Re: Nant VS CC.NEt

I use both tools in our build.

As expressed by the previous posts in this thread, each tool has its strengths. I view ccnet as a high level scheduler which provides automation and reporting features that I need. NAnt, on the other hand is the work horse, handling all of the low level nuts and bolts processes using either existing tasks or stuff that I cook up in C#.

As an example of why this is useful, where I work, one of the requirements of the build system is that both the development team and release engineering should be building the same way at a low level. In other words, developers should be able to fire off a build at the command line in the same exact way that my ccnet server launches the nightly build. Since developers don't have (nor do they want ...) ccnet installed on their development systems, all of the actual build work is done in a NAnt script. This way developers can test their changes in a build environment that is identical to mine to make sure they don't break anything.

This works well for me and the developers, especially given the massive size of the project we work with. I am, however, a firm believer in the "simpler is always better" model. The less stuff you have in your process the fewer the number of points of potential failure you will have. If all you really need to do is call devenv to build a .NET solution and perform a few other simple tasks, you may just be able to get away with ccnet by itself. On the other hand, if like me, you are dealing with a project that has a lot of complex tasks to perform like mixed platform compilations (we have a huge mix of unmanaged c/c++/vb projects and managed c++ and c# stuff here ...) you may be better served using a tool like nant in conjunction with ccnet.

Just my 2 cents, I hope that it's helpful.

Take care,
Mike

From: Phil Sayers [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 5:19 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [NAnt-users] Nant VS CC.NEt

Think of ccnet as the trigger that fires your nant scripts.

Ccnet will continuously watch "something".  That something could be the current time, one or more source control repositories, the filesystem, or you can write your own code to monitor whatever you want.

When "something" changes (a commit, new file, changed file, time of day), ccnet will execute "actions" that you specify.

Those actions are typically nant scripts, the same scripts you would use locally to build your product.  You could use batch files, .vbs files, powershell scripts I guess if you wanted too.

This allows you to have unattended server builds of your code.

However if you hack away at the ccnet engine hard enough, you could probably make it do robo dialing for a politician based on when a list of phone numbers change.


From: Chris Howell [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 5:10 PM
To: Stephan King
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [NAnt-users] Nant VS CC.NEt

Ok perhaps I should have phrased my question a little better, I am looking for CI and daily builds.  I've used CC.Net before exclusively without NANT. My question was more why would I choose to use the functionality exposed in NANT, such a executing tasks, copying files etc.... When CC.NET also has utilities for doing the same thing ? There seems to be quite a bit of over lap between the tasks that CC.Net can don and the tasks that NANT can do. Therefore what is the benefit ? Of combining the two ?

From: Stephan King [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 4:56 PM
To: Chris Howell
Subject: RE: [NAnt-users] Nant VS CC.NEt

You don't choose one over the other, they go hand in hand.  CC.NET will handle all of your source control operations, scheduling, emailing, publishing, etc, and CC.NET will call into your NANT scripts to do things like run MSBuild, copy files, etc.

Stephan

From: Chris Howell [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 4:33 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [NAnt-users] Nant VS CC.NEt

Hi All,

I am looking to introduce a Continuous Integration/build environment to my dev team which currently has none. What would be the primary advantage(s) to choosing a NANT too over CC.NET ?

Chris

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Planet: dedicated and managed hosting, cloud storage, colocation
Stay online with enterprise data centers and the best network in the business
Choose flexible plans and management services without long-term contracts
Personal 24x7 support from experience hosting pros just a phone call away.
http://p.sf.net/sfu/theplanet-com

_______________________________________________
NAnt-users mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/nant-users