Is it possible to use an msbuild task to build a smart device project into a cab file for deployment.
I've seen a couple of pages on the web:
http://guystarbuck.blogspot.com/#115584006223003606
http://blog.opennetcf.com/ctacke/2008/09/18/AutomatingCABFileGenerationWithMSBUILD.aspx
but I can't believe that you have to go to that much trouble for something that should be simple!
Thanks.
It is that difficult and, yes, that is lame.
You can use CAB42 in order to automate the build process of device CAB-files. This tool is great when using at build servers and automated processes where it is necessary with multiple CAB-file configurations for example. The tool gives you options to define your own configurations for CAB-packages and executes the necessary msbuild commands accordingly.
Summary
CAB42 is a graphical tool to quickly setup and build multiple CAB files with diferent configurations for Windows Mobile smart devices.
About
I use CAB42 to build Microsoft Mobile .CAB files with different profiles and settings. Also, cabwiz.exe is a PITA to configure when you want to dynamically include files in various directories relative to your output as all files must be explicitly be included with a absolute file path.