SQL Server Data Tools – September 2013 update

Microsoft has released the September 2013 update for SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT). It contains a fix for the schema compare when working with large display text or high DPI.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ssdt/archive/2013/09/18/updated-sql-server-data-tools-for-september-2013.aspx

Visual Studio 2012 Update 4 RC3

Visual Studio 2012 Update 4 RC3 is out. You can downloaded from

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40263

Check out this link for the update description

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2872520/en-us

Install instructions

• Visual Studio
  • VS2012.4 RC.exe
• Team Foundation Server (Choose either Web Installer or ISO Image)
  • Web Installer: tfs_server.exe
  • ISO Image: VS2012.4 RC TFS Server ENU.iso
• Team Foundation Server Express (Choose either Web Installer or ISO Image)
  • Web Installer: tfs_express.exe
  • ISO Image: VS2012.4 RC TFS Express enu.iso
• Visual C++ Redistributable (Choose architecture: x86, x64, arm)
  • vcredist_x86.exe
  • vcredist_x64.exe
  • vcredist_arm.exe

VS2012: No code coverage colouring

Today I had an issue that I couldn’t get the colouring of code coverage to work even when pressing the “show code coloring” button.

I am using VS2012.2 Ultimate which was upgraded from VS2012.2 Professional.

To fix the problem, I had to reset VS with the following command

devenv /resetuserdata

Issue was reported in the Connect page

http://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/746094/code-coverage-coloring-not-visible-in-light-theme-colors-not-configurable

IntelliTrace Session’s Slide Deck at DevTeach Mini (HOC)

TFS2012: Schedule a One Time Team Build–Approach 1

In response to the questions asked on MSDN social, I am writing this blog post. The question was “How to schedule a one off build”. I also posted an alternative approach here

Introduction

When creating a scheduled build, you need to specify the the day of week and time.

But what if you only want to schedule it to run once? That scenario is not supported by TFS out of the box.

Solution

One of the solutions I am proposing in this post is to create a scheduled build definition and a custom activity to reset the build definition trigger to manual when the build is complete. The limitation for this approach is you can’t specify a date (e.g. 22/1/2013). In other words, you can only schedule it for the next 7 days.

I am using TFS2012 and Visual Studio 2012 for this solution. You can still use the same steps for TFS 2010.

Creating Build Activity

Create new project of type Activity Library and name it TeamBuildActivities

Delete Activity1.xaml

Add new item of type Code Activity and name it SetTeamBuildDefinitionTriggerToManual

Add a reference to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\ReferenceAssemblies\v2.0\Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Build.Client.dll

Paste the following code in the SetTeamBuildDefinitionTriggerToManual .cs file

using System.Activities;
using System.ComponentModel;
using Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Build.Client;

namespace TeamBuildActivities
{
[BuildActivity(HostEnvironmentOption.All)]
public sealed class SetTeamBuildDefinitionTriggerToManual : CodeActivity
{

[Browsable(true)]
[DefaultValue(null)]
public InArgument<IBuildDetail> BuildDetail { get; set; }

// If your activity returns a value, derive from CodeActivity<TResult>
// and return the value from the Execute method.
protected override void Execute(CodeActivityContext context)
{
if (BuildDetail == null)
{
return;
}
IBuildDetail buildDetail = context.GetValue(BuildDetail);

if (buildDetail == null)
{
return;
}

buildDetail.BuildDefinition.TriggerType = DefinitionTriggerType.None;
buildDetail.BuildDefinition.Save();

}
}
}

Save and build the project

Copy the output assembly TeamBuildActivities.dll to C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\PrivateAssemblies

Create a build definition

Create your build definition with a scheduled trigger

On the process, click show detail and then the new button

You should rename the New file name, I am keeping the default name in this example

Click OK

Open the Source Control Window

Right click on the new build process template and get latest

Double click on the new build process template to open

Open the Toolbox window

Create a new Tab and call it Custom Activities

Right click on the custom activity area and select Choose Items

Make sure that System.Activities Components Tab is selected

Click on the browse button

Go to the C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 11.0\Common7\IDE\PrivateAssemblies folder and select the TeamBuildActivities.dll and click OK

Drag and drop the activity at the end of the workflow

Type in the BuildDetail argument into the BuildDetail property grid

Save workflow template and then check it in

Create new Folder in TFS Source Control for Build Activities

Go to the Source Control Windows

Create new folder, I am naming it TeamBuildAssemblies

Open the local folder and copy TeamBuildActivities.dll to it

Go back to source control

Right click on the folder you created and select Add Items to folder

Select TeamBuildActivities.dll from the window

Check in the folder

Point Controller to the TeamBuildAssemblies

At this point, we want the team build to load the custom activity we created to initiate an  instance of the SetTeamBuildDefinitionTriggerToManual activity

Click on Actions

Then Manage Build Controllers

Click on Properties

Select the path for the TeamBuildAssembles folder

Click OK

Queue a Build

Lets queue a build to simulate the running of a scheduled build

You may get the following error

TF215106: Access denied. NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE needs Edit build definition permissions for build definition TeamBuildActivities in team project MyTeamProject to perform the action

To fix the error you need to give  “Edit build definition” permission to the build account

Right click on the team build definition

Select Security

Select Build Service Accounts

Change the value for Edit build definition to allow

SCROLL DOWN AND CLICK SAVE CHANGES. For low resolution screens this may not be so intuitive because the button is hidden

Now queue another build

Edit the build definition and click on the Trigger tab

Notice that it is switched to Manual