MSBuild Target Sample

Sample.proj.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project DefaultTargets="Build" 
         xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  
  <!-- This uses a .targets file to offload performing the build -->
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)'=='' ">Release</Configuration>
    <OutputPath Condition=" '$(OutputPath)'=='' ">$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\BuildArtifacts\bin\</OutputPath>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Projects Include="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\ClassLibrary1\ClassLibrary1.csproj"/>
    <Projects Include="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\ClassLibrary2\ClassLibrary2.csproj"/>
    <Projects Include="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\ClassLibrary3\ClassLibrary3.csproj"/>
    <Projects Include="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\..\WindowsFormsApplication1\WindowsFormsApplication1.csproj"/>
  </ItemGroup>

  <Import Project="SharedBuild.targets"/>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <BuildDependsOn>
      $(BuildDependsOn);
      CustomAfterBuild
    </BuildDependsOn>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <Target Name="CustomAfterBuild">
    <!-- Insert stuff here -->
  </Target>
  
</Project>

SharedBuild.targets

<Project  DefaultTargets="Build" 
          xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  
  <!-- This represents a re-usable build file -->
  <Target Name="SharedBuild_Validate">
    <!-- See http://sedodream.com/2009/06/30/ElementsOfReusableMSBuildScriptsValidation.aspx 
         for more info about this validation pattern
    -->
    <ItemGroup>
      <_RequiredProperties Include ="Configuration">
        <Value>$(Configuration)</Value>
      </_RequiredProperties>
      <_RequiredProperties Include ="OutputPath">
        <Value>$(OutputPath)</Value>
      </_RequiredProperties>

      <_RequiredItems Include="Projects">
        <RequiredValue>%(Projects.Identity)</RequiredValue>
        <RequiredFilePath>%(Projects.Identity)</RequiredFilePath>
      </_RequiredItems>
    </ItemGroup>

    <!-- Raise an error if any value in _RequiredProperties is missing -->
    <Error Condition="'%(_RequiredProperties.Value)'==''"
           Text="Missing required property [%(_RequiredProperties.Identity)]"/>

    <!-- Raise an error if any value in _RequiredItems is empty -->
    <Error Condition="'%(_RequiredItems.RequiredValue)'==''"
           Text="Missing required item value [%(_RequiredItems.Identity)]" />

    <!-- Validate any file/directory that should exist -->
    <Error Condition="'%(_RequiredItems.RequiredFilePath)' != '' and !Exists('%(_RequiredItems.RequiredFilePath)')"
           Text="Unable to find expeceted path [%(_RequiredItems.RequiredFilePath)] on item [%(_RequiredItems.Identity)]" />
  </Target>

  <PropertyGroup>
    <BuildDependsOn>
      SharedBuild_Validate;
      BeforeBuild;
      CoreBuild;
      AfterBuild;
    </BuildDependsOn>
  </PropertyGroup>
  
  <Target Name="Build" DependsOnTargets="$(BuildDependsOn)"/>
  <Target Name="BeforeBuild"/>
  <Target Name="AfterBuild"/>
  <Target Name="CoreBuild">
    <!-- Make sure output folder exists -->
    <PropertyGroup>
      <_FullOutputPath>$(OutputPath)$(Configuration)\</_FullOutputPath>
    </PropertyGroup>
    <MakeDir Directories="$(_FullOutputPath)"/>
    <MSBuild Projects="@(Projects)"
             BuildInParallel="true"
             Properties="OutputPath=$(_FullOutputPath)"/>
  </Target>
</Project>