Error while cloning build definitions using REST API - powershell

Question

I am trying to clone all the build definitions in VSTS using powershell REST API method. However, i am facing below error. Sharing the code and error which might be useful.
CODE:
Clear-Host
$buildToCloneName = $buildWeWant
$newBuildName = $buildWeWant-Clone
$user = "xxxxxxx"
$accessToken="xxxxxxxx"
$base64AuthInfo = [Convert]::ToBase64String([Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetBytes(("{0}:{1}" -f $user,$accessToken)))
$env:SYSTEM_TEAMFOUNDATIONCOLLECTIONURI = "https://xxxxx.visualstudio.com/"
$env:SYSTEM_TEAMPROJECTID = "xxxxxxx"
"Getting all bulid definitions"
$allSuitesBuildUrl = "$($env:SYSTEM_TEAMFOUNDATIONCOLLECTIONURI)$($env:SYSTEM_TEAMPROJECTID)/_apis/build/definitions?api-version=2.0"
$allSuitedBuilds = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $allSuitesBuildUrl -Headers #{Authorization=("Basic {0}" -f $base64AuthInfo)}
foreach($buildDetails in $allSuitedBuilds.value){
$buildWeWant = $buildDetails
$buildId = $buildWeWant."id"
[int]$buildIdTest = $null
if(![int]::TryParse($buildId, [ref]$buildIdTest))
{
throw [Exception] "ERROR: NO BUILD ID FOUND"
}
"Getting the exact definition for the build"
# You can see this in the browser using xxxxxxxxxx
$thisBuildDefUrl = "$($env:SYSTEM_TEAMFOUNDATIONCOLLECTIONURI)$($env:SYSTEM_TEAMPROJECTID)/_apis/build/definitions/" + $buildId + "?api-version=2.0"
$thisBuildDefUrl
$thisBuildDef = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $thisBuildDefUrl -Headers #{Authorization=("Basic {0}" -f $base64AuthInfo)}
## Create a name for the clone by prefixing "_Clone" to the build name
"Assigning a new name"
$thisBuildDef.Name = $buildWeWant."id"."_Clone"
"Creating a clone build with name $newBuildName"
$defAsJson = $thisBuildDef | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 100
$newBuildDefUrl = "$($env:SYSTEM_TEAMFOUNDATIONCOLLECTIONURI)$($env:SYSTEM_TEAMPROJECTID)/_apis/build/definitions?api-version=2.0"
$newBuildDef = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $thisBuildDefUrl -Headers #{Authorization=("Basic {0}" -f $base64AuthInfo)} -Method Post -Body $defAsJson -ContentType "application/json" -ErrorAction Stop
$newBuildDefAsJson = $newBuildDef | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 100
$newBuildDefAsJson
"New Build Created"
$newBuildDef.Name
}
ERROR:
Invoke-RestMethod : {"$id":"1","innerException":null,"message":"Value
cannot be null.\r\nParameter name:
definition.Name","typeName":"System.ArgumentNullException, mscorlib,
Version=14.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,
PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089","typeKey":"ArgumentNullException","errorCode":0,"eventId":0}
At line:42 char:24
+ ... wBuildDef = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $thisBuildDefUrl -Headers #{Author ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (System.Net.HttpWebRequest:HttpWebRequest) [Invoke-RestMethod],
WebExceptio n
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : WebCmdletWebResponseException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.InvokeRestMethodCommand

Answer 1

You can prepare the header separately other than that of inline definition
Clear-Host
$buildToCloneName = $buildWeWant
$newBuildName = $buildWeWant-Clone
$user = "xxxxxxx"
$accessToken = "xxxxxxxx"
$base64AuthInfo = [Convert]::ToBase64String([Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetBytes(("{0}:{1}" -f $user, $accessToken)))
$env:SYSTEM_TEAMFOUNDATIONCOLLECTIONURI = "https://xxxxx.visualstudio.com/"
$env:SYSTEM_TEAMPROJECTID = "xxxxxxx"
"Getting all bulid definitions"
$allSuitesBuildUrl = "$($env:SYSTEM_TEAMFOUNDATIONCOLLECTIONURI)$($env:SYSTEM_TEAMPROJECTID)/_apis/build/definitions?api-version=2.0"
$allSuitedBuilds = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $allSuitesBuildUrl -Headers #{Authorization = ("Basic {0}" -f $base64AuthInfo) }
foreach ($buildDetails in $allSuitedBuilds.value) {
$buildWeWant = $buildDetails
$buildId = $buildWeWant."id"
[int]$buildIdTest = $null
if (![int]::TryParse($buildId, [ref]$buildIdTest)) {
throw [Exception] "ERROR: NO BUILD ID FOUND"
}
"Getting the exact definition for the build"
# You can see this in the browser using xxxxxxxxxx
$headers = New-Object "System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary[[String],[String]]"
$headers.Add("Authorization", "Basic $base64AuthInfo")
$headers.Add("Content-Type", "application/json")
$thisBuildDefUrl = "$($env:SYSTEM_TEAMFOUNDATIONCOLLECTIONURI)$($env:SYSTEM_TEAMPROJECTID)/_apis/build/definitions/" + $buildId + "?api-version=2.0"
$thisBuildDefUrl
$thisBuildDef = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $thisBuildDefUrl -Headers $headers
## Create a name for the clone by prefixing "_Clone" to the build name
"Assigning a new name"
$thisBuildDef.Name = $buildWeWant."id"."_Clone"
"Creating a clone build with name $newBuildName"
$defAsJson = $thisBuildDef | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 100
$newBuildDefUrl = "$($env:SYSTEM_TEAMFOUNDATIONCOLLECTIONURI)$($env:SYSTEM_TEAMPROJECTID)/_apis/build/definitions?api-version=2.0"
$newBuildDef = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $thisBuildDefUrl -Headers $headers -Method Post -Body $defAsJson -ContentType "application/json" -ErrorAction Stop
$newBuildDefAsJson = $newBuildDef | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 100
$newBuildDefAsJson
"New Build Created"
$newBuildDef.Name
}