Question

I’m trying to set up a build definition in TFS 2010. The options for this seem very limited, for instance I have 5 solution files in my source control and I don’t seem to be able to specifiy which one to use. I’ve selected a workspace from my deployment server (which does a TF get every 10 minutes so I know it’s a valid workspace), but when the build runs it gives me an error complaining about the mapping – and it seems to have made it’s own mapping up from somewhere.

Mapping I set: $/InteractV4/Dev/IV4ProductionSR/

Error: There is no working folder mapping for $/InteractV4/Dev/IV4Support/iv4ProductionSR.sln.

There are 2 issues with this error. 1: it’s not the workspace I was trying to use. 2: It’s wrong and there is a working folder mapping for this source, both on my local PC and on the deployment pc, but NOT on the build server. Do I need to set up a load of folders and mappings on the build agent server? Or on the main TFS (source) server?

Thanks.

Answer 1

TFS-Builds operate on private Workspaces that get generated during the build process, so using a custom-Workspace is without tweaking impossible.

It’s possible to keep TFS from regenerating a new Workspace with each Buid, by going to Build Definition edit “Process”:”2.Basic”:”Clean Workspace” and changing default value All into either Outputs or None.

The mappings are set for each Build Defition where various pairs exist:

Source Control Folder   | Build Agent Folder
$/foo/bar               | $(SourceDir)\somewhere

The $(SourceDir) is substituted during Build and it gets its value from the Build Agent Settings. If you go to the TFS Admin Console & select “Build Configuration”, you ‘ll be presented with a list of Build Agents running on the Server (there might be additional Agents in other Servers). Clicking on “Properties” of an Agent, pops up a Window like that:

This entry “Working directory” is the one that resolves & substitutes $(SourceDir) during build.

For example, an entry $(SystemDrive)\Builds\$(BuildAgentId) could resolve into something like C:\Builds\88.
So, for a TFS Build running on this Agent, you should expect all Sources that stand in source control under $/foo/bar to be found under C:\Builds\88\somewhere

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EDIT
According to your comments you have now a mapping like this:

$\InteractV4\Dev\IV4ProductionSR | $(SourceDir)

Your build fails, as “There is no working folder mapping for $/InteractV4/Dev/IV4Support/iv4ProductionSR.sln”.
Is this source control directory $/InteractV4/Dev/IV4Support mapped in your Build Definition?