Automatic import .targets from referenced project

[kefyru]

Two projects:
SomeLib.csproj
SomeApp.csproj (uses SomeLib)

1. SomeLib/bin/SomeLib.csproj.*.targets automatically applies to SomeLib project
2. SomeLib/build/SomeLib.targets automatically applies to dependent projects via <PackageReference Include="SomeLib" />
3. Directory.build.targets automatically applies to all projects in this directory (if not redefined in project dir)

Q: Is there any possibility to make some .targets file which will be applied automatically to SomeApp via <ProjectReference Include="SomeLib.csproj"/>

For example

<!-- SomeLib/??/??.targets -->
<Project>
  <Target Name="SomeLibAutoTarget" BeforeTargets="Build">
    <Message Text="Hello '$(ProjectName)'"/>
  </Target>
</Project>

<!-- SomeApp.csproj -->
<Project>
  <ItemGroup>
    <ProjectReference Include="..\SomeLib\SomeLib.csproj"/>
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

SomeApp % dotnet build
--> Hello 'SomeApp'

[JanKrivanek]

The suggested way is to extract the desired targets/props into a separate file and include it into projects explicitly. If the downstream consumers are independent from the project of question - then the reference should vbe packaged and distributed as nuget package (which supports auto-importable build scripts).

If you have scenario that is no achievable via any of the above options, then please provide a bit more info on the actual intent

[baronfel]

This is also IMO an aspect of Project/Package substitution - users get this behavior for Packages and so they would also like it for Projects. This makes sense to me, it's just hard to do correctly for all cases.