TFS Build vs local build

Question

I really don't understand the meaning of tfs build although MSDN provides many definitions.

For example, I have an asp.net project. If I passed the local build on my local machine and I checked in the code. Everything is fine.

I used to copy(publish) the code to the server, that's it.

Why we need tfs build? What is different between tfs build and local build. You might to say, there are build history that can be reverted to an old one. But I think that since code was versioned, we can checked it out and rebuild in the local machine and republish the project to the server.

Answer 1

When I was using TFS, I could run local builds on my local machine. And then when checking in code, TFS would automatically perform a build on the build server (this is specified via a build definition). In that case, the build server was located on the machine which housed the master copy of the TFS source repository.

It's not enough for each developer to build locally as they may not have the latest code. I think the point of a TFS build is that it will run a build on the build server which has all the latest code. I think the idea is that if the build is successful on the build server, then it's deemed safe to check in the code.

That's how I understood it anyway. It's useful if there are multiple developers working on a project. If there is only one developer on one machine, a separate build may not be necessary.

Did that answer your question or did I misunderstand?

Answer 2

The answer of CiaranG is indeed one way to look at it.

Also the TF Build server has the possibility to build your code with signed 3rd party DLL's and put everything in a place as it is every time a new version of your software. This can be then useful for testers that need to test your software and don't need development tools.

Answer 3

Besides CiaranG's description of the Continuous Integration benefits, there is also the security and cleanliness. Allowing production code to be built off of developer machines where there is a chance for virus/malware may be present and the configuration is not known/documented is just poor policy. By building it off a protected server, from which no surfing is ever done, you are ensuring a safe, clean, reproducible environment which adds professionalism to your code deployments. TFS also adds in reporting build metrics over time, accountability, and archiving.