MSBuild: how to use the nested properties like in Ant - ant

Question

I have batch of properties in my MSBuild configuration file
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<PropertyGroup>
<USERNAME1_DropboxPublic>e:\path\to\Dropbox\for\first\user</USERNAME1_DropboxPublic>
<USERNAME2_DropboxPublic>e:\path\to\Dropbox\for\second\user</USERNAME2_DropboxPublic>
<USERNAME3_DropboxPublic>e:\path\to\Dropbox\for\third\user</USERNAME3_DropboxPublic>
</PropertyGroup>
....
</Project>
And I want to get property depends on current the username.
Also I know that ant solves this problem by using nested properties like this ${${user.name}_DropboxPublic}
How can I solve this problem with MSBuild tool?

Answer 1

Here are some of the "tricks".
Save the below xml into a file called "MSBuild_Conditionals.xml"
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" DefaultTargets="AllTargetsWrapper">
<!-- -->
<PropertyGroup>
<MyFavoriteFoodComplement Condition="'$(FavoriteFood)'=='PeanutButter'">Jelly</MyFavoriteFoodComplement>
<MyFavoriteFoodComplement Condition="'$(FavoriteFood)'=='Steak'">Potatoes</MyFavoriteFoodComplement>
<!-- Check to see if a match was given (by seeing if the variable value is an empty string), if no match (aka, an empty string), do a default -->
<MyFavoriteFoodComplement Condition="'$(MyFavoriteFoodComplement)'==''">CookiesTheDefaultFavoriteFoodComplement</MyFavoriteFoodComplement>
</PropertyGroup>
<Choose>
<When Condition=" '$(Configuration)'=='Debug' ">
<PropertyGroup>
<MyChooseVariable001>DebugSuffix001</MyChooseVariable001>
<MyChooseVariable002>DebugSuffix002</MyChooseVariable002>
<MyChooseVariable003>DebugSuffix003</MyChooseVariable003>
</PropertyGroup>
</When>
<When Condition=" '$(Configuration)'=='Release' ">
<PropertyGroup>
<MyChooseVariable001>ReleaseSuffix001</MyChooseVariable001>
<MyChooseVariable002>ReleaseSuffix002</MyChooseVariable002>
<MyChooseVariable003>ReleaseSuffix003</MyChooseVariable003>
</PropertyGroup>
</When>
<Otherwise>
<PropertyGroup>
<MyChooseVariable001>DefaultValue001</MyChooseVariable001>
<MyChooseVariable002>DefaultValue002</MyChooseVariable002>
<MyChooseVariable003>DefaultValue003</MyChooseVariable003>
</PropertyGroup>
</Otherwise>
</Choose>
<!-- -->
<Target Name="TestCreateProperty">
<CreateProperty Value="Here is a created property using another property : $(MyFavoriteFoodComplement)">
<Output TaskParameter="Value" PropertyName="MyCreateProperty" />
</CreateProperty>
<Message Text=" MyCreateProperty = $(MyCreateProperty)" />
<Message Text=" " />
<CreateProperty Condition="'$(FavoriteFood)'=='PeanutButterX'" Value="Conditional Create Property : $(MyFavoriteFoodComplement)">
<Output TaskParameter="Value" PropertyName="MyCreatePropertyWithCondition" />
</CreateProperty>
<CreateProperty Condition="'$(MyCreatePropertyWithCondition)'==''" Value="Conditional Create Property : DEFAULT">
<Output TaskParameter="Value" PropertyName="MyCreatePropertyWithCondition" />
</CreateProperty>
<Message Text=" MyCreatePropertyWithCondition = $(MyCreatePropertyWithCondition)" />
</Target>
<!-- -->
<Target Name="ShowVariables">
<Message Text="Configuration = $(Configuration)" />
<Message Text="FavoriteFood = $(FavoriteFood)" />
<Message Text=" " />
<Message Text="MyFavoriteFoodComplement = $(MyFavoriteFoodComplement)" />
<Message Text="MyChooseVariable001 = $(MyChooseVariable001)" />
<Message Text="MyChooseVariable002 = $(MyChooseVariable002)" />
<Message Text="MyChooseVariable003 = $(MyChooseVariable003)" />
</Target>
<!-- -->
<!-- -->
<!-- -->
<Target Name="AllTargetsWrapper">
<!-- -->
<CallTarget Targets="ShowVariables" />
<!-- -->
<CallTarget Targets="TestCreateProperty" />
<!-- -->
</Target>
<!-- -->
</Project>
Save this into a .bat file.
set msBuildDir=%WINDIR%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5
call %msBuildDir%\msbuild.exe MSBuild_Conditionals.xml /p:Configuration=Release;FavoriteFood=PeanutButter /l:FileLogger,Microsoft.Build.Engine;logfile=MSBuild_Conditionals_LOG.log
set msBuildDir=
Output (with the parameters in the .bat file above)
Build started 6/01/2013 11:33:33 PM.
__________________________________________________
Project ".\MSBuild_Conditionals.xml" (default targets):
Target AllTargetsWrapper:
Target ShowVariables:
Configuration = Release
FavoriteFood = PeanutButter
MyFavoriteFoodComplement = Jelly
MyChooseVariable001 = ReleaseSuffix001
MyChooseVariable002 = ReleaseSuffix002
MyChooseVariable003 = ReleaseSuffix003
Target TestCreateProperty:
MyCreateProperty = Here is a created property using another property : Jelly
MyCreatePropertyWithCondition = Conditional Create Property : DEFAULT
Build succeeded.
0 Warning(s)
0 Error(s)
Time Elapsed 00:00:00.01