Build Installshield project using TFS build

Question

I am working on Installshield and TFS (VSTS 2008) and now I want to build Installshield 2011 Project along with build definition.

For this I have created build.proj file which contains build definitions to build .sln projects which is working fine.

Now at end of Build definition file I have added like this :

<Target Name="AfterCompile">   

I have added the reference of Installshield project, so that after building Visual Studio projects start building Installshield projects at the end:

<Exec Command="&quot;$(DevEnvDir)\Common7\IDE\devenv&quot; E:\Sw\Manual_Build_TFS_R3\Setup.isproj /Build"/>

Earlier I have used VSINSTALLDIR in palce of DevEnvDir still error will come which says

Task "Exec"
  Command:
  "\Common7\IDE\devenv" E:\Sw\Manual_Build_TFS_R3\Setup.isproj /Build
  The system cannot find the path specified.
E:\BuildSource\Temp\BuildType\TFSBuild.proj(444,5): error MSB3073: The command ""\Common7\IDE\devenv" E:\Sw\Manual_Build_TFS_R3\Setup.isproj /Build" exited with code 3.
Done executing task "Exec" -- FAILED.
Done building target "AfterCompile" in project "TFSBuild.proj" -- FAILED.
Done Building Project "E:\BuildSource\Temp\BuildType\TFSBuild.proj" (EndToEndIteration target(s)) -- FAILED.

Build FAILED.

"E:\BuildSource\Temp\BuildType\TFSBuild.proj" (EndToEndIteration target) (1) ->
(AfterCompile target) -> 
  E:\BuildSource\Temp\BuildType\TFSBuild.proj(444,5): error MSB3073: The command ""\Common7\IDE\devenv" E:\Sw\Manual_Build_TFS_R3\Setup.isproj /Build" exited with code 3.

    0 Warning(s)
    1 Error(s)

I am new to this VSTS and TFS build configurations.

Answer 1

We use something like this:

Command=""%programfiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio 8\Common7\IDE\devenv" ..."

Would that work for you?

-- EDIT --

Another thought that came to mind is the suggestion that you consider WIX instead of InstallShield. WIX projects work really well within MSBuild.

Answer 2

I can't think of any valid reason that the path to your InstallShield project should be hard-coded as it appears in your question.

Can you build the *.isproj file from the command line with MSBuild? If so, then you could just add it to your solution and set it up to only build for a new solution configuration that you use in your TFS build.