It would even be better if the install was slipstreamed into the build process.  That way all 3rd party installers were kicked off verifying that they are installed on the machine prior to the source build.  But that's just me.  

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With the power of build scripts like Nant and MSBuild (and their associated community driven projects to extend them) it should be entirely possible to build a script that will verify 3rd party components are installed (if they need to be).  If they don't need to be installed, they should be in the pull from source (at least referenced as an external resource like with svn:external).  At the very minimum the script should contain a target to verify everything exists on the machine as it should.

But you're completely right that the only thing a developer should do after pulling the script is modify properties saying where installed tools are (like where the osql.exe is since not everybody keeps default installs...).

Hoping we're in compliance with Derik's OSS suggestions , S#arp Architecture 1.0 RC 2 has been

Common sense advice, but almost every company I have joined has done this poorly, some of them considered to be innovative leaders in their field :)

Often fell to me because no-one wanted to do it, but there's nothing a little MSBuild/NAnt hacking can't fix, and once people have gotten used to being able to do a fresh checkout and build, they can't live without it.

It's amazing how many subtle deployment / file versioning bugs get squashed by any developer being able to do a complete build of the system from scratch easily, and being able to determine whether an issue was introduced by their changes or no.

what do you do about per seat licensed 3rd party products, where you have to install them, and enter a product key?

We put the "what to do" in the documentation, and have a process other than that

Hoping we're in compliance with Derik's OSS suggestions , S#arp Architecture 1.0 RC 2 has been

OK, basically, we have to do what we are doing.  We don't call it "readme.txt" It's "How to Install 3rd party controls"

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This is also my litmus test for Open Source projects. If I do a source get and can't compile after following the directions in the README, I don't even bother with the project.

If you can't open a solution and hit F5 and run the code then you have something wrong.   That simple.  

If a README is present, it's wrong.  

Any 'special' libraries should be a part of the corporate image for a developers machine - a *real* shop isn't going to have umpteen different libraries anyway - they'll have a stack, and that stack will be the standard for every project.

Anything 'special' should be in the pre/post build events.

F5 was invented for a reason.   MSBuild and NAnt should be used for deployment not developer local build/debug sessions.

If you have all your 3rd party tools in your source repo, what techniques are best to keep these tools up to date. Is it best to use the latest on a new project and leave the older projects with previous versions? Or is it best to update all 3rd party tools every time a new version comes out? Any thoughts anyone.

It does, thanks Derik.

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I am sure that most of you have heard the term ‘Ivory Tower Architect’ and most of have a mental image

I am sure that most of you have heard the term ‘Ivory Tower Architect’ and most of have a mental image

@Gary

I understand your perspective. Although I think you may be a little dogmatic in your response. My question is, if a developer can identify and defend their reason for a specific tool how do you handle that situation? And that question applies towards tools that can be used by all developers or just for their specific project. And, I've been writing build scripts for over 5 years now, and I can testify that just hitting F5 is not close to adequate for large projects. I am currently sitting on a project that has two Windows Services, an ASP.NET application a console application and a small suite of unit tests that I am trying to fill up. The system uses localization and libraries to be GACed for interop between Classic ASP and ASP.NET. F5 is insufficient for my project purposes about 25% of the time, depending on where a change took place. If in the ASP.NET only, then no problem F5 and run, but anything else I have to refresh my entire development configuration and I would weep if all I had were manual tools.

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