External assembly script functoid troubleshooting tips

A checklist in case its not going well for you:

• Don't use static methods in the external assembly


• If you want to use configuration file data from the assembly, and you're testing the map, put the configuration in devenv.config. Obviously at runtime this should go in btsntsvc.config


• Add a reference to the external assembly in your map project


• Add the assembly to the GAC & remember to refresh the GAC when you test map and deploy


• Use validate map to see the strong name of the assembly you're actually referencing - updating the version number of the assembly is not handled well and often means you're looking for an old dll


• If you've updated the assembly, and can see the changes in the mapper, but they are not in evidence when you test map, restart visual studio


• Dates can come through with the UTC gotcha when being converted to datetime


• XSD wants its dates in YYYY-MM-DD format