how to replace string in file using msbuild?

Question

I want to replace a string such "how r u" in file test.xml with a string "i am fine" in another file xy.xml.using regular expression in ms build.

ie i have to read string from one file(xy.xml) and replace it in another file test.xml. so please provide necessary steps to solve this issue with example

Answer 1

EDIT: This answer is obsolete. Use solution below...

Use ReadLinesFromFile task to get replacement string from the xy.xml file. Check this

Then use value from xy.xml as a replacement string for FileUpdate task. Check this

And put it all together ;)

Answer 2

This is no longer required... you can now inject C# into the project/build file...

Define a custom task and parameters as follows:

<UsingTask TaskName="ReplaceFileText" TaskFactory="CodeTaskFactory" AssemblyFile="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.Build.Tasks.v4.0.dll">
  <ParameterGroup>
    <InputFilename ParameterType="System.String" Required="true" />
    <OutputFilename ParameterType="System.String" Required="true" />
    <MatchExpression ParameterType="System.String" Required="true" />
    <ReplacementText ParameterType="System.String" Required="true" />
  </ParameterGroup>
  <Task>
    <Reference Include="System.Core" />
    <Using Namespace="System" />
    <Using Namespace="System.IO" />
    <Using Namespace="System.Text.RegularExpressions" />
    <Code Type="Fragment" Language="cs">
      <![CDATA[
            File.WriteAllText(
                OutputFilename,
                Regex.Replace(File.ReadAllText(InputFilename), MatchExpression, ReplacementText)
                );
          ]]>
    </Code>
  </Task>
</UsingTask>

Then simply call it like any other MSBuild task

<Target Name="AfterBuild">
  <ReplaceFileText 
    InputFilename="$(OutputPath)File.exe.config" 
    OutputFilename="$(OutputPath)File.exe.config" 
    MatchExpression="\$version\$" 
    ReplacementText="1.0.0.2" />
</Target>

The above example replaces "$version$" with "1.0.0.2" in the "File.exe.config" located in the output directory.

Answer 3

You can use the task FileUpdate from MSBuild Community Tasks as explained in the article http://geekswithblogs.net/mnf/archive/2009/07/03/msbuild-task-to-replace-content-in-text-files.aspx

Answer 4

I ran the both replacements against same file that sits on a Unix drive and used the unc path to it \server\path...:

<ReplaceFileText
  InputFilename="$(fileToUpdate)"
  OutputFilename="$(fileToUpdate)"
  MatchExpression="15.0.0"
  ReplacementText="15.3.1"/>


<FileUpdate Files="$(fileToUpdate2)"
            Regex="15.0.0"
            ReplacementText="15.3.1" />

and the cs custom action above does not add the bom; however the FileUpdate did:

%head -2 branding.h branding2.h
==> branding.h <==
#/* branding.h
#** This file captures common branding strings in a format usable by both sed and C-preprocessor.

==> branding2.h <==
#/* branding.h
#** This file captures common branding strings in a format usable by both sed and C-preprocessor.

Thanks csharptest.net - I was doing doing exec's with perl subtitute commands for unix builds.