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A Better Way To Show your Build Output: BuildConsole.NET

Sometime ago I built a tool I called Build Console. I was a quick and dirty development but until today we are using it often in our daily building.

Why I needed this tool, well I don’t wanna tell you that VS build report is  really poor but… it is ;) I don’t wanna open a big solution and wait 5 minutes in order to build my solution.

I known I can use msbuild command line but it is so hard to know what is going on with the build process (how many warining, errors, what project fail, etc).

So that I built a very simple tool that just is listening msbuild and show you the in a better way what is going on with your build.

Additionally it save the history of your builds.

 

BuildConsole features:

  • Open BuildFiles and Solution Files
  • Show and Save Build Reports
  • Support for cancellation
  • Verbosity Configuration
    • Build Console solve another small problem that I always have, when building C++ I want a detailed verbosity but for C# projects I need a normal verbosity. BuildConsole assume you want this and if you choose normal when it is building a C++ project it assume detailed. I could be annoying for somebody but I need to know what C++ source is msbuild building and with normal verbosity I can’t see this.
  • Configuration

If you are going to use BuildConsole always with the same build file you can use the .config file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>

<configuration>

  <appSettings>

    <add key="BuildFile" value="mybuild.msbuild"/>

  </appSettings>

</configuration>

If you need the code just drop me a line. Remember it is dirty code ;)

Download BuildConsole.NET 

I would like to have a better output in Orcas ;)

Comments

Simone Busoli said:

Thanks for the useful tool Gaston.

# May 20, 2007 9:08 AM

flipdoubt said:

Seems like a great tool, but you've mentioned some features I can't locate. Firstly, how do I save the build report? Secondly, how do I get it to save build history? It does not appear to save it, as is. Thirdly, my "Open Log File" button is always disabled. How can I get it enabled and how can I get BuildConsole to save my logs?

# May 28, 2007 12:47 PM

R.Warnat said:

Very nice Tool, but how the heck do I specify the solution file on the command line as parameter ???

# June 4, 2007 5:58 AM

Christian Crowhurst said:

It would be really good if the tool remembered the location of the build files that have previously been built.

Thanks in advance ;-)

Christian

# June 4, 2007 12:20 PM

Greg said:

Could you post the code, I'd love to see it.

# July 23, 2007 7:28 PM

Technical Related Notes » Blog Archive » links for 2007-04-18 said:

Pingback from  Technical Related Notes  &raquo; Blog Archive   &raquo; links for 2007-04-18

# August 18, 2007 1:06 PM

Building Solutions Without Visual Studio - I can’t remember where I read it…. said:

Pingback from  Building Solutions Without Visual Studio - I can&#8217;t remember where I read it&#8230;.

# October 18, 2007 6:29 PM

Brij said:

Thanks ! This is very useful

# October 25, 2007 3:47 AM

mwdiablo said:

Hey there, I love buildconsole, but I have moved to VS2008, and it does not work on VS2008 solution files.

Can you send me the code so I can make the needed changes please.

Cheers

Pieter

pieterj  at  intergen  dot  co  dot   nz

# December 6, 2007 7:35 PM

Fawad said:

Hi Gaston, Can you please send me the code, I'm working on something similar and would appreciate a little nudge in the right direction.

thanks

fawad

fawad.malik@gmail.com

# December 21, 2007 9:13 AM

Refael Ackermann said:

Hello Gaston,

I've seen Pieter's comment above, and I was wondering if there's any progress in porting BuildConsole to .NET 3.5?

I'm more then willing to help, so you can send me the sources, and I can pick up the work.

Thanks,

Refael

# December 29, 2007 2:31 AM

mose's musings said:

Gaston Milano wrote a very nice WinForms app that will show you the output of an MSBuild process. This

# December 29, 2007 6:44 AM

Keith Henry said:

Nice project, but it doesn't work with VS2008 files.  Could you send me a copy of the code?

# January 9, 2008 2:14 PM

Maciej Glowienka said:

Oh, by the way, my email is:

maciej dot glowienka at gmx dot net

Thank You in advance!

Regards,

Maciej

# March 31, 2008 12:38 PM

Markus Meyer said:

Any progress for VS2008?

If not, please send me the code, so I can check that out myself.

twomm at web dot de

Thanks,

Markus

# August 21, 2008 9:33 AM

Gaston Milano's WebLog said:

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table

# September 10, 2008 1:04 PM

eric said:

Thanks ! This is very useful

# December 16, 2008 8:30 PM

Itai Fonio said:

Hi Gaston.

Greate Job!!!

I'd appretiate the source.

10X, Itai.

fonio@hotmail.com

# April 19, 2009 2:47 AM

GouGou said:

heyy thankss but not working with vs 2008 solution .

i hope that you send me the source code.

ghostrider_gougou@hotmail.com

# November 5, 2009 7:12 AM

gerard said:

Hey, you made a very nice tool. I would like to get the code to improve and automate application building and backup: zipping and copying if no error, etc.

I will send you back my umprovements if you are interrested in it.

Thanks

Gerard

gerard at probanx dot com

# December 2, 2009 8:15 AM

Banking Software said:

I'd never thought of doing it like this but it's quite logical I suspose

# December 15, 2009 9:54 AM

Veera said:

I liked the tool, Its really great tool.

Could u please send me the source code for some improvements to VS2008.

Thanks and Best Regards

Veera

veera.pillariseti@siemens.com

# April 23, 2010 6:38 AM

I can't remember where I read it… » Blog Archive » Building Solutions Without Visual Studio said:

Pingback from  I can&#039;t remember where I read it&#8230;  &raquo; Blog Archive   &raquo; Building Solutions Without Visual Studio

# February 7, 2012 5:49 PM
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