Visual Studio 2012 - Pre-Build Bootstrap 3 LESS with RECESS

Warning: This no longer works as of Bootstrap version 3.1!

Step 1:
Install the Bootstrap Less Source package to your web project.

Step 2:
Close any running instances of Visual Studio.

Step 3:
Install Node.js.

Step 4:
Install the RECESS npm package globally via the node.js command prompt:

$ npm install recess -g

Step 5:
Start Visual Studio.

Step 6:
Re-open your web project, open the Project properties, go to Build Events, and enter in the following into the "Pre-build event command line:"

recess "$(ProjectDir)Content\bootstrap\bootstrap.less" --compress > "$(ProjectDir)Content\bootstrap-compiled.css"

Note: The double quotes around the files was required for the command to succeed.

Screenshot of the Pre-Build Event Command Line

Step 7:
Build your project, and check to see if the bootstrap-compiled.css file was created properly.

Step 8:
Make sure you include the bootstrap-compiled.css file into your project, and set its Build Action to Content.

Step 9:
Set the Build Action on the bootstrap less files to None.

Edit: I've updated the steps to include opening and closing Visual Studio. This is done to make sure that Visual Studio will see the updated %PATH% environment variable from the node.js installation.

Mastodon: @[email protected]