为自定义工具包装.exe的便宜方法？

Question

I have a custom script language and a compiler (an EXE written in C) that turns that language in to C# code. I'd like to hook up the script compiler as a Custom Tool on script files in the solution, and have it generate C# code behind.

I've seen articles and tutorials online , and they all have you generate COM interfaces and register your custom DLL with the registry and GAC, and I really don't want to deal with all that.

Is there a wrapper or hack or 3rd party plugin somewhere that would make this easier? Like if there was a way to run a batch script as the custom tool, and have the code behind file get generated from the stdout of that, I could pipe the file from my compiler to stdout.

Answer 1

First off, I know you said you don't want to register through the MSFT way, but I suggest you reconsider. Details are here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/vstudio/bb166527.aspx

Now that we got that out of the way, my suggestion to you:

1. Put your exe in a fixed location (best spot is probably right in the root of your solution or repository). Next, run your tool manually once, this way you have the .cs files or whatever you are generating so you can add them to your solution. That way the C# compiler knows they are there and you just have to hit the build button and it'll have the files to build.

2. Next, create a pre-build event (under project properties, build events tab) that calls your exe with the appropriate command line arguments to make it do its thing (generate your new cs files). I suggest you edit your exe to take multiple files at a time, to make your pre-build command more simple. (This is where placing your file in the sln or repo directory is helpful, because you can use VS macros to get an absolute path to both your exe and the files to read in.)

3. What happens now, is before msbuild gets called (but after you hit build) your script (or exe) will run to generate new output files. Since msbuild hasn't started yet you can change any solution files to your hearts content and the changes will be picked up by both msbuild and eventually (probably once the build is complete) VS.

Notes: I have never been able to get a build event to work on the first try, it usually throws an error that will show up in the VS error/warnings window. I usually copy the whole error into notepad (or scite) and edit it down to the actual command line with arguments. I then open up a command shell and try to execute it. The errors here are usually more helpful and you can tweak until you get it right and copy the changes back in to VS.