How to customise TFS2010 build to print a message in the log

Question

Hi guys,

I have recently migrated one of my solution from SVN+CruiseControl to TFS2010. My build definition is using the Defaul Template. And I would like to customise the template. Since I have never worked with workflows before I decided to start by printing a simple message in the build log. For this purpose, I have added a WriteBuildMessage activity right on the top of the sequence as its first activity and given it a value of Hello World. However after saving it, checking it in the source control, queuing, completing a new build and then opening the build, I do not see the Hello World message any where in the View Log, Sumary tab or msbuild log file. I have tried putting the WriteBuildMessage activity at different places in the workflow but it just never gets printed. I can ensure that my build definition is pointing to the correct template but it just doesn't seem to print the message, as if it has never run the WriteBuildMessage activities in the workflow?

Is there somethign I am mising or is WriteBuildMessage is not the correct activity to print a message in the log Any ideas?

Regards,

Nabeel

Answer 1

Did you check my series on build customization?

http://www.ewaldhofman.nl/?tag=/build+2010+customization

Answer 2

I figure it out via MSDN forums

1. If you want the output from WriteBuildMessage to be visible in the default logging level, you must set the Importance property to BuildMessageImportance.High.
2. The default Importanceof WriteBuildMessage is Normal so that the message will not be displayed. When you queue a build, in the parameters tab, set Loggong Verbosity to Diagnostic and then all message will be showed, but this will create much more noise in the build log.

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en/tfsbuild/thread/1a6bbc05-8bd3-40f5-ab38-667214e5fe01