This complexity resulted in infrequent builds and as a result the code was not tested as well as it should have been.  Not to mention, I’d get really frustrated and even pissed off on build days.   It took me a while to find a system that really made me happy.  On a whim one night I downloaded Automated Build Studio (ABS) and gave it a shot.  After installing ABS on a new virtual machine that would become our dedicated build system I fired it up.  I was pretty impressed with the wide range of actions and  tools it supported.  In our environment we had several must have items:

• 1. SourceGear Vault
• 2. Visual Studio 2008
• 3. Oracle/SQL Server
• 4. Installshield 2009

ABS worked with all of them.  In addition to the key requirements I had – it supported a plethora of other operations.

First thing I did was sketch out a rough outline of what was involved in creating a build.  Get latest source code, compile, delete temporary files, etc etc etc.  I started selecting various options from the ABS and fleshing out my macro.  Within a couple of hours, I had a sweet macro in place.  My macro started to look like this:

• Getting the latest code from Vault
• Compile all assemblies
• Delete the temporary files
• Build the needed release folder structure
• Move the new files into the needed structure
• Execute Remotesoft Protector on all assemblies
• Increment the build version, and set the version on all assemblies
• Create a label of the build in Vault
• Build a zip of the release
• Build the Installshield installer
• Connect to the build FTP and upload the new build

The best part – all of this was occurring in a 100% reliable fashion, oh and it took minutes for a full build to occur.  Over time, this project was tweaked, and copied.  It evolved as I learned more about ABS – or thought up new requirements.  Take FullCircle for example, it has evolved into three editions, sharing a similar yet different set of source files.  ABS lets me rebuild all three editions with the click of a button – in minutes.   Long long ago, in the before times something like this would have taken days, and years off my life.

I’ve only scratched the surface of what I’ve been able to do with ABS – some other cool features worth mentioning is that builds can be scheduled to run, there is a web application for viewing build history as well as kicking off builds.  It has a scripting language, and the support I’ve received is fantastic.  The price of the product makes the decision to buy ABS a non issue.

Man, now I’m starting to sound like a sales guy. =)  Seriously though, check out Automated Build Studio if you develop boxed, or even custom software.