How to find the path to tf.exe from MsBuild

tfs msbuild build-server

27,849

Solution 1

Does the environment variable VS100COMNTOOLS point to the correct path for visual studio? E.g. VS100COMNTOOLS=C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Common7\Tools\

So then all you need is $(VS100COMNTOOLS)..\IDE

<Target Name="Build">
   <Exec Command="&quot;$(VS100COMNTOOLS)..\IDE\tf.exe&quot;"/>
</Target>

or however you want to tidy it up.

The environment variable changes depending on the version of Visual Studio:

%VS110COMNTOOLS% - Visual Studio 2012
%VS120COMNTOOLS% - Visual Studio 2013
%VS140COMNTOOLS% - Visual Studio 2015

Solution 2

Seems they changed location again in Visual Studio 2017. It was not in any of the above locations on my machine.

I found TF.exe instead at:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Enterprise\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\Microsoft\TeamFoundation\Team Explorer

(Some users may find in the Professional folder instead of Enterprise folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\Microsoft\TeamFoundation\Team Explorer\tf.exe)

Apparently the environment variable is no longer set by default in VS 2017.

27,849

Author by

Chris Surfleet

Hmm, so, about me. I've been programming since I was this high, professionally for the last 12 years. At the moment I work for Jewson UK Ltd as Lead Developer doing lots of big .net applications as well as being an occasional ScrumMaster. I also spend far too much of my time in the outdoors hiking, climbing and doing various other such unhealthy stuff.

Updated on July 09, 2020

Comments

Chris Surfleet almost 4 years

I have an MsBuild file which shells out to TFS using tf.exe for a few things. Unfortunately the tf.exe file has been installed to different locations on the developer PCs and the build server.

I could really do with a way of detecting where the tf.exe file is located within my script in the same way you can do $(MSBuildExtensionsPath32) etc. Is this possible?

Thanks as always :)
Ben over 10 years

Not sure what changed, but my tf.exe is not located in the Tools folder, but the IDE folder.
sam yi over 10 years

This is where mine is. C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE
James Woolfenden over 10 years

That's the path you get from the statement. Hence the ..\ide bit.
Mikal Madsen over 6 years

Similarly, for me it was "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Professional\Common7\IDE\CommonExtensions\Micros‌oft\TeamFoundation\T‌eam Explorer\TF.exe" ... However, Rider says "the specified path does not lead to a valid TF executable"
Michal Ciechan over 6 years

@MikalMadsen +1 Same Issue
JohnLBevan over 6 years

NB: As of VS2017 (at least, certain editions), this environment variable no longer exists by default, and github.com/Microsoft/vsts-vscode/issues/269. However, you can create VS150COMNTOOLS by running: docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/language-reference/…