Now that I've converted from NAnt to MSBuild scripts I am now learning the wonderful world of WiX to create .msi install packages. What does this have to do with my performance testing duties? Not a damn thing.
The hired mercenary scum that is running the project now is having do all sorts of things that are not part of our normal activities. I was hired to be a performanc SME and to build up a testing framework which is about 80% complete. My last work on that was over a month ago.
I suspect I shall not see another performance test on this project.
Showing posts with label MSBuild. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MSBuild. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
NAnt versus MSBuild
At work we are currently converting from NAnt to MSBuild scripts as we convert from CruiseControl.NET to TeamCity. Why are we changing from NAnt to MSBuild as we change CI servers? Nobody really knows for sure besides the guy that is running the project basically says, "I've mandated it." That's the only reason. Seems like a silly reason to be to go through all the trouble to rewrite all the scripts.
After working with NAnt and MSBuild I have come to one conclusion: I don't like XML based scripting languages. That's right, you heard it here. They are both a pain. Way too verbose and too much of a PITA. My personal belief is that we should just wrap all the functionality with a perl script and be done with it. :-) Just think about it: Simple if/then/else statements and simple loops without all the XML filler junque and all the dynamic data structures you want without a bunch more XML filler stuff. It's beautiful! Back in my day, you darn whipper snappers, we had .CSV files and liked 'em! And like Ant/NAnt, perl works under both Unix and Win32 (I've been using Win32 for a gazillion years but now that I run a 64-bit OS should I start saying Win32/64? That's a discussion for another time! Now back to my MSBuild and NAnt rant!) so you have multiple platform functionality.
MSBuild is taking me longer to wrap my head around. I don't like that I can create a property inside of a target, but that property is not available until the target where it was created as finished. Makes it a pain to attempt to modularize common calls for database work. And why doesn't MSBuild have a foreach construct? Sure, you can use the metabase accessing `%` to invoke multiple calls but how non-intuitive is that? Argh! I shouldn't have to write a helper function to make multiple calls with the % operator.
Yeah. I stand by my convictions on this one. Junque both of 'em and write a perl wrapper and be happy.
After working with NAnt and MSBuild I have come to one conclusion: I don't like XML based scripting languages. That's right, you heard it here. They are both a pain. Way too verbose and too much of a PITA. My personal belief is that we should just wrap all the functionality with a perl script and be done with it. :-) Just think about it: Simple if/then/else statements and simple loops without all the XML filler junque and all the dynamic data structures you want without a bunch more XML filler stuff. It's beautiful! Back in my day, you darn whipper snappers, we had .CSV files and liked 'em! And like Ant/NAnt, perl works under both Unix and Win32 (I've been using Win32 for a gazillion years but now that I run a 64-bit OS should I start saying Win32/64? That's a discussion for another time! Now back to my MSBuild and NAnt rant!) so you have multiple platform functionality.
MSBuild is taking me longer to wrap my head around. I don't like that I can create a property inside of a target, but that property is not available until the target where it was created as finished. Makes it a pain to attempt to modularize common calls for database work. And why doesn't MSBuild have a foreach construct? Sure, you can use the metabase accessing `%` to invoke multiple calls but how non-intuitive is that? Argh! I shouldn't have to write a helper function to make multiple calls with the % operator.
Yeah. I stand by my convictions on this one. Junque both of 'em and write a perl wrapper and be happy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
