TFS and InstallAware

[jcassidy]

Hello,

I would like to work with my InstallAware projects using TFS. I was unable to find any clear instruction on this during my web search. I may be looking for the wrong topics or simply do not know exactly what I am looking for.

My goal is to be able to check in the project in TFS. Once this is done another developer can open the same project from their computer, do what they need to do and then check it in for the next person. The problem I am running in to is the file references needed to comprise the InstallAware project. Since our TFS server is a VPN tfs only connection I am unable to navigate file structures outside of the TFS environment.

Any assistance on this would be greatly appreciated. Any documentation source on this would be immensely appreciated.

Thanks
James

[FrancescoT]

Dear James,

you have to include a call to the "miabuilb command line tool" in your TFS build event.

Please have a look to the link below for more details.
http://www.installaware.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7129

Regards

[jcassidy]

Hello Francesco,

For automating the installer process the discussion linked to would be very helpful. I ran across this article earlier in my searches. The issue that I am running into are file paths and multiple authors on multiple machines all using TFS.

For example, I get all of my files together and check them into TFS. The project now has "C:\users\userName1\source\projectName\..." in the script code. The next developer goes into TFS and creates/downloads a workspace. His folder is "C:\users\someOtherUserName\source\hisPreferedWorkspaceFolder\..." and attempts to build the project. The project then breaks because of the file location references.

It would be convenient if the TFS server file system was accessible and the project could be set up accordingly. However the TFS server is only accessed via a VPN. This VPN only permits access via tfs."serverName".com and does not allow direct folder access. Visual Studio adapts for this so that the folder location of the workspace on the developers computer does not matter. Is there some way to use something like ~\\projectFolderLocation\... in InstallAware instead of full paths?

We are not looking to automate the builds on a TFS server, instead we just want to share and manage the files through the TFS server. Is this something that is possible with the current version of InstallAware?

Thanks
James

[FrancescoT]

Dear James,

IA doesn't include a direct support to TFS, but you should be able to manage your files through the TFS server anyway.

Personally I do the same with my TFS server.
I suppose that your problem it's caused by the source Full Path with the "install Files" commands in your project.
Did you try to use relative paths with these commands instead? Obviously, you should use a path location that is accessible from all your machines.

Let me know.

Regards

[jcassidy]

Hello Francesco,

I have attempted relative paths and have not had the best of luck. I tried \\path, ~\\path and ...\\path. What is the proper relative path for the local folder relative to the project?

Thanks
James

[FrancescoT]

Dear James,

Why do you use double slashes? It is just "..\path" .

Regard

[jcassidy]

Hello Francesco,

I guess it is a bit of a string escape sequence habit I have. I do not know why I did not think of that earlier, clearly a brain-fart on my part.

Thank You
James

[FrancescoT]

No problems ... all's well that ends well!

Regards

[jcassidy]

Hello Everyone,

I will go through the steps of how to properly integrate your IntallAware projects with TFS. Please keep in mind, this is not automation but instead integration. The goal is to allow developers to open InstallAware from their computer so they can work on the install package.

Step 1) Create a directory in TFS.
Step 2) Ensure all support files like images and so fourth are located in TFS.
Step 3) Create the project and put it in your TFS file structure.
Step 4) Add any needed files and folders to the project.
Step 5) Go to the MSI code tab and locate the file reference lines, there should be as many as there are files added to your project and they show up in a purple color.
Step 6) Double click and then modify the file path.

.\then the file path will start you in the project file location.
..\then the file path will start you in the parent file location.
..\..\then the file path will take you to the parent of the parent location.

Use ..\ to go up in directory and then use the file path to take you to the desired location.

Example:
C:\users\username\source\projectname\release\installaware\installer
.\ = C:\users\username\source\projectname\release\installaware\installer
..\ = C:\users\username\source\projectname\release\installaware
..\..\ = C:\users\username\source\projectname\release

You can find the local folder path for your work space by hovering over a file name int he tab or looking at a files properties. Make sure all file path references are ones found in the TFS file structure.

Use as many ..\ to get to the level that has access to the folder desired.

Once all of the references refer to the appropriate locations make sure the files are added to TFS.

To work with the files ensure the following steps are followed.
1) Check all of the files in the InstallAware project file are checked out. (This has to be done manually)
2) Work with InstallAware.
3) Check back in all of the files.

Use the fact that the file structure can be navigated via ..\ to your advantage. For example, instead of copying over the newly compiled program to a specific folder, simply reference the folder the program is compiled to.

I hope this helps someone out.

V/R

Thanks
James