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Product Information
Automated Build Studio is a powerful build and release management system that provides an easy way to automate the software development build, test and release processes. Its intuitive interface and unprecedented flexibility allows even inexperienced users to create complex visual macros which can automate repetitive or day-to-day tasks with the single click of a button.
Macro runs can be scheduled for automatic execution with the built-in Task Scheduler. This makes Automated Build Studio the ultimate solution to create reliable automatic daily builds of your software. Automated Build Studio lets you automate each step of the build process: from retrieving files from a version control system, to building installation packages, running automated tests and deploying the latest release of your software projects.
New Features
Support for new platforms
- Supports Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 - Automated Build Studio 6 integrates directly into Visual Studio 2010 so you can create, view and run Automated Build Studio projects from within the IDE. Three new operations are also provided for compiling C#, VB 2010 or VC++ projects.
- Supports Team Build - Automated Build Studio integrates with Team Build 2005, 2008 or 2010 and enables you to extend build targets with macros that define the sequence of actions to be performed.
- Supports RAD Studio 2010 - Supports RAD Studio 2010 and adds three new operations for compiling Delphi 2010, C++Builder 2010 and RAD Studio 2010 projects.
- Enhanced support for Team Foundation version control - New support for Visual Studio 2010 Team Foundation Version Control and some new Team Foundation Server 2010 specific properties. Also adds support for managing shelvesets in source control with 3 new operations, a new Roll Back Changesets in TFVC operation to rollback changes and a new Configure Proxy for TFVC operation for managing proxy settings.
- Mercurial support - Introduces 15 new operations for interacting with Mercurial source control repositories.
- New operations in Visual SourceSafe - Two new operations enable you to automate file sharing and file branching within Visual SourceSafe.
- InstallShield 2010 support - Automated Build Studio now supports InstallShield 2010. The corresponding operation has been renamed to InstallShield 7—2010.
- Support for SQL Server 2005/2008 - The SQL operations now support Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and 2008. The SQL category was renamed to Microsoft SQL Server.
General improvements
- Scripting support in operation properties - New support for VBScript, JScript or DelphiScript one-liners in operation property values.
- Debugging scripts in macros - The script debugger now helps you to debug scripts that are contained within your macros and quickly fix the problems in them. You can use all the standard debugging facilities such as set breakpoints on script lines, step through scripts line-by-line, add watches, evaluate expressions and so on.
- Enhanced autocompletion - Variable and constant names are now easier to insert in object properties using the new automatic completion.
- Customise build progress - A new Set Build Progress operation lets you customise the build progress values as the macro runs.
- Enhanced macro configurations - Enable and disable multiple configuration support for individual macro operations. This new property, if enabled, allows you to have different property values in different configurations.
- Work with 64-bit registry keys - registry operations now include a new Type option that lets you specify the registry version — 32-bit or 64-bit — that you want to access when Automated Build Studio is used on a 64-bit operating system.
- Improved support for multithreaded processors - When a macro that contains concurrent operation groups is run on a multiprocessor computer, Automated Build Studio now automatically selects the CPU to run each macro thread on. For each new macro thread, Build Studio selects the CPU on which the least number of macro threads is currently running.
New operations
- Supports localisation tools - Automate the building of localised software products with automation support for Multilizer, Passolo and Sizuliser.
- GUI automation - A range of new operations allow you to simulate various actions for a GUI including mouse input, keyboard input, resizing and more.
- ADO support - 7 new operations have been added to a new ADO category for automating database operations such as executing SQL statements.
- Encrypting File System support - 5 new operations that allow you to encrypt files and folders, remove encryption, check encryption status and more.
- Serena Dimensions - 14 operations for performing various actions over Serena Dimensions streams.
- Source indexing for AQtrace - 3 new operations let you index source code of your applications for AQA Source Server that is used by AQtrace
- TypeMock Isolator support - a new operation has been added to let you run unit tests on your .NET applications using TypeMock Isolator.
- Managing SharePoint Services - a new SharePoint Service Tools operation enables the build process to interact with Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) sites through web services.
- Support for more installation tools - 2 new operations for working with MS Merge Module projects and DeployMaster Builder
- Support for more help compilers - 4 new operations for working with Document! X 2008, FAR HTML Batch Compile, HyperText Studio and RoboHelp HTML.
- Read assembly attributes - new Get Assembly Info operation lets you read assembly attributes from assembly information source files in your build macros.
- New archiving operations - 2 new operations for working with J2EE Packager and MHT Archiver.
- Compare files using Araxis Merge - 2 new operations for enabling your build processes to compare files and folders.
- File concatenation - new operation enables you to concatenate two text files into a new one, append the file contents to another file or merge a file into another one.
- Continuous integration - 3 new operations for managing tasks directly from your build macros.
And much more...
Features
Visual macro designer
With Automated Build Studio, your common and everyday tasks can be easily automated. You can organise simple operations such as copying files or compiling a project into macros that will automate these tasks.
Support of popular modern compilers and installation build tools
Automated Build Studio supports the most popular modern compilers and installation building tools. It also supports many other tools and utilities including products that can be used for testing, profiling and issue tracking.
Wide range of available operations
Automated Build Studio includes over 750 built-in operations that let you automate almost any task. You can extend the functionality available with the standard operations by writing scripts or by creating new custom operations. Detailed instructions on extending Automated Build Studio are included in the online help.
Distributed and parallel build support
Automated Build Studio provides you with the ability to distribute the execution of macro operations among multiple computers. Perform parallel builds, deploy to multiple environments at one time, and run regression tests simultaneously to save time and get faster feedback.
Concurrent execution of operations
Automated Build Studio lets you organise concurrent execution of macro operations and thus performs different tasks at the same time. This can greatly reduce the macro execution time, especially on computers with more than one CPU.
Scripts in VBScript, JScript and DelphiScript
Automated Build Studio includes a Script operation that allows you to create powerful custom script routines using one of the 3 supported scripting languages - VBScript, JScript or DelphiScript. You can use custom scripts to perform actions that cannot be performed using the existing standard operations. Also, using scripts you can read and change operation properties.
Remote build management
Manage your build server remotely and control automated builds through a web interface or desktop clients. Migrate user accounts from your Active Directory domain controller and control security through group-based and per-build permissions.
Charts displaying macro run statistics
Automated Build Studio collects information about macro runs performed on your computer or other computers within your network, and displays this information in a graphical form within the Charts panel. Using charts, you can analyse the ratio of successful and failed runs, the duration of macro runs and the frequency of macro runs over any desired period of time (day, week, month or other).
Using one macro to build different versions of your application
Quite often, it is needed to build several versions of an application from the same sources; for example, the debug, demo and release versions of the product. Using macro configurations, you can have a single macro that will generate all the desired versions. There is no need to create three macros. You can create only one macro and choose the desired configuration before the run.
Scheduled macro runs
Automated Build Studio includes the Tasks Scheduler that lets you schedule macro runs at your desire. This is a key feature for creation of automated daily builds. With the Task Scheduler you can schedule and control macro runs not only on your computer, but also on other computers in your local network.
Event-triggered macro runs (continuous integration support)
You can configure Build Studio so that it automatically runs an appropriate macro (say, the macro that builds your project and tests it) not only at specified time, but also when a definite event occurs, for instance, when a source file of your project is changed under source code control (Visual SourceSafe, Subversion, CVS or Perforce) or when a file is changed on an FTP site. This will ensure that you always have a thoroughly tested build that is compiled with the latest versions of source files and decrease the number of errors that may arise upon integrating source code modifications made by different team members.
Macro debugger
Automated Build Studio’s macro debugger includes all modern debugging features: breakpoints, stepping over operations, watches, expression evaluation, and others. Using the macro debugger, you can easily check whether your macro functions correctly or trace errors in your macro and fix them.
Advanced monitoring of macro runs
Automated Build Studio generates detailed logs of macro runs. These logs help you isolate errors that occur during the macro execution. Automated Build Studio automatically compares results of the current macro run with the last successful run, thus letting you know if something is going wrong.
Automatic notifications
Your macros can automatically notify you about the results of their execution. Automated Build Studio offers several operations that can be used for sending notifications. These operations let you send messages via the “net send' command, Windows Messenger, MSN Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, ICQ or e-mail. You can also e-mail reports with attached execution logs.
Tight integration with testing and profiling tools
Automated Build Studio is tightly integrated with Smart Bear’s testing, profiling and issue-tracking products. For example, you can create a macro that will compile your application, then search for memory leaks and performance problems with AQtime and then call NUnit, MSTest, JUnit or TestComplete to perform unit or functional testing. If an error occurs, the macro can post a bug report to AQdevTeam and assign it to the developer who is responsible for the error.
Visual Studio integration
For developers using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET or Visual Studio, Automated Build Studio can be tightly integrated into the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE. This integration offers developers full control over the Automated Build Studio from within the Visual Studio IDE.
Assistant
Automated Build Studio includes a context-sensitive Assistant that displays commands, hints and links to help topics. If you are new to the Build Studio and not quite sure how to get started, the Assistant is the perfect place to begin. If you are experienced with Automated Build Studio, the Assistant panel is still helpful since it groups important links in one easily accessible location.
Source Code Control integration
Automated Build Studio is tightly integrated with any source control system that is compatible with the Microsoft Source Code Control API specification (e.g. Microsoft Visual SourceSafe, CVS, Borland StarTeam, and others).
Run via command-line
You can execute macros without loading them into the Build Studio IDE: you can do this by specifying the desired macro name in the Build Studio's command line. Special command-line arguments can make the Build Studio run the macro, and close after that. Through the command line, Automated Build Studio can be executed in a completely hands-off fashion, within a make file, batch file, etc.
System Req.
Supported operating systems
- Microsoft Windows 7 (both 32-bit and 64-bit editions).
- Microsoft Windows Vista (both 32-bit and 64-bit editions).
- Microsoft Windows Server 2008 (both 32-bit and 64-bit editions). Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 is also supported.
- Microsoft Windows XP (both 32-bit and 64-bit editions).
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (both 32-bit and 64-bit editions).
- Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 or later.
Important: In order for Automated Build Studio to be able to function on Windows Server 2008 R2, the WoW64 component is required. The Server Core installation option for Windows Server 2008 R2 does not install WoW64 by default, so, you should install it yourself.
Minimum requirements
- Intel Pentium II 450 MHz or higher
- Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4 or later.
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later.
- Microsoft Internet Information Services ver. 6.0 or later.
- Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or later.
- 128 MB of RAM.
- 100 MB hard disk space.
- VGA (640 × 480) or higher resolution monitor.
- Mouse or other pointing device.
Recommended requirements
- Intel Pentium III 800 MHz or higher
- Microsoft Windows XP or later.
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later.
- Microsoft Internet Information Services ver. 6.0 or later.
- Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or later.
- 256 MB of RAM.
- 100 MB hard disk space.
- SXGA (1280 × 1024) or higher resolution monitor.
- Mouse or other pointing device.
Additional requirements
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional with Service Pack 4 or later.
- Microsoft Data Access Components 2.8 or later.
- Adobe Flash Player 8.0 or later.