.NET Framework MSBuild doesn't cast `char` to `string` in property functions

[rainersigwald]

.NET Framework MSBuild doesn't cast `char` to `string` in property functions

[KalleOlaviNiemitalo]

This works too:

<Project>
  <Target Name="Go">
    <Warning Text="$(P.EndsWith($([System.IO.Path]::DirectorySeparatorChar), 'StringComparison.Ordinal'))" />
  </Target>
</Project>

because there is no String.EndsWith(String, String) method and thus LateBindExecute resorts to String.EndsWith(String, StringComparison) and goes to the CoerceArguments path.

[KalleOlaviNiemitalo]

The logic in LateBindExecute looks wonky: it first searches for a method that has the correct number of parameters and where all parameters are strings; then if it finds one, it calls that via MethodInfo.Invoke even if the arguments are not strings. If it did not find such a method, then it would use CoerceArguments, which can convert Char to String via Convert.ChangeType.

On .NET Core 2.0 and greater, String.EndsWith(Char) already exists; I guess Type.InvokeMember calls that and LateBindExecute is not entered.

[KalleOlaviNiemitalo]

Would it be possible to change the language so that quoting the argument as in $(P.EndsWith('$([System.IO.Path]::DirectorySeparatorChar)')) always coerces it to String?

[rainersigwald]

Maybe? I certainly tried that while investigating this so I like the general idea. I haven't thought through the implications though.