Question

Here’s the scenario:

A C# Windows Application project stored in SVN is used to create an executable. Normally, a build server handles the build process and creates builds at regular intervals which are used by testing. In this particular instance I was asked to modify a specific build and create the executable.

I’m not entirely sure if the build server modifies the project files, but I know it creates a tag in SVN of the source code it used to compile the executables. Using that tag I’ve checked out the code on a second machine, which is a development machine. I then compiled the source on the development machine.

When executed, the application that was compiled on the development machine does not function exactly like the one compiled by the build server. For example, on the testing machines a DateTime Parse execption is detected by the application. However, the build machine’s executable does not throw any exeptions. If I run the executable on the development machine no exceptions are thrown.

So in summary, both machines are theoretically using the same source code and projects.
The development machine’s executable only works on the dev machine. The Build machine’s executable works on every machine, including the dev machine.

Are the machine’s Regional Settings or Time Zone stored in the compiled executable? Any idea what might cause this behaviour or how to check the executables to find the possible differences and correct them?

Unfortunately, I cannot take a testing machine and attach a debugger to it. As soon as I can I will.

Answer 1

The app uses the Regional Settings of the machine it’s running on, and it looks like it is your problem. You can force a thread to use a specific culture by setting System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentCulture and System.Threading.Thread.CurrentThread.CurrentUICulture to a specific value.