New Microsoft MSBuild editor is an easier and more helpful experimental tool for developers

Today, Microsoft has launched a prototype of the MSBuild editor in hopes of making it more user-friendly and beneficial to developers. MSBuild serves as the build and tool platform for Microsoft’s Visual Studio software development applications, though it may prove challenging for certain users to navigate.

Microsoft is seeking feedback from developers who may require direct editing of csproj files through an experimental MSBuild editor. This will allow them to access features that are not currently available through the Visual Studio user interface, as stated in a blog post.

You may also need to edit csproj files directly when merging changes from source control, or you may be writing targets and props files for local use or for publishing in a NuGet package.

The MSBuild editor can provide rapid information on properties, items, and metadata within MSBuild expressions, in addition to the regular details displayed for XML elements.

The Quick Info popup is richer, and has deep links to relevant documentation, as well as hyperlinks to references in other files that may help you understand how that property or item is used by the underlying targets.

The updated editor incorporates IntelliSense throughout the entire file, utilizing schemas to provide documentation. Additionally, it includes a type system that identifies any potential “malformed conditions and expressions”prior to running the build. According to Microsoft, this editor utilizes a new schema format specific to MSBuild, based on json.

Currently, the tool is exclusively designed for use with Visual Studio. However, there are intentions to incorporate compatibility with Visual Studio Code. Furthermore, if the reception is favorable, Microsoft intends to implement this as the primary MSBuild editor for all. NET programmers. For those interested, the experimental MSBuild editor can be accessed at the Visual Studio Marketplace website via the link provided here.