Need a “post clean event” in Visual Studio

Question

I got a VS project with a post-build event with a command-line command that copies a file (.dll) to the bin target dir (debug or release). When I do a "Clean" on the project every thing is cleaned, but this file remains. Is there a way to ad post-clean events so I can delete this file also?

Answer 1

I think something changes with Visual Studio 2017.

Works with tag : AfterTargets="Clean"

<Target Name="AfterClean" AfterTargets="Clean">
     <!-- Remove bin folder -->
     <RemoveDir Directories="$(TargetDir)" />
     <!-- Remove obj folder -->
     <RemoveDir Directories="$(ProjectDir)$(BaseIntermediateOutputPath)" />  
</Target>

Answer 2

You can edit the project file directly and add the target to the end of the file. BeforeClean and AfterClean are targets as explained here:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/msbuild/how-to-extend-the-visual-studio-build-process?view=vs-2019

You should be able to put a Delete task in the target.

EDIT Just tested this (right-click project -> unload -> right click -> edit) and the following target is what you need:

<Target Name="AfterClean">
    <Delete Files="$(TargetDir)\*.txt" />
</Target>

This works when you clean the project but not the solution - it works but not 100%.

Answer 3

Hat tip to @scrat789 regarding AfterTargets.

For VS 2017, v15.6.0 Preview 2.0, I ended up with the following:

  <Target Name="MyDistClean" AfterTargets="Clean">
    <Message Text="Deleting wwwroot\dist files" Importance="high" />
    <Delete Files="$(ProjectDir)\wwwroot\dist\*.*" ContinueOnError="true" />
  </Target>

A few things:

• Notice I'm using a unique target name, MyDistClean. Specifying the name, AfterClean, did not work.
• It wasn't necessary to reload the csproj after editing in order to run/test the Clean task.
• Message importance is set high to avoid changing the MSBuild verbosity level mentioned here at SO: AfterClean Target Doesn't Get Invoked When I Clean The Project
• MyDistClean task was processed at both the solution and project scope.

---

Here's the task improved to obliterate the webpack dist directory upon Clean:

  <Target Name="MyDistClean" AfterTargets="Clean">
    <ItemGroup>
      <DistDir Include="$(ProjectDir)wwwroot\dist" />
    </ItemGroup>
    <Message Text="Deleting @(DistDir)" Importance="high" />
    <RemoveDir Directories="@(DistDir)" />
  </Target>

Answer 4

You can do wildcards using built in Delete function.

<Target Name="AfterClean">
    <ItemGroup>
        <FilesToDelete Include="$(TargetDir)\*.txt"/>
    </ItemGroup>
    <Delete Files="@(FilesToDelete)" />
</Target>

Answer 5

You can update the csproj file to specify a new target. You will have to this in a text editor.

Take a look at the documentation here : How to: Extend the Visual Studio Build Process.

You will have especially to change the <Target name='AfterClean'>

Answer 6

I've found that Leom Burke's answer using "Delete Files" doesn't work with wildcards and doesn't tell you that anything went wrong. Here's what i've done instead -

<Target Name="BeforeClean">
        <Message Text="Cleaning other files..."/>
        <Exec Command="del $(ProjectDir)css\*.* /F /Q"/>
        <Exec Command="del $(ProjectDir)images\*.* /F /Q" />
        <Exec Command="del $(ProjectDir)js\*.* /F /Q" />
        <Exec Command="del $(ProjectDir)usercontrols\*.* /F /Q" />
        <Exec Command="del $(ProjectDir)MasterPages\*.* /F /Q" />
        <Exec Command="del $(ProjectDir)App_Data\TEMP\*.* /F /Q /S" />
        <Exec Command="del $(ProjectDir)App_Data\Logs\*.* /F /Q /S" />
    </Target>

I wrote the above to remove files in an umbraco solution so that when i do a diff with what's in source control, it doesn't confuse the snot out of me.