SDK targets); targets that replace CompileDependsOn instead of extending it with $(CompileDependsOn); query targets returning stale results from Outputs vs Returns misuse; missing Inputs/Outputs causing unnecessary rebuilds; missing FileWrites registration. Covers DependsOnTargets vs BeforeTargets vs AfterTargets, the Build→CoreBuild three-level pattern, and the $(XxxDependsOn) chain-extension pattern. DO NOT USE FOR: incremental build tuning (use incremental-build), parallelization (use build-parallelism), general anti-patterns (use msbuild-antipatterns), non-MSBuild build systems."
license: MIT
---

# Custom Target Authoring Patterns

Canonical patterns from `Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets` in the MSBuild repository.

## The Three-Level Target Chain

Every major entry point (Build, Rebuild, Clean) delegates to a **property** listing its dependencies, which chains through Before → Core → After:

```xml
<PropertyGroup>
  <BuildDependsOn>
    BeforeBuild;
    CoreBuild;
    AfterBuild
  </BuildDependsOn>
</PropertyGroup>

<Target Name="Build"
    Condition=" '$(_InvalidConfigurationWarning)' != 'true' "
    DependsOnTargets="$(BuildDependsOn)"
    Returns="@(TargetPathWithTargetPlatformMoniker)" />

<!-- Empty extensibility targets — users override these -->
<Target Name="BeforeBuild" />
<Target Name="AfterBuild" />
```

`CoreBuild` delegates to `$(CoreBuildDependsOn)` and includes error handlers:

```xml
<Target Name="CoreBuild" DependsOnTargets="$(CoreBuildDependsOn)">
  <OnError ExecuteTargets="_TimeStampAfterCompile;PostBuildEvent"
      Condition="'$(RunPostBuildEvent)' == 'Always'" />
  <OnError ExecuteTargets="_CleanRecordFileWrites" />
</Target>
```

### Rules

- Delegate to a property (`DependsOnTargets="$(MyTargetDependsOn)"`), not hardcoded targets.
- `OnError` goes inside the orchestrating target to ensure cleanup runs even on failure.
- Empty Before/After targets are extensibility points. Users override them; SDKs never put logic in them.

## Chain Extension — Append, Never Overwrite

When adding a custom target to an existing chain, **append** to the `DependsOn` property:

```xml
<!-- GOOD: Append to existing chain -->
<PropertyGroup>
  <CompileDependsOn>$(CompileDependsOn);MyCodeGenTarget</CompileDependsOn>
</PropertyGroup>

<!-- BAD: Overwrites the entire chain, dropping SDK targets -->
<PropertyGroup>
  <CompileDependsOn>MyCodeGenTarget</CompileDependsOn>
</PropertyGroup>
```

## DependsOnTargets vs BeforeTargets vs AfterTargets

| Mechanism | Defined in | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| `DependsOnTargets` | The target that needs deps | Target explicitly requires others |
| `BeforeTargets` | The injecting target | Insert before a target you don't own |
| `AfterTargets` | The injecting target | Insert after a target you don't own |

Validation targets use `BeforeTargets` to intercept all entry points:

```xml
<Target Name="_CheckForInvalidConfigurationAndPlatform"
    BeforeTargets="$(BuildDependsOn);Build;$(RebuildDependsOn);Rebuild;$(CleanDependsOn);Clean">
</Target>
```

**Rules:**

- Use `DependsOnTargets` when your target needs specific prerequisites.
- Use `BeforeTargets`/`AfterTargets` when injecting into a pipeline you don't own.
- Prefer `BeforeTargets="CoreCompile"` over modifying `$(CompileDependsOn)` when you don't control the targets file.

## Returns vs Outputs

```xml
<!-- Build returns items for consumption by referencing projects -->
<Target Name="Build"
    DependsOnTargets="$(BuildDependsOn)"
    Returns="@(TargetPathWithTargetPlatformMoniker)" />

<!-- GetTargetPath is a lightweight query target -->
<Target Name="GetTargetPath" Returns="@(TargetPathWithTargetPlatformMoniker)" />
```

- **`Returns`** specifies what the MSBuild task receives when calling this project. Use for inter-project communication.
- **`Outputs`** on inner targets is for incrementality (timestamp checks). Use for up-to-date detection.
- Never mix the two purposes. Query targets (`GetTargetPath`, `GetTargetFrameworks`) should use `Returns`, not `Outputs`.

## Target Naming Conventions

| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `_PrefixedName` | Internal/private target | `_TimeStampBeforeCompile` |
| `CoreXxx` | The actual implementation | `CoreBuild`, `CoreCompile` |
| `BeforeXxx` / `AfterXxx` | Empty extensibility hooks | `BeforeBuild`, `AfterCompile` |
| `PrepareXxx` | Setup/validation phase | `PrepareForBuild` |
| `ResolveXxx` | Discovery/resolution phase | `ResolveReferences` |
| `GetXxx` | Lightweight query (no side effects) | `GetTargetPath` |

## Complete Custom Target Template

```xml
<!-- 1. Define the DependsOn chain for extensibility -->
<PropertyGroup>
  <MyFeatureDependsOn>
    _ValidateMyFeatureInputs;
    BeforeMyFeature;
    CoreMyFeature;
    AfterMyFeature
  </MyFeatureDependsOn>
</PropertyGroup>

<!-- 2. Outer target with Returns for inter-project communication -->
<Target Name="MyFeature"
    DependsOnTargets="$(MyFeatureDependsOn)"
    Returns="@(MyFeatureOutput)" />

<!-- 3. Empty extensibility points -->
<Target Name="BeforeMyFeature" />
<Target Name="AfterMyFeature" />

<!-- 4. Core implementation with Inputs/Outputs for incrementality -->
<Target Name="CoreMyFeature"
    Inputs="$(MSBuildAllProjects);@(MyFeatureInput)"
    Outputs="$(IntermediateOutputPath)myfeature.generated.cs">
  <Exec Command="my-tool.exe -o $(IntermediateOutputPath)myfeature.generated.cs" />
  <!-- 5. Register outputs for clean tracking -->
  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="$(IntermediateOutputPath)myfeature.generated.cs" />
    <FileWrites Include="$(IntermediateOutputPath)myfeature.generated.cs" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Target>

<!-- 6. Validation target runs first in the dependency chain -->
<Target Name="_ValidateMyFeatureInputs">
  <Error Text="MyFeatureInput items are required."
         Condition="'@(MyFeatureInput)' == ''" />
</Target>
```

## Common Pitfalls

- **Overwriting `DependsOn` properties** drops SDK targets silently. Always include `$(ExistingProperty)` when appending.
- **Using `Outputs` on query targets** causes MSBuild to skip them when "up to date," returning stale data. Use `Returns`.
- **Defining targets in `.props`** means `BeforeTargets` on SDK targets have nothing to hook into yet. Move targets to `.targets`.
- **Forgetting `OnError`** in orchestrating targets means file tracking fails on build errors, breaking subsequent incremental builds.