When analysing .NET framework projects, which version of MSBuild do I need?

[FBryant87]

I have a code analysis app running on .NET 7 which attempts to load a solution with .NET framework 4.8 projects:

using var workspace = MSBuildWorkspace.Create();

When the projects fail to load the .NET SDK, I've added the following line to locate MSBuild:

MSBuildLocator.RegisterDefaults();

But this throws "No instances of MSBuild could be detected"

My question is given I have Visual Studio 2022 installed, how can MSBuild not be located? And if Roslyn needs it, which instance of MSBuild do I need to download for Roslyn to locate and use for 4.8 projects?

My MSBuild with VS2022 lives here: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise\MSBuild\Current\Bin

It fails to find it even with the below:

MSBuildLocator.RegisterMSBuildPath(@"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise\MSBuild\Current\Bin");

Note: In Installed Apps I have Microsoft .NET SDK 8.0.100 (x64) from Visual Studio

[jasonmalinowski]

Try upgrading to the 4.9.0-2.final NuGet packages, which remove the need to use MSBuildLocator; we'll do the extra work for you behind the scenes.

The reason why this wouldn't have worked is because there's limitations where the .NET Core MSBuilds can't be loaded in to a .NET Framework process or vice versa -- so your .NET Core app can't use the VS one. The changes in our new packages mean we'll actually launch a separate process behind the scenes to make this all work.

[FBryant87]

Amazing! I was hoping for something like this, thanks Jason.