TFS Build and WSPBuilder

This may be the "holy grail" for Sharepoint development as Brian Farnhill describes how to make TFS Build and WSPBuilder work well together. This makes full-service collaborative large team Sharepoint development possible. Read the following link and keep in mind my summary notes on the 7 steps.

http://pointstoshare.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!AEC42F315B4528B0!3290.entry


1. Install WSPBuilder on the TFS build server.

2. Add WSPBuilder to the paths environment variable. Add the WSPBuilder path (C:\Program Files\WSPTools\WSPBuilderExtensions) to the PATH system variable on both the development box and the TFS build box.

3. Set files included in the WSP file to copy to output directory. In the Solution Explorer window of Visual Studio you select and do the following on each 12-hive content file in the properties window: (a) set the item to be content, (b) copy if newer for each of these 12-hive items you set. Thus when TFS does a build in the directory that it puts the DLL's it will give you the other files for the 12 hive in the same directory at the same time on the TFS server, ready for the WSP builder call to run.

4. Add the post build activity to the appropriate projects. For each project in your solution producing a WSP you need to follow Brian's instructions for post-build action code. So if your solution builds 9 WSP's you need to do this 9 times. Usually there will be just one WSP per solution and just one post-build action code snippet written. I advise setting the $(OutDir) variable to always be the complete path to where the build is outputting to on the TFS Build server.

5. Create a new build in TFS. Simple creation of a new build but its VITAL to make sure you choose the debug option because WSPBuilder expects everything to be in the debug folder.

6. Add additional reference paths. Open the TFSBuild.proj file that is created for your TFS build and add one as Brian instructs to the appropriate section (the very last one by default, read the comments to be sure). Then you can set this folder up as a network share and drop referenced assemblies in there as required.

7. Add a pre-build action (if more than one WSP file in solution). With multiple WSP's you will find that if you don't follow Brian's instructions that the DLL's from the first projects that are build will make their way into the second and subsequent WSP files. With just one WSP you can skip this step.

Now you should find that your drop location will now contain all the DLL's, PDB and config files, as well as your WSP files. Mission accomplished.