benvillalobos

Debugging Custom MSBuild Tasks

A brief explanation on debugging msbuild tasks. Anything done on CLI (command-line interface) should be done in a Visual Studio Developer Command Prompt. If you have VS installed, search for "Developer command prompt."

This also works for dotnet builds.

Steps

1. Have VS open & breakpoint into your custom task.
2. Open up a developer command prompt.
3. cd your/project/directory
4. set MSBUILDDEBUGONSTART=1

benvillalobos

Investigation Notes

Time Trial object is the following:

1. An object that is anchored at the bottom
2. A background that has an image
3. Text which is constantly being modified ----
4. Note it also exists in a separate canvas
5. Also note: It exists within DontDestroyOnLoad

References

benvillalobos

There is a CopyToClipboard message that the webview sends.

This means the webview needs to send the copy to clipboard message, while sending the contents to copy within the message.

So within a react file I might have access to the window! <- confirmed

Extension sees the rightclick -> Copy command

Extension tells webview to copy via CopyToClipboard

benvillalobos

Manifest Resource Names and You!

For explicit information on how resource names are chosen, see this dotnet docs issue.

This gist is meant to be a slightly higher level explanation on how resource names are used. Mostly I'm just documenting as much context as possible before I forget.

So we start with some Foo.resx

That Foo.resx will get passed to a few tasks in different forms throughout the build.

Relevant tasks:

benvillalobos

‎‎​

benvillalobos

{
    "name": "education",
    "settings": "{\"settings\":\"{\\n    \\\"workbench.statusBar.visible\\\": false,\\n\\t\\\"workbench.layoutControl.enabled\\\": false,\\n    \\\"window.title\\\": \\\"VS Code for Education\\\",\\n    \\\"window.menuBarVisibility\\\": \\\"toggle\\\",\\n    \\\"breadcrumbs.enabled\\\": false,\\n    \\\"editor.minimap.enabled\\\": false,\\n    \\\"extensions.ignoreRecommendations\\\": true,\\n    \\\"editor.inlineSuggest.enabled\\\": true,\\n    \\\"editor.fontSize\\\": 15,\\n    \\\"editor.lineHeight\\\": 1.75,\\n    \\\"python.wasm.runtime\\\": \\\"vscode-edu-py:///\\\"\\n}\"}",
    "globalState": "{\"storage\":{\"menu.hiddenCommands\": {\"EditorTitle\":[\"workbench.action.splitEditor\"]},\"workbench.panel.markers.hidden\":\"[{\\\"id\\\":\\\"workbench.panel.markers.view\\\",\\\"isHidden\\\":false}]\",\"workbench.panel.output.hidden\":\"[{\\\"id\\\":\\\"workbench.panel.output\\\",\\\"isHidden\\\":false}]\",\"terminal.hidden\":\"[{\\\"id\\\":\\\"terminal\\\",\\\"isHidden\\\":fals

benvillalobos

Including Generated Files Into Your Build

Files that get generated during the build behave differently from static files (eg. source files). For this reason, it's important to understand How MSBuild Builds Projects. I'll cover the main two phases here at a high level.

Evaluation Phase

• MSBuild reads your project, imports everything, creates Properties, expands globs for Items outside of Targets, and sets up the build process.

Execution Phase

• MSBuild runs Targets & Tasks with the provided Properties & Items in order to perform the build.

Key Takeaway: Files generated during execution don't exist during evaluation, therefore they aren't included in the build process.

benvillalobos

If your target is influenced by file state or properties defined/modified by other targets. If so, you have a dependency

AfterTargets || BeforeTargets: ANY TIME x target runs, then run this target.

Beforetargets = publish is effectively equivalent to going over to publish and setting its dependsontargets=publishcontainers.

DependsOnTargets exists for targets that KNOW what they depend on when they are created.

BeforeTargets & AfterTargets are built for targets that were created AFTER certain targets, but need to hook in at specific points

benvillalobos

Spelunking Through Binlogs

This stuff ain't easy, so here's a WIP "get you up to speed" doc.

Setup

• Install the MSBuild Log Viewer or use the online viewer.

• File->Start Page, make sure this box is checked

  

benvillalobos

Debugging Node Communication in MSBuild

To capture logs of how MSBuild nodes talk to each other:

1. Set MSBUILDDEBUGCOMM=1
2. Set MSBUILDDEBUGPATH=<some_folder_path>
3. Run your scenario
4. The node communication traces should exist in the folder you specified.