A default value for the CoverletOutput MSBuild property

I assume that a default value for the CoverletOutput property should not be the $(MSBuildProjectDirectory) but the $(OutputPath). Here are a few reasons why this is a more appropriate value:

1. A code coverage report is a kind of program output, as well as binaries and XML documentation files.
2. A code coverage report will be automatically redirected to another location when the project stores output somewhere outside the project (or the solution).
3. Code coverage reports for different configurations can be different (e.g., due to #if directives). And thus, the value of $(OutputPath) can automatically store reports in different folders without overwriting since it evaluates to the $(BaseOutputPath)\$(Configuration)\ by default.

[eerhardt]

@alexanderkozlenko - why did you close this issue? I fully agree with your reasoning above - the default value shouldn’t be in the source directory for a project. All the outputs should be directed to output folders.

[eerhardt]

@tonerdo - you could follow that same reasoning for any output file. The build .dll and .pdb. The documentation .xml file. The test results file .trx.etc. They would be easier to find in VS if they weren’t in the “output” directory. However, most users know to look in the output directory for the outputs. So putting output files in a different directory actually makes it confusing.

Writing to the “source” directory of a project during the build is generally frowned upon. One reason is that people need to add a specific .gitignore entry for those files (I assume code coverage results files shouldn’t be checked in). Another reason is that a human can easily tell what can be cleaned up - just delete the bin and obj folders.

I would imagine most projects would need/want to change this default, which doesn’t make it a very good default in my opinion.