T4 Template directory missing on build server

Question

I've just set up a new build server with the Windows 2008 .NET 3.5 SDK, and for some reason it hasn't installed c:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextTemplating so I can't run t4 templates on it. I had a look at the install options in add/remove programs and every single option is checked.

Any ideas why it is missing? Any ideas how to get it back?

Answer 1

The T4 templating engine comes with Visual Studio 2005 SDK or natively with any installation of Visual Studio 2008. I didn't try the express editions to see if the T4 is present but I strongly recommend that you give it a try.

You can download Visual Studio 2008 Express right here.

Answer 2

My understanding is that the T4 engine is a feature of Visual Studio, not the .NET Framework SDK.

Answer 3

T4 is only installed with Visual Studio, not the .Net SDK.

However, as of Visual Studio 2010 SP1, you'll find that all the pieces necessary to set up a build server are licensed to be manually copied to your build machine.

See the file buildserver.txt in your VS install directory.