Integration with Microsoft Visual Studio

Automated Build Studio is tightly integrated into the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE. This integration offers developers full control over Automated Build Studio from within the Visual StudioIDE.

To achieve such a high level of integration, AutomatedQA Corp. is part of the Visual Studio Integration Program (VSIP). Automated Build Studio extends both Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2002, Visual Studio .NET 2003, Visual Studio 2005 and Visual Studio 2008.

The integration of Automated Build Studio with Microsoft Visual Studio means:

The Automated Build Studio panels are integrated into the Visual Studio IDE

All the panels of Automated Build Studio are true Visual Studio panels.

A new Automated Build Studio project type is added

You can create Automated Build Studio macros and add them to an existing Visual Studio solution in the same way as you create or add other VS projects using the Create Project and Add New Project dialogs of Visual Studio.

Automated Build Studio also adds a Build Studio | Add ABS Project item to the Visual Studio menu:

This command provides a quick shortcut to add a new Automated Build Studio macro project to an existing solution.

Once you have added an Automated Build Studio macro, you can add Compile operations for all the executables, compiled by the solution’s projects, to your new macro. To do this, select the desired projects in the Solution Explorer (you can use Ctrl-click and Shift-click for multiple selection) and then click the button in the Solution Explorer toolbar. This will invoke the Add Projects to ABS Macro dialog:

Automated Build Studio integrates into the Menus and Toolbars of the Visual Studio IDE

Automated Build Studio adds menu items and toolbars to the Visual Studio menu and toolbar system.

Integration into Visual Studio 2005 Team Explorer

Build Studio associates a macro with each team project. You can use this macro to build projects and solutions that make up your team project, or to perform any other actions. To manage the macro and macro runs, Automated Build Studio adds a new node type - AutomatedBuildStudio - to all team projects:

Using this node, you can run the associated macros directly from Team Explorer and view macro execution results in Visual Studio’s IDE.

Further Integration with the Visual Studio Environment

In addition to the core integration, Automated Build Studio supports advanced integration, such as displaying the product information in the About dialog box and on the splash screen, integration with the context-sensitive help (Dynamic Help), Properties window support, integration into the Visual Studio Code Editor and Start Page, and more. Let’s look at these features in more detail.

When you are working with the Build Studio in Visual Studio, the Dynamic Help window provides a list of help topics specific to the current context or the task you are currently working on.

The Automated Build Studio’s Start Page tab gives you access to a number of Build Studio-related web pages, various online technical resources, and is also a good starting point to learn about the features and benefits of Automated Build Studio. When you are connected to the Internet, the Version page shows the most recent release information.

If Automated Build Studio is successfully installed, it adds an icon to the splash screen and is listed in the About dialog box. You will also find more info on the product under the Automated Build Studio on the Web submenu of the Help menu.

Automated Build Studio contributes to the Automation Model

The automation model of Visual Studio provides users with the ability to create custom add-ins, wizards, and to work with macros. As a true VS-integrated product, the Automated Build Studio provides program interfaces for its internals). This allows third-party developers to create Visual Studio add-ins, wizards and macros that use the Build Studio’s object model.

Automated Build Studio integrates into the Visual Studio Help system

The Automated Build Studio help system is fully integrated into the Visual Studio Help system. F1 context-sensitive Help is provided for all the Automated Build Studio panels and dialogs.