How to automate Visual Studio tasks following SVN update?

Question

I have several Visual Studio web application projects that include SVN externals. When a new file is added to an external module, VisualSVN brings it down to the file system, but doesn't add it to the Visual Studio project; it has to be manually added.

I might write a macro to automate this process, and I'm wondering if I can make it a one-step process by either:

1. Having the macro initiate the VisualSVN update, then do the work (Q: Is it possible to trigger a VisualSVN update from a macro?)
2. Hooking into a hypothetical "post-update" event from VisualSVN to fire a macro to do the work (Q: Does such an event exist?)

Answer 1

I assume you are currently working like this: your "external modules" are just a loose collection of source files without a project file. Whenever a source file is added, you update all your application project files by adding the new source file, so that it is compiled into all the application assemblies.

I think you are doing it wrong. Your project solution file should contain a reference to a separate visual studio project file for each external. Each source file should be compiled into exactly one assembly.

For example, you might have a C# library shared between multiple web applications. This library has its own .csproj project file, which lives in the external location. If a source file is added to the library, the .csproj is updated. The updated .csproj file is then pulled it via an svn:externals declaration when you update your project.