Over the past few years, I've posted on several occasions about missing implicit references.
- Code Contracts and conflicting satellite assemblies
- Unable to find missing satellite references in code contracts
- MSTest missing referenced assemblies
The solutions I came up with for each of these posts were simply managing the symptoms of a hidden problem. But, we couldn't quite put our finger on the real underlying problem.
After we switched over to NuGet packages to improve our feedback cycles, the problem presented itself more frequently. Everything came to a head when a key facet of our framework assembly was unable to function on application start-up. At this point, we had to find out what the real problem was and we had a new symptom to work with.
It seemed that core functionality that was supplied by satellite (indirectly referenced) assemblies was unable to function, as during the build process MSBuild was not able to recognize the need for and/or locate the required satellite assemblies and so didn't copy them into the output folder.
After scrabbling around on the internet for a good half a day, we found this genius MSBuild Custom Target, that used .NET reflection during the AfterBuild stage to grab any and all indirect references.
<Target Name="AfterBuild">
<!-- Here's the call to the custom task to get the list of dependencies -->
<ScanIndirectDependencies StartFolder="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)" StartProjectReferences="@(ProjectReference)" Configuration="$(Configuration)">
<Output TaskParameter="IndirectDependencies" ItemName="IndirectDependenciesToCopy" />
</ScanIndirectDependencies>
<!-- Only copy the file in if we won't stomp something already there -->
<Copy SourceFiles="%(IndirectDependenciesToCopy.FullPath)" DestinationFolder="$(OutputPath)" Condition="!Exists('$(OutputPath)\%(IndirectDependenciesToCopy.Filename)%(IndirectDependenciesToCopy.Extension)')" />
</Target>
<!-- THE CUSTOM TASK! -->
<UsingTask TaskName="ScanIndirectDependencies" TaskFactory="CodeTaskFactory" AssemblyFile="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.Build.Tasks.v$(MSBuildToolsVersion).dll">
<ParameterGroup>
<StartFolder Required="true" />
<StartProjectReferences ParameterType="Microsoft.Build.Framework.ITaskItem[]" Required="true" />
<Configuration Required="true" />
<IndirectDependencies ParameterType="Microsoft.Build.Framework.ITaskItem[]" Output="true" />
</ParameterGroup>
<Task>
<Reference Include="System.Xml" />
<Using Namespace="Microsoft.Build.Framework" />
<Using Namespace="Microsoft.Build.Utilities" />
<Using Namespace="System" />
<Using Namespace="System.Collections.Generic" />
<Using Namespace="System.IO" />
<Using Namespace="System.Linq" />
<Using Namespace="System.Xml" />
<Code Type="Fragment" Language="cs">
<![CDATA[
var projectReferences = new List<string>();
var toScan = new List<string>(StartProjectReferences.Select(p => Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(StartFolder, p.ItemSpec))));
var indirectDependencies = new List<string>();
bool rescan;
do{
rescan = false;
foreach(var projectReference in toScan.ToArray())
{
if(projectReferences.Contains(projectReference))
{
toScan.Remove(projectReference);
continue;
}
Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.Low, "Scanning project reference for other project references: {0}", projectReference);
var doc = new XmlDocument();
doc.Load(projectReference);
var nsmgr = new XmlNamespaceManager(doc.NameTable);
nsmgr.AddNamespace("msb", "http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003");
var projectDirectory = Path.GetDirectoryName(projectReference);
// Find all project references we haven't already seen
var newReferences = doc
.SelectNodes("/msb:Project/msb:ItemGroup/msb:ProjectReference/@Include", nsmgr)
.Cast<XmlAttribute>()
.Select(a => Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(projectDirectory, a.Value)));
if(newReferences.Count() > 0)
{
Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.Low, "Found new referenced projects: {0}", String.Join(", ", newReferences));
}
toScan.Remove(projectReference);
projectReferences.Add(projectReference);
// Add any new references to the list to scan and mark the flag
// so we run through the scanning loop again.
toScan.AddRange(newReferences);
rescan = true;
// Include the assembly that the project reference generates.
var outputLocation = Path.Combine(Path.Combine(projectDirectory, "bin"), Configuration);
var localAsm = Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(outputLocation, doc.SelectSingleNode("/msb:Project/msb:PropertyGroup/msb:AssemblyName", nsmgr).InnerText + ".dll"));
if(!indirectDependencies.Contains(localAsm) && File.Exists(localAsm))
{
Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.Low, "Added project assembly: {0}", localAsm);
indirectDependencies.Add(localAsm);
}
// Include third-party assemblies referenced by file location.
var externalReferences = doc
.SelectNodes("/msb:Project/msb:ItemGroup/msb:Reference/msb:HintPath", nsmgr)
.Cast<XmlElement>()
.Select(a => Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(projectDirectory, a.InnerText.Trim())))
.Where(e => !indirectDependencies.Contains(e));
Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.Low, "Found new indirect references: {0}", String.Join(", ", externalReferences));
indirectDependencies.AddRange(externalReferences);
}
} while(rescan);
// Expand to include pdb and xml.
var xml = indirectDependencies.Select(f => Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(f), Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(f) + ".xml")).Where(f => File.Exists(f)).ToArray();
var pdb = indirectDependencies.Select(f => Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(f), Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(f) + ".pdb")).Where(f => File.Exists(f)).ToArray();
indirectDependencies.AddRange(xml);
indirectDependencies.AddRange(pdb);
Log.LogMessage("Located indirect references:\n{0}", String.Join(Environment.NewLine, indirectDependencies));
// Finally, assign the output parameter.
IndirectDependencies = indirectDependencies.Select(i => new TaskItem(i)).ToArray();
]]>
</Code>
</Task>
</UsingTask>
<!-- Here's the call to the custom task to get the list of dependencies -->
<ScanIndirectDependencies StartFolder="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)" StartProjectReferences="@(ProjectReference)" Configuration="$(Configuration)">
<Output TaskParameter="IndirectDependencies" ItemName="IndirectDependenciesToCopy" />
</ScanIndirectDependencies>
<!-- Only copy the file in if we won't stomp something already there -->
<Copy SourceFiles="%(IndirectDependenciesToCopy.FullPath)" DestinationFolder="$(OutputPath)" Condition="!Exists('$(OutputPath)\%(IndirectDependenciesToCopy.Filename)%(IndirectDependenciesToCopy.Extension)')" />
</Target>
<!-- THE CUSTOM TASK! -->
<UsingTask TaskName="ScanIndirectDependencies" TaskFactory="CodeTaskFactory" AssemblyFile="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.Build.Tasks.v$(MSBuildToolsVersion).dll">
<ParameterGroup>
<StartFolder Required="true" />
<StartProjectReferences ParameterType="Microsoft.Build.Framework.ITaskItem[]" Required="true" />
<Configuration Required="true" />
<IndirectDependencies ParameterType="Microsoft.Build.Framework.ITaskItem[]" Output="true" />
</ParameterGroup>
<Task>
<Reference Include="System.Xml" />
<Using Namespace="Microsoft.Build.Framework" />
<Using Namespace="Microsoft.Build.Utilities" />
<Using Namespace="System" />
<Using Namespace="System.Collections.Generic" />
<Using Namespace="System.IO" />
<Using Namespace="System.Linq" />
<Using Namespace="System.Xml" />
<Code Type="Fragment" Language="cs">
<![CDATA[
var projectReferences = new List<string>();
var toScan = new List<string>(StartProjectReferences.Select(p => Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(StartFolder, p.ItemSpec))));
var indirectDependencies = new List<string>();
bool rescan;
do{
rescan = false;
foreach(var projectReference in toScan.ToArray())
{
if(projectReferences.Contains(projectReference))
{
toScan.Remove(projectReference);
continue;
}
Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.Low, "Scanning project reference for other project references: {0}", projectReference);
var doc = new XmlDocument();
doc.Load(projectReference);
var nsmgr = new XmlNamespaceManager(doc.NameTable);
nsmgr.AddNamespace("msb", "http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003");
var projectDirectory = Path.GetDirectoryName(projectReference);
// Find all project references we haven't already seen
var newReferences = doc
.SelectNodes("/msb:Project/msb:ItemGroup/msb:ProjectReference/@Include", nsmgr)
.Cast<XmlAttribute>()
.Select(a => Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(projectDirectory, a.Value)));
if(newReferences.Count() > 0)
{
Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.Low, "Found new referenced projects: {0}", String.Join(", ", newReferences));
}
toScan.Remove(projectReference);
projectReferences.Add(projectReference);
// Add any new references to the list to scan and mark the flag
// so we run through the scanning loop again.
toScan.AddRange(newReferences);
rescan = true;
// Include the assembly that the project reference generates.
var outputLocation = Path.Combine(Path.Combine(projectDirectory, "bin"), Configuration);
var localAsm = Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(outputLocation, doc.SelectSingleNode("/msb:Project/msb:PropertyGroup/msb:AssemblyName", nsmgr).InnerText + ".dll"));
if(!indirectDependencies.Contains(localAsm) && File.Exists(localAsm))
{
Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.Low, "Added project assembly: {0}", localAsm);
indirectDependencies.Add(localAsm);
}
// Include third-party assemblies referenced by file location.
var externalReferences = doc
.SelectNodes("/msb:Project/msb:ItemGroup/msb:Reference/msb:HintPath", nsmgr)
.Cast<XmlElement>()
.Select(a => Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(projectDirectory, a.InnerText.Trim())))
.Where(e => !indirectDependencies.Contains(e));
Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.Low, "Found new indirect references: {0}", String.Join(", ", externalReferences));
indirectDependencies.AddRange(externalReferences);
}
} while(rescan);
// Expand to include pdb and xml.
var xml = indirectDependencies.Select(f => Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(f), Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(f) + ".xml")).Where(f => File.Exists(f)).ToArray();
var pdb = indirectDependencies.Select(f => Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(f), Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(f) + ".pdb")).Where(f => File.Exists(f)).ToArray();
indirectDependencies.AddRange(xml);
indirectDependencies.AddRange(pdb);
Log.LogMessage("Located indirect references:\n{0}", String.Join(Environment.NewLine, indirectDependencies));
// Finally, assign the output parameter.
IndirectDependencies = indirectDependencies.Select(i => new TaskItem(i)).ToArray();
]]>
</Code>
</Task>
</UsingTask>
With this custom target in place, our output folders became much larger, containing all the indirect references that had previously been lost.
There was another blog post we found that takes the original idea and expands upon the satellite reference discovery to go even deeper - but this wasn't needed in our case.
All of the missing assembly reference issues we'd previously had were gone. At this point, we could remove all the explicit test assembly references and the run-time discovery framework worked entirely as it should.
There was another blog post we found that takes the original idea and expands upon the satellite reference discovery to go even deeper - but this wasn't needed in our case.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" ToolsVersion="12.0" DefaultTargets="Build">
<!-- All the stuff normally found in the project, then in the AfterBuild event... -->
<Target Name="AfterBuild">
<!-- Here's the call to the custom task to get the list of dependencies -->
<ScanIndirectDependencies StartFolder="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)" StartProjectReferences="@(ProjectReference)" Configuration="$(Configuration)">
<Output TaskParameter="IndirectDependencies" ItemName="IndirectDependenciesToCopy"/>
</ScanIndirectDependencies>
<!-- Only copy the file in if we won't stomp something already there -->
<Copy SourceFiles="%(IndirectDependenciesToCopy.FullPath)" DestinationFolder="$(OutputPath)" Condition="!Exists('$(OutputPath)\%(IndirectDependenciesToCopy.Filename)%(IndirectDependenciesToCopy.Extension)')"/>
</Target>
<!-- THE CUSTOM TASK! -->
<UsingTask TaskName="ScanIndirectDependencies" TaskFactory="CodeTaskFactory" AssemblyFile="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.Build.Tasks.v12.0.dll">
<ParameterGroup>
<StartFolder Required="true"/>
<StartProjectReferences ParameterType="Microsoft.Build.Framework.ITaskItem[]" Required="true"/>
<Configuration Required="true"/>
<IndirectDependencies ParameterType="Microsoft.Build.Framework.ITaskItem[]" Output="true"/>
</ParameterGroup>
<Task>
<Reference Include="System.Xml" />
<Using Namespace="Microsoft.Build.Framework" />
<Using Namespace="Microsoft.Build.Utilities" />
<Using Namespace="System" />
<Using Namespace="System.Collections.Generic" />
<Using Namespace="System.IO" />
<Using Namespace="System.Linq" />
<Using Namespace="System.Xml" />
<Code Type="Fragment" Language="cs">
<![CDATA[
var projectReferences = new List<string>();
var toScan = new List<string>(StartProjectReferences.Select(p => Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(StartFolder, p.ItemSpec))));
var indirectDependencies = new List<string>();
bool rescan;
do{
rescan = false;
foreach(var projectReference in toScan.ToArray())
{
if(projectReferences.Contains(projectReference))
{
toScan.Remove(projectReference);
continue;
}
Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.Low, "Scanning project reference for other project references: {0}", projectReference);
var doc = new XmlDocument();
doc.Load(projectReference);
var nsmgr = new XmlNamespaceManager(doc.NameTable);
nsmgr.AddNamespace("msb", "http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003");
var projectDirectory = Path.GetDirectoryName(projectReference);
// Find all project references we haven't already seen
var newReferences = doc
.SelectNodes("/msb:Project/msb:ItemGroup/msb:ProjectReference/@Include", nsmgr)
.Cast<XmlAttribute>()
.Select(a => Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(projectDirectory, a.Value)));
if(newReferences.Count() > 0)
{
Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.Low, "Found new referenced projects: {0}", String.Join(", ", newReferences));
}
toScan.Remove(projectReference);
projectReferences.Add(projectReference);
// Add any new references to the list to scan and mark the flag
// so we run through the scanning loop again.
toScan.AddRange(newReferences);
rescan = true;
// Include the assembly that the project reference generates.
var outputLocation = Path.Combine(Path.Combine(projectDirectory, "bin"), Configuration);
var localAsm = Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(outputLocation, doc.SelectSingleNode("/msb:Project/msb:PropertyGroup/msb:AssemblyName", nsmgr).InnerText + ".dll"));
if(!indirectDependencies.Contains(localAsm) && File.Exists(localAsm))
{
Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.Low, "Added project assembly: {0}", localAsm);
indirectDependencies.Add(localAsm);
}
// Include third-party assemblies referenced by file location.
var externalReferences = doc
.SelectNodes("/msb:Project/msb:ItemGroup/msb:Reference/msb:HintPath", nsmgr)
.Cast<XmlElement>()
.Select(a => Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(projectDirectory, a.InnerText.Trim())))
.Where(e => !indirectDependencies.Contains(e));
Log.LogMessage(MessageImportance.Low, "Found new indirect references: {0}", String.Join(", ", externalReferences));
indirectDependencies.AddRange(externalReferences);
}
} while(rescan);
// Expand to include pdb and xml.
var xml = indirectDependencies.Select(f => Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(f), Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(f) + ".xml")).Where(f => File.Exists(f)).ToArray();
var pdb = indirectDependencies.Select(f => Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(f), Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(f) + ".pdb")).Where(f => File.Exists(f)).ToArray();
indirectDependencies.AddRange(xml);
indirectDependencies.AddRange(pdb);
Log.LogMessage("Located indirect references:\n{0}", String.Join(Environment.NewLine, indirectDependencies));
// Finally, assign the output parameter.
IndirectDependencies = indirectDependencies.Select(i => new TaskItem(i)).ToArray();
]]>
</Code>
</Task>
</UsingTask>
</Project>
All of the missing assembly reference issues we'd previously had were gone. At this point, we could remove all the explicit test assembly references and the run-time discovery framework worked entirely as it should.
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