Comments on: MSBuild task to recursively delete all of a folder’s contents http://blog.coryfoy.com/2007/03/msbuild-task-to-recursively-delete-all-of-a-folders-contents/ It's all about delivering Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:42:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jose Lamas http://blog.coryfoy.com/2007/03/msbuild-task-to-recursively-delete-all-of-a-folders-contents/comment-page-1/#comment-1357 Jose Lamas Fri, 19 Aug 2011 02:23:41 +0000 http://blog.cornetdesign.com/?p=170#comment-1357 Hi, found this useful! You can get it to work in a single exec task by using single quotes for the entire exec command and encoding single quotes inside, or viceversa. That is you can write it as follows: <Exec Command='for /f "Tokens=*" %%i in (%27dir /ad /b "$(FolderToClean)"%27) do rd /s/q "$(FolderToClean)\%%i"' /> [hope it reads well once published] Besides, if the folder also contains files, and you need to get rid of them, as it was my case, an entire CleanFolder target can be written this way: <Target Name="CleanFolder" > <ItemGroup> <ToDelete Include="$(FolderToClean)\*.*" /> </ItemGroup> <Delete Files="@(ToDelete)" /> <Exec Command='for /f "Tokens=*" %%i in (%27dir /ad /b "$(FolderToClean)"%27) do rd /s/q "$(FolderToClean)\%%i"' /> </Target> Cheers, Hi, found this useful!

You can get it to work in a single exec task by using single quotes for the entire exec command and encoding single quotes inside, or viceversa. That is you can write it as follows:

<Exec Command=’for /f “Tokens=*” %%i in (%27dir /ad /b “$(FolderToClean)”%27) do rd /s/q “$(FolderToClean)\%%i”‘ />

[hope it reads well once published]

Besides, if the folder also contains files, and you need to get rid of them, as it was my case, an entire CleanFolder target can be written this way:

<Target Name=”CleanFolder” >
<ItemGroup>
<ToDelete Include=”$(FolderToClean)\*.*” />
</ItemGroup>
<Delete Files=”@(ToDelete)” />

<Exec Command=’for /f “Tokens=*” %%i in (%27dir /ad /b “$(FolderToClean)”%27) do rd /s/q “$(FolderToClean)\%%i”‘ />
</Target>

Cheers,

]]> By: DONNA WYNN http://blog.coryfoy.com/2007/03/msbuild-task-to-recursively-delete-all-of-a-folders-contents/comment-page-1/#comment-1035 DONNA WYNN Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:57:06 +0000 http://blog.cornetdesign.com/?p=170#comment-1035 hello great blog yea nice job It sounds like you're creating problems yourself by trying to solve this issue instead of looking at why their is a problem in the first place. hello great blog yea nice job It sounds like you’re creating problems yourself by trying to solve this issue instead of looking at why their is a problem in the first place.

]]> By: Cory Foy http://blog.coryfoy.com/2007/03/msbuild-task-to-recursively-delete-all-of-a-folders-contents/comment-page-1/#comment-772 Cory Foy Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:44:07 +0000 http://blog.cornetdesign.com/?p=170#comment-772 Thanks! Fixed. Thanks! Fixed.

]]> By: Martin http://blog.coryfoy.com/2007/03/msbuild-task-to-recursively-delete-all-of-a-folders-contents/comment-page-1/#comment-771 Martin Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:28:46 +0000 http://blog.cornetdesign.com/?p=170#comment-771 This post has messed up formatting. This post has messed up formatting.

]]> By: Ps0a http://blog.coryfoy.com/2007/03/msbuild-task-to-recursively-delete-all-of-a-folders-contents/comment-page-1/#comment-191 Ps0a Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:06:00 +0000 http://blog.cornetdesign.com/?p=170#comment-191 Very usefull!<br />tks<br /><br />I use that in my site , ok? Very usefull!
tks

I use that in my site , ok?

]]> By: Anonymous http://blog.coryfoy.com/2007/03/msbuild-task-to-recursively-delete-all-of-a-folders-contents/comment-page-1/#comment-192 Anonymous Sat, 05 Apr 2008 04:40:00 +0000 http://blog.cornetdesign.com/?p=170#comment-192 Using that 'DeleteAppSettingsFiles' as is currently has two problems. 1. it will not delete read only files, 2. It will not delete the folders, only files.<br /><br />The CleanFolder task provides an easy mechanism to do this. Using that ‘DeleteAppSettingsFiles’ as is currently has two problems. 1. it will not delete read only files, 2. It will not delete the folders, only files.

The CleanFolder task provides an easy mechanism to do this.

]]> By: FreeToDev http://blog.coryfoy.com/2007/03/msbuild-task-to-recursively-delete-all-of-a-folders-contents/comment-page-1/#comment-193 FreeToDev Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:51:00 +0000 http://blog.cornetdesign.com/?p=170#comment-193 or use the CleanFolder task in the Microsoft SDC Tasks Library: http://www.codeplex.com/sdctasks or use the CleanFolder task in the Microsoft SDC Tasks Library: http://www.codeplex.com/sdctasks

]]> By: Anonymous http://blog.coryfoy.com/2007/03/msbuild-task-to-recursively-delete-all-of-a-folders-contents/comment-page-1/#comment-194 Anonymous Fri, 05 Oct 2007 10:37:00 +0000 http://blog.cornetdesign.com/?p=170#comment-194 Cory what about <br /><br />&ltItemGroup;><br /> &ltSettingsFiles; Include="$(ProgramFiles)\App\Settings\**"/><br /> </ItemGroup><br /><br />&ltTarget; Name="DeleteAppSettingsFiles"><br /> &ltDelete; Files="@(SettingsFiles)" /><br /> </Target> Cory what about

&ltItemGroup;>
&ltSettingsFiles; Include=”$(ProgramFiles)\App\Settings\**”/>
</ItemGroup>

<Target; Name=”DeleteAppSettingsFiles”>
<Delete; Files=”@(SettingsFiles)” />
</Target>

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