Task Reference

Tasks Summary
<al>

Wraps al.exe, the assembly linker for the .NET Framework.

<asminfo>

Generates an AssemblyInfo file using the attributes given.

<attrib>

Changes the file attributes of a file or set of files and directories.

<available>

Checks if a resource is available at runtime.

Obsolete. Use functions instead.
<aximp>

Generates a Windows Forms Control that wraps ActiveX Controls defined in an OCX.

<call>

Calls a NAnt target in the current project.

<choose>

Executes an alternate set of task or type definition depending on conditions that are individually set on each group.

<cl>

Compiles C/C++ programs using cl.exe, Microsoft's C/C++ compiler.

<copy>

Copies a file, a directory, or set of files to a new file or directory.

<csc>

Compiles C# programs.

<cvs>

Executes the cvs command specified by the command attribute.

<cvs-changelog>

Produces an XML report that represents the cvs changes from the given start day, to a given end date.

<cvs-checkout>

Checks out a CVS module to the required directory.

<cvs-export>

Exports a cvs module in preparation for a release (i.e. the CVS version folders are not exported).

<cvs-pass>

Executes the cvs login command which appends or updates an entry to the specified .cvspass file.

<cvs-rtag>

Tags all sources in the remote repository with a given tag.

<cvs-tag>

Tags all local sources with the specified tag.

<cvs-update>

Updates a CVS module in a local working directory.

<delay-sign>

Signs delay-signed .NET Assemblies, or re-signs existing assemblies.

<delete>

Deletes a file, fileset or directory.

<description>

An empty task that allows a build file to contain a description.

<echo>

Writes a message to the build log or a specified file.

<exec>

Executes a system command.

<fail>

Exits the current build by throwing a NAnt.Core.BuildException, optionally printing additional information.

<foreach>

Loops over a set of items.

<get>

Gets a particular file from a URL source.

<if>

Checks the conditional attributes and executes the children if true.

<ifnot>

The opposite of the if task.

Obsolete. Use the task instead.
<ilasm>

Compiles ILASM programs.

<ildasm>

Disassembles any portable executable (PE) file that contains intermediate language (IL) code.

<include>

Includes an external build file.

<jsc>

Compiles JScript.NET programs.

<lib>

Run lib.exe, Microsoft's Library Manager.

<license>

Generates a .licence file from a .licx file.

<link>

Links files using link.exe, Microsoft's Incremental Linker.

<loadfile>

Load a text file into a single property.

<loadtasks>

Loads tasks form a given assembly or all assemblies in a given directory or NAnt.Core.Types.FileSet.

<mail>

Sends an SMTP message.

<mc>

Compiles messages using mc.exe, Microsoft's Win32 message compiler.

<midl>

This tasks allows you to run MIDL.exe.

<mkdir>

Creates a directory and any non-existent parent directory if necessary.

<move>

Moves a file, a directory, or set of files to a new file or directory.

<nant>

Runs NAnt on a supplied build file, or a set of build files.

<nantschema>

Creates an XSD File for all available tasks.

<ndoc>

Runs NDoc V1.3.1 to create documentation.

<nunit>

Runs tests using the NUnit V1.0 framework.

Obsolete. In a future release, this task will be moved to NAntContrib. However, we strongly advise you to upgrade to NUnit 2.x.
<nunit2>

Runs tests using the NUnit V2.6 framework.

<property>

Sets a property in the current project.

<rc>

Compiles resources using rc.exe, Microsoft's Win32 resource compiler.

<readregistry>

Reads a value or set of values from the Windows Registry into one or more NAnt properties.

<regasm>

Registers an assembly, or set of assemblies for use from COM clients.

<regex>

Sets project properties based on the evaluation of a regular expression.

<regsvcs>

Installs or removes .NET Services.

<resgen>

Converts files from one resource format to another.

<script>

Executes the code contained within the task.

<servicecontroller>

Allows a Windows service to be controlled.

<setenv>

Sets an environment variable or a whole collection of them. Use an empty NAnt.Core.Tasks.SetEnvTask.LiteralValue attribute to clear a variable.

<sleep>

A task for sleeping a specified period of time, useful when a build or deployment process requires an interval between tasks.

<solution>

Compiles VS.NET solutions (or sets of projects), automatically determining project dependencies from inter-project references.

<style>

Processes a document via XSLT.

<sysinfo>

Sets properties with system information.

<tlbexp>

Exports a .NET assembly to a type library that can be used from unmanaged code (wraps Microsoft's tlbexp.exe).

<tlbimp>

Imports a type library to a .NET assembly (wraps Microsoft's tlbimp.exe).

<touch>

Touches a file or set of files -- corresponds to the Unix touch command.

<trycatch>

Executes a set of tasks, and optionally catches a build exception to allow recovery or rollback steps to be taken, or to define some steps to be taken regardless if the tasks succeed or fail, or both.

<tstamp>

Sets properties with the current date and time.

<uptodate>

Check modification dates on groups of files.

<vbc>

Compiles Visual Basic.NET programs.

<vjc>

Compiles Visual J# programs using vjc, Microsoft's J# compiler.

<xmlpeek>

Extracts text from an XML file at the location specified by an XPath expression.

<xmlpoke>

Replaces text in an XML file at the location specified by an XPath expression.