How to run Visual Studio post-build events for debug build only

How can I limit my post-build events to running only for one type of build?

I'm using the events to copy DLL files to a local IIS virtual directory, but I don't want this happening on the build server in release mode.

Pre- and Post-Build Events run as a batch script. You can do a conditional statement on $(ConfigurationName).

For instance

if $(ConfigurationName) == Debug xcopy something somewhere

FYI, you do not need to use goto. The shell IF command can be used with round brackets:

if $(ConfigurationName) == Debug (
  copy "$(TargetDir)myapp.dll" "c:\delivery\bin" /y
  copy "$(TargetDir)myapp.dll.config" "c:\delivery\bin" /y
) ELSE (
  echo "why, Microsoft, why".
)

Add your post build event like normal. Then save your project, open it in Notepad (or your favorite editor), and add condition to the PostBuildEvent property group. Here's an example:

<PropertyGroup Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == 'Debug' ">
    <PostBuildEvent>start gpedit</PostBuildEvent>
</PropertyGroup>

Alternatively (since the events are put into a batch file and then called), use the following (in the Build event box, not in a batch file):

if $(ConfigurationName) == Debug goto :debug

:release
signtool.exe ....
xcopy ...

goto :exit

:debug
' Debug items in here

:exit

This way you can have events for any configuration, and still manage it with the macros rather than having to pass them into a batch file, remember that %1 is $(OutputPath), etc.

As of Visual Studio 2019, the modern .csproj format supports adding a condition directly on the Target element:

<Target Name="PostBuild" AfterTargets="PostBuildEvent" Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Debug'">
    <Exec Command="nswag run nswag.json" />
</Target>

The UI doesn't provide a way to set this up, but it does appear to safely leave the Configuration attribute in place if you make changes via the UI.

Visual Studio 2015: The correct syntax is (keep it on one line):

if "$(ConfigurationName)"=="My Debug CFG" ( xcopy "$(TargetDir)test1.tmp" "$(TargetDir)test.xml" /y) else ( xcopy "$(TargetDir)test2.tmp" "$(TargetDir)test.xml" /y)

No error 255 here.

You can pass the configuration name to the post-build script and check it in there to see if it should run.

Pass the configuration name with $(ConfigurationName).

Checking it is based on how you are implementing the post-build step -- it will be a command-line argument.

I found that I was able to put multiple Conditions in the project file just like this:

  <Target Name="PostBuild" AfterTargets="PostBuildEvent" Condition=" '$(Configuration)' != 'Debug' AND '$(Configuration)' != 'Release' ">
	  <Exec Command="powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -NoProfile -NonInteractive -File $(ProjectDir)postBuild.ps1 -ProjectPath $(ProjectPath) -Build $(Configuration)" />
  </Target>

This works for me in Visual Studio 2015.

I copy all DLL files from a folder located in a library folder on the same level as my solution folder into the targetdirectory of the project being built.

Using a relative path from my project directory and going up the folder structure two steps with..\..\lib

MySolutionFolder
....MyProject
Lib

if $(ConfigurationName) == Debug (
xcopy /Y "$(ProjectDir)..\..\lib\*.dll" "$(TargetDir)"
) ELSE (echo "Not Debug mode, no file copy from lib")

Like any project setting, the buildevents can be configured per Configuration. Just select the configuration you want to change in the dropdown of the Property Pages dialog and edit the post build step.

In Visual Studio 2012 you have to use (I think in Visual Studio 2010, too)

if $(Configuration) == Debug xcopy

$(ConfigurationName) was listed as a macro, but it wasn't assigned.

Compare: Macros for Build Commands and Properties