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MSB4096: The item 'item' in item list 'item-list' does not define a value for metadata 'name'

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The full error message resembles the following example:

MSB4096: The item 'item' in item list 'item-list' does not define a value for metadata 'name'.  In order to use this metadata, either qualify it by specifying %(item-name.metadata-name), or ensure that all items in this list define a value for this metadata.

This error occurs when your MSBuild script uses a shorthand unqualified syntax for referencing item metadata %(MetadataName), without fully qualifying it with the Item name, as in %(ItemName.MetadataName). The error text suggests qualifying the metadata by prefixing the metadata name with the Item name. For example, %(File.Extension) rather than just %(Extension).

You can also avoid this error by ensuring that all items of the given type define a value for the metadata.

See Item metadata.