MsBuild target that copies project dependencies into target dir

Question

Which Target from the MsBuild targets copies project dependencies ( referenced projects dependencies ) to the target dir ( eg \\bin\\Debug ). Sure it might be Compile target but I would like to know the closest target that does it.

MsBuild targets list: https://gist.github.com/StevenLiekens/cae70cce25344ba47b86

Answer 1

but I would like to know the closest target that does it.

That should be the target _CopyFilesMarkedCopyLocal .

https://gist.github.com/StevenLiekens/cae70cce25344ba47b86#file-target-xml-L93

You can create two test blank projects, project A refer project B, then change the MSBuild project build output verbosity to Detailed or Diagnostic ( Tools –> Options –> Projects and Solutions – >Build and Run -> MSBuild project build output verbosity ), build the project A, in the build log on the output window, you will find following message for project A:

2>Target "_CopyFilesMarkedCopyLocal" in file "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\MSBuild\15.0\Bin\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets" from project "c:\users\xxx\source\repos\ClassLibrary2\ProjectA\ProjectA.csproj" (target "CopyFilesToOutputDirectory" depends on it):
2>Task "Copy"
2>  Copying file from "c:\users\xxx\source\repos\xxxx\ProjectB\bin\Debug\ProjectB.dll" to "bin\Debug\ProjectB.dll".
2>  Copying file from "c:\users\xxx\source\repos\xxxx\ProjectB\bin\Debug\ProjectB.pdb" to "bin\Debug\ProjectB.pdb".
2>Done executing task "Copy".
2>Using "Touch" task from assembly "Microsoft.Build.Tasks.Core, Version=15.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a".
2>Task "Touch"
2>  Creating "c:\users\xxx\source\repos\ClassLibrary2\ProjectA\obj\Debug\ProjectA.csproj.CopyComplete" because "AlwaysCreate" was specified.
2>Done executing task "Touch".
2>Done building target "_CopyFilesMarkedCopyLocal" in project "ProjectA.csproj".

Just as we know it, if we reference a project, the property Copy Local of the referenced project will be set to True, when we build the project, this reference will be copy to the target dir.

Hope this helps.