What build tools does Microsoft use?

re: What build tools does Microsoft use?

Adam — Wed, 17 Nov 2004 08:21:00 GMT

Do you have any real expectation that NT (probably the world's largest single company software project) will switch from build.exe and the internal source control system to VSTS in the next 3 years? Does VSTS even claim to support a development group/tree that big?

re: What build tools does Microsoft use?

Alex — Wed, 17 Nov 2004 10:10:00 GMT

I've been using FinalBuilder for my builds... it has a great UI and builds visualstudio projects (and even has an action for msbuild).

I suppose the best thing about it is that it's very easy to use and doesn't require that you understand the command line for the tool you're using as long as FinalBuilder has build in integration for it.

Url is http://www.finalbuilder.com

re: What build tools does Microsoft use?

vincem — Wed, 17 Nov 2004 20:26:00 GMT

Well I can't speak for the NT(Windows) guys but I think the writing is on the wall:
- At MS we always "eat our own dog food".
- Soma is the VP of the Dev tools division at MS and spent many years in upper management in the NT group.
- The VSTS team is very serious about making this product scalable to a group of Windows size and larger (if one exists)- With SQL at the backend of VSTS, this is pretty much a 'no-brainer'.
- Lastly, my contacts in Windows tell me 'yes (no time commitment), and some teams in Windows have already adopted or is working closely with the VSTS team to ease the transition.'

re: What build tools does Microsoft use?

Andrew — Fri, 19 Nov 2004 13:03:00 GMT

Another one we've been using with great success for years is Visual Build Pro:
http://www.visualbuild.com/