Azure Project build package working from VS, failing from command line with error MSB4096

I found this link: Visual Studio 2010 Beta 2 myTODO Error message it works for me. The valuable information from that link:

It seems like maybe Azure does not like it if you specify anything besides an Azure Role project as a dependency on the service project. I made it so MyWebRole.csproj was dependent on xxx.csproj, instead of MyService.ccproj being dependent on xxx.csproj, and it worked.

This post solved my problem:http://michaelcollier.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/multiple-sites-in-a-web-role/

A must read if you have several websites on one webrole!

I stumbled upon a similar problem when building my cloud project from the command line, in particular I get this exception if the web project referenced by the VirtualDirectory tag is marked as a build dependency for the cloud project.

To avoid this and ensure that the web project is compiled and included in the cspack, I come up with a procedure simpler that the one cited in Swell's answer -- in particular it does not require to alter the project files but only to call two targets in a precise order:

1. ensure in Configuration Manager that the web project will be rebuilt in the desired solution configuration (for example ensure that it is built under Release configuration);
2. ensure that the web project is not a build dependency of the cloud project;

3. do a rebuild of the solution, for example

   MsBuild solution.sln /t:Rebuild ...

   This way the web project will be recompiled.

4. perform a publish of the cloud project, for example

   MsBuild solution.sln /t:cloudproject.ccproj:publish ...

   The web project will be copied correctly to the cspack file.