Apply element manifest without re-activating feature

Question

I have a feature module which consists of an XML file which adds ConsoleNodes to the Site Actions menu. To test it, it seems I must compile the package, deploy it, activate it, etc. Since this is very time consuming, I am hoping there is a better workflow.

Is there a way to get changes to the ConsoleNode XML to show up in SharePoint without going through this entire process?

I've tried modifying the XML file in the 14\Template\Features[FeatureName] folder directly, as well as using the CKSDev "Copy To SharePoint root" function, but neither of these cause SharePoint to pick up the changes to the XML.

Answer 1

If you develop the feature with visual studio you can use the debug command which will automatically package, deploy and activate the feature. It also retracts the feature once you stop debugging.

Note that this should never be done against a production server.