Frequent incorrect build results - projects skipped that are out of date

Re-posting here at the suggestion of the Team System folks...

The below was observed using Visual Studio Team Suite 2005 RC version.

I have a solution with 17 C# projects - two .EXEs and the rest DLLs, including a number of unit test projects.

I can't begin to relate how often I run into problems due to incorrect build outcomes - one or more projects were not built even though clearly out of date.

I see this sort of thing when running tests from the test manager (which sometimes completely refuses to even try to build anything and just complains that it can't find the output file of the build that it never initiated) as well as other scenarios that should cause a build. I've checked that all the appropriate dependencies between the projects are specified in the solution.

Before getting into lots of details, is anyone else seeing this kind of behavior

I've since upgraded to the RTM version, but it's too early to tell if that's made any difference.

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Frequent incorrect build results - projects skipped that are out of date

lavasurfer

Here's a case that happens frequently: This could be a VSTS bug and not an MSBuild bug -

- Build a Unit Test project and debug a test (set a breakpoint that will be hit)
- Stop the debugger and make a change to the class under test (NOT the class containing the unit tests themselves).
- From the Test Manager, click on the 'Debug Selected Tests' button.

The class under test is not rebuilt - the test is simply re-run with the previous version of the class and the unit tests.
newbied
I posted this on the VSTS forum originally and they suggested I post it here.

I haven't spent time trying to assess frequency objectively, but I think that it happens every time I follow the steps I outlined above.
avidan
Yep - thank you. Someone from the VSTS team and I had a conversation about it and we will investigate.

Thanks for being patient - we'll certainly look into it.

Thank You.

Faisal Mohamood

Program Manager - MSBuild
Damodarnet

See the original thread - at least one scenario was confirmed as reproducible.

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx PostID=155203&SiteID=1
RonRandall
Hmmm....I am certainly not aware of this being a known issue. Could you cross post the issue on one of the VSTS forums as well

You say frequently - are you definitively able to repro the issue every single time there is a change to the code, and you try to run tests I will try to repro with the information you have provided.

In the meantime try the VSTS forum as well to see if they have insights.

Faisal Mohamood
MSBuild Team
Andrew Tregonning
Carl,

This is the first time we have heard of this....Where exactly are you seeing issues On the command line, in the IDE or both If you are building from the command line, are you building project files or solution files Are you using Project references, file references, or both Are you seeing the issues on clean builds as well as incremental builds

Too many questions - I know, but just want to get all the facts before drawing up any conclusions.

We have had a lot of improvements to solution build functionality since Beta2, so it would also be extremely useful if you can tell us whether you are seeing these issues in the RTM version that you have installed.

Thanks.
Faisal Mohamood
Program Manager - MSBuild
VB 2005 User
Any ideas
Philip Painter
I'm building exclusively from the IDE.

References are all project references set in the IDE.

Clean builds always work correctly - only incremental builds are causing problems.

I'll keep my eyes open now that I'm on RTM. Just to clarify though, I was on the Visual Studio Release Candidate before that, not Beta 2.
Frequent incorrect build results - projects skipped that are out of date

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