BuildItem.SetMetadata Method

Definition

Assigns the specified value to the specified item metadata.

Overloads

SetMetadata(String, String)

This method (and the whole namespace) is deprecated. Please use the classes in these namespaces instead: Microsoft.Build.ConstructionMicrosoft.Build.EvaluationMicrosoft.Build.Execution

Sets an arbitrary metadata on the item element. These are metadata that the project author has placed on the item element that have no meaning to MSBuild. They are just arbitrary metadata that travel around with the BuildItem. Does not backup metadata before making changes.

SetMetadata(String, String, Boolean)

This method (and the whole namespace) is deprecated. Please use the classes in these namespaces instead: Microsoft.Build.ConstructionMicrosoft.Build.EvaluationMicrosoft.Build.Execution

Sets custom metadata on this item, with the option of treating the metadata value literally, meaning that special sharacters will be escaped. Does not backup metadata before making changes.

Examples

The following example creates a Project object and uses the LoadXml method to add content to the project. The BuildItem, BuildItemGroup, and BuildItemGroupCollection classes are used to add, remove, and change items in the project.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Text;

using Microsoft.Build.BuildEngine;

namespace AddNewItem
{
    class Program
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// This code demonstrates the use of the following methods:
        ///     Engine constructor
        ///     Project constructor
        ///     Project.LoadFromXml
        ///     Project.Xml
        ///     BuildItemGroupCollection.GetEnumerator
        ///     BuildItemGroup.GetEnumerator
        ///     BuildItem.Name (get)
        ///     BuildItem.Include (set)
        ///     BuildItem.GetMetadata
        ///     BuildItem.SetMetadata
        ///     BuildItemGroup.RemoveItem
        ///     BuildItemGroup.AddNewItem
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="args"></param>
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Create a new Engine object.
            Engine engine = new Engine(Environment.CurrentDirectory);

            // Create a new Project object.
            Project project = new Project(engine);

            // Load the project with the following XML, which contains
            // two ItemGroups.
            project.LoadXml(@"
                <Project xmlns='http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003'>

                    <ItemGroup>
                        <Compile Include='Program.cs'/>
                        <Compile Include='Class1.cs'/>
                        <RemoveThisItemPlease Include='readme.txt'/>
                    </ItemGroup>

                    <ItemGroup>
                        <EmbeddedResource Include='Strings.resx'>
                            <LogicalName>Strings.resources</LogicalName>
                            <Culture>fr-fr</Culture>
                        </EmbeddedResource>
                    </ItemGroup>

                </Project>
                ");

            // Iterate through each ItemGroup in the Project.  There are two.
            foreach (BuildItemGroup ig in project.ItemGroups)
            {
                BuildItem itemToRemove = null;

                // Iterate through each Item in the ItemGroup.
                foreach (BuildItem item in ig)
                {
                    // If the item's name is "RemoveThisItemPlease", then
                    // store a reference to this item in a local variable,
                    // so we can remove it later.
                    if (item.Name == "RemoveThisItemPlease")
                    {
                        itemToRemove = item;
                    }

                    // If the item's name is "EmbeddedResource" and it has a metadata Culture
                    // set to "fr-fr", then ...
                    if ((item.Name == "EmbeddedResource") && (item.GetMetadata("Culture") == "fr-fr"))
                    {
                        // Change the item's Include path to "FrenchStrings.fr.resx",
                        // and add a new metadata Visiable="false".
                        item.Include = @"FrenchStrings.fr.resx";
                        item.SetMetadata("Visible", "false");
                    }
                }

                // Remove the item named "RemoveThisItemPlease" from the
                // ItemGroup
                if (itemToRemove != null)
                {
                    ig.RemoveItem(itemToRemove);
                }

                // For each ItemGroup that we found, add to the end of it
                // a new item Content with Include="SplashScreen.bmp".
                ig.AddNewItem("Content", "SplashScreen.bmp");
            }

            // The project now looks like this:
            //
            //     <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
            //     <Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
            //         <Compile Include="Program.cs" />
            //         <Compile Include="Class1.cs" />
            //         <Content Include="SplashScreen.bmp" />
            //         <EmbeddedResource Include="FrenchStrings.fr.resx">
            //           <LogicalName>Strings.resources</LogicalName>
            //           <Culture>fr-fr</Culture>
            //           <Visible>false</Visible>
            //         <Content Include="SplashScreen.bmp" />
            //
            Console.WriteLine(project.Xml);
        }
    }
}
Module Module1

    ''' <summary>
    ''' This code demonstrates the use of the following methods:
    '''     Engine constructor
    '''     Project constructor
    '''     Project.LoadFromXml
    '''     Project.Xml
    '''     BuildItemGroupCollection.GetEnumerator
    '''     BuildItemGroup.GetEnumerator
    '''     BuildItem.Name (get)
    '''     BuildItem.Include (set)
    '''     BuildItem.GetMetadata
    '''     BuildItem.SetMetadata
    '''     BuildItemGroup.RemoveItem
    '''     BuildItemGroup.AddNewItem
    ''' </summary>
    ''' <remarks></remarks>
    Sub Main()

        ' Create a new Engine object.
        Dim engine As New Engine(Environment.CurrentDirectory)

        ' Create a new Project object.
        Dim project As New Project(engine)

        ' Load the project with the following XML, which contains
        ' two ItemGroups.
        project.LoadXml( _
            "<Project xmlns='http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003'>" & _
                "<ItemGroup>" & _
                    "<Compile Include='Program.cs'/>" & _
                    "<Compile Include='Class1.cs'/>" & _
                    "<RemoveThisItemPlease Include='readme.txt'/>" & _
                "</ItemGroup>" & _
                "<ItemGroup>" & _
                    "<EmbeddedResource Include='Strings.resx'>" & _
                        "<LogicalName>Strings.resources</LogicalName>" & _
                        "<Culture>fr-fr</Culture>" & _
                    "</EmbeddedResource>" & _
                "</ItemGroup>" & _
            "</Project>" _
            )

        ' Iterate through each ItemGroup in the Project.  There are two.
        For Each ig As BuildItemGroup In project.ItemGroups

            Dim itemToRemove As BuildItem
            itemToRemove = Nothing

            ' Iterate through each Item in the ItemGroup.
            For Each item As BuildItem In ig

                ' If the item's name is "RemoveThisItemPlease", then
                ' store a reference to this item in a local variable,
                ' so we can remove it later.
                If item.Name = "RemoveThisItemPlease" Then
                    itemToRemove = item
                End If

                ' If the item's name is "EmbeddedResource" and it has a metadata Culture
                ' set to "fr-fr", then ...
                If (item.Name = "EmbeddedResource") And (item.GetMetadata("Culture") = "fr-fr") Then
                    ' Change the item's Include path to "FrenchStrings.fr.resx", 
                    ' and add a new metadata Visiable="false".
                    item.Include = "FrenchStrings.fr.resx"
                    item.SetMetadata("Visible", "false")
                End If
            Next

            ' Remove the item named "RemoveThisItemPlease" from the
            ' ItemGroup
            If Not itemToRemove Is Nothing Then
                ig.RemoveItem(itemToRemove)
            End If

            ' For each ItemGroup that we found, add to the end of it
            ' a new item Content with Include="SplashScreen.bmp".
            ig.AddNewItem("Content", "SplashScreen.bmp")
        Next

        ' The project now looks like this:
        '
        '     <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?>
        '     <Project xmlns="http:'schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
        '         <Compile Include="Program.cs" />
        '         <Compile Include="Class1.cs" />
        '         <Content Include="SplashScreen.bmp" />
        '         <EmbeddedResource Include="FrenchStrings.fr.resx">
        '           <LogicalName>Strings.resources</LogicalName>
        '           <Culture>fr-fr</Culture>
        '           <Visible>false</Visible>
        '         <Content Include="SplashScreen.bmp" />
        '
        Console.WriteLine(project.Xml)

    End Sub

End Module

SetMetadata(String, String)

Source:
BuildItem.cs

This method (and the whole namespace) is deprecated. Please use the classes in these namespaces instead: Microsoft.Build.ConstructionMicrosoft.Build.EvaluationMicrosoft.Build.Execution

Sets an arbitrary metadata on the item element. These are metadata that the project author has placed on the item element that have no meaning to MSBuild. They are just arbitrary metadata that travel around with the BuildItem. Does not backup metadata before making changes.

public:
 void SetMetadata(System::String ^ metadataName, System::String ^ metadataValue);
public void SetMetadata (string metadataName, string metadataValue);
member this.SetMetadata : string * string -> unit
Public Sub SetMetadata (metadataName As String, metadataValue As String)

Parameters

metadataName
String

The item metadata name.

metadataValue
String

The item metadata value.

Remarks

Warning

This method (and the whole namespace) is deprecated. Please use the classes in these namespaces instead: Microsoft.Build.Construction Microsoft.Build.Evaluation Microsoft.Build.Execution

Applies to

SetMetadata(String, String, Boolean)

Source:
BuildItem.cs

This method (and the whole namespace) is deprecated. Please use the classes in these namespaces instead: Microsoft.Build.ConstructionMicrosoft.Build.EvaluationMicrosoft.Build.Execution

Sets custom metadata on this item, with the option of treating the metadata value literally, meaning that special sharacters will be escaped. Does not backup metadata before making changes.

public:
 void SetMetadata(System::String ^ metadataName, System::String ^ metadataValue, bool treatMetadataValueAsLiteral);
public void SetMetadata (string metadataName, string metadataValue, bool treatMetadataValueAsLiteral);
member this.SetMetadata : string * string * bool -> unit
Public Sub SetMetadata (metadataName As String, metadataValue As String, treatMetadataValueAsLiteral As Boolean)

Parameters

metadataName
String

The item metadata name.

metadataValue
String

The item metadata value.

treatMetadataValueAsLiteral
Boolean

true to treat the metadata as a literal value by escaping all MSBuild special characters; otherwise, false.

Remarks

Warning

This method (and the whole namespace) is deprecated. Please use the classes in these namespaces instead: Microsoft.Build.Construction Microsoft.Build.Evaluation Microsoft.Build.Execution

Applies to