All 15 .NET CLI, SDK & Project Structure (csproj) questions
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What are MSBuild properties and items, and how do they control the build process?

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Answer

MSBuild properties (in PropertyGroup, e.g., <TargetFramework>, <Nullable>, <LangVersion>) are single named values controlling build behavior, while items (in ItemGroup, e.g., <PackageReference>, <Compile>, <ProjectReference>) represent lists of inputs like source files, package dependencies, or project references. MSBuild evaluates these to construct and execute the actual build graph (compilation, resource embedding, packaging).
<PropertyGroup>
  <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
  <LangVersion>latest</LangVersion>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
  <Compile Remove="Legacy/**/*.cs" />
  <ProjectReference Include="..\MyLib\MyLib.csproj" />
</ItemGroup>
Real-world example A project excludes an obsolete Legacy folder from compilation using a Compile Remove item, keeping the dead code in source control for reference without it being built.

Common follow-ups: How do custom MSBuild targets extend the build process?;What's the difference between PropertyGroup and ItemGroup evaluation order?

Assemblies & NuGet;Diagnostics & Performance
All 15 .NET CLI, SDK & Project Structure (csproj) questions