Our application uses a combination of ASP.NET and Flex platforms.
I am able to successfully use the build service to build and deploy the .NET web site. That works fine. However, we also have our ActionScript files in TFS and I've created a batch file to successfully compile the ActionScript from the command-line.
I want to create two separate build definitions for the ASP.NET and Flex compilation. Flex obviously doesn't have an SLN file--can I create a build definition file from scratch to support the Flex compile batch file without a solution file? The tasks are fairly simple to create (see below), but I've never built a customized Team Build script without using the Create wizard--and the Create wizard expects you to supply a solution file, which I don't have.
My build script would be very straight-forward:
Get the latest version of the ActionScript files
Run the ActionScript compile batch file
Copy the ActionScript files to the deploy folder
Absolutely. TFSBuild.proj is an MSBuild file that calls your solution build in TFS. You can modify that to build whatever you want using MSBuild, which is the language which .vbproj and .csproj files are written in. There's a wealth of tasks that MSBuild allows you to use...
No you don't need a solution file in getting a build done using TFSBuild. A very simple project file could look like this (courtesy Aaron Hallberg):
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" ToolsVersion="3.5">
<Target Name="EndToEndIteration">
<Exec Command="SomeScript.cmd" />
</Target>
</Project>
Please investigate this page from Aarons blog. The default targets in a tfsbuild.proj file is actually defined in a "common" targets file and imported into the projfile by this instruction:
<Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\v8.0\TeamBuild\Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Build.targets" />
If the import is removed you only need the EndToEndIteration target to get tfsbuild running....
All the best
/Niels
Related
I am trying to build .net multiple Solutions files in Jenkins using MSBuild plugin. I have installed and configured MSBuild. In the Build step - 'Build a Visual Studio project or Solution using MSBuild', under 'MSBuild Build FIle' how do we reference the build file(ex, test.txt) which have 5 solution file paths in it. When i give the path directly C:\test.txt, the build is failing with error
C:\test.txt(1,1): error MSB4025: The project file could not be loaded. Data at the root level is invalid. Line 1, position 1.
0 Warning(s)
1 Error(s)
Time Elapsed 00:00:02.22
Build step 'Build a Visual Studio project or solution using MSBuild' marked build as failure
Finished: FAILURE
Below are the solution file paths mentioned in my test.txt file
C:\workspace\DotNet\Constants.sln
C:\workspace\DotNet\Security.sln
C:\workspace\DotNet\Library.sln
C:\workspace\DotNet\Mapping.sln
C:\workspace\DotNet\MapForce.sln
Could I build by mentioning five solution file paths in .txt file and referring the .txt file path by just using one 'Build a Visual Studio project or solution using MSBuild section'?
I have tried with command prompt manually it builds fine. Also, tried with 'Execute Windows batch command' option by batch commands it works fine and builds successfully, facing problem with 'Build a Visual Studio project or solution using MSBuild' when spefiying .txt file which has many solution file paths in it.
Appreciate your help on this.
MSBuild builds MSBuild files, written in xml, not text files (hence the error MSB4025). Luckily creating a file which can be used to build x other files is fairly simple, here is an example:
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" DefaultTargets="Build">
<ItemGroup>
<Sln Include="C:\workspace\DotNet\Constants.sln"/>
<Sln Include="C:\workspace\DotNet\Security.sln"/>
<Sln Include="C:\workspace\DotNet\Library.sln"/>
<Sln Include="C:\workspace\DotNet\Mapping.sln"/>
<Sln Include="C:\workspace\DotNet\MapForce.sln"/>
</ItemGroup>
<Target Name="Build">
<MsBuild Projects="#(Sln)" Targets="Build" Properties="Configuration=Release;Platform=Win32" BuildInParallel="True" />
</Target>
</Project>
This is just written in a straightforward way, shorter but possibly more complicated code might apply. E.g. to just build all solutions in the C:\workspace\DotNet directory you'd just write <Sln Include="C:\workspace\DotNet\*.sln"/> instead of manually spelling out each of them. Or if all of them reside in that directory you could include them by filename only, e.g. <Sln Include="Constants.sln"/> and then add the directory when expanding the list like Projects="#(Sln->'c:\workspace\dotnet\%(Identity)')".
As you can see this builds the Win32|Release version, change that by altering the properties. Also not the BuildInParallel switch: only use this if the solutions don't depend on each other.
We store various design documents within TFS in multimarkdown format. We also have an EXE process that can run to take those MMD files and generate PDF's from them - but just by getting the files from a local folder.
What we'd like to do is to have a process run "on-checkin", just as if you'd run an automatic build on checkin (i.e., ultimately calling msbuild to compile an application) but in our case we'd like it to be able to get a list of the checked in files and to process and generate an output of them. The result doesn't need to be in TFS because they're a build output, not the source.
I'm sure this should be somehow possible by taking the same approach as must be taken by the workflow for a "normal" build.
Has anybody done anything like this or can point me in a suitable direction please ?
You could use the exec task in MSBuild to invoke the exe and "build" your output. Create a file called something like buildDocs.proj and check it in to TFS possibly in a folder under the things you want to build. Use the MSbuild below as a guide.
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<Target Name="Build">
<Exec Command='"My.exe" -My Paramiters' />
<ItemGroup>
<CopyItems Include="[path to output]\*.*" />
</ItemGroup>
<Copy SourceFiles="#(CopyItems)" DestinationFolder="$(OutDir)\SomeDir" />
</Target>
</Project>
The trick will be in identifying the various paths involved.
Use the default template to build the proj, just as you would a c# project. If you need to pass in additional Parameters to MSBuild you can do this from within the advanced section of the build definition process tab.
I am currently rewriting/cleaning up our TFS Builds, and I have noticed that we have a lot of duplication. I was wanting to create a "Common.targets" file which all our tfs builds (about 30) would then import.
I have tried a few things along these lines of:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" ToolsVersion="3.5">
<Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\TeamBuild\Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Build.targets" />
<Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\Microsoft.Sdc.Common.Tasks"/>
<Import Project="$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\MSBuildCommunityTasks\MSBuild.Community.Tasks.Targets"/>
<Import Project="$(BuildDefinition).proj"/>
<PropertyGroup>
<ProjectName>Felix.LincsPublishingHandlers</ProjectName>
</PropertyGroup>
<Import Project="$(BuildDirectory)/src/BuildScripts/Common/CommonTargets.targets"/>
</Project>
Where:
$(BuildDefinition).proj -> contains project/environment specific properties (eg db connection strings, IP addresses)
CommonTargets.targets -> used across all the various projects. Defined in the Build Definition > Source Settings
However when I try to run on the TFS Build agent (version 2010 if anyone needs to know), it tries to run the statements before it has copied down the source files. So I get an error saying that the CommonTargets.targets file doesn't exist.
I've had a look around the web, and the solutions I have come across so far have suggestions that I would prefer not to use:
Copy the Common.targets file under into the same folder that has the TFSBuild.proj file
I have 20+ builds in different folders
I would like them all to use a single common.targets file (not 20 copies of the same file)
Copy the Common.targets file to a location on the build server(s) that the TFS Build Agents can access
I want to have it in source control with the rest of the build scripts and code.
As we are doing a sort of migration project, the Common.targets will change a bit over time, so best to have in source control
Has come across any similar issue of trying to import a Common.targets file that is kept in TFS source control?
Thanks for any help
First, you should consider upgrading TFS as mainstream support for TFS 2010 ends in a few months.
http://nakedalm.com/its-that-time-again-get-ready-to-upgrade-to-tfs-2015/
Second, you should consider updating your build system to use a modern method. Use the TFS 2013 template and PowerShell.
I have a series of projects that need to be compiled and published, deployed to separate directories with separate MSBuild arguments. As it stands, I have separate builds for each. For example, project 1:
MSBuild Arguments: /target:myTarget /property:PublishDir=\\1.1.1.1\PublishDir1
and project 2:
MSBuild Arguments: /target:myTarget /property:PublishDir=\\1.1.1.2\PublishDir2
However I'd like to merge them into a single build. The problem I have is that although TFS will allow me to specify multiple projects in the build, the MSBuild arguments apply to all projects. Is there a quick way I can force a distinct set of build arguments per project, or do I need to create a new build template to do this?
I am afraid, you need new build template to pass additional arguments to the template.
But if you are trying to Publish the build output to different directory based on different Project, you can achieve it by setting up same publish profile for each project. Add publish profile for each Project with same name. you can use File system Publish Method to Publish the output to different directories for each project. Just call the Publish profile in the MsBuild Argument.
/p:DeployOnBuild=true;PublishProfile=Dev
I suggest, that you create an MSBuild .proj file to execute the builds, i.e.:
<Project ToolsVersion="4.0" DefaultTargets="Rebuild" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<Target Name="Rebuild" >
<!--Execute proj1-->
<MSBuild Projects="Proj1.csproj" Properties="Configuration=Debug;PublishDir=\\1.1.1.2\PublishDir1;></MSBuild>
<!--Execute proj2-->
<MSBuild Projects="Proj2.csproj" Properties="Configuration=Debug;PublishDir=\\1.1.1.2\PublishDir2;></MSBuild>
</Target>
</Project>
Just point your tfs to this custom .proj file.
I use TFS 2010, VS 2010.
I wrote a custom msbuild proj file which I use locally to build my solution. I use MSBUILD.exe TFSBuild.proj and it does everything in my local machine. (I have a taregt called 'DoMyBuild' which kicks off the build and does everything.)
I have used this in the DefaultTargets attribute as below:
<Project DefaultTargets="DoMyBuild" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003" ToolsVersion="3.5">
I am trying hard to configure this to use my build server with a build definition. In the build definition, under Process - I configured 'Upgrade Template' and in the build process paramters, have given the path to this TFSBuild.Proj file.
Ideally. TFS should start 'DoMyBuild' target as I read. But it gives a error looking for 'EndToEndIteration' not defined. So, I believe it is still doing a DesktopBuild which I dont want. I want to use my custom target to kick start. Is this possible ?
Any help is very much appreciated.
Thanks, Mani
You problem is discussed here.
Make sure you have at least an EndToEndIteration target defined in your MSBuild project.
<Target Name="EndToEndIteration"
Condition=" '$(IsDesktopBuild)'!='true' "
DependsOnTargets="$(EndToEndIterationDependsOn)" />