More On Nant
We'll now use Nant to build the sample application, pulling together both NUnit and Nant. Figure 4 illustrates the flow of the build process.
Figure 4 Nant sample build process.
Looking into the download file that accompanies this article, you'll note that I separated the build into a number of child build files. Using child build files driven by a master will help you control larger, more complex developments. My build assumes that the build machine is preconfigured with SQL Server (including database) and the .NET SDK.
You might choose to write a boot-strapper, which creates your build machine. An example of this is the APF (Automated Purposing Framework) tool from Microsoft. This is a scripting framework that allows developers to easily create and repurpose Windows servers. The tool itself is free, but can be implemented only by Microsoft Consulting Services or recognized service providers. Talk to either MCS or your local Microsoft partner for more information. Searching for APF on the Microsoft site will yield more help on this neat tool.
NOTE
For more help with APF, try http://www.microsoft.com/serviceproviders/hosting/techinfo/serverpurposing.asp.
Let's now walk through the build process; I'll highlight Nant features on the way.