Ok, so I just finished bashing Visual Studio 2012/2013 for removing macros; but I should mention that they added T4 Debugging to Visual Studio! Much like macros, the T4 templating engine is a tool that everyone should be aware exists (after all, its Visual Studio’s best kept secret). Any code monkey can write, and re-write the… Continue reading T4 Template debugging added to Visual Studio
Support bringing back macros to Visual Studio
Stackoverflow states that less than 1% of programmers use macros in Visual Studio so the feature was removed. Please help up vote the feature request to bring back macros to Visual Studio. It’s a tool that few know exist, but its something everyone should know how to use. In the meantime, its either 2010 for advanced macro… Continue reading Support bringing back macros to Visual Studio
Supercharge MSBuild with Powershell
User Story: Using the project build process in Visual Studio, compress project output quickly (using powershell) Assembly Loading & Powershell from MSBuild (Example Application) In my series on Assembly Loading, I used Powershell from MSBuild in order to compress assemblies during the build of the project. One of the handy tools I've come across is using… Continue reading Supercharge MSBuild with Powershell
Assembly Loading: Dynamic Assembly Loading & Compression [3 of 3]
Assembly Loading (Example Application) ilMerge, while appropriate for most use cases, its utility does depend on your needs. ilMerge is the simplest way to merge multiple libraries into a single executable/library. That said, dynamic loading of assemblies is the next and probably the most flexible form of consolidating assemblies. But be warned, there are pros… Continue reading Assembly Loading: Dynamic Assembly Loading & Compression [3 of 3]
Assembly Loading: Combine Assemblies & Executables Using ilMerge [2 of 3]
Combine all libraries into a single executable or library to simplify deployment (Merging): Assembly Loading (Example Application) If you're like me, I get a tickle when I download an application only to realize that what I just downloaded isn't an installer, but a fully portable executable wrapped up in a single file (ProcessExplorer comes to… Continue reading Assembly Loading: Combine Assemblies & Executables Using ilMerge [2 of 3]
Assembly Loading: Overview (ilSpy, Fuslogvw.exe, and Process Explorer) [1 of 3]
Assembly Loading (Example Application) The real value to merging or relocation of assemblies is generally to consolidate the number of assemblies, ease deployment/updates, and address the issue of file size of the deployable. Tools like SmartAssembly (RedGate, http://www.red-gate.com/products/dotnet-development/smartassembly/) offers a turn-key solution for different ways of consolidation of assemblies. Some of the core features of… Continue reading Assembly Loading: Overview (ilSpy, Fuslogvw.exe, and Process Explorer) [1 of 3]
How to run Synergration’s OpenSync tasks as an unattended service on Windows Server 2008 R2
For those having issues launching OSRun.exe on a schedule on Windows Server 2008 R2, Tom and I found a work around for launching the opensync tasks unattended, essentially making OSRun.exe a service by using the task scheduler. A little about my environment. I'm running in a virtualized environment (Hyper-V). Windows Server 2008 R2 (with all… Continue reading How to run Synergration’s OpenSync tasks as an unattended service on Windows Server 2008 R2