Publish web package adding tasks to copy files

Question

I have an ASP.NET web package deployment using Visual Studios 2012 in which I would like to copy off files before deployment and then copy them back once deployment is completed. These files happen to be under Content\upload. If I just deploy.cmd the files are deleted and so currently I need to copy them off manually and then copy them back once deployment is complete. I have tried several examples of similar situations for adding tasks to the Project file as well as extra files added to the project, such as:

• Adding tasks inside targets I have created called Name="BeforePublish" Name="AfterPublish" in the Project file.

  <Target Name="BeforePublish">
       <Message Text="BeforePublish"/>
       <Copy/>
  </Target>
  

• Adding file called ProjectName.wpp.targets and adding

  <Project>
      <Target Name="CopyMyFiles" BeforeTargets="BeforePublish">
           <Message Text="CopyMyFiles called"/>
           <Copy/>
      </Target>
  </Project>
  

Neither of these techniques seem to be called. Any other ideas? Where and how should I put these tasks?

Answer 1

You can actually solve this using a skip rule. Try calling your command file like this:

deploy.cmd -skip:objectName=dirPath,absolutePath=Content\\uploads$

For more information on the skip directive, see Web Deploy Operation Settings.