Adding Unit Tests to Azure Pipeline

Adding Unit Tests to Your Azure DevOps Pipeline

Looking to make my Azure DevOps pipeline more efficient, I wanted to start with just auto running my Unit Tests by adding a task that focuses on running dotnet test in the build stage before deployment.

Updating azure-pipelines.yml

Below is an updated azure-pipelines.yml file:

trigger:
  branches:
    include:
      - main  # Runs on main branch push

pool:
  name: Default  

stages:
- stage: Build
  displayName: 'Build and Test .NET API'
  jobs:
  - job: Build
    steps:
    - checkout: self  

    - task: UseDotNet@2
      inputs:
        packageType: 'sdk'
        version: '8.x'
        includePreviewVersions: true  

    - script: |
        dotnet build --configuration Release
      displayName: 'Build with .NET'

    - script: |
        dotnet test FD.Tests --configuration Release --logger trx --results-directory $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/TestResults
      displayName: 'Run Unit Tests'

    - task: PublishTestResults@2
      inputs:
        testResultsFormat: 'VSTest'
        testResultsFiles: '**/*.trx'
        searchFolder: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/TestResults'
      condition: always()
      displayName: 'Publish Test Results'

    - script: |
        dotnet publish -c Release -o $(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/myapp
      displayName: 'dotnet publish'

    - task: PublishBuildArtifacts@1
      inputs:
        pathToPublish: '$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)/myapp'
        artifactName: 'drop'

- stage: Deploy
  displayName: 'Deploy to Azure Web App'
  dependsOn: Build
  jobs:
  - job: Deploy
    steps:
    - task: DownloadBuildArtifacts@0
      inputs:
        buildType: 'current'
        artifactName: 'drop'
        downloadPath: '$(System.ArtifactsDirectory)'

    - task: AzureWebApp@1
      inputs:
        appType: webApp      
        azureSubscription: '$(azSub)'
        appName: 'FoodDiary'
        package: '$(System.ArtifactsDirectory)/drop'
        deploymentMethod: 'zipDeploy'

Explanation of Key Steps

1. Run Unit Tests (dotnet test)
   • The command dotnet test FD.Tests --logger trx runs unit tests in the FD.Tests project and outputs results in .trx format.
2. Publish Test Results (PublishTestResults@2)
   • Ensures test results appear in Azure DevOps UI, even if tests fail (condition: always() ensures execution regardless of test outcome).
3. Build and Deploy
   • The build process compiles the application, runs tests, publishes artifacts, and deploys them to an Azure Web App.

Conclusion

Integrating unit tests into your Azure DevOps pipeline helps maintain code reliability by catching issues before deployment. By automating this process, you ensure a smoother development workflow and improved application stability.