JD.MSBuild.Containers Documentation

Welcome to the JD.MSBuild.Containers documentation site. This library provides enterprise-grade MSBuild integration for Docker containerization, enabling automatic Dockerfile generation and Docker builds directly from your .NET project files.

What is JD.MSBuild.Containers?

JD.MSBuild.Containers is an MSBuild-integrated containerization library that automates Docker workflows for .NET applications. It eliminates manual Dockerfile creation and Docker CLI steps by integrating container operations directly into your MSBuild pipeline.

Key Features

• ✅ Automatic Dockerfile Generation - Create optimized multi-stage Dockerfiles during build
• ✅ Granular Control - Enable/disable features independently (generate, build, run, push)
• ✅ Zero Manual Steps - Everything happens during dotnet build or dotnet publish
• ✅ CI/CD Ready - Full GitHub Actions and Azure DevOps support
• ✅ Incremental Builds - Smart fingerprinting skips unchanged files
• ✅ Pre/Post Scripts - Execute custom scripts at any lifecycle stage
• ✅ Multi-Mode Support - Generate-only, build-only, or full automation

Quick Links

Getting Started

• Introduction - Learn about the library and its architecture
• Getting Started - Install and configure your first project
• Core Concepts - Understand how JD.MSBuild.Containers works

Guides & Tutorials

• Basic Tutorial - Step-by-step guide for beginners
• Advanced Tutorial - Complex scenarios and customization
• Workflows - Local development and CI/CD workflows
• Best Practices - Recommended patterns and approaches

Samples

• Sample Overview - Browse all available samples
• Web API Sample - ASP.NET Core Minimal API
• Web App Sample - Razor Pages application
• Worker Sample - Background worker service
• Console App Sample - Command-line application

Reference

• API Reference - Complete API documentation
• MSBuild Properties - See API Reference
• MSBuild Tasks - See API Reference

Quick Start Example

Add the package to your project:

dotnet add package JD.MSBuild.Containers

Enable Docker in your .csproj:

<PropertyGroup>
  <DockerEnabled>true</DockerEnabled>
  <DockerImageName>myapp</DockerImageName>
  <DockerImageTag>latest</DockerImageTag>
</PropertyGroup>

Build your project:

dotnet build

A Dockerfile will be automatically generated. To build the Docker image:

dotnet publish

Support & Contributing

• GitHub Repository: JerrettDavis/JD.MSBuild.Containers
• Issues: Report bugs or request features
• Contributing: See CONTRIBUTING.md

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.