Project 10: Advanced MSBuild Customization

You will extend a Visual Studio C++ project file (.vcxproj) to include a custom build step. This step will run after a successful build and will automatically zip the build output and copy it to a designated “deployment” folder.

Quick Reference

Attribute	Value
Primary Language	MSBuild (XML)
Alternative Languages	PowerShell or Batch for scripts
Difficulty	Level 3: Advanced
Time Estimate	1-2 weeks
Knowledge Area	Build Systems
Tooling	MSBuild
Prerequisites	Familiarity with Visual Studio projects and XML.

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What You Will Build

You will extend a Visual Studio C++ project file (.vcxproj) to include a custom build step. This step will run after a successful build and will automatically zip the build output and copy it to a designated “deployment” folder.

Why It Matters

This project builds core skills that appear repeatedly in real-world systems and tooling.

Core Challenges

• Editing .vcxproj files → maps to understanding the XML structure of MSBuild projects
• Defining custom Targets → maps to creating your own build actions
• Using AfterTargets to control execution order → maps to hooking your custom logic into the standard build process
• Using MSBuild properties and items → maps to accessing build variables like $(OutDir) and $(TargetName)
• Executing external commands → maps to using the <Exec> task to run PowerShell or 7z.exe

Key Concepts

• MSBuild Concepts: Microsoft Docs - MSBuild Concepts
• MSBuild Targets: Microsoft Docs - Targets
• MSBuild <Exec> Task: Microsoft Docs - Exec Task

Real-World Outcome

... 
  my_app.vcxproj -> C:\Users\douglas\source\repos\my_app\x64\Debug\my_app.exe
  Running custom deployment step...
  Zipping output to C:\deploy\my_app-Debug.zip
  Deployment complete.

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Implementation Guide

1. Reproduce the simplest happy-path scenario.
2. Build the smallest working version of the core feature.
3. Add input validation and error handling.
4. Add instrumentation/logging to confirm behavior.
5. Refactor into clean modules with tests.

Milestones

• Milestone 1: Minimal working program that runs end-to-end.
• Milestone 2: Correct outputs for typical inputs.
• Milestone 3: Robust handling of edge cases.
• Milestone 4: Clean structure and documented usage.

Validation Checklist

• Output matches the real-world outcome example
• Handles invalid inputs safely
• Provides clear errors and exit codes
• Repeatable results across runs

References

• Main guide: LEARN_WINDOWS_SYSTEMS_PROGRAMMING_CPP.md
• “MSBuild Trickery” by Mike Stall (online blog series)