How do I have spaces in a MSBuild WebProjectOutputDir?

Question

I am trying to call MSBuild from a command line. Everything was working fine when I was using a path that had no spaces, but now I have a path that has spaces and the command is failing.

Command (works):

"C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5\MSBuild.exe" 
/t:Rebuild "C:\Projects\myProject.csproj" 
/p:OutDir=c:\temp\deploy\funAndGames\Deployment\bin\ 
/p:WebProjectOutputDir=c:\temp\deploy\funAndGames\Deployment\ 
/p:Configuration=Release

I then added quotes and changed OutDir to OutPath (doesn't work):

"C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5\MSBuild.exe" 
/t:Rebuild "C:\Projects\myProject.csproj" 
/p:OutPath="c:\temp\deploy\funAndGames\Deployment\bin\" 
/p:WebProjectOutputDir="c:\temp\deploy\funAndGames\Deployment\" 
/p:Configuration=Release

What I am aiming for is something like this (doesn't work):

"C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5\MSBuild.exe" 
/t:Rebuild "C:\Projects\myProject.csproj" 
/p:OutPath="c:\temp\deploy\fun and games\Deployment\bin\" 
/p:WebProjectOutputDir="c:\temp\deploy\fun and games\Deployment\" 
/p:Configuration=Release

Any help on the syntax around OutDir/OutPath and WebProjectOutputDir with spaces? Is it possible? If it isn't does anyone know what the reason is (due to some Url's not having spaces type thing?)

score 23 · Accepted Answer · edited Sep 06 '13 at 12:19

23

Just found this out an answer to this old question. To handle spaces, you should use the escape character \ on all folders. Basically

/p:OutPath="c:\temp\deploy\fun and games\Deployment\bin\"

should be

/p:OutPath="c:\\temp\\deploy\\fun and games\\Deployment\\bin\\"

and magically it works!

edited Sep 06 '13 at 12:19

quetzalcoatl

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answered Nov 03 '09 at 17:55

johnofcross

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Excellent! Looks like MSBuild has some funky custom way to interpret the command line. Thanks for posting your result. – jpierson Sep 17 '10 at 19:16
4

So, how do you do this when you are using the macros like $(ProjectDir)? – Mateo May 31 '12 at 22:55
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@Mateo you can use the following: `/p:ProjectDir="$(ProjectDir.Replace('\','\\'))"` – user247702 Jan 27 '16 at 16:13

score 5 · Answer 2 · edited Nov 28 '11 at 08:11

5

Try add " ex:

/p:OutPath="&quot;c:\temp\deploy\fun and games\Deployment\bin\&quot;"

edited Nov 28 '11 at 08:11

stema

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answered Nov 28 '11 at 08:04

CNtw

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You can format as code by using `ctrl+k`, or the `{}` Button above the editor window. – stema Nov 28 '11 at 08:14

score 4 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 16 '11 at 16:14

4

Msbuild also seems to work with spaces in the OutDir if you switch \ to /, while using quotes:

/p:OutDir="c:/temp/deploy/fun and games/out/"
/p:WebProjectOutputDir="c:/temp/deploy/fun and games/Deployment/"

answered Mar 16 '11 at 16:14

Trey Mack

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Works with `/p:AspnetMergePath="C:/Program Files (x86)/Microsoft SDKs/Windows/v8.0A/bin/NETFX 4.0 Tools/"` too, I just found out. Backslashes failed. – Trey Mack Feb 20 '17 at 21:50

score 2 · Answer 4 · answered May 12 '14 at 19:50

For me the working solution is:

/p:SQLCMD="\"C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\SQLCMD.EXE\""

In other words: Putting all the string into quotes (the external quotes aren't passed as value to MSBuild).

The value inside MSBuild for this property is: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\SQLCMD.EXE" (with the quotes).

score 1 · Answer 5 · edited Jan 23 '13 at 19:38

> "C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5\MSBuild.exe"
> /t:Rebuild
> "C:\Projects\myProject.csproj" 
/p:OutPath="c:\temp\deploy\funAndGames\Deployment\bin\"
----------------------------------------
/p:WebProjectOutputDir="c:\temp\deploy\fun and games\Deployment\"
----------------------------------------

> /p:Configuration=Release

Try this.

Also try via VSStudio GUI. Then copy the settings & try with MS Build.

score 1 · Answer 6 · edited Dec 30 '16 at 19:30

1

If you have multiple parameters in a switch you can't really 'avoid' the problem by fixing the path. What you can do is put your parameters of the switch between " some_parameters1 some_parameters2 ".

Something like:

<Exec Command="SomeCommand /useMultipleParameterSwitch=&quot;value1:blabla1 | value2:blabla2&quot;"/>

Of course a lot depends of the syntax of the switches but that works for me and my team.

edited Dec 30 '16 at 19:30

Stephen Jennings

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answered May 18 '15 at 12:47

Valentin Yanakiev

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That should have been in "Something like" above. – Valentin Yanakiev May 18 '15 at 12:50

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Aug 10 '15 at 22:28

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To do this when using a .proj file and your path is included in properties like $(DeployFolder) and $(NuGetExe), you can use """ like this:

<Exec Command="&quot;$(NuGetExe)&quot; pack -OutputDirectory &quot;$(DeployFolder)&quot;" />

answered Aug 10 '15 at 22:28

nickspoon

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How do I have spaces in a MSBuild WebProjectOutputDir?

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