How to: Edit a Build Definition

Before you edit a build definition, you must first use the Build Definition dialog box to create a build definition. For more information, see How to: Create a Build Definition. After you create a build definition, you can edit it from Team Explorer.

Required Permissions

To edit a build definition, you must have the Administer a build security permission set to Allow. For more information, see Team Foundation Server Permissions.

To edit a build definition

1. To edit an existing build definition, select the build definition from the Builds folder in Team Explorer.

2. Right-click the build definition and select Edit Build Definition.

3. Click the tab that includes the information you want to modify:

   • Click General to change the name of the build or to modify the description.

   • Click Workspace to modify the working folder from where the files to be built are copied. To add a new source control folder, click the text Click here to enter a new working folder and browse to the folder you want to add. To copy an existing workspace, click Copy Existing Workspace and select a workspace from the Select a Workspace dialog box.

     All source control paths you add are created as children of the default path on the build agent. The Local Folder column displays the default path on the build agent.

   • Click Project File to display the source control location of the TFSBuild.proj file currently used by your build definition.

     Click Browse on the Project File pane to browse to a different build definition within your team project, and share the TFSBuild.proj file that is associated with that build definition.

   • Click Retention Policy to display the current retention policies, or to modify the retention policy for failed, stopped, partially-successful, or fully-successful build outcomes.

   • Click the Build Defaults tab to display the current build agent and drop location for your build definition.

     To associate a new build agent with your build definition, click the down-arrow on the Build agent drop down menu.

     To create a new build agent click New and fill in the required information on Build Agent Properties dialog box. For more information, see How to: Create and Manage Build Agents.

     To change the location where the completed builds are staged, type in a path to a public folder in Builds will be staged to the following share (for example, \\server\share) text box.

     Important Note:
     The application-tier service account and the Team Foundation Build service account must have read/write permissions to the build drop location. For more information, see Team Foundation Server Permissions.

   • Click Trigger to display the current build trigger for your build definition. To select a different trigger, select Check-ins do not trigger a new build for on demand builds, select Build each check-in (more builds) for continuous integration builds, or select Accumulate check-ins until the prior build finishes (fewer builds) for rolling builds. If you select rolling builds, click Build no more often than every and enter a value in minutes for how long to wait between build in the minutes text box. The valid range for the minutes text box is 0 to 2147483647 (Int32 MaxValue). Select Build every week on the following days to create scheduled builds. Select each day on which you want to build using the check boxes that are provided for each weekday. Enter the build time in the Queue the build on the default build agent at text box.

4. Once you are satisfied with the build definition options, click OK on the Build Definition dialog box.

See Also

Concepts

MSBuild Project File Schema Reference

MSBuild Overview

Other Resources

Working with Build Definitions in Team Foundation Build

Customizing Team Foundation Build