"No C# compiler has been specified" trying to compile iOS Bindings library

[munkii]

Apple platform

iOS

Framework version

net8.0-*

Affected platform version

VS2022 Version 17.11.0 Preview 6.0

Description

Description

This has been raised before but was fixed with a VS update. Doesn't fix for me, I am running VS 17.11.0 Preview 6.0.

If I try and compile my ios bindings library I get the error

error BI0028: bgen: No C# compiler has been specified (using --compiler or --compile-command).

From 1>C:\Program Files\dotnet\packs\Microsoft.iOS.Sdk\17.2.8053\tools\msbuild\iOS\Xamarin.Shared.targets(1746,3):

The CSProj looks like this

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0-ios</TargetFramework>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
    <ImplicitUsings>true</ImplicitUsings>
    <IsBindingProject>true</IsBindingProject>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <ObjcBindingApiDefinition Include="ApiDefinition.cs" />
    <ObjcBindingCoreSource Include="StructsAndEnums.cs" />
  </ItemGroup>
	<ItemGroup>
		<NativeReference Include="Frameworks\FAT\MirSmartDevice.framework">
			<Kind>Framework</Kind>
			<Frameworks>Foundation UIKit MirSmartDevice</Frameworks>
			<LinkerFlags>-L "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/lib/swift/iphonesimulator/" -L "/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/lib/swift/iphoneos" -Wl,-rpath -Wl,@executable_path/Frameworks</LinkerFlags>
		</NativeReference>
	</ItemGroup>
</Project>

I have an existing one in a live Xamarin Forms branch but I am trying to migrate to MAUI. I have had previous issues with this bindings library as discussed here, See comment thread

Steps to Reproduce

The 3rd party SDK is I am trying to create bindings for is not public so I do have an Repo that shows the problem but because the SDK is private the Repo is Private. If the owners of this repo are happy to help I can invite you to the repo

Did you find any workaround?

No. I've had previous issues trying to create the bindings library that I was ablke to workaround. These are discussed in the referenced stackoverflow article but this is a different issue

Build logs

[rolfbjarne]

The bin log was too big

Can you share it using Dropbox or a similar file-sharing service?

[munkii]

The bin log was too big

Can you share it using Dropbox or a similar file-sharing service?

Much smaller when recorded on the small repro than against the full solution. I have pasted the contents into the original comment. Alternatively I can add a Dropbox link

[rolfbjarne]

The bin log was too big

Can you share it using Dropbox or a similar file-sharing service?

Much smaller when recorded on the small repro than against the full solution. I have pasted the contents into the original comment. Alternatively I can add a Dropbox link

Can you attach it as a file instead? It's not a text file, so it doesn't paste correctly.

[munkii]

SpirometrySmartSdk.Touch.Bindings_Debug_AnyCPU_Build_2024-08-14T11_32_14.3347998+01_00.binlog.dmp

Renamed as binlog extension not supported as attachment

[rolfbjarne]

VS2022 Version 17.11.0 Preview 6.0

The stable version of 17.11 was released a couple of days ago, can you try that and see if you can still reproduce the problem? If so, please get an updated binlog.

[munkii]

Updated to stable 17.11 and the bindings project now builds, thanks.

However I still have the issue as detailed in stack overflow that means the Bindings project, when built as part of the wider solution shows no exported types until I Unload the bindings project in VS.

Excerpt from SO comment thread and still an approach I had to take just now with 17.11 stable

"some IDEs require to build the binding by hand and then unload the binding project in order to display code completion and accept the using directive in other files" I think we are seeing this. The Binding library is building and I can see the public types via Object Browser but they cannot compiled against and the Using statement does not work. In Xamarin Forms we only referenced the DLL. Are you saying reference the CSPROJ instead? –

From Patrick Long

That is how I got it working. Reference the .csproj, build it by hand, unload the binding project while still referencing the .csproj. Sounds weird, but it seems like the design-time-build is not including the generated binding sources. –

From OP

When you say "build it by hand" do you mean from the command line or right clicking on the specfic project in Solution Explorer and clicking "Rebuild"? –

From Patrick Long

UPDATE. That's crazy. I just built the CSPROJ (as you said) then unloaded it and it worked????? –

From Patrick Long

Should I log this as a seperate issue here or as "Feedback" for Visual Studio?

[rolfbjarne]

Updated to stable 17.11 and the bindings project now builds, thanks.

That's great, I'll close this then. Thanks for letting us know!

"some IDEs require to build the binding by hand and then unload the binding project in order to display code completion and accept the using directive in other files" I think we are seeing this. The Binding library is building and I can see the public types via Object Browser but they cannot compiled against and the Using statement does not work. In Xamarin Forms we only referenced the DLL. Are you saying reference the CSPROJ instead? –

This is a known issue I'm working on fixing, and will hopefully finish for .NET 9.