Comparison with MSBuild

Invoke-Build is designed to be conceptually similar to MSBuild. Of course, they use different languages, PowerShell and XML, and different tools. But build concepts and script structure are almost the same.

MSBuild                      Invoke-Build
-------                      ------------
Default project *proj        Default script *.build.ps1
InitialTargets               The top level script code
DefaultTargets               The . or the first task
Properties                   Script/environment variables
Import                       Dot-source or invoke
Target                       Task
Condition                    -If
Inputs, Outputs              -Inputs -Outputs [-Partial]
DependsOnTargets             -Jobs, referenced tasks
Tasks                        -Jobs, script blocks
AfterTargets, BeforeTargets  -After, -Before (see notes)

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MSBuild targets consist of calls to built-in or external tools. Invoke-Build tasks consist of PowerShell script blocks. Unlike MSBuild, Invoke-Build does not provide numerous tools for scripts, PowerShell does this.

Invoke-Build task jobs combine two MSBuild features: referenced targets and own target tasks. The parameter Jobs is a list of task references (analogue of DependsOnTargets) and script blocks (analogue of MSBuild tasks). Thus, jobs define classic MSBuild scenarios (referenced tasks first, own scripts second) and new scenarios with referenced tasks after or even between script jobs.

Invoke-Build "properties" are usual PowerShell script variables and parameters, just like MSBuild properties defined in XML scripts (variables) and properties that come from command lines (parameters). MSBuild also deals with environment variables using the same syntax. In contrast, Invoke-Build scripts either use them as $env:Name or get by the helper property.

MSBuild lets to ignore some errors and perform actions on errors. Invoke-Build also lets to deal with errors: some tasks are allowed to fail without breaking the build and then downstream tasks can analyse these errors.

Invoke-Build allows definition of new tasks with specific features and new parameters, not necessarily designed for build scenarios. E.g. check for check-lists, repeat for schedules, test for testing, and etc. MSBuild presumably does not directly support definition of new targets.

Notes

AfterTargets and BeforeTargets of MSBuild targets with Condition are always invoked, even if the condition is false. In contract, After and Before of Invoke-Build tasks with If are not invoked if the condition is false. In other words, these two Invoke-Build scripts are identical, unlike equivalent MSBuild scripts:

    # script1
    task Task1 {...}
    task Task2 -If {...} Task1, {...}

    # script2
    task Task1 -Before Task2 {...}
    task Task2 -If {...} {...}

See the task Condition-and-related-targets in Acknowledged.build.ps1.