MSBuild ItemGroup Include/Exclude pattern issue -

problem: itemgroups array isn't correctly build based on value passed in exclude attribute.

if run scrip creates sample file tries create array called thefiles based on include/exclude attributes, problem when exclude other hardcoded or simple property gets wrong.

the target dynamicexcludelist's incorrectly selects these files:
.\afolder\test.cs;.\afolder\test.txt

the target hardcodedexcludelist's correctly selects these files:
.\afolder\test.txt

any appreciated, driving me nuts.

(note msbuild v4)

    <project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" defaulttargets="run">        <target name="run" >         <calltarget targets="createsamplefiles" />         <calltarget targets="dynamicexcludelist" />         <calltarget targets="hardcodedexcludelist" />       </target>        <target name="createsamplefiles" >         <makedir directories="afolder" />         <writelinestofile lines="test" file="afolder\test.cs" overwrite="true" />         <writelinestofile lines="test" file="afolder\test.txt" overwrite="true" />       </target>        <target name="dynamicexcludelist" >          <propertygroup>           <commonfileexclusion>.\directory_name_token\**\*.cs</commonfileexclusion>           <finalexcludes>$(commonfileexclusion.replace('directory_name_token', 'afolder'))</finalexcludes>         </propertygroup>          <message text="finalexcludes: $(finalexcludes)" />         <itemgroup>           <thefiles              include=".\afolder\**\*;"              exclude="$(finalexcludes)"           />         </itemgroup>         <message text="thefiles: @(thefiles)" />        </target>        <target name="hardcodedexcludelist" >          <propertygroup>           <finalexcludes>.\afolder\**\*.cs</finalexcludes>         </propertygroup>          <message text="finalexcludes: $(finalexcludes)" />         <itemgroup>           <thefileswithhardcodedexcludes             include=".\afolder\**\*;"             exclude="$(finalexcludes)"           />         </itemgroup>         <message text="thefileswithhardcodedexcludes: @(thefileswithhardcodedexcludes)" />        </target>       </project> 

this output, note differences between 'thefiles' , 'thefileswithhardcodedexcludes'

 ps c:\svn\trunkdeployment\testmsbuild> msbuild .\test.build.xml microsoft (r) build engine version 4.0.30319.1 [microsoft .net framework, version 4.0.30319.1] copyright (c) microsoft corporation 2007. rights reserved.  build started 8/10/2010 2:30:42 pm. project "c:\svn\trunkdeployment\testmsbuild\test.build.xml" on node 1 (default targets). dynamicexcludelist:   finalexcludes: .\afolder\**\*.cs   thefiles: .\afolder\test.cs;.\afolder\test.txt hardcodedexcludelist:   finalexcludes: .\afolder\**\*.cs   thefileswithhardcodedexcludes: .\afolder\test.txt done building project "c:\svn\trunkdeployment\testmsbuild\test.build.xml" (default targets).   build succeeded.     0 warning(s)     0 error(s)  time elapsed 00:00:00.06 

edits

i've updated above script use createitem, there still issue when list of items exclude contains more 1 path (i.e. value of commonfileexclusion has changed):

    <project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" defaulttargets="run">        <target name="run" >         <calltarget targets="createsamplefiles" />         <calltarget targets="dynamicexcludelist" />         <calltarget targets="hardcodedexcludelist" />       </target>        <target name="createsamplefiles" >         <makedir directories="afolder" />         <writelinestofile lines="test" file="afolder\test.cs" overwrite="true" />         <writelinestofile lines="test" file="afolder\test.txt" overwrite="true" />         <writelinestofile lines="test" file="afolder\test.vb" overwrite="true" />       </target>        <target name="dynamicexcludelist" >          <propertygroup>           <commonfileexclusion>.\directory_name_token\**\*.cs;.\directory_name_token\**\*.vb;</commonfileexclusion>           <finalexcludes>$(commonfileexclusion.replace('directory_name_token', 'afolder'))</finalexcludes>         </propertygroup>          <message text="finalexcludes: $(finalexcludes)" />         <createitem include=".\afolder\**\*;"                      exclude="$(finalexcludes)">           <output taskparameter="include" itemname="thefiles"/>         </createitem>         <message text="thefiles: @(thefiles)" />        </target>        <target name="hardcodedexcludelist" >          <propertygroup>           <finalexcludes>.\afolder\**\*.cs;.\afolder\**\*.vb</finalexcludes>         </propertygroup>          <message text="finalexcludes: $(finalexcludes)" />         <createitem include=".\afolder\**\*;"                      exclude="$(finalexcludes)">           <output taskparameter="include" itemname="thefileswithhardcodedexcludes"/>         </createitem>         <message text="thefileswithhardcodedexcludes: @(thefileswithhardcodedexcludes)" />        </target>     </project> 

ok, tried little , think problem comes fact use property represent scalar value multiple values. recommend batching , transforming (see http://scottlaw.knot.org/blog/?p=402 , http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms171476.aspx). example following code working :

<target name="dynamicexcludelist" >   <itemgroup>     <extensionsexcluded include="cs;vb" />   </itemgroup>    <createitem include=".\afolder\**\*"           exclude="@(extensionsexcluded->'.\afolder\**\*.%(identity)')">     <output taskparameter="include" itemname="thefiles"/>   </createitem>   <message text="thefiles: @(thefiles)" /> </target>