Unexpectedly, the task of "AssignTargetPath" did not complete successfully

Question

Unexpectedly, the task of "AssignTargetPath" did not complete successfully

While working on my Node project using Node Tools for Visual Studio (version 1.1), I encountered this error unexpectedly. I was using Visual Studio Community Edition 2015 and had the latest version of Typescript (v1.7.6) installed.

Error:

C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v14.0\Node.js Tools\Microsoft.NodejsTools.targets(119,5): error MSB4018: The "AssignTargetPath" task failed unexpectedly.
System.ArgumentException: Illegal characters in path.
at System.IO.Path.CheckInvalidPathChars(String path, Boolean checkAdditional)
at System.Security.Permissions.FileIOPermission.QuickDemand(FileIOPermissionAccess access, String fullPath, Boolean checkForDuplicates, Boolean needFullPath)
at Microsoft.Build.Tasks.AssignTargetPath.Execute()
at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskExecutionHost.Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.ITaskExecutionHost.Execute()
at Microsoft.Build.BackEnd.TaskBuilder.<ExecuteInstantiatedTask>d__26.MoveNext()
Done building project "BuyCo.njsproj" -- FAILED.

Build FAILED.

Upon researching online, it appears that the issue may be related to the MAXPATH problem with Node/npm.

typescript npm visual-studio-2015 ntvs

Answer 1

Answer №1

After some searching, a friend recommended that I switch from npm 2 to npm 3. Here are some details to help others avoid the hassle of searching through various online forums:

The problem I encountered was related to the Windows MaxPath issue. I was able to resolve it by

upgrading from npm 2 to npm 3. Windows users can find more information here.
deleting all npm packages in my project with the command rm -r node_modules
reinstalling them with npm install.

In npm 3, they made improvements to have flatter folder structures. However, it is worth noting that npm 3 is still in beta and for stability and migration, it is recommended to wait for npm 4. I personally found success with npm 3.

It's worth mentioning that I was using git bash. I noticed that the npm version in git bash was still at v2, while it was already v3 in a regular command prompt like cmd. In bash, you can confirm if you are experiencing the MAXPATH issue with this command:

(find | awk '{ print length(), NR, $0 | "sort -rn" }' | less)

When you run this command, you will enter the (less) editor. Look at the first column/number as the lines are sorted by length. The length should be below 260. Exit the editor with :q. Keep in mind that you need to include the base path length yourself, as the length shown is within the current folder. Perhaps a bash expert could suggest a better command.

Answer 2

After some searching, a friend recommended that I switch from npm 2 to npm 3. Here are some details to help others avoid the hassle of searching through various online forums:

The problem I encountered was related to the Windows MaxPath issue. I was able to resolve it by

upgrading from npm 2 to npm 3. Windows users can find more information here.
deleting all npm packages in my project with the command rm -r node_modules
reinstalling them with npm install.

In npm 3, they made improvements to have flatter folder structures. However, it is worth noting that npm 3 is still in beta and for stability and migration, it is recommended to wait for npm 4. I personally found success with npm 3.

It's worth mentioning that I was using git bash. I noticed that the npm version in git bash was still at v2, while it was already v3 in a regular command prompt like cmd. In bash, you can confirm if you are experiencing the MAXPATH issue with this command:

(find | awk '{ print length(), NR, $0 | "sort -rn" }' | less)

When you run this command, you will enter the (less) editor. Look at the first column/number as the lines are sorted by length. The length should be below 260. Exit the editor with :q. Keep in mind that you need to include the base path length yourself, as the length shown is within the current folder. Perhaps a bash expert could suggest a better command.

Answer 3

Answer №2

Whenever I encounter a recurring problem in VS 2019, I find that closing and reopening the program usually resolves the issue temporarily. This allows me to continue working on my project until the problem resurfaces, prompting me to repeat the process. If you're experiencing the same issue, it's possible that VS is just being finicky. It may be wise to restart the program before attempting any drastic solutions.

Answer 4

Whenever I encounter a recurring problem in VS 2019, I find that closing and reopening the program usually resolves the issue temporarily. This allows me to continue working on my project until the problem resurfaces, prompting me to repeat the process. If you're experiencing the same issue, it's possible that VS is just being finicky. It may be wise to restart the program before attempting any drastic solutions.

Unexpectedly, the task of "AssignTargetPath" did not complete successfully

Answer №1

Answer №2

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