ALM - Power Platform Tools for Azure Pipelines

[oml]

Hi,

How do I handle plugin assemblies when packing my solution using the Power Platform Tools?

When I unpack my solution and check-in the files to my DevOps repo the .dll files are exported as ".dll.data.xml" which will not work when using the "Pack Solution" task.

I understand I must somehow "map" the .dll file using this option in the Pack Solution task. But how is this done? Do I need to pack both the solution and the plugin component separately and use the "Add Solution Component" afterward for the plugin part?

Currently, my "Pack Solution" task is failing because it is trying to find the .dll file for my plugin, but the repository only contains the ".dll.data.xml" exported from the "Unpack Solution" task.

So my question is, how do I map this .dll file correctly so my "Pack Solution" task works? 

Unfortunately, the documentation I have found isn't really helping me understand this step. So any help or other posts regarding this is very much appreciated!

 

[parvezghumra]

Hi @oml 

As far as I know the unpack operation will always fully unpack the solution, and for plugin assemblies, this should result in the DLL file as well as it's associated XML config file (which you're referring to). So my guess is that your .gitignore file in your repository is preventing the DLL file from being committed to source control following your unpack operation. I would suggest reviewing your .gitignore file to remove any possible directives that could be causing this behaviour. You can also try reviewing the logs of your unpack and commit tasks/operations to confirm whether the plugin assembly DLL file is produced as a result of the unpack and just not committed because of the .gitignore. Furthermore, you can use the PAC CLI to export the solution file from your environment and unpack it locally without committing to verify this behaviour. The command you need are:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/developer/cli/reference/solution#pac-solution-expor...

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/developer/cli/reference/solution#pac-solution-unpac...

The 'mapping' functionality you're referring to, I believe, is entirely optional (but still good practice). It works on the basis of an XML mapping file which contains directives to instruct the solution packager to replace DLL files and Web Resources in the unpacked output with alternative files (either from source control or build outputs/artifacts, for example), as part of pack/unpack operations. The following page describes how this is done by the 'Solution Packager' but I would expect the Power Platform Build Tools, Power Platform GitHub action and PAC CLI to all follow the same/similar logic: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/customerengagement/on-premises/developer/compress-extr...

[oml]

Thanks a lot for your reply!

I do believe our .dll file is checked-in to our repository. We use TFVC, not git (unfortunately). Anyway, I see our .dll file in our repository like this:

However, as you can see on the screenshot, the DLL file is checked in as an XML file. And this is where I'm getting a little bit confused. Because when I try to run a simple pack solution I get the following error in my pipeline:

[ 'Error: Cannot find required file \'D:\\a\\39\\s\\Trunk\\Main\\ALM\\UnPackedSolution\\FlexPropertyCEBase\\PluginAssemblies\\FlexPropertyCEPlugins-EBBD5D85-9D48-4361-84B1-EF52C21BC95E\\FlexPropertyCEPlugins.dll\'.' ] 

And this somehow makes sense because there are no .dll file at that location, only "FlexPropertyCEPlugins.dll.data.xml"

How do I handle this? 😊

[parvezghumra]

@oml Can you provide a screenshot of the complete expanded contents of the Main\\ALM\\UnPackedSolution\\FlexPropertyCEBase\\PluginAssemblies\\ folder

Can you also provide screenshots of how you have configured your Pack and Unpack tasks so we can understand what values you are specifying for each parameter?

Also have you tried running the pack and unpack commands locally on your computer using the PAC CLI to compare the outputs?

[oml]

Here is our Export and Unpack pipeline:

And here is the repository after unpack and check in:

And now our pack pipeline:

Unpacking the solution locally using PAC tools I do however get this output in my plugin folder:

So using the DevOps Power Platform tools to unpack the solution I don't get the ".dll" file only the "-dll.data.xml". Why is that? Is it suppose to ignore that file in devops?

[parvezghumra]

@oml Are you getting the same behaviour for your other 2 plugin assemblies in the solution?

Can you also share the config of you TFVC - Add New Files and TFVC - Check-in Changes tasks. It definitely feels like these 2 tasks are omitting the DLL from the check-in

[oml]

Yes, in DevOps it's the same behaviour 

Here is the add files:

and here is the check in step (Im pretty sure we do not have any ignore files):

[parvezghumra · Accepted solution]

@oml What URL does the LINK button on the "Apply LocalItem Exclusions" tooltip take you? According to this the `tf add` command ignores files "such as .DLL files" by default!

So I would firstly try unchecking this box in the "Add New Files" task. Also check if there are any additional settings/options in the 'Control Options' section.

If this doesn't resolve the issue, then you need to introduce .tfignore files in your repository to unignore .DLL files. Details here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/repos/tfvc/add-files-server?view=azure-devops&redirec...

[oml]

Adding the .tfignore and unignore .dll files fixed the missing dll file after check in.

My pack solution pipeline now fails with another error: "Error: RootComponent validation failed." So I need to look into what this is.

If I download the unpacked solution files from DevOps repo to my local machine and run the pack solution using the PAC CLI I get the same error locally.

[parvezghumra]

@oml Can you review the output log of your TFVC - Add New Files and TFVC-Checkin changes tasks to ensure these are committing all files and not omitting some other files?

Also try exporting and unpacking your solution locally using PAC CLI and compare the files that this generates vs the files that are committed by your export and unpack pipeline. I think there are more files being omitted. So you probably need to .tfignore file to unignore everything in the directory where solutions are unpacked.