BUG: Build May Hang with Pre-Build Rules that Prompt User

ID: Q195159

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

If you put batch commands into a Pre or Post-Build Command, in the Project Properties Custom tab, that prompt the user for input, your build will appear to hang as the batch command waits for user input.

There is no way to pass user input back into the build process, so the build session must be canceled from the Build menu, and the Pre or Post- Build batch command modified so that it does not prompt for user input.

To reproduce this error, you can add the Pre-Build batch command: 

   xcopy *.* .\nonExistantDirectory
This command will prompt the user for information (visible in the Output window). The build will not be able to continue from that point. Note that is this command is in a Pre-Build rule, your project will not be built before the build hangs. If this command is in a Post-Build rule, your project will be successfully built, but the build process will not complete and will need to be canceled.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

REFERENCES

For the latest Knowledge Base articles and other support information on Visual J++ and the SDK for Java, see the following pages on the Microsoft Technical Support site: 

   http://support.microsoft.com/support/visualj/ 
   http://support.microsoft.com/support/java/
(c) Microsoft Corporation 1998, All Rights Reserved. Contributions by Steve Horne, Microsoft Corporation.

Additional query words: 

Keywords          : kbVJ600bug 
Version           : WINDOWS:6.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbpending

Last Reviewed: November 5, 1998