We are using TFS Build 2010 for Builds. We have two branches of source code (Lets say branchA and branchB).
Now as a part of the build definition we set the projects to build:
Now to employ the same build definition from branchB will mean that I create another build definition file with same content, with only the items to build set to "$/branchB"
Is there anyway to make this configurable, without having to edit the build definition?
Also there are other input variables that we set for the build definition, and the values for these variables are included in the build definition XAML file. So to change the value of a variable will mean that we have to edit the build definition XAML file. This is not desirable.
I would like to be able to set the "Items to Build" and the variables of the build definition without having to modify the build definition XAML file.
Are there any solutions to these problems?
You can modify the Build Process Template so it only asks you for the Items to Build. The rest of the arguments are prefilled. To get an idea how this works, see http://www.ewaldhofman.nl/?tag=/build+2010+customization
You can add parameters to your build definition. I did this a while back because we had two web projects in a solution that had to be deployed to different servers (via Windows shares). I added parameters to the build def so that in the build properties I could customize them depending on if it was a dev deployment, staging, etc.
I added a blog post on how to do it. You can use the parameters this way so that they aren't kept in the XAML file.
Deploying Web Apps with a customized Build Process in TFS
Related
We use a nice $(date:yyyy.MM.dd)$(rev:.r) build number format in our day-to-day agile sprints. However, the release must be numbered with a simpler 1.0.0.rev schema.
Ideally, I would like to give the build number as a variable, which would be automatically expanded in the "queue build" dialog, where it would be possible to be overriden. How can it be done?
I tried moving the $(date:yyyy.MM.dd)$(rev:.r) format to a variable, and use that variable in the general tab, and got error 400.
You could directly use Environment variables such as Build.BuildNumber /BUILD_BUILDNUMBER
Using this just equals to the name of the completed build. You can specify the build number format that generates this value on the General tab.
If you just want to generate custom build numbers like 1.0.0.rev schema in TFS Build vNext. You can take a look at below blogs:
Generate custom build numbers in TFS Build vNext
Managing vNext build Version Numbers
This is very simple.
1) Just create a Powershell script like this
$FinalVersion=Some-Function-To-Calculate-Version
$BuildDefName = $Env:BUILD_DEFINITIONNAME
Write-Host "##vso[build.updatebuildnumber]$($BuildDefName)-$($FinalVersion)"
2) In your vNext build definition, for "Build number format" just set it to anything. It doesn't matter because the Build Number will be overwritten.
3) In the same vNext build definition steps, add the first step as a Powershell step, and set your script from step 1 to be executed. You can later customize if you want to pass variables in order to calculate your build number.
4) Queue your build and see the results.
Our TFS 2013 admins have given us one build definition to build our solution and run all unit tests and they are not willing to create any more build definitions. We are following feature branch strategy and would like to use this build definition for our gated builds. I am trying to find how to use this one build definition with multiple branches.
I know, I can add all branches to Source settings and build them whenever a check-in is made. But I want to find out, if there is any way to add branches to Source settings, but only compile the solution that has been checked in. For example if we add 5 solutions to the Source settings, we want to compile only the solution that has changed rather than all 5 solutions.
You will need to setup an incremental build that only builds the solutions that have changed.
Ideally you will want to setup a build for every branch. You would still use the one build template given to you, but you would define the work-spaces and behavior differently for each branch depending on your needs. However if you do not have that option you can still implement what you are trying to do.
For example if you only want to build the solution that has changed you will set up your build to be an incremental build like the following:
In the "Process" tab update the "Items to build" section to any *.sln or *.*proj
In the "Workspace" section, select only the source control paths of each branch if setting up a build for every branch or select the entire source if that is how you have to do it ($/).
Change the build to an incremental build by changing the Build Process Parameters on the "Process" tab - CleanWorkspace=None
Tag one of the build agents, so that it is the only one used for these incremental builds. Set the build to only use this tagged agent. It is important that the same build agent or set of agents is used for the builds if incremental builds are to work.
Is it possible to modify a web.config file in one of my projects during a Team Foundation Server build? Inside of my web.config file I have two setting keys: VersionNumber and BuildNumber.
Is it possible to change the value of BuildNumber based on the ID of the build in TFS?
Since you're using TFS 2013 you have an easier option than the old way of modifying the workflow - Use PowerShell.
If you're using the build template TfvcTemplate.12.xaml (which is the new default in TFS 2013), then you have some extra build definition parameters you can set to specify Powershell scripts to run. This way you just write a little bit of powershell code that gets the TFS Build Number (from an environment variable), then finds your web.config file(s) and changes them.
There is a sample script published in the TFS Community Build Extensions project that will do something very similar that you could modify. It finds all AssemblyInfo.cs files, then uses RegEx to modify them to update the build number based on the TFS Build number.
See the sample PS script here: https://tfsbuildextensions.codeplex.com/SourceControl/latest#Scripts/ApplyVersionToAssemblies.ps1
See some docs on how to modify the build to run PowerShell here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn376353.aspx
The answer is yes, though it's non-trivial. I've done this in the past using two methods.
Method 1: Use CodeActivities and alter the TFS Build workflow XAML file to include the new CodeActivity as a workflow step.
Here's an article on creating custom workflows with custom code activities (it's a little dated but still relevant):
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/jimlamb/archive/2010/02/12/how-to-create-a-custom-workflow-activity-for-tfs-build-2010.aspx
Basically, you create a new object that inherits from CodeActivity, create properties for your inputs (BuildNumber,VersionNumber, TargetFile), perform your actions on the TargetFile and save it. Then you wire up this new DLL with your activity to the TFS Workflow XAML, injecting your activity in the desired build step (post-build & pre-package in your case I bet to ensure xml transforms are applied).
Method 2:
Tag the desired properties onto the MSBuild invocation inside the TFS XAML file so they are passed in to MSBuild and available for your to use as $(BuildNumber) and $(VersionNumber). Then you can use MSBuild tasks to inject the properties into the file at the right time.
We have a large code base with various labels which need autobuilding.
We are using TFS 2012 Express and VS 2010
Our code is build by a batch file so I have created a dummy solution which the autobuild builds, the build instructions for this solution just run the batch file.
I had the idea of using different configurations in this solution to build different labels.
So, as well as debug and release configurations I added one called LABEL which calls a different batch file and added a new automatic build in TFS which calls this solution with the 'label' configuration in the box Required - Configurations to build.
However, when I try to run it it fails claiming that the 'label' configuration does not exist.
Does anyone know how to do this?
Extra:
It seems to work if I use the Release configuration to call one batch file and the Debug one to call another but it still cannot find user created configurations?
If presume "Autobuild" means "build via TFS build definition".
If by "label" you mean a source control label, then when queuing a build, you can set its "Get Version" parameter to a label - for example, for the label MyLabel use LMyLabel.
If by "label" you mean some definition internal to the batch-file build, then you can pass it via an MSBuild property: Define it in the build definition by adding "/p:label=mylabel" to "MSBuild parameters". Then, where the solution calls your batch, you can use $(label) to get the value from the build definition.
Also, instead of this hacky .sln, you could modify the build template to call your batch file directly, and have a parameter which you set in the build definition, and the template passes it to the batch file.
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.