OpenAccess versions for Custom Modules

Hi Guys,

Please can I make a request, please with all releases of Sitefinity could the OpenAccess version numbers and builds match what is currently out from the OpenAccess team?  The 4.2 release is of course using the same version apart from one difference a ".3" at the end eg 2011.2 713.3 but I can only get  2011.2.713.2 from telerik.com and that is what I am using for my non Sitefinity projects? 

So of course when I upgrade my Sitefinity projects that have custom modules the enchancer fails when I compile obviously because my enhancer is looking for a different version?  I see that you say you worked with a group of select customers to improve the upgrade process, please can you include in that group some clients that use other Telerik products and also create Custom modules as this is now the second release I have had this issue with?  Do I have to keep waiting for the SDK to be released before I can rectify?

Previously I was ok because I could get the OpenAccess Internal Build that matched but this time the version you are using doesn't exist?

Thanks

Hello Sean,

If you navigate to your Sitefinity Downloads section and get the Project Manager you will be able to use the latest version of the Open Access. If you create a sample project using the manager the system will create a new folder called EmptyProject, which will contain a bin folder with all needed assemblies. Please refer to the attached screenshot.

Also we have released the new 4.2 SDK which is available for download from you account page.

Regards,
Victor Velev
the Telerik team

Hi Victor,

Thanks for your email,  unfortunately the Empty Project doesn't do the trick, as I am sure you know, it only has the assemblies to run a project not to compile a project that contains persistent classes.  We have as many as 10 - 20 projects on the go that could be using any different version of OpenAccess, so we use the MSBuild method recommended by Telerik to compile our projects so that they can use different OpenAccess versions, including our Sitefinity Custom Modules.  The Wmpty project doesn't contain the venhance.exe or enchancer.exe files required to compile in this manner.

I appreciate that the SDK is now out which now contains the files we require, but I would like to express a concern that the SDK hasn't always been as prompt as this time so if that is to happen again does this mean that Sitefinity Partners that are creating custom modules must wait longer or could the Empty project also create the required files?

Thanks
Sean

Hi Sean,

We are trying to do our best to release the SDK on time along with the official releases of Sitefinity. We will make note of your comment for our future releases.

Regards,
Victor Velev
the Telerik team

This is an extremely painful issue for me. I was going along good with development, now nothing. 
What are your plans (if any) to fix this now and in the future? 
What is your recommendation? Should i quite using ORM and go to Entity Framework when working with Sitefinity?  

Hello Richard,

The version of Open Access Sitefinity uses is fixed for the current release. The version we use is tested so it doesn`t cause problems and using different version of Open Access than the one supplied with SDK and Sitefinity blank projects will cause compile errors because dependant assemblies require specific version. We release the SDK in the week following the release week. If you don`t want to use open access you can create intra site modules that don`t require open access. Here is a sample module, but such modules that inherit from ModuleBase have different functionality and differ from modules inheriting from ContentModuleBase (like the samples in SDK).

Kind regards,
Stanislav Velikov
the Telerik team

Thanks you very much. I have become very fond of ORM and its visual designer and would hate to lose it.