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.NET Forum / Visual Studio.NET / General / October 2004Complex build for C# projects with custom tools
I've got a slightly complex build process for the project I'm working on. I'm using ANTLR to generate parsers and lexers, and using custom-built tools to generate various data files which are needed for starting up a debug instance. I'm looking for something in VS 2003 similar to a makefile's capability to specify files, how to build them and what they depend on. For example: ---8<--- ScriptLexer.cs : confscript.g antlr confscript.g --->8--- I've tried associating a batch file with the project, but there's a problem: VS.NET doesn't detect that source code files have changed as a result of tool execution and seems to use buffered in-memory versions of old source, and so I need to build 2, 3 or more times before I have a debug executable which correctly reflects the current state. As I'm sure you can imagine, a number of times I've tried to debug a problem that I'd already fixed - but the debug .exe was out of date. At this stage, I've started using GNU make from the command-line to build my project. What can I do to make VS.NET understand my dependencies? -- Barry Kelly Have you not tried NAnt? > I've got a slightly complex build process for the project I'm working on. > I'm using ANTLR to generate parsers and lexers, and using custom-built tools [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > -- Barry Kelly > > I've got a slightly complex build process for the project I'm working > > on. > > [...] > > What can I do to make VS.NET understand my dependencies? > > Have you not tried NAnt? I don't perceive NAnt as being part of Visual Studio. That is, I don't expect I could depend on it being installed when the project is checked out of source control on a new machine. I'm not sure it gives me any benefits above make; I already know how to use make. How do I benefit by learning how to use another third-party tool, when what I want should be included in the IDE? -- Barry > I don't perceive NAnt as being part of Visual Studio. That is, I don't > expect I could depend on it being installed when the project is checked out > of source control on a new machine. Interestingly enough most NAnt users (and its Java parent Ant) prefer to use because of its independence from the IDE. Hence why most open source projects use it (I see that the ANTLR C# runtime is built using NAnt). NAnt has becoming ubiquitous enough that MS have decided to clone it for its next version of VS as MSBuild. > I'm not sure it gives me any benefits above make; I already know how to use > make. Well it ships with an extensive set of predefined tasks beyond what makefiles offer and provides a framework to develop your own tasks. Many people also use it because it will execute tasks beyond just the build process e.g.. deployment, integration. Will it provide the answer to your particular problem? I have no idea. I only suggested it so that you would have somewhere to look to try and solve your problem. > How do I benefit by learning how to use another third-party tool, when > what I want should be included in the IDE? There are many things I'd like to see in my expensive IDE as well. Eclipse, a free IDE, will have been offering refactoring in the IDE for over two years before VS 2005 ships. Frustrating but a reality. In any event I'm not trying to suggest that NAnt is the greatest and best thing out there just that if you can't get things to work you might want to take a look at it. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barry Kelly" <barry.j.kelly.at.gmail.com> Newsgroups: microsoft.public.vstudio.general Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 9:24 AM Subject: Re: Complex build for C# projects with custom tools > I've tried associating a batch file with the project, but there's a > problem: VS.NET doesn't detect that source code files have changed as a [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > At this stage, I've started using GNU make from the command-line to build > my project. What can I do to make VS.NET understand my dependencies? Have you checked in the VS options and ensured that the Environment->Documents option "Detect when file is changed outside the environment" is checked? I use compilation steps like that fairly often and don't really have issues. Aside: If that's your real name, ... > > I've tried associating a batch file with the project, but there's a > > problem: VS.NET doesn't detect that source code files have changed as a [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Environment->Documents option "Detect when file is changed outside the > environment" is checked? I do, both the higher level "Detect changes" and the sub-tick "Automatically load if not changed". -- Barry Kelly > Aside: If that's your real name, ... It is, without the [C# MVP] part of course, ;). What brings that up? >> > I've tried associating a batch file with the project, but there's a >> > problem: VS.NET doesn't detect that source code files have changed as a [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > I do, both the higher level "Detect changes" and the sub-tick > "Automatically load if not changed". Hmm, that is odd. I was compiling a compiler using a pre-build step before and that was working ok, and I have one project inwhich I build my files externally. How did you associate the bat file? >> Aside: If that's your real name, ... > > It is, without the [C# MVP] part of course, ;). > > What brings that up? Well, here in Ireland, it would be a little too grand to be believed. You'd have been bullied at school for having pompous, hubristic, over-proud parents :) >>> > I've tried associating a batch file with the project, but there's a >>> > problem: VS.NET doesn't detect that source code files have changed as [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > How did you associate the bat file? Project | Properties | Build Events | Pre-build event command line: $(ProjectDir)build-grammar.cmd Contents of build-grammar.cmd: ---8<--- @echo off rem First, go to the project directory. cd ../.. rem Next, build the grammar. antlr pipe-expr.g antlr type-checker.g --->8--- On second glance, "../.." looks Unix, but it works perfectly fine. -- Barry Kelly > ---8<--- > @echo off [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > antlr type-checker.g > --->8--- Even when I insert commands to delete the generated files (in case ANTLR does something odd which makes the files look unchanged) before running ANTLR, it still takes two cycles. -- Barry Kelly > I've got a slightly complex build process for the project I'm working on. > [...] > VS.NET doesn't detect that source code files have changed as a result of > tool execution and seems to use buffered in-memory versions of old source, > and so I need to build 2, 3 or more times before I have a debug executable > which correctly reflects the current state. It's extremely reproducible right now. Just as I'm typing in this post, any syntax error requires two builds to show up, and any fix requires two builds to get the error to go away again. -- Barry Kelly Free MagazinesGet these publications absolutely FREE for up to 12 months. There are no hidden fees and no obligation. Simply choose a title, complete the application form and submit it. Read more ...
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