Finally the new February CTP of the ClariuS Software Factory Toolkit is out and you can download now, from here.
This version includes several new features and some of the key features are the follow:
Different Guidance Package Templates, what this means? now when you go to create a new Guidance Package using SFT you will have the possibility to choose a basic template considering if you want to use just a single file or different files per recipe (using xinclude) to use in that guidance package. Also you will can define a default welcome page, guidance navigator overview and other interesting thing is that you will be able to choose what kind of installer you want to add to the package, that's it a wix setup project or the default Vs setup project.
Manifest Type Validator, the types that you place in the manifest could have typos but, usually you discover those errors just in runtime when you're running one of the recipes in your package and it fails. Using the manifest type validator you'll get an error in desgin time for any invalid type in the manifest. The manifest validation is launched with the package registration and you can also disable the validation through the SFT Settings Page.
Recipe Designer, although is on an experimental stage, maybe is one of the most interesting features. Basically it's a Recipe Editor made with the DSL tools, which able you to design a recipe in a graphical way. With that, you can drag Actions, Arguments, Page, Value Providers and any recipe element to the designer in a really easy way, also you have a helpful type browser per element that searches all available asset types in the package. When you have done the recipe, you just have to invoke the Generate Recipe command and it serialize the recipe including the recipe chunk in the main manifest file and also including the action at the binding recipe when the designed recipe was set as unbound.
Recipe Designer, click in the image to enlarge...
Recipe Designer Type Chooser, click on the image to enlarge...
Recipe Binder, provides guidance that will able you to bind any recipe to any host element (in this version applied for Dsl and Vs Designers references). What this means? For example imagine that you're developing a DSL and also you have your own Guidance Package which have a recipe Foo, and you want to launch that recipe when the user do a right click on a certain Shape of your DSL or simpling in designer surface so, the recipe binder simplify all these steps that you can do in just one click.
Recipe Binder Wizard, click on the image to enlarge...
In addition you will find a lot of assets contained in the SFT Library like Actions, References, Value Providers, Type Editors and much, much more.
SFT Home Page: http://softwarefactoriestoolkit.net/
Support: http://softwarefactoriestoolkit.net/support.aspx
Download: http://softwarefactoriestoolkit.net/downloads.aspx
Some weeks delayed but is finally out!, this new Febrary 2007 CTP basically has support for Vista and includes another minor bug fixes. The most relevant bug fixes are the follow:
- Support for Windows Vista
- Guidance Navigator performance and display improvements
- Handling of read-only .gpstate files
- Use of standard system colors in wizards and dialogs
- Fixes to registration recipes
Tom has published a detailed description of this new release here.
Download the new GAX Feb 2007 CTP here.
Quite a while ago I ran into the issue where I couldn't remove code snippets from VS. It seems that is not enough (using the hard way) with removing the registry key (that's it: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\Languages\CodeExpansions\CSharp\[PathToYourSnippet]) and the proper snippet file.
To do that you should also remove the snippet from the ExpansionsXML.xml file. If you're using XP you will find this file here:
c:\documents and settings\[YOUR USER]\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\1033
Although if you're running on vista, you will find it here:
C:\Users\[YOUR USER]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio\8.0\1033
Unafortunately I sent this bug to product feedback but they close the bug.
Another thread where the issue is discussed:
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?Pos...
