You can get pretty good intellisense with VS.NET using <nantschema> task. VS.NET is able to suggest elements, attribute names and values in this case. Expressions and functions aren't suggested nor verified but that's beyond the scope of what XSD schema can provide.
Simple HOWTO: 1. You run this build file with nant. <project> <nantschema output="NAnt.xsd" target-ns="http://nant.sf.net/NAnt.xsd"; /> </project> 2. Copy the resulting file "NAnt.xsd" to: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003\Common7\Packages\schemas\xml\" 3. Add xmlns declaration to your build files: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <project default="build" xmlns="http://nant.sf.net/NAnt.xsd";> ... </project> 4. Open your buildfile in VS.NET by right-clicking it in Solution Explorer, selecting "Open With..." then "HTML/XML Editor with Encoding". 5. Voila - intellisense should work. Jarek ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian MacLean" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Hayhurst, Matthew" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "NAnt Users List (E-mail)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2004 5:25 PM Subject: Re: [Nant-users] [Fwd: FW: Isn't all this XML just abstracted C#? ] > Hayhurst, Matthew wrote: > > >>>I'm just thinking out loud, so excuse me if this sounds utterly > >>>stupid, but > >>>why use XML for build scripts? I realise XML helps to a certain degree > >>>with > >>>portability, but surely a NAnt build script can only be as portable as > >>>the > >>>tasks it uses... all of which are written in C#, making them inherently > >>>portable anyway. So aren't all these XML elements ultimately just > >>>abstracted > >>>C# method calls? > >>> > >>> > >>sure they are, but then aren't c# method calls just abstracted il ? Perl > >>and Python and ruby are both implemented in C therefore they are just > >>abstractions of C code. The fact that all these things are true is > >>missing the point. > >>A nant build file is a (mostly) declarative format ie you describe > >>inputs to a task rather than write code to do it - kinda like how you > >>define a UI in xaml rather then using code to define the interface. > >> > >> > > > >C#, perl, etc etc, are all standardised languages that today do not > >get 'extended' very often. > > > It depends on your definition of extend. Every time you write a perl > module or a .net assembly you're effectively extending the language. > Task libraries are nants extension mechanism its just that they happen > to be implemented in some .net language rather than in nants build > format. In the same way you can write extension libraries for xslt but > you probably wouldn't want to write c# for most of the things that xslt > is good at. > > >Also, I don't code in IL because C#/MC++ wrap > >enough of the functionality of IL that I require. I like the idea of a > >build > > > > > no - you code in c# because its at a higher level of abstraction - its > nicer for a programmer to use. A higher level of abstraction also often > means a narrower focus ie a tool for a specific job - xslt for document > transformations, nant for build files. Obviously the tool thats at a > lower level of abstraction will be capable of performing the same tasks > but generally in a more verbose and less focused manner > > >script written in C# that is interrogated/run by some Nant utility. This > >gives you intellisense, Ndoc comments on methods etc etc etc and could > >make the whole experience much nicer (FAR more people know C# than the > >format of a Nant build file). > > > > > sure - more people know C than have proficiency with makefiles and > autotools - does that mean that C would be better than makefiles as a > build format for building C apps - I personally don't think so. > > As I said previously - by all means prove me wrong by implementing a c# > language build tool. > Ian > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > SF.Net email is sponsored by Shop4tech.com-Lowest price on Blank Media > 100pk Sonic DVD-R 4x for only $29 -100pk Sonic DVD+R for only $33 > Save 50% off Retail on Ink & Toner - Free Shipping and Free Gift. > http://www.shop4tech.com/z/Inkjet_Cartridges/9_108_r285 > _______________________________________________ > Nant-users mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/nant-users > ------------------------------------------------------- SF.Net email is sponsored by Shop4tech.com-Lowest price on Blank Media 100pk Sonic DVD-R 4x for only $29 -100pk Sonic DVD+R for only $33 Save 50% off Retail on Ink & Toner - Free Shipping and Free Gift. http://www.shop4tech.com/z/Inkjet_Cartridges/9_108_r285 _______________________________________________ Nant-users mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/nant-users
