I was recently tasked with getting our new build server running with automated builds.

This included a number of tasks, but the biggest one was getting cc.net running.  While it did not take much to get CruiseControl.net configured to actually check svn and run my NAnt script-it did take a while for it to succeed.  We use a number of third party tools that require the use of a license.licx file (Divelements SandDock and Actipro WPF Studio).  My NAnt script would compile run and compile everything fine if I ran it from the console or a bat file, but would fail if I ran it through cc.net.  I would get the following error:

licenses.licx(1): error LC0004: Exception occurred creating type ‘Divelements.SandDock.DockSite, Divelements.SandDock, Version=1.4.2.2, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=75b7ec17dd7c14c3′ System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException (0×80070018): The program issued a command but the command length is incorrect. (Exception from HRESULT: 0×80070018)

I did massive searching on ‘LC0004’ and cc.net and found a lot of people having weird issues with the licensing but with a different error message.  I tried several of the solutions including running the service as my user and none of them worked.  I finally searched on the specific error code (0×80070018) and found a couple of hits that were promising (http://davidgardiner.blogspot.com/2008/08/installing-cruisecontrolnet-on-windows.html) but still didn’t work.  However, it led to this MS connect feedback (https://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=361469) which led to the following updates:

The package containing fixes for NET3.5sp1 for Windows Vista, Windows 2008 Server are now available here:

x86: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=b9de7937-2c12-4f16-ad66-a31b83931953
x64: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=98e83614-c30a-4b75-9e05-0a9c3fbdd20d
IA64: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=c6adc586-2518-404b-8973-e1e22c556af4

Installing the packages listed here allowed my build to begin working.

Wes has a nice blog post about customizing the prop code snippet from VS2005 to use “_PropertyName” for the private field. While I like to use propertyName for my private fields this did get me to thinking and spurred me on to action over something that has annoyed me since I started using VS2008. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are using Visual Studio 2008 and blend together you have likely ran into the problem with loading a VS2008 created WPF project into Blend. It throws up an error about an invalid project file and probably complains about the following line:

<Import Project=”$(MSBuildToolsPath)\Microsoft.CSharp.targets” />

Fortunately there is a service pack out for Blend that fixes this problem (and some other odd issues with Blend). You can download it here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=A07196D1-971B-4710-99C8-D3D9603CCFCB&displaylang=en

My review of day two at the Heartland Developers Conference.
Read the rest of this entry »

My review of my first day at the 2007 Heartland Developers Conference in Omaha, NE.
Read the rest of this entry »