Adding Steps dynamically...

[rajivraj]

Hi,

Am Rajiv...

I am an amatuer VisualBuild user :)

I need to dynamically generate steps during the build process. To keep it simple, I want to add multiple "Make VS.NET" steps and associated them to the proj file.

For now, I have managed to add a new Make VS.NET step to the existing steps.

Set steps=Application.Project.Steps(vbldStepMain)
steps.Add "Make VS.NET",6
steps.Item(6).Indent=2

Now, I need to set the other properties for the step. I guess,
steps.Item(6).Property(ByVal name As String)="<path of .csproj file"

For name, I tried "Filename" and it worked. Where can I find a listing of all properities?

This code I have added in a "Run Script" action. This will generate the steps and which wil subsequently be built.

Is my overall approach correct?

Cheers!
Rajiv. R
Rajspace.Org

[kinook]

You've got it. One thing you could do is store the return value of the Add call and use it to set the properties (a little more efficient and compact):

set objStep = steps.Add("Make VS.NET", 6)
objStep.Indent=2
objStep.Property("xyz") = value
...

The Script.bld also demonstrates this (Dynamic project section), although it creates the steps in a separate project file and then calls it.

To see the properties you need for that action, manually create and populate a Make VS.NET step, then either print/preview the project (ensure that 'Tools | User Options | Printing | Show extended step properties' is checked) to see the custom step property names, or save and then open the .bld file in a text editor and examine the element names within that step.

Note that the property names are case sensitive. Also, be aware that when a property is set to its default value (i.e., unchecked for checkboxes, blank for strings, etc.), VBP optimizes the file/step object size by removing those properties. As long as you customize the temporary/manual step in the same way your code will need to generate it, this shouldn't be a problem (you will not need to populate such properties on the dynamic step either).

[rajivraj]

Thanks for that! :)

To use print-preview for properities is nice tip.

Am now facing a weird problem! When I try to build a "Make VS.NET" step which was generated dynamically, I get this error:

Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

When I go to the step properities, check & uncheck some property (So that the Apply button is enabled) and then click on OK. Now I try to execute this step and I dont get the above listed error!!!!!! Hope I conveyed the issue.

Please advice!

Regards,
Rajiv. R
Rajspace.Org

[kinook]

Sounds like something is different about your dynamically generated step. Compare the before/after version of the saved step in the .bld file when checking/applying the change from the GUI and see if a property is missing or set incorrectly.

[rajivraj]

Interesting point! :)

I noticed in PrintPreview that FileVer and Attr were getting added after applying the change. But even after I added these properties in my dynamic step generation, I got the same error.

Next, I noticed that I was setting Config to "release" and wondered if making it "Release" would help!

And guess what, it worked ! :)

Then I removed FileVer and Attr properities and it still worked! So the cause was the value of Config. Also, it means that value is case-sensitive too!

Thanks.

Cheers!
Rajiv. R
Rajspace.Org