BizTalk Property Schema Error: The type name ‘…’ does not exist in the type ‘System’

I’m just playing with BizTalk Server, doing a small proof-of-concept using BizTalk Server and Azure Service Bus, and I was surprised by a bunch of errors while I tried to compile my simple project:

Severity Code Description Project File Line Suppression State
Error CS0426 The type name ‘SerializableAttributeAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’ POC.BizTalk.AzureServiceBus C:\DEV\POC\POC.BizTalk.AzureServiceBus\POC.BizTalk.AzureServiceBus\Schemas\ASBPropertySchema.xsd.cs 9 Active
Severity Code Description Project File Line Suppression State
Error CS0426 The type name ‘Xml’ does not exist in the type ‘System’ POC.BizTalk.AzureServiceBus C:\DEV\POC\POC.BizTalk.AzureServiceBus\POC.BizTalk.AzureServiceBus\Schemas\ASBPropertySchema.xsd.cs 85 Active

Where is the full error list:

• The type name ‘SerializableAttributeAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘SerializableAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘NonSerializedAttributeAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘NonSerializedAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘NonSerializedAttributeAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘NonSerializedAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘SerializableAttributeAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘SerializableAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘NonSerializedAttributeAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘NonSerializedAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘Xml’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘Xml’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘Type’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘SerializableAttributeAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘SerializableAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘NonSerializedAttributeAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘NonSerializedAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘Xml’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘Xml’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘Type’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘SerializableAttributeAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘SerializableAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘NonSerializedAttributeAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘NonSerializedAttribute’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘Xml’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘Xml’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.
• The type name ‘Type’ does not exist in the type ‘System’.

Cause

Initially, I have to be honest, I did not realize why this error was happening, mainly because the main error description may elude us and point us to DLL reference problems: Xml, System, SerializableAttributeAttribute, and so on. But looking carefully to the error message details, all of the errors will point us to the PropertySchema file.

After realizing that, it was not difficult to realize that I had in my Property Schema an element called System. System is a reserved word that you CANNOT use inside the property schemas.

Solution

The solution to this issue is quite simple: you need to:

• Rename your System element inside your Property Schema to another word, for example, ExtSystem

• Of course, fix all the dependencies inside your project. If you were already using this element inside your solution, for example Message Assignment shape.
• and finally compile the project.

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Author: Sandro Pereira

Sandro Pereira lives in Portugal and works as a consultant at DevScope. In the past years, he has been working on implementing Integration scenarios both on-premises and cloud for various clients, each with different scenarios from a technical point of view, size, and criticality, using Microsoft Azure, Microsoft BizTalk Server and different technologies like AS2, EDI, RosettaNet, SAP, TIBCO etc. He is a regular blogger, international speaker, and technical reviewer of several BizTalk books all focused on Integration. He is also the author of the book “BizTalk Mapping Patterns & Best Practices”. He has been awarded MVP since 2011 for his contributions to the integration community. View all posts by Sandro Pereira