Azure DevOps Trigger Build After Pull Request with Pipeline Triggers

In Azure DevOps, pipeline triggers allow you to automate your build process after a pull request is created or updated. This means you can set up your pipeline to automatically build and test your code whenever a developer submits a new pull request.

You can trigger a build after a pull request is created using the "Pull request" trigger in Azure DevOps. This trigger is available in the pipeline settings and allows you to specify the type of pull request that should trigger the build.

To use the "Pull request" trigger, you need to specify the repository and the branch where the pull request is created. This ensures that the build is triggered only when a pull request is created in the specified repository and branch.

By automating the build process after a pull request is created, you can ensure that your code is always built and tested before it's merged into the main branch.

Azure DevOps Pipeline Triggers are an automated mechanism for initiating pipelines precisely when needed. They offer flexibility to configure pipelines to respond to internal or external events or to run on a scheduled basis, ensuring tasks are executed at optimal times.

Azure Pipelines support several types of pipeline triggers, each designed to handle different scenarios. These include Webhook Triggers, Pull Request Triggers, and others.

To trigger a build and test on a pull request in Azure DevOps, you can set a policy requiring changes in a pull request to build successfully with the protected branch before the pull request can be completed. This ensures that code changes are tested before they are merged into the main branch.

Here are the types of pipeline triggers in Azure DevOps:

Azure Pipelines Triggers offer an automated mechanism for initiating pipelines precisely when needed, empowering users to adopt their DevOps workflows efficiently and automate their Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) processes.

Azure Pipelines supports several types of pipeline triggers, each designed to handle different scenarios. There are 7 types of Azure Pipeline Triggers, each with its own use case.

To use webhook triggers in Azure Pipelines, you need to create a webhook in the external service that will notify Azure Pipelines when the event occurs. This trigger allows you to automatically trigger pipeline runs based on external events, such as changes to a GitHub repository or a new Docker image being pushed to a container registry.

The Pull Request trigger is used to automatically build and test code changes that are submitted through pull requests. This trigger ensures that any code changes are tested before they are merged into the main branch.

To trigger a build and test on a pull request in Azure DevOps, you can set a policy requiring changes in a pull request to build successfully with the protected branch before the pull request can be completed. This setting will trigger the build pipeline that you set, only after the build is successful, the PR will be allowed to complete.

Azure Pipelines triggers can be configured to run on a scheduled basis, ensuring that tasks are executed at the optimal times. This is commonly referred to as Continuous Integration (CI) or Continuous Build (CB).

Here are the 7 types of Azure Pipeline Triggers, along with their use cases:

In this demo, we create a new branch and intentionally break the unit test by removing a null and empty check for the last name.

We make the unit test fail, which causes the build to fail, and this failure is visible in the pull request.

The build failure prevents us from completing the merge, and we have to fix the code to pass the build before we can merge.

Fortunately, the "build failed" panel provides a link to the build, where we can determine what caused the pull request build to fail.

The Pull Request Trigger is a powerful tool in Azure Pipelines that allows you to automatically build and test code changes submitted through pull requests.

This trigger ensures that any code changes are tested before they are merged into the main branch, which helps prevent bugs and errors from making it into production.

To use the Pull Request trigger, you'll need to configure it in your pipeline settings, which can be done by going to the "All runs" page and filtering the list of runs by status, date range, and other criteria to find the specific runs you're interested in.

The Pull Request trigger is commonly used in DevOps workflows to adopt efficient automation of Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) processes, and it's a key part of implementing Continuous Integration (CI) or Continuous Build (CB) in your pipeline.

This trigger is designed to handle different scenarios, and it's one of the 7 types of Azure Pipeline Triggers supported by Azure Pipelines.

To protect your master branch, you can create a new branch policy by going to Project settings –> Repositories –> Policies –> Branch policies and clicking the + button.

Create a new Branch Policy by selecting “Protect current and future branches matching a specified pattern” and entering master as the branch name. This will prevent direct pushes to the master branch.

Add a Pull Request Policy for the master branch by configuring the branch policies menu. You'll need to specify the required policies, such as build validation, which will kick off immediately after the pull request is created.

If your pull request fails due to a failing test, no linked work item, or unresolved comments, you won't be able to complete it. You'll need to fix the issues, link a work item, and resolve the comments before you can complete the pull request.

To enable pull request build in Azure Repos, configure branch policy for the target branch, in this case, the master branch. This will allow you to set rules for the branch, such as requiring pull requests and specifying the number of reviewers needed.

To add a pull request build policy, click “+ Add build policy” on the branch policies page. This will enable the build validation for pull requests targeting the master branch.

The Azure DevOps API is a powerful tool for automating tasks and integrating with other services. It allows you to access and manipulate data, including build definitions and pull requests.

You can use the API to trigger a build after a pull request is created or updated. This is done by sending a POST request to the /_apis/build/builds endpoint.

The API supports various authentication methods, including personal access tokens and OAuth. This makes it easy to secure your API calls and ensure that only authorized users can trigger builds.

To trigger a build, you'll need to specify the build definition ID and the pull request ID in the request body. This will initiate the build process and allow you to automate your CI/CD pipeline.

The Azure DevOps API is a REST-based API, which means you can use standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, and PUT to interact with it. This makes it easy to work with the API using tools like curl or Postman.

To configure Azure DevOps for automatic builds after a pull request, you need to set up a build pipeline. This pipeline will be triggered by the pull request event.

Azure DevOps allows you to create a build pipeline from scratch or by importing an existing one. You can also use the Azure DevOps wizard to guide you through the process.

A build pipeline consists of multiple stages, each with its own set of tasks. In the context of a pull request, the pipeline will typically include a stage for building and testing the code.

The build pipeline can be triggered by a variety of events, including pull requests, commits, and manual triggers. You can choose which events trigger your pipeline in the Azure DevOps interface.

Azure DevOps provides a range of build agents to choose from, including hosted agents and self-hosted agents. Hosted agents are cloud-based and managed by Microsoft, while self-hosted agents are installed on your own infrastructure.

You can configure your build pipeline to run on a specific agent or pool of agents, depending on your needs. This allows you to tailor your pipeline to your specific requirements.

The Azure DevOps interface allows you to view and manage your build pipeline, including its stages, tasks, and triggers. You can also view the build history and logs to diagnose any issues.