'I can build this project in VS but not with msbuild

I'm trying to build a ms test project in a nuget app.

My project structure is this:

MyPackage
--> MyPackage
--> MyPackageTest

If I open VS and right click and build MyPackageTest it works. If I go to cmd and type this I fails:

msbuild .\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj /T:build "/p:Configuration=Release"

I get errors like this:

"C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj" (build target) (1) ->
(CoreCompile target) ->
  MyTests.cs(2,17): error CS0234: The type or namespace name 'VisualStudio' does not exist in the namespace 'Microsoft' (are you missing an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyOtherTests.cs(2,17): error CS0234: The type or namespace name 'VisualStudio' does not exist in the namespace 'Microsoft' (are you missing an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyOtherTests.cs(13,4): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestClassAttribute' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyOtherTests.cs(13,4): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestClass' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyTests.cs(13,4): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestClassAttribute' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyTests.cs(13,4): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestClass' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyOtherTests.cs(17,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethodAttribute' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyOtherTests.cs(17,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethod' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyOtherTests.cs(38,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethodAttribute' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyOtherTests.cs(38,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethod' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyOtherTests.cs(59,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethodAttribute' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyOtherTests.cs(59,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethod' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyOtherTests.cs(75,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethodAttribute' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyOtherTests.cs(75,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethod' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyOtherTests.cs(91,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethodAttribute' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyOtherTests.cs(91,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethod' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyTests.cs(16,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethodAttribute' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyTests.cs(16,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethod' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyTests.cs(36,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethodAttribute' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyTests.cs(36,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethod' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyTests.cs(50,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethodAttribute' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyTests.cs(50,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethod' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyTests.cs(65,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethodAttribute' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyTests.cs(65,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethod' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyTests.cs(81,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethodAttribute' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]
  MyTests.cs(81,6): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'TestMethod' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [C:\Users\me\MyPackage\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj]

EDIT: to add, msbuild also throws this error: Could not locate the assembly "Microsoft.VisualStudio.QualityTools.UnitTestFramework"

c++sharp.netvisual-studiomsbuild


Solution 1:[1]

I can build this project in VS but not with msbuild

First of all, if you use CMD to call MSBuild, please make sure that you set the right path for the path of the Environment Variables. Just like C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Community\MSBuild\15.0\Bin(VS2017 Community version and the MSBuild.exe exists in this path).

Besides, l assume you have a local project called MyPackageTest which created by the local VS and then you migrate it to the build server without VS.

Actually, the issue could be caused by the missing packages which lost during migration to build server. Meanwhile,MSBuild with command line will not restore the missing packages since you have migrated it into the Build Server. However, when you use VS IDE, the build process will restore the missing packages automatically during the build process.(Tools-->Options-->Nuget Package Manager-->General-->Packages Restore).

Suggestion

  1. So please run the msbuild -t:restore first to restore the required packages.(Go to the project path first and do this).

  2. Then type this below:

    msbuild .\MyPackageTest\MyPackageTest.csproj /T:build "/p:Configuration=Release"

In addition, you would better use Build Tool for VS2019 or Build Tool for VS2017 and please make sure that the build tool version is the same as the VS version which creates the project.

Second, when you use Build Tool, also make certain that you have installed the Testing tools core features in the individual components of vs installer.

enter image description here

Hope it could help you.

Solution 2:[2]

Try running msbuild in a new cmd window everytime as a temporary workaround.

This works everytime for me and is what I currently do. I think running msbuild(with or without vsdevcmd) changes some environmental variables/settings which affects the subsequent msbuild runs.

I faced the same problem a while ago which greatly affected my productivity. I think it started after upgrading to VS2019. My solution didn't involve any nuget packages, but msbuild would fail randomly with these errors.

Sources

This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Overflow and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Source: Stack Overflow

Solution Source
Solution 1 Martijn Pieters
Solution 2 Nagarjuna Borra

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