What is the difference between DependsOnTargets
and AfterTargets
?
I can not distinguish these two.
Defines the targets that must be executed before the target can be executed.
<Target Name="DependsOn" DependsOnTargets="DependencyTarget1;DependencyTarget2">
<Message Text="Target : DependsOn"/>
</Target>
<Target Name="DependencyTarget2">
<Message Text="Target : DependencyTarget2"/>
</Target>
<Target Name="DependencyTarget1">
<Message Text="Target : DependencyTarget1"/>
</Target>
Output
> Target : DependencyTarget1
> Target : DependencyTarget2
> Target : DependsOn
Indicates that the target should run before or after the specified target or targets.
<Target Name="BeforeAndAfter">
<Message Text="Target : BeforeAndAfter"/>
</Target>
<!-- BeforeTarget1 will run BEFORE target "BeforeAndAfter" -->
<Target Name="BeforeTarget" BeforeTargets="BeforeAndAfter">
<Message Text="BeforeTarget run before : BeforeAndAfter"/>
</Target>
<!-- BeforeTarget1 will run AFTER target "BeforeAndAfter" -->
<Target Name="AfterTarget" AfterTargets="BeforeAndAfter">
<Message Text="AfterTarget run after : BeforeAndAfter"/>
</Target>
Output
> BeforeTarget run before : BeforeAndAfter
> Target : BeforeAndAfter
> AfterTarget run after : BeforeAndAfter
If you have multiples targets that should run before or after the same specified target, they will be executed in declaration order :
<Target Name="BeforeAndAfter">
<Message Text="Target : BeforeAndAfter"/>
</Target>
<!--
BOTH BeforeTarget1 and BeforeTarget2 should run before target "BeforeAndAfter"
-->
<Target Name="BeforeTarget1" BeforeTargets="BeforeAndAfter">
<Message Text="BeforeTarget1 run before : BeforeAndAfter"/>
</Target>
<Target Name="BeforeTarget2" BeforeTargets="BeforeAndAfter">
<Message Text="BeforeTarget2 run before : BeforeAndAfter"/>
</Target>
BeforeTargets
and AfterTargets
could be use to extend existing build process.
For example, with this attributes you can easily execute a target before CoreCompile (defines in Microsoft.CSharp.targets). Without that you'll have to override the property CoreCompileDependsOn
.
Without AfterTargets
you have no way to easily execute a target after another one if no extension point is defined (CallTarget
at the end of the target with a property that you can override)
When DependsOnTargets
, BeforeTargets
and AfterTargets
are used on the same target, the order of execution is :
DependsOnTargets
BeforeTargets
AfterTargets
<Target Name="MainTarget" DependsOnTargets="DefaultDependsOn">
<Message Text="Target : MainTarget"/>
</Target>
<Target Name="DefaultDependsOn">
<Message Text="Target : DefaultDependsOn"/>
</Target>
<Target Name="DefaultBeforeTarget" BeforeTargets="MainTarget">
<Message Text="Target : DefaultBeforeTarget"/>
</Target>
<Target Name="DefaultAfterTarget" AfterTargets="MainTarget">
<Message Text="Target : DefaultAfterTarget"/>
</Target>
Output
> Target : DefaultDependsOn
> Target : DefaultBeforeTarget
> Target : MainTarget
> Target : DefaultAfterTarget