Unleash It has been updated once again, this time being a huge update. Lots of things have been added, changed, or fixed since 2.1.1.1, all which are contained in the changelog being listed below. However, the most notable change is that now Xceed's FTP Library is now being used instead of a custom library. What does this mean? Well, you should no longer have issues with FTP like some have had before.

Below is the changelog...

• Added: Ability to clear the log file when viewing it.
• Added: Ability to cancel a FTP profile editing.
• Added: Security checking for FTP testing.
• Added: Additional file masks (*.asax, *.css, *.js, and *.png) to the default masks
• Added: CLS Compliance
• Added: Ability to add file and folder masks globally with the profile listing.
• Fixed: Exception being thrown when accessing the logfile during a deployment.
• Fixed: Directories with periods now successfully work.
• Fixed: FTP Settings now get validated and saved if not saved manually when clicking OK.
• Fixed: Error when submitting a bug and cannot contact bug server. Now have the option to save bug report to send manually.
• Fixed: Duplicate button was still enabled after deleting a profile.
• Fixed: When duplicating a profile, and click Cancel, the profile is not saved.
• Fixed: Overflow exception when loading a VS.NET project file with invalid characters.
• Changed: Now using Xceed's FTP library.
• Changed: File / Folder mask lists are now sorted.
• Changed: Adding File / Folder masks will be checked by default.
• Changed: Double clicking a profile in the Profiles dialog will open up the edit dialog for that profile.
• Changed: Files Copied and Exceptions dialogs are now re-sizable.
• Changed: Notification of application running during install can now be cancelled.
• Changed: The "Deploy" button in the context menu for the VS.NET plugin is now below "Build" and "Rebuild"

To update your version of Unleash It (or just plain download it and try it out), go to http://www.eworldui.net/UnleashIt and grab your copy now. Don't forget about the forums that have been setup either! Enjoy all!

Well, after a disaster of a release last week, I've fixed the problem of using VS.NET project files as your source and Directory as your destination. I think that it's come to the point where I need a set of good beta testers. Unleash It has grown to the point where this is needed now, as the last 2 releases have shown it.

So, if your interested in becoming a beta tester for Unleash It releases, shoot me an email using the contact form to the left. Your peers and I will graciously appreciate your generosity to testing and finding bugs in one of the best deployment tools out there.

I've released a new version of Unleash It that fixes multiple problems that people were having. Most notably, exclusion of folders when a VS.NET project was the source was not possible. After re-working the code, this is now possible along with being able to view the files / folders to be deployed dialogs.

Changelog:

• Added support for displaying folders / files to include for VS.NET Project Files as the source.
• Added ability to name your FTP profiles.
• Added checking to see if Unleash It is currently running during installation / uninstallation.
• Fixed error when parsing a file mask with an underscore.
• Fixed the logfile button being enabled after a deployment when that profile isn't using logging.
• Fixed mis-spelling of "changed" in the logfile for FTP deployment.
• Fixed directories not being excluded during a VS.NET Project deployment.

So, head on over to http://www.eworldui.net/unleashit to get your latest copy!

Unleash It 2.1 has reached another milestone with many fixes and few additions. There isn't a ton of functionality change, however you should notice a few differences:

1. If you're modifying the configuration file outside of Unleash It (while its running), you will be notified to reload your profiles.

2. A few options are disabled in the VS.NET addin configuration, due to them not being used in the addin.

3. A faster startup time due to optimization as well as only checking for updates once a day.

So, the changelog is as follows (which can also be found here):

• Optimization of code, now starts faster!
• Upgraded to #ziplib 0.81
• Added ability to duplicate profiles.
• Added notification in the Windows Application when the profiles configuration is changed.
• Fixed destination label oversight.
• Fixed VS.NET plugin now correctly loads the configuration.
• Fixed intermitten problems with testing FTP profile settings.
• Fixed delay of file deployment notification in status bar area.

So, if you're currently using Unleash It, you can check for an update and it'll allow you to download version 2.1, otherwise follow this link to my website to download Unleash It.

Update 3: I've diagnosed the problem, fixed it, and a new build is available for download.

"The day has cometh," sayeth the lone developer responsible for easy web deployments...

Unleash It 2.0 has finally reached its pinnacle of functionality, and as such its in due for a release to the public for general consumption (I'm not responsible for anyone eating software (is this even possible? (maybe if you save it to a floppy disk or CD?))).

For those who are not familiar with Unleash It, it is the rebranded utility named WebDeploy. However, Unleash It is not just a rebranded version, its a completely new codebase that has allowed for a multitude of expansion. Taking ideas (and a bit of code) from WebDeploy, Unleash It 2.0 has all of the same features of WebDeploy, but MORE!

Jumping directly into the changes, rather highlights (how can their be changes from a new codebase?):

• Redesigned Windows Application, allowing you to:
• Deploy a single profile or multiple profiles
• Select folder masks that are to be excluded
• Easy profile switching with new profile combobox
• Easy active profile editing
• Redesigned profile configuration dialog (ditched the wizard)
• Redesigned profile management dialog (easier to use now!)
• Easy to deploy a profile from the notification area icon
• Notification Area Icon now alerts you when your deployment has finished
• NEW! Visual Studio .NET 2003 Add-In
• Easy to configure quick deploy profile
• Easy to deploy a selected project (context menu item in the solution explorer)
• NEW! WebDeploy Profile Conversion
• Allows you to convert your existing WebDeploy profiles into Unleash It 2.0 Format!
• New! New website to provide a primary entry point for Unleash It information.
• New! New forums to discuss Unleash It, submit bugs or feature requests.

So, what are you waiting for? Scootch on over to the Unleash It site and download your free copy today!

The naming contest that has entertained me for the last week has finally come to an end. Over 50 name suggestions came through the pipeline, some duplicates, some hilarious, and some just great. However, one name stood out amongst the rest that was just perfect. After having some internal discussions with Jeff, Ryan, and Adam, we all pretty much came to the same conclusion, this was the name.

So, congratulations to Mike Mahon for submitting the winning name. WebDeploy will no longer be called as such, and will be officially known as "Unleash It". I've also been working on a few images for Unleash It, and here is the main logo that I will be using:

While webloggers that love and use Unleash It can support it by using the following image on their weblog/site:

Currently there is no release for Unleash It. I'm working on version 2.0 based off of WebDeploy's source, and won't be out for another week or two. At the same time I'll be launching a place on my site for information on Unleash It so anyone and everyone can see how things are progressing. Linkbacks from the images above should point to the site once it is up, however for right now just link to the Unleash It category on my weblog.

Again, thank you to all who submitted their ideas, and definitely a big congratulations to Mike Mahon for submitting such great ideas.

I just realized that I'll be going out of town this weekend, and as such I won't be able to make my decision until I return. So, because of this circumstance, I will be extending the WebDeploy Naming Contest until Sunday, August 15, 2004 at 11:59 PM CST.

More and more suggestions come in everyday, so don't let your idea get overlooked.

Submit Now! | Get More Info

Just as a reminder, the WebDeploy Re-Naming contest has just under 3 days remaining. I've gotten a lot of great submissions, but more is needed. Remember, the contest ends at 11:59 PM CST on August 1315, 2004. The winner will receive a FREE 1 developer license for my custom controls, along with their fame in the "About" dialog.

So, what are you waiting for? An idea? Need more info or rules?

My constant barrages of updates for WebDeploy has left me releasing yet another version, 1.2.3. Like its predecessor, it is mainly a bug fix version, in the hopes that I'll have a rock solid tool to base my 2.0 distribution off of. This update was aimed at stability of the product, and as such you'll see that reflected in the changelog following this soon.

I do, however, want to take a step back and note this will be the last public release for WebDeploy. I do want to say that the utility is NOT going away, however once it is rebranded after the naming contest ends this Friday, work on version 2.0 will start. The next major release will have a re-written core, user interface, and console version. No major plans have been set for updates, just a system wide cleaning of the code. This means that there will probably not be any breaking changes. More to come on this later.

Anyway, on to the changelog:

• Added ability to have a wild card character of ? to indicate any letter (or none at all) in that spot.
• Added update notes to the notification when a new WebDeploy version is available.
• Fixed exception being thrown when multiple file masks exist but in different cases.
• Fixed problem loading VS.NET project with invalid characters, however those files will be ignored during deployment
• Fixed dialog still being shown when app starts up "minimized". This, unfortunately, allows you to alt-tab to it when "minimized" to the notification area.
• Fixed inability to delete the first file mask in the config section.
• Fixed font size of copied files dialog.

So, until 2.0...here's your link.

So far the naming contest for WebDeploy is going great. Thanks to all who are submitting, they truly are some great pieces of work. There is one addendum to the requirements that I must state:

• If someone submits a duplicate name, and that name is chosen, only the first person who submitted the name will be elected as the winner.

Other than that, I'd also like to state that its pointless to submit the same name multiple times, 1 email will suffice. So, if you've not come up with a name yet...start cracking, you've got 1 week left!