[Properties > Build Actions] options available depend on order of TargetFrameworks in .csproj - Cannot see all options at once - Only the first OS's options are shown

[jonmdev]

Description

When you build a default Maui project, it will create a line in the csproj file like:

<TargetFrameworks>net8.0-android;net8.0-ios;net8.0-maccatalyst</TargetFrameworks>

However, the order of these affects the options if you right click on something > Properties > Build Actions.

Only the OS-specific options for the first one in the list are shown. For example if iOS is first, you will get an option like "ITunes Artwork" but not with Android first.

And all the Android options like "AndroidAsset" or "ProguardConfiguration" only show up if Android is first.

It took me hours today to try to add a ProguardConfiguration until I figured out this bug. I had no option for it.

Steps to Reproduce

1. File > New > Maui Project
2. Open csproj and change order of line: <TargetFrameworks>net8.0-android;net8.0-ios;net8.0-maccatalyst</TargetFrameworks>
3. Close and re-open project
4. Right click anything > Properties > Build Actions and see that the special OS-specific options provided are only for the first entry in the list

Link to public reproduction project repository

n/a, default Maui Project

Version with bug

8.0.70 SR7

Is this a regression from previous behavior?

Not sure, did not test other versions

Last version that worked well

Unknown/Other

Affected platforms

iOS, Android, Windows, macOS

Did you find any workaround?

None. If you need OS specific type, place it first in list. Bizarre.

[github-actions]

Hi I'm an AI powered bot that finds similar issues based off the issue title.

Please view the issues below to see if they solve your problem, and if the issue describes your problem please consider closing this one and thumbs upping the other issue to help us prioritize it. Thank you!

Open similar issues:

• SDK Target Platforms .targets/.props files not loading on MAUI Project (#5847), similarity score: 0.74

Closed similar issues:

• Multi-targeting frameworks in Maui does not work (#5833), similarity score: 0.72
• Disabling iOS and Android platform targeting in a Maui project file breaks the publish menu option (#11816), similarity score: 0.71
• Target Android Framework Not Settable Via UI (#19024), similarity score: 0.71
• Target Platform Android is not visible (#19025), similarity score: 0.71

Note: You can give me feedback by thumbs upping or thumbs downing this comment.

[Zhanglirong-Winnie]

This issue has been verified using Visual Studio 17.11.0 Preview 3.0(8.0.70). Can repro on all platforms.

[drasticactions]

I think this is all handled by Visual Studio tooling. I don't think MAUI UI itself influences what's shown in those menus (As in, if you have a multiple targeted project that doesn't implement MAUI UI or reference it, the same thing will happen). Unless I'm mistaken (@PureWeen?) I think this should be moved to VS Feedback.

[dotnet-policy-service]

Thanks for the issue report @jonmdev! This issue appears to be a problem with Visual Studio, so we ask that you use the VS feedback tool to report the issue. That way it will get to the routed to the team that owns this experience in VS.

If you encounter a problem with Visual Studio, we want to know about it so that we can diagnose and fix it. By using the Report a Problem tool, you can collect detailed information about the problem, and send it to Microsoft with just a few button clicks.

1. Go to the Visual Studio for Windows feedback tool or Visual Studio for Mac feedback tool to report the issue
2. Close this bug, and consider adding a link to the VS Feedback issue so that others can follow its activity there.

[dotnet-policy-service]

Thanks for the issue report @jonmdev! This issue appears to be a problem with Visual Studio (Code), so we ask that you use the VS feedback tool to report the issue. That way it will get to the routed to the team that owns this experience in VS (Code).

If you encounter a problem with Visual Studio or the .NET MAUI VS Code Extension, we want to know about it so that we can diagnose and fix it. By using the Report a Problem tool, you can collect detailed information about the problem, and send it to Microsoft with just a few button clicks.

1. Go to the Visual Studio for Windows feedback tool or .NET MAUI VS Code Extension repository to report the issue
2. Close this bug, and consider adding a link to the VS Feedback issue so that others can follow its activity there.

[jonmdev]

I do not see any easy way to report a Visual Studio problem so I will leave this up to Microsoft employees if they wish to report or fix it. At least it is now documented here if anyone wants to know why this behavior is happening.

For reference, this issue was previously reported in May 2023, which I found when I was initially trying to figure out this issue. However, that user seems to have gotten the nature of the problem slightly wrong:

https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/t/MAUI-build-actions-such-as-AndroidResou/10374447?

They thought the issue was using net7.0-android33.0 instead of net7.0-android but if you look at their "working" version for Android, the main difference is again that they put Android first not last, suggesting this is the same issue and that was the actual "solution".

Thus I expect this bug has been present since at least that time or longer.

That report was closed by Microsoft with no action taken.

[drasticactions]

I have reopened that feedback item and tried to direct it to the correct resources. Based on the internal ticket, it was being worked on but, at some point, was directed to the wrong team to look at and eventually closed due to the low feedback. To me, this feels like a general issue around multiple target frameworks in VS and how they are considered (With possible issues in the runtime as well), but they are most likely not MAUI specific, especially not something that could be addressed in this repo.

I would upvote that bug and direct your issues onto it. Sorry for the trouble.