CCNetConfig

CCNetConfig 0.0.1.20 is now up on codeplex available to download. This release now contains all supported ccnet configuration blocks. This should be the last Alpha release, starting September 1st, new releases will be Beta. This update has been available via updates for a few hours already but was just published on CodePlex.

This release has the following changes:

• Remaining Source Control Providers Added
• MultiTrigger Bug Fixed
• Drag & Drop ordering of Tasks/Triggers/Publishers
• All CCNet properties are now categoriezed by either "Required" or "Optional"
• Sorting of Triggers in the MultiTrigger Collection Editor Fixed
• Sorting of Source Controls in the MultiSourceControl Collection Editor Fixed
  

Keeping with the release early, release often method of things, I have published a new build available from the updater. I will probably put this build on CodePlex tomorrow, but for now it is only available via updates. This release has a couple bug fixes, like the Help button now works again, and I added the Telelogic Synergy Source Control Provider.

I think I have one more Source Control provider left to create, after that I have some final touches I want to add to the user interface. Like drag / drop ordering of tasks, triggers and publishers, Ordering of the triggers in the MultiTrigger Editor and the ordering of the Source Control providers in the multi-source control editor. After those are completed, ccnetconfig will reach Beta status.

Scott Hanselman has published his list of ultimate tools for 2006. He has added some new items to this list, like PowerShell, Query Express, Google Desktop Search and a lot more. Go check it out if you haven't seen this new list already.

Version 0.0.1.18 has been posted to codeplex. If you have version 0.0.1.13 or later, you might already have this version because of the update. I added some functionality to the updater to allow the update to delete files that are no longer needed/referenced or files that have a new location. This is also the case with this release. Most of the configuration files have been moved to the data directory. Don't be alarmed if you look and the files don't delete. The next time you update, they will delete. I added information about the contributors to the About window, as of now this is just me, but if anyone is interested in helping out, shoot me an email or post a comment here.

Since there were changes to the August CTP of Sandcastle, I thought I should update the Sandcastle Targets. I am also going to look into adding HxS support. I also would like to find a way to dynamicaly create the Sandcastle configuration file, because if you do not install Sandcastle in the default location, you have to make changes to the configuration file. But for now I have attached the updated version.

[edit]I added the file[/edit]
CamalotDesigns.SandCastle.Targets1.zip (3.91 KB)

I just published ccnetconfig version 0.0.1.13 up on codeplex, I haven't added any new source control providers in this release but I have added some other features. Starting with this release, there is an automatic update feature described more in detail here. I also took the advice of the comments from that same post and fixed that issue as well (thanks thomas). The automatic updates do not pull nightly builds, it updates the Information file and the update zip file only when I Force a build. Please let me know if you have any issues with the updater. For the people that are behind a firewall and require proxy authentication, support will come soon for proxy servers.

 

I have found the problem with the build numbers not being applied to the assemblies and have corrected the issue. It had to do with the project files not referencing the MSBuild Communitity Tasks. Since the assemblyInfo.cs files were not referenced in the project, i didn't notice that it wasnt creating them. One thing that is a little strange on the Visual Studio side, I set it to only compile the AssemblyInfo.cs file if the $(CCNetLabel) is present in the build info, but Visual Studio still shows the file as "Missing" in the Solution Explorer. So VS it ignoring my Condition. It builds fine in Visual Studio though because it doesn't include that file in the build process. A new release should be available by Monday (8/28/2006). I hope to have the updater working, while it might not be pretty, it should be working. Here is how the update will basically function:

• CCNetConfig Will Check for updates using the CCNetConfig.Updater.Core
• If updates are available, CCNetConfig will close and launch the updater.
  
• The Updater will notify you that updates are available and ask if you would like to download them now.
• If you wish to do so (updates may require you to update or the application will not open) the updates will download.
• The update information is stored in an xml document on this server that contains information on the files.
• It contains file size
• Location of the file(s) to download
• Version number, since all the components have the same version number.
• Update "publish" date.
  
• The updater generates a batch file that extracts the all of the updates. This allows the updater to be updated as well.
• The updater launches the batch file which uses an unzip.exe to extract the files and the updater closes.
• The batch file extracts all the files downloaded to the applications directory
• The batch file then relaunches CCNetConfig.

While working on the update feature, I noticed that the version number wasn't being set during the build. I think this has to do with the project not having an AssemblyInfo.cs file, so when compiled, even though I am generating the file it isn't referenced in the Build Script so it isnt included. I will have this fixed by the next build release. Also I hope to have the automatic updates available then as well.

This is unrelated to ccnetconfig, but I thought it needed to be communicated. Major Nelson has announced that Texas Hold 'em is free on Xbox Live Marketplace for the next 48 hours... Get it while it is FREE!

Scott Hanselman has a list of tools for developers and power users over on his blog. I know this list is a little old but it is still a great list. If you have never seen this list then you need to go over and check it out. This list covers every thing from the MUST HAVE productivity tools, RegEx, Websites/Bookmarks, Browser Addins, ASP.NET Controls, Continuous Integration (maybe this tool will make the next update of the list ;-)), Visual Studio Addins, and I could go on and on and on and ...

The Team Foundation Server Plugin for ccnet has moved from its SourceForge project (VSTSPlugins) to codeplex (TFS Plug-in for CCNet). codeplex should be a better home for this project since codeplex is TFS based. The project page has not been set up 100% as of me writing this, so if you want to download the plugin, you can still get it here.

I have about 2 more Source Control providers to complete. Once they are done, I will finsih the UI. I have menus to add, custom UITypeEditors for the EmailPublisher, have to add the ability to change the order of the items in the treeview. I don't know if I will get the reordering complete by the next release since I want to release it by September 1st. I also have to resolve the issue with the multiTriggers. It seems that if a multiTrigger is used, it resides outside of the triggers block. I really don't understand why this is needed since it supports multiple triggers already inside the triggers block.

I also have an automatic update system planned for the future so updates can be applied automatically. Starting with the betas, there will be 3 different release formats. The first is a zip file containing just the source code. There will be an installer, although I am not sure what I am going to use, probably NSIS. And the third release type will be a zip file that just contains the binaries and required files. I want to provide this method because you should be able to carry the application on your thumb drive it you want to.

Buck Hodges has an interesting post that points out some links to MSBuild tasks that he has collected. The links contain over 200 build tasks that can be used to deploy, test, modifiy your build. This is worth the look. I will be looking to see if there are any taks that simplify anything I am doing with the ccnetconfig builds.

Just a few things in this release. I added a couple more source control providers and some UITypeEditors for them too. Also fixed a bug with the WebUrlBuilder that wouldn't allow you to save unless you gave it a value. you can download the latest release from the CodePlex Release Page. I wanted to have a couple more Source Control providers completed before this release but I had some things this weekend happen that prevented that from happening. I should have some time this evening to get a few more done. If I do, expect to see another release this week. Once The source control providers are all completed, I have a couple things to do with the UI, then I think it will be time to release the first beta. I am shooting for a September 1st date on the Beta, we'll see if I can hit the dead line ;-)

I hope to have the "Latest Nightly Build" link working soon. I am testing it and a few other features on the development server. Another feature that I am testing right now and seems to be working rather well is Highlighted Syntax for the feed as well as the site. It took some changing of the dasBlog inner workings and required me to stay with FreeTextBox because FCKeditor has a known issue with whitespace in <pre></pre> tags. I have upgraded dasBlog to the latest version of FTB. I also modified the page used to insert code to use the render engine from ActiPro. Their engine is very fast, supports many different languages, and other language files can be created. For example, I have written a ColdFusion and CFScript language file for the ActiPro engine.

I realized that the browser control is not docked anymore since I removed the Krypton Header. I will fix this and put a new build up on codeplex soon. I have been working on the Source Control Providers, this site and work so time has been tight. Expect to see a new build on codeplex before the end of the weekend.

I set up a developement environment for this site now so i can actually test things before putting them on the live server. I have been making a lot of changes to dasBolg this evening but I haven't forgot about ccnetconfig. I just wanted to get a couple things done with this blog that I wasn't to fond of. Most of it had to do with creating a template. Other things include updating the Html Editor with FCKeditor. It's not that FreeTextBox is bad, I just like FCKeditor better.

I am also looking into either

1. Formatting the source code in the feeds
2. applying a <pre></pre> around the source code in the feeds so they don't look like a pile of words.
   

There is a new release of ccnetconfig on codeplex. This release has a couple bug fixes and some source control providers added.

One thing that I am trying to fugure out with the ccnet configuration file is the MultiTrigger. The documentation states that it sould be with in a <triggers></triggers> block. But ccnet server fails to load the config file if it is. If anyone know exactly where the MultiTrigger block is supposed to be located please comment to this post.

There should be a new release of ccnetconfig on codplex in the next day or so. I have added a couple more source control providers and will be checking in the code tomorrow. Also i am working on a template/design for the ccnetconfig site so you might see some changes in the way things look.

Looks like the Syntax highlighting only works on the site and not in the feed. I wonder how hard it would be to modify the way dasBlog renders the feed content... it wouldn't get all the jazz that is on the site because it uses linked style sheets and javascript but at least it wouldn't be a big pile of words.

From this point on we will have standard syntax highlighting throughout the site. I will probably go back and update the old posts as well. I created a dasBlog Macro that uses CodeHighlighter from Actipro Software. They also have a Great Windows Forms Syntax Editor. Below is a sample of the Highlighting:
[code language="C#"]namespace CCNetConfig.Core { ///

/// CruiseControl.NET needs to store state about a project. This is data such as the last build label, the time of the last build, /// and the outcome of the build, etc. The State Manager allows you to specify how and where this data is stored. ///

[Editor ( typeof ( StateUIEditor ), typeof ( UITypeEditor ) )] [TypeConverter ( typeof ( ExpandableObjectConverter ) )] public abstract class State : ISerialize, ICCNetObject { private string _type = "state"; private string _directory = null; ///

/// Initializes a new instance of the class. /// public State () { } ///

/// Gets the type. ///

/// The type. public string Type { get { return this._type; } } ///

/// Gets or sets the directory. ///

/// The directory. public string Directory { get { return _directory; } set { this._directory = value; } } ///

/// Returns a that represents the current . ///

/// /// A that represents the current . /// public override string ToString () { return GetType ().Name; } #region ISerialize Members ///

/// Serializes this instance. ///

/// public abstract System.Xml.XmlElement Serialize(); ///

/// Deserializes the specified element. ///

/// The element. public abstract void Deserialize( System.Xml.XmlElement element ); #endregion } }[/code]
please note that the header, borders and such are applied by my macro.

While the source code will remain on codeplex, ccnetconfig has a new home for everything else. This site will include info on the latest nightly builds, "How To's", documentation, and just about anything else I feel like posting about. I will move the posts from the old blog here soon, and I will update feedburner to point to this new site.

In my previous post I talk about how the MSBuild script loads the same project files that Visual Studio uses. This is accomplished by setting conditions to some of the PropertyGroups and setting up groups that don't have a condition to contain values that booth Visual Studio and CCNet Builds can use.

Since I am using CCNet to automate my builds, I know that one of the properties that CCNet will always send to MSBuild is $(CCNetLabel). So in property groups and Targets that only CCNet should use, I set a condition to check if that property is not empty. In the same regards, I also have property groups that check $(CCNetLabel) is empty. This allows me to set the $(OutputPath) that would be set by the CCNet MSBuild file. But since the MSBuild file isn't called by Visual Studio, I have to set it here.

[code language="xml"] ..\bin\$(Configuration)\ [/code]

Now if for my CCNet builds, I want to ensure every assembly generates an XML comments file. To do this I have a block similar to the following:

[code language="xml"] $(OutputPath)$(AssemblyName).xml [/code]

When CCNet build ccnetconfig, I want to make sure the version of the assemblies matches the actual build version. So to do this in the project files I have a Target like this:

[code language="xml"] [/code]

The Target above will only generate the AssemblyInfo.cs file if CCNet is building the project.

Now while these are not the exact values that are used for ccnetconfig, they are close. By adding these conditional statements in the project files, I can continue to add new source files, resources, etc. using Visual Studio, and not have to modify an MSBuild file with any of the newly added files.

tags: MSBuild, CCNet, CCNetConfig, CruiseControl.NET

There is a new release on codeplex for ccnetconfig, however, I just noticed that the Xml Comment files are not valid. This is because I actually noticed that MSBuild didn't add the release file to the zip so I had to download the files off the build server via http. Well IIS thinks that the Xml files are some type of script files and scripts are disabled on the directory. So you can get the Xml Comment files 2 ways:

1. Download the Source Code Zip file and build the solution, which will generate the Xml Comment files.
2. Wait until later today when I can get the files and put them in the Zip on codeplex.

I find it strange that the MSBuild.Community.Tasks Zip tasks added the files in my testing but failed on the real build. I have an ItemGroup that looks like the following:

[code language="xml"] [/code]

Then I have a task something like the following:

[code language="xml"] [/code]

 If anyone has any ideas as to why this works sometimes and not others, please leave me a comment here or on the CCNetConfig Discussion. This Target takes place after all the projects build, files are copied to the output path and documentation is generated. All the files are present in the directory, and a zip file is created, it just doesn't have any files in it. There is a similar target to zip up the source code and that is working just fine. The difference with the source is the Include is $(SourceDirectory)**\*. I tried using this for the Release Files ( with $OutputPath ) but since there aren't any sub-directories in the release path, It gives me an error saying there is an invalid character in the file path. I will work on fixing the Zip issue later tonight as well as hopefully adding a couple of the SourceControl Blocks.

After an aggravating evening of changing, testing, reading, changing and testing, I finally go MSBuild to Zip up the binaries and source files. I ended up using the CreateItem Task to get it to work. For some reason that I can't figure out since documentation is sparse, this works but using an ItemGroup doesn't.

Here is what I ended up using that works.

[code language="xml"]

[/code]

I was also able to use the csproj files instead of independent MSBuild files. I have 1 MSBuild file that defines some global values and performs some tasks.

[code language="xml"] CleanBuild;CoreBuild;ZipRelease;ReleaseCleanup $(CCNetArtifactDirectory)\$(Configuration)\$(CCNetLabel)\ $(OutputPath)CCNetConfig.C*.dll C:\Program Files\Sandcastle\ CCNetConfig.$(CCNetLabel) C:\Program Files\HTML Help Workshop\hhc.exe

[/code]

And there you have the entire build file that compiles ccnetconfig

Well, it doesn't look like I am going to get the source control blocks completed like I wanted. So they will have to wait just a little bit longer. I will be publishing a new release tomorrow though as I planned. This release doesn't have any noticeable features but there were some minor bugs fixed and the documentation to the code was completed. Also compiled help will now be included with every new release thanks to this. By using this Targets file I can automate the Sandcastle process. I know there are others out there offering Visual Studio Add-Ins, GUI "Helper" Tools, and even an MSBuild Targets file. I am not saying that any of them are bad tools, nor am I saying you shouldn't use one over another. What I am saying is that I could not get Sandcastle to compile anything other then the test example with any of the other tools. And with the Targets file I put together I am able to compile help documents with multiple projects besides the test example.

I wrote a sandcastle target file based off of the batch file that is generated by this. That batch file is the first one that I was able to get anything besides the test project to compile. If you use the Targets, you just have to supply a couple values and your Build will be generating documentation before you know it.

Here are the settings i am using to build the documentation for ccnetconfig

[code language="xml"] $(OutputPath)CCNetConfig.C*.dll C:\Program Files\Sandcastle\ CCNetConfig.$(CCNetLabel) C:\Program Files\HTML Help Workshop\hhc.exe [/code] Just extract the attached zip file to your MSBuild directory (C:\Program Files\MSBuild) and add the Properties and Items above to your build file. The Default Target for the is 'BuildDocumentation'
CamalotDesigns.SandCastle.Targets.zip (3.94 KB)

Well, I was up until about 2:30 AM and got a lot done with the deserialization. I continued the work this morning and I just got done checking in the code to codeplex that will load the entire configuration file (minus the SourceControl Blocks that are not yet supported). At least I think I deserialize everything, I still have some testing to do and I want to finish adding the SourceControl blocks before I put up another release. I have tested a configuration file saved with ccnetconfig and loaded it in CCNet. CCNet only gave a warning about the custom attributes that were added and the projects built successfully. So I am off to continue adding the SourceControl blocks so i can meet my goal of having anther release by Monday morning.

I have been hard at work getting ccnetconfig to load an existing ccnet Configuration file. So far it is loading the projects, most of the project properties like webUrl, and Triggers. I hope to have it loading the configuration file 100% by the end of the weekend. Then I can finish the SourceControl Blocks. After that it is off to tweak the UI. I still have to come up with an icon to use for the application. I don't think i want to use anything like the ccnet Tray icon but I don't know. The next build that will be released on codeplex will have more SourceControl block support and the ability to load ccnet Configuration files. I also submitted 2 feature requests on codeplex today. One was for API to automate the Release creation so tools like MSBuild or NAnt can submit the release to codeplex after the build is successful. I'll keep you posted on any updates to that feature request. I also submitted a simular request to have API to submit Issues/Tasks/Features to codeplex . This could allow applications to automatically submit errors to the issue tracker ( if the user allows it ). I really hope they actually get around to adding these features, I think that many developers could make use of them.

The first public release is available on codeplex here. This is an Alpha release and has a lot of missing functionality but I said I wanted to get a release out on codeplex and I did.

Just a little note, CCNet actually built this, and I used CCNetConfig to create the ccnet.config file. One thing that I have noticed about CCNet is the ccnet.config file does not follow any rules on how to properly case an attribute value or an element name. For example, with the labellers, some are type="dateLabeller" while others are type="defaultlabeller".

Here is another screen shot showing the VSTeamFoundationServerSourceControl Block object and a list of the publishers that are available.

The source for ccnetconfig is now on codeplex. I am in the process of setting up the VSTS SourceControl Configuration block on my ccnet server so I can start getting some nightly builds going. I'll post more when i have that set up.

Here are a couple screenshots of the GUI. You can also see a couple of the custom UITypeEditors used to change property values.

The ccnetconfig Project is now hosted on codeplex.