If I want to build multiple solutions in TFS Build I can add multiple SolutionToBuild elements to the Build Definition.
However, I want to specify a path to a folder, and then have TFS automatically find and build all solutions in this folder and subfolder, without me adding a SolutionToBuild element for each individual solution.
Is this possible?
Yes, this is possible, but not with the default build template as is. In the early stages of build execution, find a suitable build process trigger and include a step that finds your solutions in a supplied directory, and enter these solutions in the list of the SolutionToBuild variable. Then your script will continue as if you have added multiple SolutionToBuild elements.
No this is not possible. You can open the build default template and see how the projects/solutions to build are built with MSBuild.
Related
I have a "SOA" styled application, with a single solution containing almost 100 individual projects (which are a solution within them, i.e. they can be run independently). I have created a build and release definition in TFS 2018 and everything works perfectly.
The issue is if I make changes to a single service (out of 100), and check-in my code, the build definition is triggered which builds the entire application and then the release definition deploys the entire thing(100+) each time.
I don't want it. I need it to be specific to the service in which changes are made. Is there any way to do it?
Creating multiple build/release definition which is tied to the specific path of each service should solve it but I don't want to go down that road, because I will end up creating 100's of definitions.
Is there any other way to do it?
This is for a .Net application, hosted in TFS 2018 (On-premise).
The solution structure is as below:
AllWCFService.sln
|_Service1.csproj
|_Service2.csproj
|..
|..
|_Service100.csproj
Each Service can also be run and hosted independently.
This is my first question here. I apologize for any confusion.
As you have mentioned, by using Path filters on the Build definition should be the easiest solution.
With the proper path to the project in the Path filter only the proper Builds spin up, and any projects untouched do not trigger a build. Each build has it's own release which then deploys the specified app to it's own destination. As a ugly workaround, you could set up a group each with 5 services which will reduce 100's of definitions to 20's.
Otherwise, you have to customize your build definition/pipeline. Use some scripts to determine or judge which part of your Servicex.csproj changed base on your name.
Then call msbuild with /t option to build a single or multiple projects.
msbuild test.sln /t:project;project2 /p:Configuration="Release" /p:Platform="x86" /p:BuildProjectReferences=false
specify project file of a solution using msbuild
It will only build specified changed project and generated corresponding artifacts. Then add scripts in release to specify path according build generated artifacts to deploy each service.
Hope this helps.
Ok so I have to admit, I'm very new to all of this build automation stuff. But basically what I'm wondering is if there is a way to wire up my build definitions in such a way that if I have a case like so
ProjectA produces ComponentA.dll
ProjectB references ComponentA.dll and produces ComponentB.dll
ProjectC references ComponentB.dll
then when I make changes to ProjectA and check them in, the build process would automatically also build ProjectB, and finally ProjectC, and report any errors.
So is there a way to accomplish this, or should this type of thing be handled somehow completely differently in the first place?
The process you are referring to is the crux of the practice known as Continuous Integration.
TFS does it very well: simply set your build definition Trigger to Continuous Integration and set the Workspace working folder to the parent folder of the three projects. This way, any change in one of the projects will trigger a build.
MSDN: Build and Deploy Continuously
You can use a visual studio solution and use project references between the projects. Then build the solution on your build server.
I have a single code based being used to build an application for multiple platforms.
Locally I have setup a main build-env.properties file, and a series of additional *.properties files that I use to switch settings for the different platforms I am publishing to.
Doing my build on the command line I simply use the command:
ant build -propertyfile dev-build.properties
How can I do this in Jenkins?
I currently use the "Invoke Ant" Build Step with the target set to build, but am at a loss for how to specify the secondary propertyfile?
Although not exactly the same, you can take the contents of those properties and put them into the Jenkins Invoke Ant build step, utilizing the properties advanced field.
The most basic way:
You will need to create a new task for each different set of sub properties you wish to utilize.
In your "Invoke Ant" build step, if you press Advanced..., this reveals a "Properties" field, you can copy the properties from one of your *.properties files into that field.
Repeat for each different properties file you wish to utilize.
Parametrized build plugin might help you. This is assuming the number of properties you are changing is one or two. So when you run a job, you get a drop-down to select you OS and go.
Though, as I have mentioned here , what goes against this plugin is that it makes the process manual
On this thread Hudson / Jenkins: share parameters between several jobs you can read the 2nd option in Anders's answer as an alternate approach.
A better approach for this is using a parameterised job with file parameter(refer to doc for creating the builds). Mentioning the file location as "propertyfile" would help. This would be better than reconfiguring the job again and again to run a build (To copy the properties file to the input location).
In the TFS 2010 build definition window, under “Process” there are two required items. They are “Configurations to build” and “Projects to build”. Under projects to build, it will allow me to enter something like:
$/TeamProject/Area1/Area2/*
However, this doesn’t seem to do what I expect. The build fails because it’s looking for:
$/TeamProject/Area1/Area2/Sources/*
What I am trying to achieve by this is to build all the solutions held under this area. For example, I have:
$/TeamProject/Area1/Area2/Solution1/Solution1.sln
$/TeamProject/Area1/Area2/Solution2/Solution2.sln
$/TeamProject/Area1/Area2/Solution3/Solution3.sln
There are many more solutions than this, which is why I’m looking for a way to build all solutions under the specified path recursively. Is there a way to do this in TFS 2010?
You can modify the process template. Expand it with the Matching files (I don't have the exact naming now) activity. Add a parameter that passes the information you set in the build defintion to the MachingFiles actvity. Then pass into the build solution activity instead of the argument that you enter in the build definition the files that is found by the MatchingFiles activity.
Now add a dummy solution in the build definition for the solution to build (it is not used anymore).
See the blog post series on the build customization for more information on customizing the build process template.
FWIW,
I've got: "configurations to build" blank
and under "projects to build" I've added my solutions via the ellipsis button
I would setup mappings for
$/TeamProject/Area1/Area2/Solution1/
$/TeamProject/Area1/Area2/Solution2/
$/TeamProject/Area1/Area2/Solution3/
Then in the build definitions enter the three projects to build
$/TeamProject/Area1/Area2/Solution1/Solution1.sln
$/TeamProject/Area1/Area2/Solution2/Solution2.sln
$/TeamProject/Area1/Area2/Solution3/Solution3.sln
You can leave the configurations to build as blank, or if you want to do a certain build you can set it to (for example) something like Debug|Mixed Platforms (check your Configuration Manager... for the solutions you are building to see what is valid)
Alternatively, you can just map the following (depending on how much you have in this folder, if you have Solutions 4+ that you don't want to trigger builds on, don't do it at this level)
$/TeamProject/Area1/Area2
And have one solution which contains the Solution1, Solution2 and Solution3, and build that instead.
By default building your Solution1 which is mapped to
$/TeamProject/Area1/Area2
On a build agent with a working directory that is going to looks something like:
$(SystemDrive)\Builds\$(BuildAgentId)\$(BuildDefinitionPath)
You'll end up with it being build under
C:\Builds\1\Solution1\Binaries
C:\Builds\1\Solution1\Sources
C:\Builds\1\Solution1\TestResults
Which is why you want to make sure that your OutDir's etc are all correct and not hard coded!
If you have a look while building, you'll see the build agent populating the Sources folder, and it should (if configured correctly) put all outputs into the Binaries folder (and then copy them to the Drop Folder configured under Build Defaults in TFS.
Does anybody know how can I configure TFS Build to build a set of projects in a solution instead?
The solution I have, has 16 projects but for one of my build definitions I want some of them to be compiled.
The easiest way in my opinion is to create a new solution file. There is nothing stopping you from having several solutions that reference the same projects (or some subset).
The other way is to create a new configuration. In Solution Explorer, rightclick the root node -> Configuration Manager. In addition to standard configs like "debug" or "release" you can create your own custom ones. For each combination of config + platform, you can use the checkboxes below to define which projects will be built and what settings they'll use.
Whatever you choose, you'd edit your TFSBuild.proj file to point to the desired solution and/or configuration. MSDN instructions: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb399127.aspx
Once you create your build it will make a TFSBuild.proj file in source control (you can right click on the build in Team Explorer and select Configuration Folder to find it.
Open this file and find the tag that has "SolutionToBuild". That tag has sub tags for specifying targets. I think if you enter the projects you want to build in there (semicolon delimited) then it will just build those.
If you have not made your build yet then (as John Saunders said) you can specify the projects in the setup of the build. (After you have set it up you cannot do that again.