Use when validating Azure DevOps pipeline changes for the VS Code build. Covers queueing builds, checking build status, viewing logs, and iterating on pipeline YAML changes without waiting for full CI runs.
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The azure-pipelines skill helps validate Azure DevOps pipeline changes for the VS Code build without waiting for a full CI run. When editing the pipeline YAML under build/azure-pipelines/, it lets a contributor queue builds, check status, view logs, cancel runs, and iterate locally through the Azure CLI, avoiding the slow loop of pushing changes, waiting for CI, and checking results.
Prerequisites are the Azure CLI, the azure-devops extension, and authentication via az login with defaults configured to the monacotools organization and the Monaco project. The main VS Code build is pipeline definition ID 111, and two Insider builds run on a schedule (roughly 7 AM and 7 PM CET) against main using the same definition. Operations are driven by an azure-pipeline.ts helper script with queue, status, and cancel subcommands. Queue accepts options such as --branch, --definition, --parameter (repeatable, and required when a value contains spaces), --parameters, and --dry-run, and the guidance recommends cancelling any superseded builds on the same branch before queueing a new one to free build agents.
A detailed table documents the product-build queue parameters, including VSCODE_QUALITY, VSCODE_BUILD_TYPE, the per-platform VSCODE_BUILD_* toggles, VSCODE_PUBLISH, VSCODE_RELEASE, and VSCODE_STEP_ON_IT to skip tests, so a contributor can run a lightweight CI-oriented validation with publish and release side effects turned off. Status supports monitoring by build ID or branch, a watch mode that polls until completion, and log or artifact downloads; the testing workflow is simply to queue a build and then poll for completion.
The Azure CLI, the azure-devops extension, and authentication via az login, with defaults configured to organization monacotools and project Monaco.
The main VS Code build pipeline, which uses organization monacotools, project Monaco, and definition ID 111; the same definition also runs the scheduled Insider builds on main.
Run the azure-pipeline.ts helper with the queue subcommand; you can pass options like --branch, --parameter (repeatable, required for values with spaces), --parameters, and --dry-run.
Yes. Queue parameters let you set VSCODE_STEP_ON_IT to skip tests and turn off VSCODE_PUBLISH and VSCODE_RELEASE for a lightweight CI-oriented validation with minimal side effects.
Use the status subcommand, optionally with --watch to poll every 30 seconds (or a custom interval) until the build completes, and --download-log or --download-artifact to fetch outputs to /tmp.
Quick Setup:
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microsoft/vscode