A new build is available that fixes a couple of bugs and adds some new features:

• Fixed bug so you can get version information from different language EXEs
• Modified so it will run a DOS Command task tool process from given search paths if a path is not given, also removed validation that exe exists so this can be done
• Added condition operators to specify how to compare the condition values (has equals, not equal, contains, not contain and is empty)
• Added ability to have macros in command line log paths
• Added current build file to log so its clearer what file the log is reporting on

Previous builds; Build 120:

• Added ability to specify a ‘condition’ on whether a task runs or not. This is a simple case insensitive comparison of the value of a specific macro. The task only runs if the value specified is exactly the same as the actual macro value
• Added a new system macro “SCRIPTSTART” which contains the string value of the date and time the script started in format “21 July 2007 13:21″ … this can be passed into a VBS CDate or a JS Date object constructor to create a script usable date
• Fixed bug with wrong value being saved into macro when running a DOS Command Tool Task
• Added ability to specify if the “Send Email” task should send as Plain Text or HTML, and also can specify the Importance of the email
• Added some more script functions for new email facilites:
  ## Sends a plain or HTML email to an already connected SMTP server with given importance. Importance can be: 0=Low; 1=Normal; 2=High
  BOOL SendSMTPEmailExtra( String strTo, String strFrom, String strSubject, String strMessage, BOOL bSendAsHtml, short nImportance )

  ## Sends a plain or HTML email with attachment to an already connected SMTP server with given importance. Importance can be: 0=Low; 1=Normal; 2=High
BOOL SendSMTPEmailExtraAttachment( String strTo, String strFrom, String strSubject, String strMessage, BOOL bSendAsHtml, short nImportance, String strAttachmentPath )

Build 119:

• Added ability to save return value of DOS Command Tool Task into a given macro for later use
• Modified command line version so it exits with appropriate exit code depending on if it finished successfully or not
• Modified output of file management tasks when operating on files due to date specifics
• Added some exception handling on scripts to try and catch failures due to security issues
• Added some more script functions:
  ## Returns whether given task is enabled or not. If task name doesn't exist, it returns FALSE
  BOOL IsTaskNameEnabled( String strTaskName )

  ## Returns whether given task has executed yet or not (current task would return false)
  BOOL HasTaskNameRun( String strTaskName )

  ## Returns whether given task has succeeded to execute or not (disabled tasks or current task would return false)
  BOOL HasTaskNameSucceeded( String strTaskName )

  ## Returns whether given task has failed to execute or not (disabled tasks or current task would return false)
  BOOL HasTaskNameFailed( String strTaskName )

  ## Returns the given named version field of a file with version information
  String GetFileVersionString( String strFilePath, String strVersionStringName )

  ## Returns an MD5 hashed string from given string
  String ConvertToMD5( String strUnhashedIn )

  ## Returns an SHA256 hashed string from given string
String ConvertToSHA256( String strUnhashedIn )

Build 118:

• Fixed same CPU bug in MSDev/VB Tasks

Build 117:

• Fixed major bug eating up all CPU when running a DOS command
• Fixed issue with double-clicking tickbox would edit task instead of not
• Fixed issue with file management dialogs would not size even though they had sizing grippers
• Added ability to use DEL and INSERT keys on files list in Manage Files task
• Fixed crash bug with incorrectly enabled edit/delete buttons when creating a Manage File tasks
• Fixed bug where encoded characters in XML File parameter values where not converted. This would mean that apostrophes in task names and other places would load back in as '

A new build is available that fixes a couple of bugs:

• Fixed a problem with the FTP Task failing with an “incorrect parameter” message after IE7 was installed
• Fixed a crash bug when running a file that runs and external BuildIT Task

A new build is available that adds a couple of minor features and fixes:

• Added ability to ‘copy’ an item in the File Management Task list
• Added nice new QHTM List Box control for Insert Items dialog and made it sizeable
  
• Added graphics to most dialogs
  
• Improved/Changed task graphics and icons
• Fixed some nasty resource leaks and excessive GDI and memory usage when many progress bars appear within the output window
• Fixed output log not scrolling to the end when new output is added

Don’t forget, please let me know if something isn’t working or requires a change or addition to make BuildIT more useful … I love to hear feedback and it helps focus things.

A new build is available that adds a couple of minor features and fixes:

• Added ability to specify connection and transfer timeouts for GetWebFile object
• Added ability for GetWebFile to follow page redirects automatically and also to handle cookies so that the request will work as expected
• Added new recursive file management abilities, this enables you to copy or move an entire folder structure to a different location (really useful)
• Added FileManagement option to “error” if specified file to copy/move/delete doesnt exist (not available if recursive option is selected)
• Added ability to define and pass in macros to a command line build file: -m==
  For example, you could specify several macros to the one file being executed like this:
  -m=”SOURCE=c:\my test folder\” -m=”DEST=c:\my dest folder\”
• Fixed bug where running an external BuildIT file as a task would only execute the first task
• Fixed bug where macros in GetWebFile werent being expanded

I have been doing a bit of tweaking to BuildIT recently.

One of these things is the ability to specify some timeout values to the Get Web Page task … this allows you to fine tune your tasks so it doesn’t hold up your process, or if it’s a slow server, you can allow it to wait.

The other changes are more internal:

• Follow Redirects: Now the task will follow any redirects (to a maximum of 20) so you can through login pages or other redirected pages.
• Cookie Handling: It also internally handles cookies, so if you passed login information in the URL or Post Data which subsequently set session or permanent cookies for logging-in, then the cookies are used on other pages or any redirects.

These additions should make the Task a lot more useful.

Thanks go to Timothy Trimble and his review of BuildIT:
The ART of Software Development Awards - BuildIT

Its soo nice to get feedback, I do like to read user comments so please continue and I will do my best to keep up with requests in making BuildIT the product for you!

I would like to comment on some of Tim’s points…

• Copying and Moving whole folders recursively is a very good point, I will add that in next.

 

• Yes, help and documentation is severly lacking … I really must get my act together and do this, without it people are missing some of the really useful ‘hidden’ features like special macros that can be used in all tasks:
  $YYYY$ = replace with 4 digit year
  $MM$ = replace with 2 digit month
  $DD$ = replace with 2 digit day
  etc.   

  A full list of the macros supported can be found from the Help menu in BuildIT.

  Also, unlike other tools, BuildIT comes with a command line version “buildit.com” as standard. You can even use the “Schedule Run” command (Run menu) to auto-generate a task in Windows Task Scheduler with the appropriate options for running your build file using the command line tool.

I have now added a “Get Web File” task:

This allows you to download a file from a web site, or save the contents of a page or head request.

This was easily done using script, but a few people asked for a specific task as they didnt know how to program script … I guess the user base of BuildIT is expanding to non-programmers which is great, as it really is a useful tool for anyone and everyone, anyhow I will probably look to include more tasks that were easy to do in script but should have a GUI for instead.

I have added to the GUI interface, the ability to specify a Proxy Server, a port number and the Passive Mode to an FTP Task.

The script object already had an FTPConnect method with these options but you could not set them on the GUI. This has now been changed.

As requested, I have now made BuildIT look more Windows XP with shadowed menus:

… and even customisable Toolbars:

At the moment, I am working on making the interface more ‘XP’ style and not the clunky Win95 look. This involves working on Toolbars and Menus. I am almost done, and when its tested I will post a new release.

In the meantime, I have been toying with a new idea and need feedback…

Should I make BuildIT MDI and have a workspace ability? The Workspace, I think, would be quite cool because you could add all your buildit project files to a workspace manager view on the left and group buildit files into folders and sub-folders. From this view you can double-click to edit a specific BuildIT project.

In my view, its quite nice to be able to ‘manage’ your projects like that but it doesnt have much use otherwise. I quite like the SDI multi-instance BuildIT, its so much easier and you can see many on-screen at the same time.

So, feedback would be cool, e-mail me.