MSBuild Anti-Pattern Catalog

A numbered catalog of common MSBuild anti-patterns. Each entry follows the format:

• Smell: What to look for
• Why it's bad: Impact on builds, maintainability, or correctness
• Fix: Concrete transformation

Use this catalog when scanning project files for improvements.

Review output contract

For review, audit, maintainability, or correctness-risk requests:

1. Do not edit files unless the user explicitly asks for fixes.
2. Return prioritized findings grounded in the supplied file, with impact and a targeted recommendation.
3. Separate confirmed defects from conditional risks and already-correct patterns.
4. Keep the final answer as the review; do not replace it with a terse summary of changes.