command which is executed in order to complete a Target. Tasks are used to group and execute any number of actions during the build process. They are typically implemented in a .NET assembly as a class which inherits from the Task class or implements the ITask interface. Many basic tasks are shipped as part of the .NET Framework, and community developed tasks are freely available. Some examples of Tasks include copying files, creating directories, or parsing XML. Properties and Items MSBuild provides Properties and Items, which are conceptually equivalent to make's macros. Properties specify static values, whereas Items are usually used to define sets of files or folders on which to perform Tasks. Specifying files on Items is made easy by the support of wildcards. See also List of build automation software References Further reading External links Build automation Compiling tools Free and open-source software Microsoft free software Microsoft Visual Studio Software using the MIT license 2003 software