In case you haven't already heard a service pack will be released for both VS 2003 & VS 2005 this year! SP1 for VS 2003 is scheduled to ship during the second quarter, and SP1 for VS 2005 in the third. You can read more about this at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/support/servicing/. I think its kind of interesting that VS2003 didn't have a service pack for 3 years, yet 2005 is having one not even 1 year later. Perhaps because of all the new features that were shipped with this version, however VS 2003 shipped with many new features as well. Since MSBuild is technically a part of the .NET Redistributable, I'm not sure if the service packs will impact anything related to MSBuild. If I find out more I'll be sure to post more.

Sayed Ibrahim Hashimi

Previoiusly I wrote about the Microsoft SDC Tasks library, there is another great resource for MSBuild tasks. This is the MSBuild Tigris Tasks project. This is an open source project, so you can submit your tasks to this library as well. Tigris.org is known for their Source Control Management (SCM) tool, Subversion. I've used Subversion previously and was pleased with it, but my favorite is Team Foundation Server :) If you're using Subversion as your source control you'll be glad to find many task for accessing your repository. From the project's site here is a list of the MSBuild tasks that are either completed or currently under development.

Task	Description
AppPoolController*	Allows control for an app pool on a local or remote machine with IIS installed.
AppPoolCreate*	Creates a new application pool on a local or remote machine.
AppPoolDelete*	Deletes an existing application pool on a local or remote machine.
AssemblyInfo	Generates an AssemblyInfo file using the attributes given.
Attrib*	Changes the attributes of files and/or directories
FileUpdate*	Replace text in file(s) using a Regular Expression.
FtpUpload	Uploads a file using File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
FxCop*	Uses FxCop to analyze managed code.
Mail	Sends an email message.
Math.Add	Add numbers.
Math.Divide	Divide numbers.
Math.Multiple	Multiple numbers.
Math.Subtract	Subtract numbers.
Move*	Moves files on the filesystem to a new location.
NDoc	Runs NDoc to create documentation.
NUnit	Runs tests using the NUnit.
RegistryRead	Reads a value from the Registry.
RegistryWrite	Writes a value to the Registry.
Script*	Executes code contained within the task.
ServiceController*	Task that can control a Windows service.
ServiceQuery*	Task that can determine the status of a service.
Sleep*	A task for sleeping for a specified period of time.
SqlExecute*	Executes a SQL command
SvnCheckout	Checkout files from Subversion
SvnClient	Subversion Client
SvnCommit	Commit files to Subversion
SvnExport	Export files from Subversion
SvnInfo*	Get Subversion information for a file or directory.
SvnUpdate	Update files from Subversion
SvnVersion	Get Subversion revision number of a local copy
TaskSchema*	Generates a XSD schema of the MSBuild tasks in an assembly.
Time*	Gets the current date and time.
Unzip	Unzip a file to a target directory.
Version	Increments a four-part version number stored in a text file
VssAdd*	Adds files to a Visual SourceSafe database.
VssCheckin*	Checks in files to a Visual SourceSafe database.
VssCheckout*	Checks out files from a Visual SourceSafe database.
VssClean*	Removes VSS binding information and status files from a solution tree.
VssDiff*	Generates a diff between two versions of an item in a Visual SourceSafe database.
VssGet*	Gets the latest version of a file or project from a Visual SourceSafe database.
VssHistory*	Generates an XML file containing the history of an item in a VSS database.
VssLabel*	Labels an item in a Visual SourceSafe database.
VssUndoCheckout*	Cancels a checkout of an item from a Visual SourceSafe database.
WebDirectoryCreate*	Creates a new web directory on a local or remote machine.
WebDirectoryDelete*	Deletes a web directory on a local or remote machine
WebDownload*	Downloads a resource with the specified URI to a local file.
XmlRead	Reads a value from a XML document using a XPath.
XmlWrite	Updates a XML document using a XPath.
Xslt*	Merge and transform a set of xml files.
Zip	Create a zip file with the files specified.
* Items not complete or have not been released.

Sayed Ibrahim Hashimi

I'm working on an application during my spare time, its called Dreamcatcher. The purpose of this dream is to maintain a digital dream journal, or any journal for that matter. A major goal of the Dreamcatcher is to facilitate finding specific dreams easily, this is going to be accomplished by search mechanisms, and a "tagging" dreams with specific information. For instance you'll categorize the dream, you can place keywords (or labels in gmail terms) onto a dream, and other similar things. These will allow the user to find the desired dream in a set of different ways. Currently all of the data will be stored on the uesrs local machine, but I was also thinking of having a database available for users to keep their entries. This will be determined by user feedback, at a later stage. Here is what the main screen looks like:

If you are interested in using this app please send me an email (sayed.hashimi [AT] gmail.com )and I'll keep you posted on its progress. I'm expecting to have a useable release in the next couple months.

Sayed Ibrahim Hashimi

A co-worker of mine is playing the role of Jesus in a play at his local church. He had to have fake hair implanted inorder to fulfill the role properly. So this week he is coming to work looking a little different. I thought I'd take a picture so everyone could see this. The information for the play is available at http://www.northfloridapassionplay.com/default.htm

Sayed Ibrahim Hashimi

One of the Microsoft teams based in the UK has created a library of MSBuild tasks that is available for you to download at: http://www.codeplex.com/sdctasks You can download binary versions as well as all the source code for these tasks. There is almost 170 tasks that they have made available! Below is a list of them all if you are interested in what they are.

 

ActiveDirectory.Group.AddUser	SourceDepot.ReverseIntegrate
ActiveDirectory.Group.Create	SourceDepot.Sync
ActiveDirectory.User.Create	SourceSafe.Get
ActiveDirectory.User.GrantPrivilege	SourceSafe.LabelGet
AssignCulture	SourceSafe.LabelLatest
BizTalk2002.Configure	SourceSafe.Changes
Cab.AddFile	Sql.DisconnectUsers
Cab.Create	Sql.Execute
Cab.ExtractFile	Sql.Access.Revoke
Certificates.AddCertificate	Sql.Role.AddUser
CheckComponentInstalled	Sql.Access.Grant
CheckProductInstalled	ShortenPath"/>
CodeCoverage.AddAssembly	StringToItemList"/>
CodeCoverage.Create	StringComparison"/>
CodeCoverage.MergeReports	StringReplace"/>
CodeCoverage.Start	Summary.AddToReport
CodeCoverage.Stop	Time.Get
CompileTestSummary	Time.Diff
ComponentServices.Application.AddComponent	Time.Report
ComponentServices.Application.Delete	Tools.DevEnv
ComponentServices.Application.RemoveComponent	Tools.FxCop
ComponentServices.Application.Shutdown	Tools.Installshield
ComponentServices.Application.Update	Tools.MsTest"/>
ComponentServices.Component.Update	Tools.Ndoc
ConsoleReadLine	Tools.Nunit
CreateGuid	Tools.PreSharp
Email	Tools.PsExec
EventSource.Create	Tools.StrongName.AddSkipVerification
EventSource.Log	Tools.StrongName.ReSign
File.Delete	Tools.StyleCop
File.GetFiles	TrimJavascript
File.RegEx	VersionNumber.CreateSourceFiles
Folder.Copy	VersionNumber.Load
Folder.GetInfo	VersionNumber.SplitBuildNumber
Folder.Share.Connect	VersionNumber.Update
Folder.Share.Create	VersionNumber.VSSUpdate
Folder.Share.Delete	VirtualServer.VirtualMachine.OS.CheckHeartBeat
Folder.Share.Disconnect	VirtualServer.VirtualMachine.OS.Shutdown
Folder.Share.Exists	VirtualServer.VirtualMachine.Start
GetInstalledComponents	VirtualServer.VirtualMachine.Stop
GetInstalledProducts	Web.AppPool.Create
GetMetadataValueFromList	Web.AppPool.Delete
GlobalAssemblyCache.AddAssembly	Web.FtpSite.Create
GlobalAssemblyCache.RemoveAssembly	Web.FtpSite.CreateVirtualDirectory
Help.Compile	Web.FtpSite.Delete
Help.CreateProject	Web.FtpSite.DeleteVirtualDirectory
Help.Decompile	Web.FtpSite.Start
Help.DocumentExceptions	Web.FtpSite.Stop
Help.InsertAfter	Web.ServiceExtension.AddFile
Help.InsertBefore	Web.ServiceExtension.DeleteFile
Help.InsertParent	Web.WebSite.AddBinding
LogicalComparison	Web.WebSite.AddFilter
MessageQueue.Create	Web.WebSite.AddHttpCustomHeader
MessageQueue.Delete	Web.WebSite.AddMimeType
MessageQueue.SetPermissions	Web.WebSite.Continue
Msi.EmbedInstallProperties	Web.WebSite.Create
Msi.EmbedUninstallProperties	Web.WebSite.CreateVirtualDirectory
Msi.GetProperty	Web.WebSite.Delete
Msi.Install	Web.WebSite.Modify
Msi.Repair	Web.WebSite.DeleteFilter
Msi.Uninstall	Web.WebSite.DeleteVirtualDirectory
PerformanceCounters.Add	Web.WebSite.FilterExists
PerformanceCounters.Remove	Web.WebSite.Pause
Registry.CreateKey	Web.WebSite.Start
Registry.DeleteKey	Web.WebSite.Stop
Registry.DeleteKeyTree	Web.WebSite.UnloadVirtualDirectory
Registry.Get	Web.WebSite.UpdateHttpErrorSetting
Registry.Set	Web.WebSite.UpdateLogSettings
Security.AddAcl	Web.WebSite.UpdateServerCertificate
Security.RemoveAcl	Web.Smtp.Create
ServiceProcess.Exists	Web.Smtp.Start
ServiceProcess.Start	Web.Smtp.Stop
ServiceProcess.Stop	Wix.CompileMsi
ServiceProcess.UpdateIdentity	Wix.LinkMsi
Sleep	Wix.Fragment
SourceDepot.Changes	Xml.CanonicalizeFile
SourceDepot.ChangesInInterval	Xml.ModifyFile
SourceDepot.CreateBranch	Xml.GetValue
SourceDepot.CreateClientFromTemplate