MSBuild custom Task with variable no of input parameters

Question

I've done a couple of custom Tasks in MSBuild, but I am facing a new situation here.

In short, I want to do this:

<Target Name="MyTarget">
  <CustomTask Files="">
     <Input Name="SomeName" Action="SomeActionName />
     <Input Name="SomeName" Action="SomeActionName />
     <Input Name="SomeName" Action="SomeActionName />
  </CustomTask>
</Target>

I want to do this as I find it more readable than using Itemgroups/propertygroups. There is an attribute such as Output which is almost what I need. It should just be Input instead (hence the name).

So far I've attempted solving this issue using two tasks: CustomTask and InputTask.

Please note that Input does not have to be a Task. This was just a test and a means of getting a variable sized collection of inputs.

public class CustomTask : Task
{
    [Required]
    public TaskItem[] Files { get; set; }

    public InputTask[] Subs { get; set; }

    public override bool Execute()
    {
        if(Subs != null)
        {
            Subs.ToList().ForEach(sub => sub.Execute());
        }
        else
        {
            Log.LogMessage("No Subs");
        }
        return true;
    }
}

public class InputTask: Task
{
    [Required]
    public TaskItem Name{ get; set; }

    [Required]
    public TaskItem Action{ get; set; }

    public override bool Execute()
    {
        Log.LogMessage("" + Name + " should " + Action);
        return true;
    }
}

The idea was that MBSuild could "detect" the sub tasks and would then hand me a collection of them, but I just get an MSB4067 error.

I've have looked through a lot of the online OS tasks and the official documentation, but I haven't found any such example.

Is this even possible to do this way?

If not, how would you recommend I solve this (PropertyGroup/ItemGroup/Other)?

Brian Kretzler · Accepted Answer · 2011-10-09 16:37:22Z

3

What you are trying to do is not possible. You can approximate it with item metadata.

<Target Name="MyTarget"> 

   <ItemGroup>
      <Input Identity="SomeName"><Action>SomeActionName</Action></Input>
      <Input Identity="SomeName"><Action>SomeActionName</Action></Input> 
      <Input Identity="SomeName"><Action>SomeActionName</Action></Input>
   </ItemGroup>

   <CustomTask Files="" Input="@(Input)"> 

</Target>

answered Oct 9, 2011 at 16:37

Brian Kretzler

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1 Comment

Christian Mikkelsen Over a year ago

Yes, this is definitely a way to go which I have allready considered as mentioned in the post. I'll probably end up doing it that way, but would like to have a more reader friendly way of doing it. Will post back if I find a good alternative.

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