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Add TarDirectory and Untar tasks for creating and extracting tar archives#14451

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copilot/create-tar-files-task
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Add TarDirectory and Untar tasks for creating and extracting tar archives#14451
ViktorHofer with Copilot wants to merge 28 commits into
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copilot/create-tar-files-task

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Copilot AI commented Jul 20, 2026 •
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Adds a TarDirectory inbox task that produces .tar (and optionally .tar.gz) archives from a directory, mirroring the existing ZipDirectory task. Since System.Formats.Tar requires .NET, the task is authored as .NET-only and is unavailable in Visual Studio / MSBuild.exe.

Context

The existing ZipDirectory/Unzip tasks have no tar equivalent. The maintainer discussion settled on shipping this as the first .NET (core)-only inbox task, provided the UsingTask is authored to only bind on the .NET runtime.

Changes Made

  • TarDirectory task (src/Tasks/TarDirectory.cs): creates a tar from SourceDirectory to DestinationFile via System.Formats.Tar. Parameters mirror ZipDirectory: Overwrite, FailIfNotIncremental, plus an optional Compression (None default, or GZip).
    • Per review feedback, an existing destination is not silently deleted — it errors (MSB4322) unless Overwrite="true".
    • Invalid Compression values warn (MSB4324) and fall back to an uncompressed tar. zstd was omitted as it isn't in the BCL.
  • .NET-only gating: TarDirectory.cs compiles only for .NETCoreApp; the UsingTask in Microsoft.Common.tasks is registered with Runtime="NET" and Condition="'$(MSBuildRuntimeType)' == 'Core'".
  • Resources: new strings MSB4321–MSB4330 in Strings.resx, synced to all .xlf files.
  • Tests: TarDirectory_Tests.cs (net-only) covering plain/GZip creation, overwrite, and the error/warning paths.
  • Docs: documented the FailIfNotIncremental behavior in documentation/specs/question.md.
<TarDirectory SourceDirectory="$(OutDir)" DestinationFile="package.tar.gz" Compression="GZip" Overwrite="true" />

Testing

Unit tests in TarDirectory_Tests.cs; also verified end-to-end via the bootstrap MSBuild that emitted .tar and .tar.gz archives readable by the system tar utility.

Notes

Two Code Review comments were intentionally left to stay byte-for-byte consistent with ZipDirectory: the "Question" doc-comment terminology, and reusing the Comment resource for question-mode output. Open to diverging if reviewers prefer.

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dotnet-policy-service Bot commented Jul 20, 2026

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Hello @copilot, I noticed that you’re changing an .swr file or any file under src/Package/MSBuild.VSSetup.. Please make sure to validate this change by an experimental VS insertion. This is accomplished by pushing to an exp/* branch, which requires write permissions to this repo.

Copilot AI linked an issue Jul 20, 2026 that may be closed by this pull request
MSBuild task for creating Tar files #7944
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Copilot AI and others added 3 commits July 20, 2026 07:55
@ViktorHofer
Add TarDirectory task, registration, and resources
695b6fa 
Co-authored-by: ViktorHofer <7412651+ViktorHofer@users.noreply.github.com>
@ViktorHofer
Add TarDirectory tests and docs; verified end-to-end
c0998f2 
Co-authored-by: ViktorHofer <7412651+ViktorHofer@users.noreply.github.com>
@ViktorHofer
Address code review: remove redundant null-forgiving op and fix doc g…
d769dc6 
…rammar

Co-authored-by: ViktorHofer <7412651+ViktorHofer@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI changed the title [WIP] Add MSBuild task for creating Tar files Add TarDirectory task for creating tar archives Jul 20, 2026
Copilot AI requested a review from ViktorHofer July 20, 2026 08:02
@ViktorHofer

ViktorHofer commented Jul 20, 2026

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@copilot looks like the current code falls back to not use gzip when a compression type is passed in that's unrecognized. Given that we will expand this matrix, I would throw an error if an unrecognized compression type is passed in instead of silently falling back to not use gzip.

@ViktorHofer
Error on unrecognized TarDirectory Compression instead of falling back
6ba6a02 
Co-authored-by: ViktorHofer <7412651+ViktorHofer@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot AI commented Jul 20, 2026

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@copilot looks like the current code falls back to not use gzip when a compression type is passed in that's unrecognized. Given that we will expand this matrix, I would throw an error ...

Done — an unrecognized Compression value now fails the task with error MSB4324 instead of warning and falling back to an uncompressed tar. Updated in the latest commit.

Copilot AI and others added 3 commits July 20, 2026 10:07
@ViktorHofer
Add optional Format parameter to TarDirectory (Pax/Gnu/Ustar/V7)
4835444 
Co-authored-by: ViktorHofer <7412651+ViktorHofer@users.noreply.github.com>
@ViktorHofer
Address review: rename recursive entry variable and avoid array alloc…
e804b4a 
… in TrimStart

Co-authored-by: ViktorHofer <7412651+ViktorHofer@users.noreply.github.com>
@ViktorHofer
Simplify recursive foreach tuple deconstruction in TarDirectory
ae91e65 
Co-authored-by: ViktorHofer <7412651+ViktorHofer@users.noreply.github.com>
@ViktorHofer
Update TFM to net11.0 and update accompanying files
a89e30a
@ViktorHofer
Try to fix build and template_feed style fixes
fa7d097
@ViktorHofer
Fix terminal logger tests
e3e476d
@ViktorHofer
Use a distinct stage2 binlog name to avoid collision with stage1
4aa4918 
The stage1 and stage2 CI builds both default their binary log to Build.binlog, so publishing them to the same artifacts location collides. Declare ci/binaryLog/excludeCIBinarylog as first-class parameters, forward them to both stage builds, and pass -binaryLogName Build.stage2.binlog to stage2 when a binlog will actually be produced.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot-Session: 2a6b38b1-0da7-488f-9938-3ac1051e15e2
@ViktorHofer
Publish stage1 binlog alongside stage2 binlog in multi-stage builds
d0c8407 
Moving the stage 1 artifacts aside relocated its Build.binlog out of the published artifacts/log directory, so CI only published the stage 2 binlog. Copy the stage 1 binlog back as Build.stage1.binlog right after the move (best-effort; skipped when no binlog was produced).

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot-Session: 2a6b38b1-0da7-488f-9938-3ac1051e15e2
@ViktorHofer
Copy entire stage1 log folder back so CI publishes all stage1 logs
81ffe89 
Instead of copying just the stage 1 binlog, copy the whole stage 1 log directory back into artifacts/log after the move, so CI publishes all stage 1 logs alongside the stage 2 ones. Runs before the stage 2 build, so it won't clobber stage 2 output.

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot-Session: 2a6b38b1-0da7-488f-9938-3ac1051e15e2
ViktorHofer
ViktorHofer reviewed Jul 21, 2026
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Comment thread src/Tasks/TarDirectory.cs Outdated
ViktorHofer
ViktorHofer reviewed Jul 21, 2026
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Comment thread src/Tasks/TarDirectory.cs Outdated
@ViktorHofer
Inline TryParseFormat helper into its call site in TarDirectory
d6d155d 
Co-authored-by: ViktorHofer <7412651+ViktorHofer@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI requested a review from ViktorHofer July 21, 2026 07:35
@ViktorHofer
Remove redundant Compression* const fields in favor of TarCompression…
9078ac8 
… enum

Co-authored-by: ViktorHofer <7412651+ViktorHofer@users.noreply.github.com>
ViktorHofer
ViktorHofer reviewed Jul 21, 2026
View reviewed changes
Comment thread src/Tasks/TarDirectory.cs Outdated
Copilot AI requested a review from ViktorHofer July 21, 2026 08:05
@ViktorHofer

ViktorHofer commented Jul 21, 2026

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@copilot add an Untar task as well that mimics the Unzip task but goes hand in hand with new TarDirectory task. Add tests and update the PR description.

@ViktorHofer
Add Untar task mirroring Unzip for extracting tar archives
640ca3d 
Co-authored-by: ViktorHofer <7412651+ViktorHofer@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot AI commented Jul 21, 2026

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@copilot add an Untar task as well that mimics the Unzip task but goes hand in hand with new TarDirectory task. Add tests and update the PR description.

Added the Untar task in the latest commit. It mirrors Unzip: extracts one or more .tar archives to DestinationFolder, with Include/Exclude globs, SkipUnchangedFiles, OverwriteReadOnlyFiles, FailIfNotIncremental, cancellation, tar-slip path protection, and Unix permission restore. Compression (GZip/ZStandard) is auto-detected from the archive's magic bytes, so it handles .tar, .tar.gz, and .tar.zst without a Compression parameter. Like TarDirectory it's .NET-only (Runtime="NET", Condition="'$(MSBuildRuntimeType)' == 'Core'"). Added Untar_Tests.cs (12 tests, all passing) and new resources MSB4331–MSB4338 synced to all .xlf files. PR description checklist updated.

@ViktorHofer ViktorHofer changed the title Add TarDirectory task for creating tar archives Add TarDirectory and Untar tasks for creating and extracting tar archives Jul 21, 2026
@ViktorHofer
Convert TarDirectory to typed task-parameter binding
bc12d42 
Co-authored-by: ViktorHofer <7412651+ViktorHofer@users.noreply.github.com>
@ViktorHofer

ViktorHofer commented Jul 22, 2026

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@copilot fix the build failures

@ViktorHofer
Fix CI build failure: remove unused _enumOutput field (IDE0052)
b0c19c1 
Co-authored-by: ViktorHofer <7412651+ViktorHofer@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot AI commented Jul 22, 2026

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@copilot fix the build failures

Fixed the build failure. The CI break was error IDE0052 under -warnaserror: the _enumOutput field in TaskBuilderTestTask was assigned in the EnumParam setter but never read (the tests validate via ParameterSet, and there's already an unrelated EnumOutput property). Removed the unused field and its assignment. Verified src/Build.UnitTests now builds clean with -warnaserror and the TestSetEnumParam* tests pass.

@ViktorHofer

ViktorHofer commented Jul 22, 2026 •
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@baronfel if you have some time would you taking a look? The tasks are now using the new task types that you mentioned. Not a high priority at all at the moment.

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MSBuild task for creating Tar files

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