I have an sdf file in my solution and I want it to be copied to an arbitrary place on the mobile device when I deploy. In the build events for the project, the only macro seems to point to the build output in the solution files on my computer, not to the end directory on the mobile device (Output file folder under Deployment options). When I set the property on the sdf file Copy to Output Directory - thats talking about the bin/Debug output directory on my computer where the solution files are - so, the question is, how can I deploy basically arbitrary files to arbitrary places on the mobile device?
This doesnt work as a post build event:
copy $(OutDir)*.sdf %CSIDL_PROGRAM_FILES%\My_app
For C++ programs, go to the project properties: Configuration Properties->Deployment->Additional Files and enter the files you want to deploy.
In C#, add the file to your project and open its properties. Under Copy to Output Directory select either Copy if newer or Copy always depending on your taste.
Related
Normally when I am writing a desktop application (in Visual Studio) and need to include a certain file in the build directory I just use the 'Copy Always' option in the file properties. However, I am finding that if I use this option in a Windows Store App, the file will appear in the build directory, but is nowhere to be found when the application is deployed. I have tried marking the Build Action for the file as 'content' and a few others, but no luck.
How do I get my files to show up in the deployment directory?
I would like to create a Build Definition inside TFS 2012 Express which will simply copy all files within my project source tree to another folder on my drive. Just to underline - I do not want the build output to go to another directory - I want the source files themselves to. The reason for this is I have IIS pointed at a specific folder, and I want the build to copy the latest asp and aspx files to the IIS hosted folder.
I am not sure of the intricacies of doing this, I did find : http://toadcode.blogspot.co.uk/2008/06/copy-multiple-files-via-tfs-build.html articles like this but I simply need a more direct list of what I need to do from somebody who understands this area.
Basically - when the build is queued, all I want is to copy my project source files to another directory :). I think this can be done by editing some Build.xml file...but when making a build definition I dont seem to be given the freedom to do what I would like to!
I think what I am looking for to alter my DefaultTemplate.11.1.xaml file to alter the build process which will let me run this / or a batch file after the build process completes?
My TFS build process edit screen looks like this:
Using this post as a guide on how to start editing TFS Build Templates (or the Wrox TFS 2012 book), you need to make the following changes:
Locate the Copy to Drop Folder Activity:
Drag in a "CopyDirectory" activity under the "Drop Files to Drop Location" (from the Toolbox under Team Foundation Build Activities):
Goto the Properties Window for the new Activity and set Source and Destination as follows:
Destination: Path.Combine(BuildDetail.DropLocation, "MyOutputFolder")
Source: Path.Combine(SourcesDirectory, "MyFileFolder")
You may need to repeat this if you don't have all your files in one folder.
I actually put something together for TFS2010 and 2013 (not 2012, unfortunately) a few weeks ago that does exactly that. Basically, anything in the workspace you define for your build just gets shoved over to the drop location.
Here's a link to the blog post where you can download them:
http://www.incyclesoftware.com/2014/06/deploying-uncompiled-resources-release-management/
For the record, I strongly recommend against using a build process template to deploy software. Don't try to overextend the build... its job is taking stuff from source control and compiling/packaging it for deployment. Use a real release management solution to actually handle deploying software.
Add a bat file to your source folder. within the batch file add an xcopy %1*.* TargetLocation.
Add an invoke process activity to your workflow, somewhere near the end. call the bat file and pass it the SourcesDirectory.
I'm using MSBuild to create a deployment package as part of my build process. I am calling MSBuild with /t:package as part of the command.
This is working great except for two things.
I am using web fonts and it seems that these are not being included as part of the package (they are included in the project). How do I include these fonts?
The folder structure within the zip file is ludicrous - it includes the full path from the drive letter down. I anticipate this could cause problems with the length of path names at some point. Does anyone know how to prevent this? (I know it's a duplicate of this: Visual Studio Deployment Package - change the file structure the .zip creates?)
The reason your fonts (or any other non-standard file) are not being deployed is the "build action" is set to "none". To fix this, select the file in solution explorer and modify the build action to "content". Package your project and it will be included.
I never understood the folder structure either. By using msdeploy to publish the site it uses that folder structure to deploy multiple sites at once. It's annoying when looking at the package itself but it does "work". Also... the max file length is something like 32k characters. See: Maximum filename length in NTFS (Windows XP and Windows Vista)?
There is a way to change the internal path used within the zip:
/p:_PackageTempDir="C:\websites\myNewSite"
The switch can be used on the command line with msbuild to change the path it creates inside the zip. It is also possible to change this within VS but can't remember how off the top of my head.
We have different dev environments between developers here. When I build, I want my compiled files to be copied to a bin folder located in C:\Web\bin\. Another developer may want those files dropped in C:\Web_2011\bin\.
Using Visual Studio 2010, the way we work this now is to run a BAT file with the directories defined as parameters that need to be changed if pulling from another developer's branch.
Is it possible to store a solution-wide parameter, (in a .user or .suo file maybe,) to define where a developer wants to drop his builds?
You could do it through the project file (.vcxproj for C++ project for example).
The simplest solution would be to add a Custom Build Step that runs some batch file. This batch file could check the current user name and copy the files based on that.
(An even simpler solution would be to run a user specific batch file from his local disk)
If you really want the fully fledged solution that will allow you to save this data to the user file, you can do it by editing the project file and adding a PropertyPageSchema element that extends VS property pages with another parameter (your destination directory). You can define the Persistence attribute of DataSource element as "UserFile" and the data will be saved on your .user file. You will need to add some target that actually uses this data (copies files to the directory specified).
For more information, read about msbuild and PropertyPageSchema.
If I use the publish feature in VS2008 (I think it's called ClickOnce install), and then install the published application in another computer, where are the files copied?
In other words: If I need an auxiliary file (a .txt file) in the same path of the assembly, where do I have to create it?
Thank you.
You should have specified the location when you published the application. Just note down that folder.
If you run the wizard again for the same project it should have remembered the location and the folder will be pre-filled on the form.
I've used this and I specified a location on my hard drive for the Publishing Folder Location. This folder contains the following files:
publish.htm
setup.exe
[application].application
It also contains a folder called Application Files which contains the files needed to build the installation - the exe, the manifest, other dlls and external resources.
I then copy the three files and the folder to the web location specified by the Installation Folder URL.
If you're talking about where the files get installed to then they're in:
C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Local Settings\Apps\2.0\H165QZM1.QBE\0OAEZTRX.Y3N\[some truncated version of the exe name followed by a GUID]
Which isn't the most obvious place. I should also point out that the folders H165QZM1.QBE and 0OAEZTRX.Y3N will probably be different on different machines, but the only other folder under C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Local Settings\Apps\2.0 is called Data so they should be easy to spot.
Is the application available offline or online only? My experience is online only and in that case I believe it installs into a temp directory. Can you include your auxiliary file as part of the application files? This may help as well it talks about including data files which can be of any type.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/d8saf4wy.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/6fehc36e.aspx