In this episode, we dig into batching: MSBuild's for loop. We finally apply our new MSBuild knowledge to work and I find a way to delete my project. It's a good time.
Deployment Dojo S2E6: Batching - For Loops and Follies
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Behind the build
I’ve been trying really hard to present targets, item metadata and (today’s topic) batching in isolated lessons. There’s a lot of nuance to each of them, and while the concepts do stack on top of each other, their boundaries aren’t clean. Or so I’ve discovered.
I also wanted to do something real this episode so we start with a review in code then I work my way towards copying files. There are a few false starts, and I do end up rummaging through the Recycle Bin to rescue the project we’re working on, but a few key points make it out alive:
- Task batching lets you run work once per item.
- Target batching lets you run entire targets multiple times.
- And transforms are line noise that allow you to reshape item collections.
I think the next episode about inputs and outputs (that make cameos in this episode), will finally tie all of these fundamentals together with a nice big bow.
Schedule
The next Deployment Dojo live show is on November 5th. And here’s the monthly rhythm:
- First Wednesday: Deployment Dojo Live show
- Second Wednesday: FireGiant Office Hours
- Third Wednesday: WiX Online Meeting live
- Fourth Wednesday: Deployment Dojo replay available
Until then, keep coding. You know I am.