How to build a Metro app to custom folder - windows

I'm trying to build my Blank App(XAML) for Windows store in custom folder via MSBuild.
In documentation is written that I should add the following attribute to my build command: /p:OutputPath="path", but MSBuild ignoring it. Also I've tried to add this property in .vcxproj but it gives no result.
My command in VS dev command prompt looks like this:
MSbuild "PathToApp\MySolution.sln" /p:Platform=Win32;OutputPath="MyPath"
How can I change output directory for my Metro app?

Related

Visual Studio: How can I find corresponding CLI command for a GUI build operation?

I've been a linux/make guy and recently I'm learning to build UE5 engine from VS 2022. I need to figure out a CLI way to build it.
For example, I right click on one of the modules (not sure if it's the most proper name) and choose 'Build' then the build will start. I want to automate the procedure using CLI.
How can I find the corresponding CLI command for this manual operation?
I don't have access to the Unreal Engine source code and I don't know if Epic has done anything highly unconventional.
From your start menu launch the "Developer Command Prompt for VS2022". This is a shortcut file for launching the Windows command line with a batch file run to set up the PATH and other environment variables for the Visual Studio development tools.
Visual Studio project files (.csproj for C# and .vcxproj for C++ for example) are MSBuild files. (MSBuild was inspired by Ant, if that helps.)
Solution files (.sln) are a completely different format but MSBuild can build a solution file.
From the screenshot in the question I can see that the solution is UE5 which will be UE5.sln. I can also see that you want to build a C++ project. I'm guessing the project may be named BenchmarkTest (BenchmarkTest.vcxproj)?
MSBuild has a notion of targets. A target always has a name and it groups a set of tasks to be performed. (It's like a makefile rule in some respects but it's not the same.)
Solutions and projects created with Visual Studio support some standard targets. The 'Build', 'Rebuild', and 'Clean' menu items map directly to some of these targets.
Visual Studio solutions and projects support Configurations and Platforms. The standard Configurations are Debug and Release. The screenshot shows a non-standard configuration of Develop. The screenshot also shows a platform of Win64.
In the Developer Command Prompt, msbuild should be in the PATH. Try the following command:
msbuild --version
To build the solution with the default target (which is 'build') and the default configuration and platform:
msbuild UE5.sln
To run a 'clean':
msbuild UE5.sln -target:clean
The target switch can be shortened to -t.
The configuration and platform are passed as properties using the -property switch. The short form is -p. Multiple property switches can be provided and multiple properties, delimited by ';', can be provided in one property switch.
msbuild UE5.sln -t:rebuild -p:Configuration=Develop -p:Platform=Win64
or
msbuild UE5.sln -t:rebuild -p:Configuration=Develop;Platform=Win64
To build the BenchmarkTest project, specify the project file:
msbuild BenchmarkTest.vcxproj -t:build -p:Configuration=Develop;Platform=Win64

Jenkins setup for Xamarin Forms app on MacOSX

I am trying to setup a Jenkins job for Xamarin.Forms app. I have added the MSBuild plugin to my Jenkins configuration and am trying to configure the MSBuild location.
I tried to add this Path:/Library/Frameworks/Mono.framework/Commands/xbuild to MSBuild location but the Jenkins dashboard is showing this warning:
What is the exact path for the MSBuild? how can I fix this warning?
msbuild and xbuild are located here /Library/Frameworks/Mono.Framework/Commands on a Mac.
I was running Jenkins on a Mac and did this:
Path to MSBuild:/Library/Frameworks/Mono.Framework/Commands
Name: msbuild (don't think this part matters, it is just the name you can call it anything you want.)
like so:

Build using specified startup project

I am running the build command like this:
set MSBuildParams=/m:16 /target:Rebuild
/property:Configuration=""Release"";Platform=""x64"" msbuild
%MSBuildParams% C:\path\to\the\sln\Solution.sln
I'm using the following msbuild version:
Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 14.0.25420.1
Solution.sln contains 2 projects,
let's say Project1 and Project2.
Project1 is set as the startup project.
After I build the Solution.sln using this setup, I would like to
rebuild it, but this time using Project2 as the startup project.
Is there a way to do that, without changing the Solution.sln?
What would be the best practice to accomplish that?
You could use the specific command line to build/rebuild the specific project using MSbuild like the following case.
specify project file of a solution using msbuild
But we have to change certain files if you want to change the start up project without using the VS IDE, since the setting was stored into the ".SUO" file.
Actually there is no setting in ".SLN" file for startup project even if you don't want to change it,
In addition, the start up project was the running project of the solution, maybe you don't have to change it:
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsdesktop/en-US/b6347dce-8449-4cbb-a606-7b19407a1026/how-do-i-set-the-startup-project-in-the-sln-file?forum=vcgeneral

Explanation on specific differences between my click once publish when done via command line and from Visual Studio

I am trying to understand why is my WindowsForm app publish behaving differently, when done via command line and via Visual Studio's Publish.
The differences are:
In my command line publish, a copy of the .exe is placed in the top-directory publish folder, while it is not there, when published via VS
In my command line publish, the .application file is missing in the [Application Files] folder, while it is there when published via VS
A screen shot illustrating the exposed above:
Anyone has any idea why does this happen ? I have tried playing with the publish settings, but still without success.
Below is what my command line statement looks like (ran via Jenkins):
Explanation on specific differences between my click once publish when done via command line and from Visual Studio
That because some features are done by Visual-Studio and not by the MSBuild command line. So the click-once-deployment behaves differently when it's executed from the command-line.
When you publish via command line, only Project.exe and Setup.exe are copied to the deployment folder. You can switch the deployment folder by property PublishDir:
msbuild "ProjectName.csproj" /target:publish /p:Configuration=Release;PublishDir=D:\TestPublishFolder
When you publish from Visual Studio, Visual Studio will do some more features, including Application Files folder and .application file into deployment folder.
If you want to have the same publish result as Visual Studio when you publish via command line, you can custom target to achieve it.
See ApplicationFiles folder missing when ClickOnce publish with command line for more detailed info.
Hope this helps.

How to launch a web page after installation with Visual Studio Installer

I would like to launch an URL after the installer finishes. I added an *.url file to the project content and added the content files in the Visual Studio Installer project. Then I try to add the *.url in the Commit Custom Action putting the name of the file in the Name field, the EntryPoint says "Commit" and the InstallerClass in false.
When I compile the Visual Studio Installer project it game me an error that Entry point 'Commit' not found in module for custom action *.url
Is it possible to do this without adding an InstallerClass?
You can use a VB script file to run a shell command on the URL file. Look here

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