Announcing September 2007 Sandcastle Release
I am excited to announce the availability of September 2007 version for Sandcastle. The latest version is now available for download at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=E82EA71D-DA89-42EE-A715-696E3A4873B2&displaylang=en. My sincere thanks to the Sandcastle user community for providing us with valuable feedback.
What's new in this version:
- CHMBuilder for CHM generation using Sandcastle. Please see http://blogs.msdn.com/sandcastle/archive/2007/09/13/building-chm-using-chmbuilder.aspx.
- New Hybrid design (Presentation changes to VS2005 transforms). Please see http://blogs.msdn.com/sandcastle/archive/2007/09/19/part-1-vs-2005-presentation-changes-in-sandcastle-september-release.aspx.
- Windows PowerShell script for documenting APIs using Sandcastle. Please see http://blogs.msdn.com/sandcastle/archive/2007/09/12/documenting-apis-with-sandcastle-using-windows-powershell.aspx.
- VersionBuilder tool to provide support for documenting multiple versions of a project. I will post a blog on this shortly.
- DBCSFix for CHM localization – Please see http://blogs.msdn.com/sandcastle/archive/2007/09/29/chm-localization-and-unicode-issues-dbcsfix-exe.aspx
- Reduced installer size: This version has a 1.5 MB installer. We accomplished this by not shipping Framework reflection data. Framework reflection data is now generated during the first run of the test project
- 5 Star MSDN style Feedback Control
Changes in this version:
- Data\Reflection is not installed by the msi. It’s now generated when a use runs the test project (using msproject or batch or powershell). This will take about 4 minutes to generate the files.
- CHM will be generated in a CMH folder instead of the Output folder.
Getting Started:
1. Using the command line option for the batch file under Examples/Sandcastle folder to build VS2005 or hana or prototype style CHM or HxS file
1. Build_sandcatle.bat vs2005 test
2. Build_sandcatle.bat prototype test
3. Build_sandcatle.bat hana test
If you need to generate hxs, please uncomment the following line in build_sandcastle.bat. Make sure "Microsoft Help 2.0 SDK" is installed on your machine.
::hxcomp.exe -p output\test.hxc
2. Using msbuild to generate build for VS2005 or hana or prototype, CHM or HxS file
1. Msbuild build.proj /property:PresentationStyle=vs2005
2. Msbuild build.proj /property:PresentationStyle=hana
3. Msbuild build.proj /property:PresentationStyle=prototype
To build hxs, add /target:Hxs, eg: Msbuild build.proj /property:PresentationStyle=vs2005 /target:Hxs
Issues fixed in this version (Reported by Customers):
1. Sandcastle: Add other supported languages to configs
2. Sandcastle: ApiFilter doesn't work as expected
3. Sandcastle: Build intellisense documentation without internal members
4. Sandcastle: BuildAssembler is throwing System.FormatException
5. Sandcastle: Can SandCastle find automatically GAC assemblies
6. Sandcastle: Chinese characters incorrectly display in TOC
7. Sandcastle: duplicate keys in shared_content.xml and reference.content.xml
8. Sandcastle: Example code sections in VS2005 template is having incorrect background-color and font
9. Sandcastle: Format of Delaration Syntax section need to improve.(prototype)
10. Sandcastle: Incorporate Dbcsfix in sandcastle
11. Sandcastle: Incorrect behavior for Complier Generated Class
12. Sandcastle: Incorrect bracket order of generic type. (prototype)
13. Sandcastle: Method name has double '()' in prototype style
14. Sandcastle: Move "UnsupportedExplicit_JSharp" from vs2005/hana to shared file
15. Sandcastle: MRefBuilder Namespace Ripping Bug with /internal+ option
16. Sandcastle: Nested type split type name with two dots. (prototype)
17. Sandcastle: No index entry in hxs build (prototype style)
18. Sandcastle: Open a new window when a MSDN-link is being clicked
19. Sandcastle: Printing issue of prototype transforms
20. Sandcastle: Problems about "public event" in cpp project.
21. Sandcastle: Problems in compiling html help due to encoding settings
22. Sandcastle: Reflection file is not correct if we have overloaded constructors (prototype style)
23. Sandcastle: Set "style" attribute to "cpp" for ManagedCPlusPlus
24. Sandcastle: Some type's FullName is showing up incorrectly. (vsorcas style)
25. Sandcastle: The "Type Parameters" are showing up differently between "Class" and "Members" page.
26. Sandcastle: Provide 5 Start Feedback Control
27. SandCastle: The icon of protected delegate is shown as public in .chm file
28. SandCastle: The member of enumeration in “Members” section has a link to self page.
29. Sandcastle: The method signature in "Members" section looks uncorrectly. (vsorcas style, Language Filter: Visual C++)
30. Sandcastle: There is an unhandled Exception araise when I run Build_sandcastle with vsorcas style
31. Sandcastle: When a method overrides another, the name of the class defining the original method is not present in the description
32. Sandcastle: when jump to a page, the default Language Filter is C#, and the page style is "VB" (vsorcas)
33. Sandcastle: When there are many constructors, the title of the group page, in the TOC, starts with a dot. The starting dot should be removed
34. Sandcastle:langword "null" is not rendering in vs2005 style
Issues fixed in this version (Features and Bugs as a part of Orcas RTM):
Approximately 500 work items for Orcas (Visual Studio 2008) RTM. I will be happy to publish a list if users are interested.
