Simply, I have created multiple builds in Main Branch. However, BuildDetails.BuildNumber is same and incrementing.
I know if I branch my code, it would reset to 1.
Q: Is it possible to reset this number for each build without creating branches?
Update: The only option I find up till now is to save my BuildNumber in Version.txt, checked into TFS repository. Checkout this during build, get the number, increment it, use it in versioning, and Checkin the file. However, still looking for some better solution.
A bit unclear on what you're after. Let me try to explain how build numbers work:
Build "numbers" are generated using the Build Number Format build definition parameter, which by default is $(BuildDefinitionName)_$(Date:yyyyMMdd)$(Rev:.r). The $(Rev:.r) part automatically increments, and resets back to 1 when the day change (all this happens separately for each build definition). AFAIK there's no way to reset $(Rev:.r), nor should there be, because that would case multiple builds with the same build number, which would be confusing.
Rather than having your version number stored in source control you can use the build number generated by TFS.
If you change the format from "$(BuildDefinitionName)_$(Date:yyyyMMdd)$(Rev:.r)" to something like "$(BuildDefinitionName)_1.5.$(YY)$(ddd)$(Rev:.r)" then you can set it as part of the build definition.
You can then parse out this number and use it to version your application, and change it how you like by branch, or whatever.
Related
We have a process we worked out with our XAML builds that used the TFS change set number in the name of the individual builds. We are trying to convert some of these builds to the new build system on TFS 2015 and running into issues getting change set into the build name.
If we use $(Build.SourceVersion)$(Rev:.r) in the Build Number Format field of the build definition, we get an output of C12345.1 on a triggered build, but then .1 on a manually queued build. We would expect to see C12345.2. Lots of research boils down to, $(Build.SourceVersion) has to be manually entered when the build is queued in order for it to be populated when the Build Number is calculated.
Ok, so we dropped into PowerShell to try to manipulate the build numbers. Once in the PowerShell task, Build.SourceVersion is populated with the correct value. We tried having the Build Number Format of the definition just be $(rev:r), which allowed us to get it in PowerShell, combined it with the Source Version value, and using the result to update the build number via the logging command Write-Host "##vso[build.updatebuildnumber]"$buildVersion. This gives us an output of 12345.1 on both the triggered and manual builds, but rev:r never increments, since there are no builds matching the pattern found in the Build Number Format at the time it is calculated. So manually queuing the builds ends up with any number of them that have the exact same name.
Does anyone have a recipe for getting a build name that reliably contains the Source Version and Revision values where everything increments correctly for both triggered and manual builds?
No, It's not able to do this. You need to understand the token $(Rev:.r) first:
What is $(Rev:.rr)?
To ensure that every completed build has a unique name. When a build
is completed, if nothing else in the build number has changed, the Rev
integer value is incremented by one.
Source:MSDN
In your scenario you set the build number format as $(Build.SourceVersion)$(Rev:.r), if the value of $(Build.SourceVersion)changed, then the value of $(Rev:.r) will not be incremented, it will always keep "1". Only the value of $(Build.SourceVersion) keep the same, then $(Rev:.r) will be incremented.
Besides, based on my test, the variable $(Build.SourceVersion) in build number format is only available when builds were triggered automatically on commit/checkin (on Continuous integration). It can not be resolved when you queue build manually and keep the Source Version field as empty (by default it will get the latest version). So, if you queue build manually, then you need to specify the specific Source Version (e.g C458) in the queue build dialog.
However if you want to set the builds name as incremental ones, you can update the build number manually with the REST API:
PATCH http://server:8080/tfs/Collection/Project/_apis/build/builds/{buildId}?api-version=2.0
Content-Type: application/json
{
"buildNumber": "TEST.20170123.1"
}
So after much research and trial & error this is the closest we managed to come to our desired output...
The Build number format is set to $(Build.SourceVersion).$(Build.BuildId) in the configuration.
We use a powershell script to parse the Assembly File, Source Version, and Build Id to come up with a full 4 part version number in the form of Major.Minor.ChangeSet.BuildId.
We push this new version number back to our build number using Write-Host "##vso[build.updatebuildnumber]"$buildNumber
We also used the Assembly Info step to push this calculated version number back to the actual build process, so that the DLLs come out with the same version number as the build.
This gets us a version number that is unique for each build, and points back to specific a particular state of the source, which was the priority. What we lose is the nicely incrementing build numbers that reset with each change. Instead we have a number that increments for every build that occurs anywhere in the system, and never resets.
The New TFS Build System (vNext) does not come with a versioning function "out-of-the-box" so, to supply that, there are tutorials such as this one:
http://incyclesoftware.com/2015/06/vnext-build-awesomeness-managing-version-numbers/
Where you can see that Microsoft actually supports this with an example Azure Script: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/vs/alm/build/scripts/index
So far so good. However, by following those exact steps, my build number now has the REV value stuck at 1. That is, no matter how many builds I do in a row, they all have the "01" stuck at the end.
If I remove the specific "Build Number Format" command (Edit Build Definition > General > Build Number Format), that is:
$(BuildDefinitionName)_$(MajorVersion).$(MinorVersion).$(Year:yy)$(DayOfYear)$(Rev:.rr)
it does increment the version but with the default numbering that TFS2015 uses for builds.
As far as I understood, the REV value increments automatically, so much that there is no possible way of changing it, as we can see in this SO Question: TFS 2015 vNext force build number
So, my question is as follows: is there a parameter that is not listed or missing somewhere that actually prevents the Rev value from increasing? Maybe is there a problem on my installation?
Please note that this happens within the same day, so the rest of the build name does not change in order to justify it remaining at "01".
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
There is a known issue with VSTS and TFS 2015 where the revision counter doesn't increase when certain special characters are part of the name of the build definition. E.g. [].
You must make sure all the value of your build name except the rev:.rr are all the same.
If nothing else in the build number has changed, the rev integer value is incremented by one. Otherwise, the rev value won't change. So please double check the name of your builds, if the rev value have "01" stuck at the end and nothing else changed with the other values of the build number, it's impossible. If it exists, please add the screenshot, this maybe a bug.
We have our projects configured with MSBuild script customization to modify the ApplicationVersion property in the project and copy that into the AssemblyInfo.cs file when the project builds. The problem is that we have TFS set up to run on a nightly schedule, with "Build even if nothing has changed since the previous build" unchecked. But since TFS itself is producing this version update, it will rebuild and increment every night. So this is sort of an infinite loop of our own design, but trying to figure out how to get out of it.
If the "changed since the previous build" detection is based on the history timestamp, ideally it'd be nice if when the version gets updated and commits to TFS it does it with a timestamp that precedes the build time. Is that even possible?
If the "changed since the previous build" detection is based on some boolean/bit flag, is there a way to reset it?
Using TFS 2012.
I'm assuming that you're checking in the new version of the assemblyinfo.cs once it's been updated, and this is why TFS is queuing a new build. Have you tried adding a comment to the checkin of ***NO_CI*** This will definitely suppress a CI build but I'm not 100% certain if it will work in your scenario.
Another option is generating the version number via an algorithm rather then just incrementing a counter and checking it back in to Version Control. This circumvents the issue of a new build being triggered
i.e if your version number looks something like
1.2.3.4
Where 1 is Major (modified by a human not the build process)
2 is minor (also modified by a human)
the final 2 digits are then updated by an automated process.
You could use number of days since January 2000 for digit 3 (an arbitrary number but something that would change on a daily basis) and either the latest changeset number in Version Control or the total number of builds performed by TFS for digit 4.
This would fulfill 2 requirements, that version numbers are unique for a given build of an assembly, they always go up.
I would suggest that you don't check the new version number into TFS. There is no value in having the version number in there.
I typically set the checked in assembly info numbers to all zeros. ( 0.0.0.0) and never update them except locally for the build.
This gives you the benefit of always being able to identify locally built DLLs.
I have a Build Definition to build a solution on my TFS.
This works well, but it always builds the latest version.
How can I force to build a specific changeset from the past?
How can I use/pass this number to the "MSBuild Arguments" to use it there for deployment?
When you queue up the build from Team Explorer, in the Parameters tab one of the Advanced arguments is get version.
Note: I think you need to specify this in the form C123 where 123 is the changeset number.
The answer to your first question is clearly what #Dylan has stated.
To your second part:
The important argument is GetVersion.
Navigate to activity "Run MSBuild for Project" within your Build Process Template, by default this has a value CommandLineArguments equal to
String.Format("/p:SkipInvalidConfigurations=true {0}", MSBuildArguments)
You can change it to something like
String.Format("/p:SkipInvalidConfigurations=true {0} /p:DeployIisAppPath=/changeset/{1}", MSBuildArguments, GetVersion)
and get where you need to go.
If you use the changeset number, then it will only make sense for CI builds, since they typically build a single changeset.
For any other kind of build, I recommend using the build ID, which is unique, and covers the case of a build that builds multiple changesets.
I have automatic build numbering setup, based on build date/name, using approach proposed by John Robbins from Wintellect described here. So the version/resource file is automatically created on build time but not checked-in.
I wonder how to approach a problem of rebuilding historical versions (based on labels) and having the original build number/name in them. Is it possible to detect 'GetVersion' parameter of MSBuild and try to recreate the original build name from it?
Is it a sane approach anyway? What alternatives do you see?
It's not easy to build a specific changeset (though possible, if you pass the changeset number into your build script and modify the "Get Latest" portion of the build).
However, one easier way of handling this is to create a branch of your code. You can branch at a specific date or changeset, which will create a copy of code from that point in time. Your build scripts can then be pointed at this code.
With respect to your versioning problem: you may find that the only sensible way to do this is to hardcode the required version number. My understanding of your version numbering strategy is that it doesn't relate to anything you can derive from the source (such as the changeset number, date, or file content), and it isn't checked in - so re-calculating it will be pretty complicated!
You ask question Rebuilding historical builds but it actually Rebuilding historical change Set or label, I know what you mean but I am trying to tell you what I need to say, so I don't see that we need to build a label with the specific name the label or change set can has many build as needed and since we use the date and time in the build number it will more realistic to has the current time and date the build was taken instead of old one
Thanks
M.Radwan