Browser interface like CruiseControl?

[a_t_jackson]

I've been using Visual Build for a couple of years and its totally changed the way I build and deploy software. However, I'm now looking beyond demand-driven and scheduled builds with a view to continuous integration.

I also have to work with an offshore team who currently rely on me or my local team to iniate builds. They have been unable to integrate SourceOffSite into a build script. It would make more sense if they could initiate a build on a remote build machine through a browser interface.

I know you already include sample code for continuous integration but do you have plans to extend Visual Build to something more like CruiseControl.NET? I think the simiplicy of script development with VisualBuild combined with Project Dashboard and browser driven GUI in CruiseControl would make a fabulous combination.

[SuperJ]

You could write a custom builder for CruiseControl.net. You would be using CruiseControl.net on the front end, and the back end would be using VisBuildPro.

Here's the how-to:
http://confluence.public.thoughtworks.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=441

Alternately, you can use the CruiseControl.net command-line builder to call VisBuildPro.

http://confluence.public.thoughtworks.org/display/CCNET/Command+Line+Builder

[joes]

I'm trying to get CruiseControl.net and Visual Build to work together and running into a problem with the converstion of the xml log to an html log:

Closing any open log tags...
Loading XML input document...
Error at line 3, position 3 loading 'C:\DOCUME~1\build\LOCALS~1\Temp\bld193.tmp': End tag was not expected at this location.

From the file(there is an empty line at the top of the file and then the following):

<status code='0'>Completed</status>
</step>
<step action='Log Message' type='0' start='11/17/2004 11:14:41 AM'>
<name>Start</name>
<output><![CDATA[Build '11' Started At: 11/17/2004 11:14:41 AM
]]></output>
(...file continues)

I saw in another message on the forum where a virus program was causing this error. I am not running any kind of virus program. I am running the build under a XP image on VMware.

Any suggestions? (The pages referenced above don't load for me.)

Thanks,
Joe

[SuperJ]

Is one of the steps in you build script changing the %LOGFILE% Macro? I *believe* (could very well be wrong), that if you change the logfile inside the build script, it will start logging half way through that step, leaving you incomplete XML. If you pass in "/logfile" in the command-line, it should fix that.

[joes]

I modified the "Logging.bld" sample file just enough to adapt it to my build. I'm a new user so I'm still finding my way around and I don't understand fully how the logging works.

Are you recommending that I remove the step that changes the %logfile% macro and instead pass in the /logfile switch?

Thanks

[SuperJ]

Yep, exactly. Using the Logging.bld example is probably not the best one to use for this case. It does some funny logging things that may leave you with incomplete XML every time.

Maybe write a new build script with a couple "log message" actions, a "transform XML Log" action at the end, and pass /logfile in command-line.