The metaproj msbuild file generated due to interproject dependencies inside the solution being built does not respect the SkipNonexistentTargets property

[MarkKharitonov]

Issue Description

Solution wide target specified in Directory.Solution.targets produces the error MSB4057 despite the use of the MSBuild.SkipNonexistentTargets property. It only happens when the solution file captures interproject dependencies.

Steps to Reproduce

Consider the following trivial project layout:

C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug> dir

    Directory: C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug

Mode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                 -------------         ------ ----
-a---          11/22/2024  9:01 PM            136 a.csproj
-a---          11/22/2024  8:57 PM           1432 a.sln
-a---          11/22/2024  9:01 PM            136 b.csproj
-a---          11/22/2024  8:58 PM           1587 b.sln
-a---          11/22/2024  8:54 PM            501 Directory.Solution.targets

C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug>

Where:
a.csproj

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
  </PropertyGroup>
</Project>

b.csproj is identical to a.csproj

C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug> fc.exe .\a.csproj .\b.csproj
Comparing files .\a.csproj and .\B.CSPROJ
FC: no differences encountered

C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug>

a.sln

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
# Visual Studio Version 17
VisualStudioVersion = 17.0.31903.59
MinimumVisualStudioVersion = 10.0.40219.1
Project("{9A19103F-16F7-4668-BE54-9A1E7A4F7556}") = "a", "a.csproj", "{2DC00580-0BCC-4CD9-A25C-72FE3F093BBB}"
EndProject
Project("{9A19103F-16F7-4668-BE54-9A1E7A4F7556}") = "b", "b.csproj", "{DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F}"
EndProject
Global
        GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
                Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU
                Release|Any CPU = Release|Any CPU
        EndGlobalSection
        GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
                HideSolutionNode = FALSE
        EndGlobalSection
        GlobalSection(ProjectConfigurationPlatforms) = postSolution
                {2DC00580-0BCC-4CD9-A25C-72FE3F093BBB}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
                {2DC00580-0BCC-4CD9-A25C-72FE3F093BBB}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
                {2DC00580-0BCC-4CD9-A25C-72FE3F093BBB}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
                {2DC00580-0BCC-4CD9-A25C-72FE3F093BBB}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
                {DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
                {DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
                {DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
                {DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
        EndGlobalSection
EndGlobal

b.sln

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
# Visual Studio Version 17
VisualStudioVersion = 17.0.31903.59
MinimumVisualStudioVersion = 10.0.40219.1
Project("{9A19103F-16F7-4668-BE54-9A1E7A4F7556}") = "a", "a.csproj", "{2DC00580-0BCC-4CD9-A25C-72FE3F093BBB}"
        ProjectSection(ProjectDependencies) = postProject
                {DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F} = {DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F}
        EndProjectSection
EndProject
Project("{9A19103F-16F7-4668-BE54-9A1E7A4F7556}") = "b", "b.csproj", "{DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F}"
EndProject
Global
        GlobalSection(SolutionConfigurationPlatforms) = preSolution
                Debug|Any CPU = Debug|Any CPU
                Release|Any CPU = Release|Any CPU
        EndGlobalSection
        GlobalSection(SolutionProperties) = preSolution
                HideSolutionNode = FALSE
        EndGlobalSection
        GlobalSection(ProjectConfigurationPlatforms) = postSolution
                {2DC00580-0BCC-4CD9-A25C-72FE3F093BBB}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
                {2DC00580-0BCC-4CD9-A25C-72FE3F093BBB}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
                {2DC00580-0BCC-4CD9-A25C-72FE3F093BBB}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
                {2DC00580-0BCC-4CD9-A25C-72FE3F093BBB}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
                {DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F}.Debug|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Debug|Any CPU
                {DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F}.Debug|Any CPU.Build.0 = Debug|Any CPU
                {DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F}.Release|Any CPU.ActiveCfg = Release|Any CPU
                {DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F}.Release|Any CPU.Build.0 = Release|Any CPU
        EndGlobalSection
EndGlobal

Directory.Solution.targets

<Project>
  <Target Name="xyz">
    <MSBuild Targets="xyz"
             BuildInParallel="True"
             SkipNonexistentTargets="True"
             Projects="@(ProjectReference)"
             Properties="BuildingSolutionFile=true; CurrentSolutionConfigurationContents=$(CurrentSolutionConfigurationContents); SolutionDir=$(SolutionDir); SolutionExt=$(SolutionExt); SolutionFileName=$(SolutionFileName); SolutionName=$(SolutionName); SolutionPath=$(SolutionPath)" />
  </Target>
</Project>

Notice that the b.sln file is a copy of the a.sln, except that one project is made to depend on the other project inside the solution file b.sln:

C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug> fc.exe .\a.sln .\b.sln
Comparing files .\a.sln and .\B.SLN
***** .\a.sln
Project("{9A19103F-16F7-4668-BE54-9A1E7A4F7556}") = "a", "a.csproj", "{2DC00580-0BCC-4CD9-A25C-72FE3F093BBB}"
EndProject
***** .\B.SLN
Project("{9A19103F-16F7-4668-BE54-9A1E7A4F7556}") = "a", "a.csproj", "{2DC00580-0BCC-4CD9-A25C-72FE3F093BBB}"
        ProjectSection(ProjectDependencies) = postProject
                {DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F} = {DCACBC11-AC42-45EC-BD9C-90B776F3424F}
        EndProjectSection
EndProject
*****

C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug>

Now let us build the xyz target through the a.sln solution:

C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug> dotnet build .\a.sln /t:xyz
  Determining projects to restore...
  Restored C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug\b.csproj (in 111 ms).

Build succeeded.
    0 Warning(s)
    0 Error(s)

Time Elapsed 00:00:03.28

Workload updates are available. Run `dotnet workload list` for more information.
C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug>

And now using the solution b.sln:

C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug> dotnet build .\b.sln /t:xyz
  Determining projects to restore...
  All projects are up-to-date for restore.
C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug\a.csproj : error MSB4057: The target "xyz" does not exist in the project.

Build FAILED.

C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug\a.csproj : error MSB4057: The target "xyz" does not exist in the project.
    0 Warning(s)
    1 Error(s)

Time Elapsed 00:00:00.89

Workload updates are available. Run `dotnet workload list` for more information.
C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug>

Expected Behavior

Both solutions build the xyz target in exactly the same fashion - no errors on the non existing target xyz.

Actual Behavior

The solution with the interproject dependencies fails.

Analysis

When there are interproject dependencies extra metaproj msbuild files are created in addition to the one corresponding to the solution itself. These extra metaproj files replicate the xyz solution wide target, but omit the SkipNonexistentTargets property found in the original Directory.Solution.targets file.

Versions & Configurations

C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug> msbuild -version
MSBuild version 17.11.9+a69bbaaf5 for .NET Framework
17.11.9.46202
C:\work\msbuild_sln_bug>