TFS and IS Standalone Build errors with "XML file changes"
Hello all,
We have a Visual Studio 2010 C#.NET solution of which we are trying to setup automated builds on our TFS 2010 server with an InstallShield SAB installation. Our solution contains a "Basic MSI" installer project which defines a number of features including a service and a windows form features.
We have customized our dialogs to allow customized input values for the relevant ".config" files contained in both projects. Which means we needed to implement updates using the "XML file changes" view.
Of course compiling out project via the Visual Studio IDE works fine (as has been the case regarding multiple errors reported from TFS and InstallShield SAB). But I keep coming to dead-ends trying to resolve this one.
When I configured the XML file to update, I had to browse for the physical file, which of course for windows forms and services is the config file with the name that reflects the project executable. This creates an absolute path to either the bin\Debug or the bin\Release folder.
Of course TFS is not aware of these locations during an automated build and throws this kind of error for each file that needs to be updated:
C:\Program Files\MSBuild\InstallShield\2011\InstallShield.targets (68): -6103: Could not find file "d:\Builds\1\\Test Release\Sources\\bin\Release\.exe.config"
Of course it does make sense but how to fix it is the trouble. How can I define the "XML file changes" to look to the project primary output location instead of using an absolute path?
I encountered quite the same problem as Stephen described. How do I have to reference these config files? Absolute paths are a no go. Is there really no best practice or solution?
