MSBuild SDK Guide

SharpTS provides an MSBuild SDK that integrates TypeScript-to-.NET compilation directly into your build process. Instead of running sharpts --compile manually, the SDK compiles your TypeScript automatically when you run dotnet build.

Quick Start

Create a project file:

<Project Sdk="SharpTS.Sdk/1.0.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
    <SharpTSEntryPoint>src/main.ts</SharpTSEntryPoint>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

Build and run:

dotnet build
dotnet bin/Debug/net10.0/MyProject.dll

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Installation

NuGet Package Reference

The SDK is distributed as a NuGet package. Reference it in your project file:

<Project Sdk="SharpTS.Sdk/1.0.0">

Version Pinning with global.json

Pin the SDK version across your solution:

{
  "msbuild-sdks": {
    "SharpTS.Sdk": "1.0.0"
  }
}

Then use the SDK without a version number:

<Project Sdk="SharpTS.Sdk">

---

Project File Configuration

Minimal Configuration

<Project Sdk="SharpTS.Sdk/1.0.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
    <SharpTSEntryPoint>src/main.ts</SharpTSEntryPoint>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

Full Configuration

<Project Sdk="SharpTS.Sdk/1.0.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>

    <!-- Required: Entry point TypeScript file -->
    <SharpTSEntryPoint>src/main.ts</SharpTSEntryPoint>

    <!-- Output configuration -->
    <SharpTSOutputPath>$(OutputPath)</SharpTSOutputPath>
    <SharpTSOutputFileName>$(AssemblyName).dll</SharpTSOutputFileName>

    <!-- Compiler options -->
    <SharpTSPreserveConstEnums>false</SharpTSPreserveConstEnums>
    <SharpTSExperimentalDecorators>false</SharpTSExperimentalDecorators>
    <SharpTSNoDecorators>false</SharpTSNoDecorators>
    <SharpTSEmitDecoratorMetadata>false</SharpTSEmitDecoratorMetadata>
    <SharpTSVerifyIL>false</SharpTSVerifyIL>
    <SharpTSUseReferenceAssemblies>false</SharpTSUseReferenceAssemblies>

    <!-- tsconfig.json path (auto-detected by default) -->
    <SharpTSTsConfigPath>$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\tsconfig.json</SharpTSTsConfigPath>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

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MSBuild Properties Reference

Required Properties

Property	Description
SharpTSEntryPoint	Path to the entry point TypeScript file. Can be absolute or relative to the project directory. If not specified, the SDK attempts to read from tsconfig.json's files array.

Output Properties

Property	Default	Description
SharpTSOutputPath	$(OutputPath)	Directory where the compiled DLL is written
SharpTSOutputFileName	$(AssemblyName).dll	Name of the output assembly

Compiler Options

Property	Default	CLI Equivalent	Description
SharpTSPreserveConstEnums	false	--preserveConstEnums	Keep const enum declarations in output
SharpTSExperimentalDecorators	false	--experimentalDecorators	Use Legacy (Stage 2) decorators instead of default Stage 3
SharpTSNoDecorators	false	--noDecorators	Disable decorator support
SharpTSEmitDecoratorMetadata	false	--emitDecoratorMetadata	Emit design-time type metadata
SharpTSVerifyIL	false	--verify	Verify generated IL after compilation
SharpTSUseReferenceAssemblies	false	--ref-asm	Emit reference-assembly-compatible output

Configuration Properties

Property	Default	Description
SharpTSTsConfigPath	$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\tsconfig.json	Path to tsconfig.json for reading compiler options

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tsconfig.json Integration

The SDK automatically reads tsconfig.json if present in the project directory. This provides IDE compatibility and allows sharing configuration between SharpTS and standard TypeScript tooling.

Supported Settings

tsconfig.json Path	Maps To	Notes
compilerOptions.preserveConstEnums	SharpTSPreserveConstEnums
compilerOptions.experimentalDecorators	SharpTSExperimentalDecorators	Use Legacy (Stage 2) decorators
compilerOptions.emitDecoratorMetadata	SharpTSEmitDecoratorMetadata
files[0]	SharpTSEntryPoint	First file used as entry point

Priority Order

MSBuild properties take precedence over tsconfig.json values:

1. Explicit MSBuild property (highest priority)
2. tsconfig.json value
3. Default value (lowest priority)

This allows you to use tsconfig.json for IDE compatibility while overriding specific settings in MSBuild.

Example tsconfig.json

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2020",
    "module": "ESNext",
    "strict": true,
    "preserveConstEnums": true,
    "experimentalDecorators": true,
    "emitDecoratorMetadata": true
  },
  "files": ["src/main.ts"]
}

With this tsconfig.json, you can simplify your project file:

<Project Sdk="SharpTS.Sdk/1.0.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
    <!-- Entry point and options read from tsconfig.json -->
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

---

Build Targets

The SDK defines these MSBuild targets:

Target	Description
SharpTSCompile	Main compilation target. Runs before CoreCompile.
SharpTSClean	Removes compiled output. Runs before Clean.
_SharpTSReadTsConfig	Reads tsconfig.json settings.
_SharpTSValidateInputs	Validates entry point exists.

Extending Build Behavior

You can hook into the build process:

<Target Name="BeforeSharpTSCompile" BeforeTargets="SharpTSCompile">
  <Message Importance="high" Text="About to compile TypeScript..." />
</Target>

<Target Name="AfterSharpTSCompile" AfterTargets="SharpTSCompile">
  <Message Importance="high" Text="TypeScript compilation complete!" />
</Target>

---

Project Structures

Single-File Project

MyProject/
├── MyProject.csproj
└── src/
    └── main.ts

<Project Sdk="SharpTS.Sdk/1.0.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
    <SharpTSEntryPoint>src/main.ts</SharpTSEntryPoint>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

Multi-Module Project

The SDK uses SharpTS's ModuleResolver to automatically discover and compile imported modules:

MyProject/
├── MyProject.csproj
├── tsconfig.json
└── src/
    ├── main.ts          # Entry point
    ├── utils/
    │   └── helpers.ts   # Imported by main.ts
    └── models/
        └── person.ts    # Imported by main.ts

// src/main.ts
import { formatName } from './utils/helpers';
import { Person } from './models/person';

const p = new Person("Alice", 30);
console.log(formatName(p.name));

All imported modules are compiled into a single DLL automatically.

With tsconfig.json

MyProject/
├── MyProject.csproj
├── tsconfig.json
└── src/
    └── main.ts

<Project Sdk="SharpTS.Sdk/1.0.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
    <!-- Entry point read from tsconfig.json -->
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

---

Build Commands

Standard MSBuild commands work transparently:

# Build in Debug mode
dotnet build

# Build in Release mode
dotnet build -c Release

# Clean output
dotnet clean

# Rebuild (clean + build)
dotnet build --no-incremental

# Publish
dotnet publish -c Release

Verbose Output

For debugging build issues:

dotnet build -v detailed

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Error Handling

Error Format

The SDK outputs errors in MSBuild-compatible format for IDE integration:

src/main.ts(15,10): error SHARPTS001: Type 'string' is not assignable to type 'number'

Error Codes

Code	Category	Description
SHARPTS000	General	Unclassified error
SHARPTS001	Type Error	Type mismatch, invalid assignment
SHARPTS002	Parse Error	Syntax error, unexpected token
SHARPTS003	Module Error	Import not found, circular dependency
SHARPTS004	Compile Error	IL emission failure
SHARPTS005	Config Error	Invalid configuration

Common Errors

"SharpTSEntryPoint must be specified"

• Set <SharpTSEntryPoint> in your project file, or
• Add a files array to your tsconfig.json

"Entry point file 'X' does not exist"

• Check the path is correct relative to the project directory
• Ensure the file exists

"SharpTS compilation failed with exit code 1"

• Check the build output for specific error messages
• Use dotnet build -v detailed for more information

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CI/CD Integration

GitHub Actions

name: Build

on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Setup .NET
        uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
        with:
          dotnet-version: '10.0.x'

      - name: Build
        run: dotnet build -c Release

      - name: Test
        run: dotnet test -c Release

Azure DevOps

trigger:
  - main

pool:
  vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'

steps:
  - task: UseDotNet@2
    inputs:
      version: '10.0.x'

  - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
    inputs:
      command: 'build'
      arguments: '-c Release'

  - task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
    inputs:
      command: 'test'
      arguments: '-c Release'

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Migration from Manual Targets

If you're using manual pre-build targets, migrate to the SDK:

Before (Manual Target)

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <Target Name="CompileTypeScript" BeforeTargets="Build">
    <Exec Command="sharpts --compile src/main.ts -o $(OutputPath)app.dll" />
  </Target>
</Project>

After (SDK)

<Project Sdk="SharpTS.Sdk/1.0.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
    <SharpTSEntryPoint>src/main.ts</SharpTSEntryPoint>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

Benefits of Migration

• Automatic tsconfig.json integration
• Proper Clean target support
• MSBuild-compatible error output
• Simplified project file
• Version management via global.json

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Troubleshooting

SDK Not Found

Error: The SDK 'SharpTS.Sdk/1.0.0' could not be resolved

• Ensure the NuGet package is available (nuget.org or private feed)
• Check your NuGet.config includes the correct package source
• Try dotnet restore before building

Build Hangs

• Check for infinite loops in TypeScript code
• Use --timeout if available in future versions

IL Verification Fails

Error: IL verification errors with SharpTSVerifyIL=true

• This may indicate a compiler bug - please report with source code
• Disable verification as a workaround: <SharpTSVerifyIL>false</SharpTSVerifyIL>

tsconfig.json Not Read

• Ensure the file is valid JSON (comments and trailing commas are supported)
• Check SharpTSTsConfigPath points to the correct location
• Use dotnet build -v detailed to see what values were read

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Examples

Console Application

<Project Sdk="SharpTS.Sdk/1.0.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
    <SharpTSEntryPoint>src/main.ts</SharpTSEntryPoint>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

// src/main.ts
console.log("Hello from SharpTS!");

function fibonacci(n: number): number {
    if (n <= 1) return n;
    return fibonacci(n - 1) + fibonacci(n - 2);
}

console.log("Fibonacci(10) =", fibonacci(10));

Library with Decorators

<Project Sdk="SharpTS.Sdk/1.0.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
    <SharpTSEntryPoint>src/index.ts</SharpTSEntryPoint>
    <!-- Decorators are enabled by default (Stage 3) -->
    <SharpTSEmitDecoratorMetadata>true</SharpTSEmitDecoratorMetadata>
    <SharpTSUseReferenceAssemblies>true</SharpTSUseReferenceAssemblies>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

With Custom Namespace

<Project Sdk="SharpTS.Sdk/1.0.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net10.0</TargetFramework>
    <SharpTSEntryPoint>src/library.ts</SharpTSEntryPoint>
    <!-- Decorators are enabled by default -->
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

// src/library.ts
@Namespace("MyCompany.Libraries")
class Calculator {
    static add(a: number, b: number): number {
        return a + b;
    }
}

The Calculator class will be emitted in the MyCompany.Libraries namespace.

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See Also

• Execution Modes - Interpreted vs compiled mode
• .NET Integration - Consuming compiled TypeScript from C#
• Code Samples - TypeScript to C# mappings