target-authoring
Canonical patterns for writing custom MSBuild targets. USE FOR: diagnosing and fixing custom target authoring anti-patterns, reviewing MSBuild target definitions for correctness, diagnosing broken SDK target chains across files (e.g., Directory.Build.targets silently redefining SDK targets), fixing targets that replace CompileDependsOn instead of extending it with $(CompileDependsOn), fixing query targets that return stale results due to Outputs vs Returns misuse, fixing missing Inputs/Outputs causing unnecessary rebuilds, fixing missing FileWrites registration. Covers DependsOnTargets vs BeforeTargets vs AfterTargets, the Build→CoreBuild three-level pattern, hooking into the build pipeline, the $(XxxDependsOn) chain-extension pattern. DO NOT USE FOR: incremental build tuning (use incremental-build), parallelization (use build-parallelism), general anti-patterns (use msbuild-antipatterns), non-MSBuild build systems.
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Install this skill
Run this command in your terminal. No account required — it auto-detects your AI tool and installs the skill file.
npx @skills-hub-ai/cli install dotnet-target-authoringSetup by platform
Install
One-click setup for your editorRun in your project root
npx @skills-hub-ai/cli install dotnet-target-authoring --target claude-codeInstructions
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Frequently asked questions about target-authoring
What does the target-authoring skill do?
Canonical patterns for writing custom MSBuild targets. USE FOR: diagnosing and fixing custom target authoring anti-patterns, reviewing MSBuild target definitions for correctness, diagnosing broken SDK target chains across files (e.g., Directory.Build.targets silently redefining SDK targets), fixing targets that replace CompileDependsOn instead of extending it with $(CompileDependsOn), fixing query targets that return stale results due to Outputs vs Returns misuse, fixing missing Inputs/Outputs causing unnecessary rebuilds, fixing missing FileWrites registration. Covers DependsOnTargets vs BeforeTargets vs AfterTargets, the Build→CoreBuild three-level pattern, hooking into the build pipeline, the $(XxxDependsOn) chain-extension pattern. DO NOT USE FOR: incremental build tuning (use incremental-build), parallelization (use build-parallelism), general anti-patterns (use msbuild-antipatterns), non-MSBuild build systems. It's a reusable SKILL.md instruction set that loads into your AI coding assistant on demand, no prompt engineering, no copy-pasting every session.
How do I install the target-authoring skill?
Run `npx @skills-hub-ai/cli install dotnet-target-authoring` from your terminal. The CLI writes the SKILL.md to the correct location for your AI tool (e.g. ~/.claude/skills/dotnet-target-authoring/ for Claude Code or ~/.cursor/skills/ for Cursor with --target cursor) and adds it to your project's .skills.json lockfile.
Which AI tools does target-authoring work with?
target-authoring runs in Claude Code. It follows the open Agent Skills standard (SKILL.md), so the same skill works in every supported tool without modification.
Is the target-authoring skill free?
Yes. Every skill on skills-hub.ai is free and open-source. There are no premium tiers, paywalls, or usage limits. You only pay for whatever AI assistant you're already using.
How do I use target-authoring after installing it?
In Claude Code, type `/dotnet-target-authoring` (or whatever slash command the skill registers) and the AI follows the skill's instructions immediately. You can also reference it by name in natural language, your AI loads the skill into context when relevant.
Can I share the target-authoring skill with my team?
Yes. Commit your project's .skills.json lockfile and teammates run `npx @skills-hub-ai/cli install` (no args) to install every skill at the exact version you pinned. Organization-scoped installs work via skills-hub.ai organizations.