including-generated-files

To include generated files in MSBuild compilation, wire them into the Compile and FileWrites item groups with appropriate BeforeTargets timing so MSBuild processes them during the build execution.

Generated files are missing from dotnet compilation when the MSBuild target that creates them does not hook them into the Compile item group with the correct BeforeTargets execution timing.

The best way to clean generated files in MSBuild is to add them to the FileWrites item group and place them under $(IntermediateOutputPath), ensuring the Clean target removes stale artifacts.

You need to place build-generated files under $(IntermediateOutputPath) in MSBuild to keep generated artifacts isolated and portable across different build configurations.

You need to use BeforeTargets in MSBuild when a custom target generates files that must be compiled, ensuring the generation runs before the CoreCompile target processes the Compile items.