directory-build-organization

# Organizing Build Infrastructure with Directory.Build Files ## Directory.Build.props vs Directory.Build.targets Understanding which file to use is critical. They differ in **when** they are imported during evaluation: **Evaluation order:** ``` Directory.Build.props → SDK .props → YourProject.csproj → SDK .targets → Directory.Build.targets ``` | Use `.props` for | Use `.targets` for | |---|---| | Setting property defaults | Custom build targets | | Common item definitions | Late-bound property overrides | | Properties projects can override | Post-build steps | | Assembly/package metadata | Conditional logic on final values | | Analyzer PackageReferences | Targets that depend on SDK-defined properties | **Rule of thumb:** Properties and items go in `.props`. Custom targets and late-bound logic go in `.targets`. Because `.props` is imported before the project file, the project can override any value set there. Because `.targets` is imported after everything, it gets the final say—but projects cannot override `.targets` values. ### ⚠️ Critical: TargetFramework Availability in .props vs .targets **Property conditions on `$(TargetFramework)` in `.props` files silently fail for single-targeting projects** — the property is empty during `.props` evaluation. Move TFM-conditional properties to `.targets` instead. ItemGroup and Target conditions are not affected. See [targetframework-props-pitfall.md](references/targetframework-props-pitfall.md) for the full explanation. ## ...