T4 template will not transform with build

Question

I'm using VisualStudio Ultimate 2012 (Update 1) on Windows 7. I can get my T4 template to generate a file by: right click [tt file] | run Custom tool. That works great! (yay for me). It also works if I run the menu command: Build | Transform All T4 Templates. But I want automation! I run into a problem when I try to get the generated code file to be produced with every build -- which is my goal.
I looked at this: T4 transformation and build order in Visual Studio

this isn't what I want. It discusses using a pre-build build event. I wanted it to be part of the build.

and this: Is there a way to get Visual Studio to run “Transform All Templates” upon a successful build?

this isn't what I wanted either. It discusses using a post-build event.

then I found this: Understanding T4: MSBuild Integration

from Oleg Sych's blog:

Perfect! This is what I want. Although his blog discusses VS2010, I have adopted it to VS2012 where applicable.

I walked through each of his steps for implementing this. I installed Visual Studio SDK 2012 & Visual Studio Visualization and Modeling SDK (2012)

I started with using the Tangible T4 plug in, but thinking there was a problem with that, I used Oleg's T4 Toolbox Beta. Sadly, with either I seemed to get the same results: an error with a build.

I followed his instruction on his site and reread all the steps and parts. I have been researching for days, and now my first post here. I am stuck. Thanks for looking...

To recap: I get an error when I build in visual studio 2012 or when I run the msbuild from the command-line (but again not when I run Custom Tool or use the manual Transform All T4 Templates - Both of those work fine).

Here is my t4template called s_code.tt:

<#@ template  debug="true" hostSpecific="true" language="C#" #>
<#@ output extension=".js" #>
<#@ assembly name="System.Core" #>
<#@ assembly name="System.Xml" #>
<#@ assembly name="EnvDTE" #>
<#@ assembly name="EnvDTE80" #>
<#@ assembly name="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.8.0" #>
<#@ import namespace="System.Diagnostics" #>
<#@ import namespace="System" #>
<#@ import namespace="System.Text" #>
<#@ import namespace="System.IO" #>
<#@ import namespace="EnvDTE" #>
<#@ import namespace="EnvDTE80" #>
<#@ import namespace="Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextTemplating" #>
<#@ import namespace="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop" #>


<#
    IServiceProvider serviceProvider = (IServiceProvider)Host;
    EnvDTE.DTE dte = (EnvDTE.DTE)serviceProvider.GetService(typeof(EnvDTE.DTE));
    var configName = dte.Solution.SolutionBuild.ActiveConfiguration.Name;
    string filename = this.Host.ResolvePath("s_code_source.txt");
    string[] lines = File.ReadAllLines(filename);
    bool isAccountFound = false;
    int linecount = lines.Length;
    int currentline = 0;
    for (int i=0;i<linecount;i++)
    {
        if (Contains_S_Account(lines[i]))
        {
            if (configName.ToUpper() == "DEBUG")
            {
                    WriteLine("var s_account = \"macudev2\"");
            }
            else if (configName.ToUpper() == "RELEASE")
             {
                   WriteLine("var s_account = \"macudev\"");
             }
            
            currentline = i;
            isAccountFound = true;
        }
        else
        {
            WriteLine(lines[i]);
        }
    }
    for (int i=currentline;i<linecount;i++)
    {
        WriteLine(lines[i]);
    }


#>

<#+
private bool Contains_S_Account(string line)
{
    if (line.ToLower().Contains("var s_account"))
    {
        return true;
    }
    else
    {
        return false;
    }
}
#>

Here is my .csproj file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props" Condition="Exists('$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\$(MSBuildToolsVersion)\Microsoft.Common.props')" />
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Configuration Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == '' ">Debug</Configuration>
    <Platform Condition=" '$(Platform)' == '' ">AnyCPU</Platform>
    <ProductVersion>
    </ProductVersion>
    <SchemaVersion>2.0</SchemaVersion>
    <ProjectGuid>{0A44E136-F4A4-4B31-95DD-2C8A79FDFAF4}</ProjectGuid>
    <ProjectTypeGuids>{349c5851-65df-11da-9384-00065b846f21};{fae04ec0-301f-11d3-bf4b-00c04f79efbc}</ProjectTypeGuids>
    <OutputType>Library</OutputType>
    <AppDesignerFolder>Properties</AppDesignerFolder>
    <RootNamespace>Macu.Content</RootNamespace>
    <AssemblyName>Macu.Content</AssemblyName>
    <TargetFrameworkVersion>v4.0</TargetFrameworkVersion>
    <UseIISExpress>true</UseIISExpress>
    <IISExpressSSLPort />
    <IISExpressAnonymousAuthentication />
    <IISExpressWindowsAuthentication />
    <IISExpressUseClassicPipelineMode />
    <TargetFrameworkProfile />
    <TransformOnBuild>True</TransformOnBuild>
    <IncludeFolders>$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\Include</IncludeFolders>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Debug|AnyCPU' ">
    <DebugSymbols>true</DebugSymbols>
    <DebugType>full</DebugType>
    <Optimize>false</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\</OutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>DEBUG;TRACE</DefineConstants>
    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)|$(Platform)' == 'Release|AnyCPU' ">
    <DebugType>pdbonly</DebugType>
    <Optimize>true</Optimize>
    <OutputPath>bin\</OutputPath>
    <DefineConstants>TRACE</DefineConstants>
    <ErrorReport>prompt</ErrorReport>
    <WarningLevel>4</WarningLevel>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Reference Include="EnvDTE, Version=8.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a">
      <EmbedInteropTypes>True</EmbedInteropTypes>
    </Reference>
    <Reference Include="envdte80, Version=8.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a">
      <EmbedInteropTypes>True</EmbedInteropTypes>
    </Reference>
    <Reference Include="Microsoft.CSharp" />
    <Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell.Interop.10.0, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a, processorArchitecture=MSIL">
      <EmbedInteropTypes>True</EmbedInteropTypes>
    </Reference>
    <Reference Include="Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextTemplating.11.0, Version=11.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a, processorArchitecture=MSIL" />
    <Reference Include="System" />
    <Reference Include="System.Xml" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Content Include="shared\script\s_code.js">
      <AutoGen>True</AutoGen>
      <DesignTime>True</DesignTime>
      <DependentUpon>s_code.tt</DependentUpon>
    </Content>
    <Content Include="shared\script\s_code_source.txt" />
    <Content Include="Web.config" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Compile Include="Properties\AssemblyInfo.cs" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Content Include="shared\script\s_code.tt">
      <Generator>TextTemplatingFileGenerator</Generator>
      <LastGenOutput>s_code.js</LastGenOutput>
      <Parameters>
        &lt;%3fxml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"%3f&gt;
        &lt;ArrayOfParameterStorage xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" /&gt;
      </Parameters>
    </Content>
    <None Include="Properties\PublishProfiles\Local.pubxml" />
    <None Include="Web.Debug.config">
      <DependentUpon>Web.config</DependentUpon>
    </None>
    <None Include="Web.Release.config">
      <DependentUpon>Web.config</DependentUpon>
    </None>
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <T4ReferencePath Include="$(VsInstallDir)PublicAssemblies\" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup>
    <Folder Include="shared\images\" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <ItemGroup />
  <ItemGroup>
    <Service Include="{508349B6-6B84-4DF5-91F0-309BEEBAD82D}" />
  </ItemGroup>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <VisualStudioVersion Condition="'$(VisualStudioVersion)' == ''">10.0</VisualStudioVersion>
    <VSToolsPath Condition="'$(VSToolsPath)' == ''">$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v$(VisualStudioVersion)</VSToolsPath>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildBinPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v11.0\TextTemplating\Microsoft.TextTemplating.targets" />
  <Import Project="$(VSToolsPath)\WebApplications\Microsoft.WebApplication.targets" Condition="'$(VSToolsPath)' != ''" />
  <Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath32)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v10.0\WebApplications\Microsoft.WebApplication.targets" Condition="false" />
  <ProjectExtensions>
    <VisualStudio>
      <FlavorProperties GUID="{349c5851-65df-11da-9384-00065b846f21}">
        <WebProjectProperties>
          <UseIIS>True</UseIIS>
          <AutoAssignPort>True</AutoAssignPort>
          <DevelopmentServerPort>30698</DevelopmentServerPort>
          <DevelopmentServerVPath>/</DevelopmentServerVPath>
          <IISUrl>http://localhost:50012/</IISUrl>
          <NTLMAuthentication>False</NTLMAuthentication>
          <UseCustomServer>False</UseCustomServer>
          <CustomServerUrl>
          </CustomServerUrl>
          <SaveServerSettingsInUserFile>False</SaveServerSettingsInUserFile>
        </WebProjectProperties>
      </FlavorProperties>
    </VisualStudio>
  </ProjectExtensions>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <PreBuildEvent>
    </PreBuildEvent>
  </PropertyGroup>
  <!-- To modify your build process, add your task inside one of the targets below and uncomment it. 
       Other similar extension points exist, see Microsoft.Common.targets.
  <Target Name="BeforeBuild">
  </Target>
  <Target Name="AfterBuild">
  </Target>
  -->
</Project>

Here is the error I see after running MSBuild from command line:

C:\Users\[myUserName]\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\Macu.Content\Macu.Conten
t>msbuild macu.content.csproj /t:TransformAll
Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 4.0.30319.17929
[Microsoft .NET Framework, version 4.0.30319.17929]
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Build started 1/17/2013 2:16:59 PM.
Project "C:\Users\[myUserName]\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\Macu.Content\M
acu.Content\macu.content.csproj" on node 1 (TransformAll target(s)).
ExecuteTransformations:
  Performing incremental T4 transformation
  Calculating whether transformed output is out of date...
  Transforming template shared\script\s_code.tt...
C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v11.0\TextTemplating\Micr
osoft.TextTemplating.targets(396,5): warning : Compiling transformation: The va
riable 'isAccountFound' is assigned but its value is never used. Line=24, Colum
n=7 [C:\Users\[myUserName]\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\Macu.Content\Macu.
Content\macu.content.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v11.0\TextTemplating\Micr
osoft.TextTemplating.targets(396,5): error : Running transformation: System.Nul
lReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.\r [C
:\Users\[myUserName]\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\Macu.Content\Macu.Conten
t\macu.content.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v11.0\TextTemplating\Micr
osoft.TextTemplating.targets(396,5): error :    at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextT
emplating7D294BC599798219F70D124BB1976BCDFB50B07280E2004F9365EC71A617D68D059E43
6CBD1AD344727611A619EE41F939B60372B3E16565CA2D4E4B40FBC5C7.GeneratedTextTransfo
rmation.TransformText() in c:\Users\[myUserName]\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Proje
cts\Macu.Content\Macu.Content\shared\script\s_code.tt:line 21. Line=21, Column=
0 [C:\Users\[myUserName]\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\Macu.Content\Macu.Co
ntent\macu.content.csproj]
Done Building Project "C:\Users\[myUserName]\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\
Macu.Content\Macu.Content\macu.content.csproj" (TransformAll target(s)) -- FAIL
ED.


Build FAILED.

"C:\Users\[myUserName]\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\Macu.Content\Macu.Cont
ent\macu.content.csproj" (TransformAll target) (1) ->
(ExecuteTransformations target) ->
  C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v11.0\TextTemplating\Mi
crosoft.TextTemplating.targets(396,5): warning : Compiling transformation: The
variable 'isAccountFound' is assigned but its value is never used. Line=24, Col
umn=7 [C:\Users\[myUserName]\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\Macu.Content\Mac
u.Content\macu.content.csproj]


"C:\Users\[myUserName]\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\Macu.Content\Macu.Cont
ent\macu.content.csproj" (TransformAll target) (1) ->
(ExecuteTransformations target) ->
  C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v11.0\TextTemplating\Mi
crosoft.TextTemplating.targets(396,5): error : Running transformation: System.N
ullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.\r
[C:\Users\[myUserName]\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\Macu.Content\Macu.Cont
ent\macu.content.csproj]
C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v11.0\TextTemplating\Micr
osoft.TextTemplating.targets(396,5): error :    at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TextT
emplating7D294BC599798219F70D124BB1976BCDFB50B07280E2004F9365EC71A617D68D059E43
6CBD1AD344727611A619EE41F939B60372B3E16565CA2D4E4B40FBC5C7.GeneratedTextTransfo
rmation.TransformText() in c:\Users\[myUserName]\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Proje
cts\Macu.Content\Macu.Content\shared\script\s_code.tt:line 21. Line=21, Column=
0 [C:\Users\[myUserName]\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\Macu.Content\Macu.Co
ntent\macu.content.csproj]

    1 Warning(s)
    1 Error(s)

Time Elapsed 00:00:01.04

Can you see anything that I am doing which is causing the error, and do you know how to fix it so I can use msbuild and not run into this error?

Highroad

I agree with @weakish that the changes from AlexKM does not improve the question. changing text from "I am" to "I'm" seems hardly worthy of being accepted as a necessary change. Why force me to speak in contractions? And condemning the phrase "Thanks in advance" as "Useless Info", really? I always thought expressing thanks was socially acceptable even here as I have done it before without reproach. Confused. :-| – Highroad

Maybe I haven't read the whole thread carefully enough, but wouldn't the solution be to switch to runtime t4 templates instead of design time? – Lx

Thank you for the input, and sorry for the late response. With today's tools your approach seems more reasonable honestly. With VS2012 (3+ years ago), at the writing of this question I didn't see that as a clear option. Possibly T4 text templates have matured since, and your link references VS2015. – Highroad

Answer 1

I'm afraid that you can't successfully run templates at build time that make use of the Host variable to get at IDE services like the DTE, as the msbuild T4 host is designed to work both from the command line as well as builds in the IDE, and as such, does not expose the global service provider or DTE to templates. The same is true from texttransform.exe, the simple command-line host.

Lordinwaiting

ouch, now that makes sense. I will need to rethink my approach. Thank you very much for the time you took to review my question and to provide a meaningful answer. – Highroad

I must suck at Googling because it took forever to find this straight-forward answer to this question. I wanted to run custom tool on T4MVC.tt in my ASP.NET MVC project on every build, but any extension I found didn't work correctly for VS2012 (i.e. AutoT4MVC would cause errors when removing a controller and then building) and any pre-build solution I found was way too much trouble for something as simple as this should be. So, I just decided to set a hotkey for "Build.TransformAllT4Templates" and will get in the habit of hitting Ctrl+Shift+T before Ctrl+Shift+B. – Caravaggio

Answer 2

One of our customers had exactly the same problem and GarethJ is correct, that this can't be done out-of-the-box.

However, you can write your own "TextTransform.exe" tool which provides the Visual Studio Automation API to the templates pretty easily. All you need to do is implement the ITextTemplatingEngineHost and the IServiceProvider interfaces and returning an instance of the DTE interface when one is requested.

That said: We wrote a Blog-Post about this scenario and published the Tool = Source Code as well.

One Note though: You need a properly licensed installation of Visual Studio on your build server for this to work.

matthid @ AIT

Whiteley

Answer 3

There is a pro-feature in tangible T4 Editor called Transform On Build which allows you to mark a template as "transform on build" in solution explorers property grid. This will transform the template each time you build within Visual Studio (not build server). There your templates also have access to EnvDTE and other visual studio variables. See: http://t4-editor.tangible-engineering.com/blog/transforming-t4-templates-on-build.html

Kinaesthesia

Answer 4

I had this problem recently in my build process (not using DTE). I resolved it by making sure I only had 1 texttransform.exe on my PC. For some reason, the IDE was using a recent version of texttransform.exe and the msbuild an older one.

Finnish