Creating Your Own MSBuild SDK - It's Easier Than You Think!

[giscus[bot]]

Creating Your Own MSBuild SDK - It's Easier Than You Think!

An MSBuild SDK is basically a NuGet package that automatically imports .props and .targets files into your project. That's it. That's the whole thing.

https://www.codingwithcalvin.net/creating-your-own-msbuild-sdk-it-s-easier-than-you-think/

[Scal-Human]

Hi,
Thanks for this article.
I have a few local Sdk's that I am clean up for publishing on GitHub/NuGet, but I have an inheritance structure: DotNet.Sdk inherits from Core.Sdk, AspNet.Sdk and PowerShell.Sdk inherit from DotNet.Sdk, EPub.Sdk inherits from Core.Sdk. Do you know how I can enforce this ? In other words, how can an custom Sdk reference another custom Sdk ?

[CalvinAllen]

I'm not sure you can, at least not directly. I think you may end up having to import the various props / targets FROM that SDK into your own SDK - did something similar here - https://github.com/CodingWithCalvin/VsixSdk/blob/main/src/CodingWithCalvin.VsixSdk/Sdk/Sdk.props

[Scal-Human]

Hi,
Thanks for answering, Calvin.
I asked the question to ChatGPT and they answered that the import can specify a custom Sdk which will be imported by NuGet at the moment a Restore is made (which is done by default when building).
I am currelntly in the process of testing this, I will keep you posted, if you want.
Project with:

<Project Sdk="Base.Sdk/1.0.0">
...

and in this the base Sdk NOT TESTED, TO CONFIRM:

<Project>
   <Import Sdk="Other.Sdk" Version="1.0.0" Project="Sdk.props" />
</Project>

Note that ChatGPT also informed me you can import multiple custom Sdk's at once in a project:

<Project Sdk="Base.Sdk/1.0.0;Feature.Sdk/1.0.0">
...

And, by experience, the custom Sdk version must be specified in full, no '*' in it.
I will come back with my tests results.

[Scal-Human]

Hi,

Tested and okay, at least on local repo (share) but it works the same as with NuGet.org, so.
I confirm that importing a custom Sdk from Nuget from within an imported Sdk works.
I also confirm that importing multiple custom sdk works.

For the sake of completion, I share another tip, you may have a project like:

<Project Sdk="TargetsTasksSdk;TasksSdk">

and have the versions in a Global.json file if you prefer:

{
  "msbuild-sdks": {
    "TargetsTasksSdk": "2602.12103.15944",
    "TasksSdk": "2602.12103.15944"
  }
}