Is it possible to set up TFS 2010 to do gated checkins but use NAnt as the build engine?

Question

We are currently using TFS as our source code repository, but I prefer NAnt as my build engine over MSBuild. I was wondering if anyone knows if it is possible to use NAnt for the build engine but still get the benefits of having a TFS gated check-in build?

Answer 1

This is very posible and is one of the reasons that MSFT moved from MSBuild to Workflow 4 for the orchastration of the build.

There are two options:

1. Get the NAnt team to create a custom Activity that replicates the MSBuild activity and does the software build
2. Write your own Activity to call NAnt.

If NAnt runs the tests as well then you may have to customise more of the workflow, and be carefull that the correct data is still passed back to TFS so you still get your reporting.

I would probably recommend using Final Builder as it already provides the integration options.