AzureDevOps Duplicate dist folder in pipelines build ? Why? - azure-devops

Question

There is a duplication of a dist folder in the artifacts produced by the AzureDevOps -> Pipelines, the duplication is the /dist folder and also /drop/dist folder. EDIT: Full azure-pipeline.yml file
# Node.js with Angular
# Build a Node.js project that uses Angular.
# Add steps that analyze code, save build artifacts, deploy, and more:
# https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/devops/pipelines/languages/javascript
# Major modification referencing
# https://dev.to/thisdotmedia/continuously-integrating-angular-with-azure-devops-2k9l
trigger:
- master
pool:
vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'
steps:
- task: NodeTool#0
inputs:
versionSpec: '10.x'
displayName: 'Install Node.js'
# Build angular app area
- script: npm install
displayName: 'npm install'
- script: npx ng build --prod
displayName: 'npm build'
# Testing area
- script: npm install puppeteer --save-dev
displayName: 'Installing puppeteer (Headless browser for testing)'
- script: npx ng test --watch=false --codeCoverage=true
displayName: 'Running Tests'
- task: PublishTestResults#2
condition: succeededOrFailed()
inputs:
testResultsFormat: 'JUnit'
testResultsFiles: '**/TEST-*.xml'
displayName: 'Publish Test Results'
# Publishing items
# deploy.psl (Powershell script to deploy)
- task: PublishBuildArtifacts#1
inputs:
PathtoPublish: 'deploy.ps1'
ArtifactName: 'drop'
publishLocation: 'Container'
# Firebase.json
- task: PublishBuildArtifacts#1
displayName: 'Publish Artifact: Firebase.json'
inputs:
PathtoPublish: 'firebase.json'
ArtifactName: 'drop'
publishLocation: 'Container'
# App
- task: PublishBuildArtifacts#1
inputs:
PathtoPublish: 'dist'
ArtifactName: 'drop/dist'
publishLocation: 'Container'
displayName: 'Publish Artifacts'
# Code Coverage Results
- task: PublishCodeCoverageResults#1
condition: succeededOrFailed()
inputs:
codeCoverageTool: 'Cobertura'
summaryFileLocation: '$(Build.SourcesDirectory)/coverage/ng-azure-devops/cobertura-coverage.xml'
displayName: 'Publish Code Coverage Results'
- script: npx ng lint
displayName: 'Code Analysis'
I've tried the using 'drop' as the ArtifactName, which will NOT produce a duplicate folder artifact anywhere. I am very confused on why 'drop/dist' will produce another '/dist' artifact

Answer 1

AzureDevOps Duplicate dist folder in pipelines build ? Why?
I could reproduce this issue on my side.
When we use the publish the artifacts dist folder with ArtifactName: drop/dist, Azure Devops will create a new folder drop first, then publish the artifacts dist folder to that folder drop.
You can get this message from the build log:
Upload '/home/vsts/work/1/s/dist' to file container:
'#/3620698/drop/dist'
However, the drop folder is already present by default. When we publish the dist folder with with ArtifactName: drop/dist, there are two drop folder, then Azure devops will publish dist folder to those two drop folders:
In order to understand this problem more clearly, you could disable the Multi-stage pipelines in the Preview features, then you will get the output:
Obviously, there are two drop folders here, that is the reason why you get the Duplicate dist folder in pipelines build.
So, to resolve this issue, we could change the ArtifactName: drop/dist to ArtifactName: dropTest/dist:
Now, the duplicate dist folder disappears.
Hope this helps.