As software complexity increases, proper build practices become ever more important. This essential reference drills inside MSBuild--and shows how to maximize your control over the build and deployment process. Learn how to customize and extend build processes with MSBuild--and scale them to the team, product, or enterprise level with Team Foundation Build.

Discover how to:

• Create and modify MSBuild files--outside the Visual Studio IDE
• Use XML-based syntax to declare dynamic properties and items
• Apply built-in tasks or write your own
• Customize the build process--adding code generation, unit testing, or code analysis
  
  
• Use batching and incremental builds to reduce build times
• Invoke external tools in scripts and create reusable files
• Start and stop services
• Set assembly versions and extend the clean process
• Configure, customize, and extend Team Build--and automate build from end to end