When editing project file, metadata access (`->`) can get mangled

[dsplaisted]

• Create a .NET Core project
• Edit .csproj in Visual Studio
• Add the following target:

  <Target Name="CheckForFile" BeforeTargets="_CheckForInvalidConfigurationAndPlatform">
    <ItemGroup>
      <TestItem Include="@(None-&gt;WithMetadataValue('Identity', 'output.txt'))" />
    </ItemGroup>
    <Error Text="file not found" Condition="" />
  </Target>

• Save

EXPECTED: Project file is saved as entered
ACTUAL: -> in Include attribute is transformed into ->.

[KirillOsenkov]

Yes, MSBuild has special magic to avoid doing that:
http://source.dot.net/#Microsoft.Build.Engine/Shared/ProjectWriter.cs,147

[davkean]

Closed in lieu of https://devdiv.visualstudio.com/DevDiv/Managed%20Project%20System/_workitems/edit/499769.

[davkean]

CPS won't fixed this, reopening to track the issue.