NAnt Frequently Asked Questions

NAnt cannot be built using VS.NET, as VS.NET (prior to VS.NET 2005) is unable to handle dependencies between projects very well.

However, you can compile NAnt using the NAnt build scripts, and then debug NAnt using VS.NET. To do this, open the NAnt solution file in VS.NET and change the following debugging properties of the NAnt.Console project (using Project -> Properties -> Configuration Properties -> Debugging):

• Debug Mode: Program
• Start Application: <select NAnt.exe that you just compiled>

Finally, just run NAnt in VS.NET (using Debug -> Start or just F5), and when VS.NET informs you that there were build errors, and asks whether you still want to continue : select Yes.

As from NAnt 0.85, NAnt by default targets the framework on which its running.

NAnt supports three ways for changing the target framework:

1. From the command line, using the -t[argetframework] argument:
   
   

   NAnt.exe -t:net-1.0
                               

2. By changing the default target framework in the NAnt configuration file:
   
   

   <frameworks>
       <platform name="win32" default="net-1.0">
           ...
       </platform>
   </frameworks>
                               

3. By changing the value of the system property nant.settings.currentframework:
   
   

   <property name="nant.settings.currentframework" value="net-1.0" />
                               

1. In "Solution Explorer", right-click a .build file and choose "Open With".
2. In the "Open With" dialog, select "HTML/XML Editor" and click the "Set as Default" button.

Copy the schema for your version of NAnt from the schema folder in the NAnt distribution to: