Inside the Microsoft Build Engine
As software complexity continues to increase, more emphasis is being placed on proper build
practices. Previously (before .NET 2.0) the build process for .NET applications was mostly a
black box. Now this process has been completely externalized in the Microsoft Build Engine,
MSBuild. MSBuild allows you to take control over every aspect of the build process. Since the
release of MSBuild, there has been a need for a defi nitive reference. Inside the Microsoft Build
Engine is that defi nitive reference! We have been working for over a year on this book, and
the MSBuild team has been involved right from the beginning.
MSBuild fi les are just XML fi les. Starting with Visual Studio 2005 managed projects use the
MSBuild fi le format. Because of this you are able to fi ne-tune, or even completely change, how
your projects are built. Using MSBuild you can customize your build process by adding steps
such as code generation, unit testing, or code analysis. You can also use MSBuild to assist in
automating the build and deployment process, as well as implementing continuous integration.
