How do I specify specific Step to build from command line?
 

Hello-

This seems simple and straigtforward, but I can't figure it out... nor have any searches provided an answer...

I have a build file that has three top level Steps in the Project Steps tab. They are: Build, Clean and Build, Create Install Kit. Create Install Kit calls Clean and Build. This script is used by developers on my team (they use Build and Clean and Build) and I have it on a PC where I'm trying to an schedule automated task to build an install kit twice weekly.

Because this Visual Build file is used by developers, it's often modified by developers- and when they check it in, they check it in with various states of Build, Clean and Build and Create Install Kit checked or unchecked (the Build column).

With that in mind, how do I specify via the command line for my automated build to build a specific Step (Build Install Kit), no matter what's checked?

Do I need to pull out my Create Install Kit Step to a 2nd Visual Build file that calls the other file so that I maintain control over what's checked? If so, it's too bad that I can't specifiy what step is built from the command line.

Thanks much for any info- or letting me know if there's another way to go about this...

The recommended way to do this would be to prevent developers from checking in these sorts of modifications to the .bld file, and instead use a GUI front-end to choose the dynamic build options and launch the build, passing macros on the command-line to specify which sections get built.
http://www.kinook.com/VisBuildPro/Ma...odelsample.htm
http://www.kinook.com/VisBuildPro/Ma...omptsample.htm

Another option would be to programmatically check the steps at the start of the build (in case the .bld file was checked in with steps unchecked) using the object model.
http://www.kinook.com/VisBuildPro/Ma...bjectmodel.htm
http://www.kinook.com/VisBuildPro/Ma...edproperty.htm
http://www.kinook.com/VisBuildPro/Ma...riptsample.htm