Azure pipeline custom task with an unknown number of inputs

Question

I am creating a custom task for Azure pipeline using TypeScript.

I have defined a filePath input:

{
    "name": "myFile",
    "label": "file to read",
    "type": "filePath",
    "required": true,
    "groupName": "files",
    "helpMarkDown": "file to read",
    "defaultValue": "",
    "visibleRule": "getFile = true"
},

The user is supposed to be able to define an unknown number of paths in the task.

Is there a way to somehow generate the input dynamically in the task in a way that if a user browse a path, the gui will present another filePath input? If there is an option like that, how can I also iterate over them and download all the files to the pipeline?
An alternative to 1 - I can have a simple string input in which I instruct the user to enter several paths. In this scenario how does a user extract the path of the file in the repo without the help of the browse button that the filePath input gives you?

In general you'd set the textbox to multiline and then use the wildcard search support. https://github.com/microsoft/azure-devops-extension-tasks/blob/main/BuildTasks/PackageExtension/task.json#L57-L68 then either use the delimited input: https://github.com/microsoft/azure-devops-extension-tasks/blob/main/BuildTasks/Common/Common.ts#L44-L46 and optionally add wildcard support: https://github.com/microsoft/azure-devops-extension-tasks/blob/main/BuildTasks/Common/Common.ts#L75-L82 — jessehouwing, Jun 23 '21 at 13:45
@jessehouwing the multi line and delimited input is exactly what I was aiming for, but I didn't understand so much the last part with the wild card.. could you please elaborate on that? Also, I am not sure what path does the user is supposed to give in the pipeline.. is there a special folder representing the root folder of the repo? If he has for example a file "myfile.yaml" in the root of the repo, what will be the path he needs to put in the input? — CodeMonkey, Jun 23 '21 at 20:15
Your task can specify a root directory in it's task.json https://github.com/jessehouwing/azure-pipelines-tfvc-tasks/blob/main/tf-vc-checkin/v2/task.json#L217 the paths, by default, are relative from that directory. If a user enters an absolute path, the wokingdirectory prefix is ignored. — jessehouwing, Jun 24 '21 at 12:48
@jessehouwing if you perhaps want to summarize it all to one answer which includes everything you showed me, I'll accept it — CodeMonkey, Jun 25 '21 at 19:28

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 28 '21 at 07:40

Most tasks offer a multi-line textbox (optionally resizable), you can set this in the task.json:

{
      "name": "patternManifest",
      "type": "multiLine",
      "properties": {
        "resizable": true,
        "rows": "1"
      },
      "label": "Manifest file(s)",
      "defaultValue": "vss-extension.json",
      "required": false,
      "helpMarkDown": "Specify the pattern for manifest files. One file per line."
    },

Then in the task itself you use the tl.getDelimitedInput() and pass in the delimiters you want to support, in this task I require them to use newlines \n:

const globsManifest = tl.getDelimitedInput("patternManifest", "\n", false);

The tasklibrary has support for wildcard matching as well, that way people can add *, ** and ? to their inputs and the task will resolve these to actual files, then use the tl.findMatch() option.

            if (vsixFilePattern.indexOf("*") >= 0 || vsixFilePattern.indexOf("?") >= 0) {
                tl.debug("Pattern found in vsixFile parameter.");
                matchingVsixFile = tl.findMatch(process.cwd(), vsixFilePattern);
            }
            else {
                tl.debug("No pattern found in vsixFile parameter.");
                matchingVsixFile = [vsixFilePattern];
            }

The paths are relative by default and use the task's workingdirectory. When none is specified the working directory depends on the context of the task (build vs deploy pipeline):

  "execution": {
    "PowerShell3": {
      "target": "$(currentDirectory)\\TfvcCheckin.v3.ps1",
      "workingDirectory": "$(Build.SourcesDirectory)"
    }
  }

The user can always enter an absolute path instead of a relative one. And they can always add variables like $(Build.SourcesDirectory)\a\b\c to root the path to a predefined location.

Azure pipeline custom task with an unknown number of inputs

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