IPABS 3 Configuration and Build Management

Richard Rush

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IPABS 3 Configuration and Build Management

Web.config Management

Installer extension

Build automation

Version Numbering

Future work

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Web.config Management

Implemented specifically to avoid the woes of multiple web.configs

Use VisualStudio’s built-in Build Configuration features, as well as pre-compile commands

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Web.config Management

Each target environment gets its own named Build Configuration.

For IPABS, these are:Debug

Test

UAT

Staging

Release

Each Build Configuration gets a Web.config file, named Web.config.[Build Configuration]

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Web.config Management

We’re using source control, however, which means Web.config might not always be editable, so first:

attrib -R "$(ProjectDir)Web.config"

Then, we use a pre-compile command to copy the appropriate Web.config.[Build Configuration] over Web.config

"$(ProjectDir)utils\CopyIfDifferent.bat" "$(ProjectDir)web.config.$(ConfigurationName)" "$(ProjectDir)web.config“

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CopyIfDifferent.bat

@echo offecho Comparing two files: %1 with %2

if not exist %1 goto File1NotFoundif not exist %2 goto File2NotFound

fc %1 %2 if %ERRORLEVEL%==0 GOTO NoCopy

echo Files are not the same. Copying %1 over %2copy %1 %2 /y & goto END

:NoCopyecho Files are the same. Did nothinggoto END

:File1NotFoundecho %1 not found.goto END

:File2NotFoundcopy %1 %2 /ygoto END

:ENDecho Done.

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Pre-build events

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Installer Extension

Automate tedious, repetitive tasks

Produce a more professional looking product

Enable non-developers to deploy the application

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Example: Web.config Encryption

Encrypt sections of Web.configAppSettings

ConnectionStrings

Previously done with a batch file

aspnet_regiis -pe "appSettings" -app "/IPABS3"aspnet_regiis -pe "connectionStrings" -app "/IPABS3"

Now done as part of the installation process

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Extending the Installer

1. Add the custom actions to the installer project

2. Add new dialogs to the installer user interface

3. Provide parameters you need to the custom actions

4. Define the custom Installer class

5. Override the action methods

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View → Custom Actions

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User Interface → Add Dialog

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View → User Interface

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Encrypt Web.Config Dialog

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Custom Action Parameters

Follow the format ‘/ParameterName=“ParameterValue”’

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Custom Action Parameters

The parameters to the custom Commit action are:

/targetvdir="[TARGETVDIR]" /EncryptAppSettingsCheckbox="[ENCRYPTAPPSETTINGSCHECKBOX]" /EncryptConnectionStringsCheckbox="[ENCRYPTCONNECTIONSTRINGSCHECKBOX]"

These values are being pulled from the Installer configuration and Installer UI controls.

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Custom Installer Actions

Define an Installer classInherit from System.Configuration.Install[RunInstaller(true)]

Implement the custom action behaviorpublic override void Commit(IDictionary savedState) { }

Call the base implementationbase.Commit(savedState);

Access Installer dataEncryptWebConfig(Context.Parameters["TargetVDir"]);

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Example: Custom Installer Actions

using System.Configuration.Install;

namespace PPC.Ipabs {

/// <summary> /// Custom IPABS Web Application Installer /// </summary> [RunInstaller(true)] public partial class IpabsInstaller : Installer {

/// <summary>/// Handles the Commit action for IPABS 3/// </summary>/// <param name="savedState">State Dictionary</param>public override void Commit(IDictionary savedState) {

base.Commit(savedState);

try { EncryptWebConfig(Context.Parameters["TargetVDir"]); } catch (Exception ex) { // Handle the exception! }

}

}

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Example: Encrypting Web.config

/// <summary>/// Encrypts the Web.config/// </summary>/// <param name="applicationName">Application to encrypt the Web.config for</param>private void EncryptWebConfig(string applicationName) { bool encryptConnectionStrings; Configuration configuration;

// Get the installer encryptConnectionStrings =

Convert.ToBoolean((int)Context.Parameters["EncryptConnectionStringsCheckbox"]); configuration = WebConfigurationManager.OpenWebConfiguration("/"+ applicationName);

// Protect the ConnectionStrings section if (encryptConnectionStrings && !

configuration.ConnectionStrings.SectionInformation.IsProtected) { configuration.ConnectionStrings.SectionInformation.ProtectSection(String.Empty); }

// Save the configuration try { configuration.Save(); } catch (Exception ex) { //TODO: Handle the exception! }

}

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Build Automation

Done to avoid tedious, repetitive tasks

Produce a build for each configuration simultaneously

Currently done with a batch file

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BuildAllConfigurations.bat

Called with the format:

BuildAllConfigurations InstallProjectName BuildConfigurationName[,BuildConfigurationName+]

So:

BuildAllConfigurations IPABS Debug,Test,UAT,Release

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BuildAllConfigurations.bat Pseudocode

1. Load the VisualStudio 2005 environment variables

2. Determine the timestamp

3. Clean the solution

4. Build each specified configuration

:PERFORM_BUILDIF (%1)==() GOTO DONE_BUILDINGECHO Building %1...RMDIR /S /Q %1DEVENV %ProjectName%.vdproj /build %1COPY /Y "%1\%ProjectName%.msi" "Builds\%date% %ProjectName%\%1 %date%

%ProjectName%.msi"ECHO Done building %1...SHIFT

GOTO PERFORM_BUILD:DONE_BUILDING

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BuildAllConfigurations.bat Results

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Version Numbering

Version numbers are attributes of an assembly

Can be accessed at runtime through reflection

Can be significant when referencing external libraries

Useful for tracking features (versioning? crazy talk!)

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Version Numbering

Microsoft’s Recommended format:[Major Version].[Minor Version].[Build Number (yyMMdd)].[Revision]

Software Solutions Development’s common library format:[Major Version].[Minor Version].[Build Number (yyMM)].[Revision]

Why the difference?Revision is handled as a short (int16) internally

(int)070101 > 65,535

With the yyMMdd format, anything from 2007 onward is too large

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Version Numbering

Are set in AssemblyInfo.cs (or AssemblyInfo.vb)Two attributes:

AssemblyVersionCan be automatically incremented

<Assembly: AssemblyVersion("1.0.0.*")>

Displayed in the Properties Screen of the .dll

AssemblyFileVersionCannot be automatically incremented

<Assembly: AssemblyFileVersion("1.0.0802.3")>Displayed in Windows Explorer

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Version Numbering

We want to use AssemblyFileVersionWe want it automated

Custom MSBuild task: AssemblyInfoTaskDeveloped by the MSBuild team

Source available from GotDotNet

Modified installer assembly with SSD’s version number format

VisualStudio build process does not provide the Build Configuration to its implementation of MSBuild

This will… complicate things

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Using PPC AssemblyInfoTask

1. Run “PPC AssemblyInfoTask.msi”Select “Install to User’s Application Data folder”

2. Update the project definition file (.csproj or .vbproj) Add a call to the AssemblyInfoTask build task

3. Check out AssemblyInfo.cs (or AssemblyInfo.vb)AssemblyInfoTask will be updating this file

4. Build the library using MSBuild, not VisualStudioSet up the MSBuild external tool

Build using this when building to Release

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PPC AssemblyInfoTask Installer

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Update .csproj or .vbproj

<Project>

<!-– Lots of stuff omitted here -->

<Import Project="$(MSBuildBinPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets" />

<!-- Or, as appropriate: <Import Project="$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.VisualBasic.targets" /> -->

<!-- Here’s where we make the call to the custom build action --> <Import Project="$(APPDATA)\Microsoft\MSBuild\AssemblyInfoTask\

Microsoft.VersionNumber.Targets" Condition=" '$(Configuration)' == 'Release' " />

</Project>

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External Tools Dialog

Command:Path to MSBuild.exe

Arguments:$(ProjectDir)$(ProjectFileName)/m /p:Configuration=Release

Initial Directory$(ProjectDir)

Use Output window

Prompt for arguments

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Future Work

Automate source control accessVisual SourceSafe

Team Foundation

Is this as bad an idea as I think it is?

MSBuild automation?Why use DEVENV in the build script when we could use MSBuild?

Custom MSBuild tasks won’t work with DEVENV

.Net Console Application?Why use a .bat file when we could use managed code?

Third Party ToolsWho likes reinventing the wheel?