In the series the following parts have been published
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Add arguments and variables
Part 3: Use more complex arguments
Part 4: Create your own activity
Part 5: Increase AssemblyVersion
Part 6: Use custom type for an argument
Part 7: How is the custom assembly found
Part 8: Send information to the build log
Part 9: Impersonate activities (run under other credentials)
Part 10: Include Version Number in the Build Number
Part 11:
Speed up opening my build process template
Part 12: How to debug my custom activities
Part 13: Get control over the Build Output
Part 14: Execute a PowerShell script
Part 15: Fail a build based on the exit code of a console application
When you open the build process template, it takes 15 – 30 seconds until it opens. When you are in the process of creating your custom build process template, this can be very frustrating. Thanks to Ed Blankenship how has found a little trick to
speed up the opening of the template. It now only takes a few seconds.
Create a file called empty.xaml and place the following text in it: <Activity http://www.edsquared.com/ct.ashx?id=1746c587-59ce-45eb-85af-8ea167862617&url=http%3a%2f%2fschemas.microsoft.com%2fnetfx%2f2009%2fxaml%2factivities"http://schemas.microsoft.com/netfx/2009/xaml/activities"> </Activity>
Open this file in Visual Studio.
In the toolbox panel, add a new tab called “Team Foundation Build Activities”. Note that it is important to get the tab name correct because if it is not correct then the activities will be reloaded.
Inside the new tab, right click and select “Choose Items”
Click the Browse button
Load the file C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\assembly\GAC_MSIL\Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Build.Workflow\v4.0_10.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a\Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Build.Workflow.dll
Click OK to add the toolbox items to the tab.
Create another new tab called “Team Foundation LabManagement Activities”.
Inside the new tab, right click and select “Choose Items”
Click the Browse button
Load the file C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\assembly\GAC_MSIL\Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Lab.Workflow.Activities\v4.0_10.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a\Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Lab.Workflow.Activities.dll
Click OK to add the toolbox items to the tab.
You can download the full solution at BuildProcess.zip. It will include the sources of every part and will continue to evolve.
