Azure DevOps Pipeline Fails DLL From Other Project Not Found

Admin 1
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Good day,

Task

Setup an Azure DevOps Pipeline for an ASP .NET Core 3.1 API project.

Context

  • Both projects and the solution are located in GitHub not Azure DevOps Git. Each of the projects is in a separate repository. Could that be the problem?
  • Pipeline created with Visual Studio 2019 while creating a deployment profile for the project to publish to Azure App Service.
  • The API project depends on a separate project containing only a class with business logic. Both of these projects started out in the same solution.
  • I can compile the solution locally with zero errors.

Problem

The pipeline step that builds the project is failing due to the business logic DLL not being found. All prior steps are succeeding. This is a default pipeline created through setting up an Azure App Service publish profile for the project in Visual Studio 2019.

What I've Tried

  • First, I've double checked that my project dependency references are correct. The API project depends on the DLL and the project build order is correct. The DLL project has no dependencies.
  • After trying the pipeline with both projects under one solution, I quickly removed the DLL project from the solution, leaving only the API project. I then tried various means to include the DLL in the API project using an assembly dependency and by manually browsing and selecting the DLL adding a project reference.
  • I've tried adding an MS Build step in the API project file that copies out the DLL to the output directory. I've also selected the DLL and enabled the Copy Local property.

With the DLL project in and not in the solution the DLL is reporting as not found during the build step in the pipeline's log.

Logs

reference:C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\dotnet\packs\Microsoft.NETCore.App.Ref\3.1.0\ref\netcoreapp3.1\System.Xml.XPath.XDocument.dll /reference:C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\dotnet\packs\Microsoft.NETCore.App.Ref\3.1.0\ref\netcoreapp3.1\WindowsBase.dll /debug+ /debug:portable /filealign:512 /optimize+ /out:obj\Release\netcoreapp3.1\ts3mpeccn.API.dll /ruleset:"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\Team Tools\Static Analysis Tools\\Rule Sets\MinimumRecommendedRules.ruleset" /target:exe /warnaserror- /utf8output /deterministic+ /langversion:8.0 /analyzer:C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\dotnet\sdk\3.1.403\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web\analyzers\cs\Microsoft.AspNetCore.Analyzers.dll /analyzer:C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\dotnet\sdk\3.1.403\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web\analyzers\cs\Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Analyzers.dll /analyzer:C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\dotnet\sdk\3.1.403\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web\analyzers\cs\Microsoft.AspNetCore.Components.Analyzers.dll Controllers\Name.cs Dto\NameDto.cs Program.cs Startup.cs "obj\Release\netcoreapp3.1\.NETCoreApp,Version=v3.1.AssemblyAttributes.cs" obj\Release\netcoreapp3.1\ts3mpeccn.API.AssemblyInfo.cs /warnaserror+:NU1605
2020-10-19T04:42:17.9436652Z          Using shared compilation with compiler from directory: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\MSBuild\Current\Bin\Roslyn
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0045432Z ##[error]src\ts3mpeccn.API\Controllers\Name.cs(6,7): Error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'redexpanse' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0067383Z      2>Controllers\Name.cs(6,7): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'redexpanse' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [D:\a\1\s\src\ts3mpeccn.API\ts3mpeccn.API.csproj]
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0076796Z ##[error]src\ts3mpeccn.API\Controllers\Name.cs(15,26): Error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'GivenFemaleName' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0081303Z      2>Controllers\Name.cs(15,26): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'GivenFemaleName' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [D:\a\1\s\src\ts3mpeccn.API\ts3mpeccn.API.csproj]
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0087384Z ##[error]src\ts3mpeccn.API\Controllers\Name.cs(17,26): Error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'MiddleFemaleName' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0090430Z      2>Controllers\Name.cs(17,26): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'MiddleFemaleName' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [D:\a\1\s\src\ts3mpeccn.API\ts3mpeccn.API.csproj]
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0097898Z ##[error]src\ts3mpeccn.API\Controllers\Name.cs(18,26): Error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'Surname' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?)
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0103126Z      2>Controllers\Name.cs(18,26): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'Surname' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [D:\a\1\s\src\ts3mpeccn.API\ts3mpeccn.API.csproj]
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0245483Z      2>Done Building Project "D:\a\1\s\src\ts3mpeccn.API\ts3mpeccn.API.csproj" (default targets) -- FAILED.
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0341165Z      1>Done Building Project "D:\a\1\s\ts3mpeccn.API.sln" (default targets) -- FAILED.
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0377210Z 
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0378012Z Build FAILED.
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0564873Z 
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0587067Z        "D:\a\1\s\ts3mpeccn.API.sln" (default target) (1) ->
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0587820Z        "D:\a\1\s\src\ts3mpeccn.API\ts3mpeccn.API.csproj" (default target) (2) ->
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0588378Z        (ResolveAssemblyReferences target) -> 
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0589398Z          C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Enterprise\MSBuild\Current\Bin\amd64\Microsoft.Common.CurrentVersion.targets(2084,5): warning MSB3245: Could not resolve this reference. Could not locate the assembly "grimlock". Check to make sure the assembly exists on disk. If this reference is required by your code, you may get compilation errors. [D:\a\1\s\src\ts3mpeccn.API\ts3mpeccn.API.csproj]
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0591411Z 
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0591610Z 
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0591831Z        "D:\a\1\s\ts3mpeccn.API.sln" (default target) (1) ->
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0592162Z        "D:\a\1\s\src\ts3mpeccn.API\ts3mpeccn.API.csproj" (default target) (2) ->
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0592467Z        (CoreCompile target) -> 
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0592970Z          Controllers\Name.cs(6,7): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'redexpanse' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [D:\a\1\s\src\ts3mpeccn.API\ts3mpeccn.API.csproj]
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0593789Z          Controllers\Name.cs(15,26): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'GivenFemaleName' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [D:\a\1\s\src\ts3mpeccn.API\ts3mpeccn.API.csproj]
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0594630Z          Controllers\Name.cs(17,26): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'MiddleFemaleName' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [D:\a\1\s\src\ts3mpeccn.API\ts3mpeccn.API.csproj]
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0595608Z          Controllers\Name.cs(18,26): error CS0246: The type or namespace name 'Surname' could not be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?) [D:\a\1\s\src\ts3mpeccn.API\ts3mpeccn.API.csproj]
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0596153Z 
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0596354Z     1 Warning(s)
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0596505Z     4 Error(s)
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0596613Z 
2020-10-19T04:42:21.0596781Z Time Elapsed 00:00:05.70
2020-10-19T04:42:21.2457357Z ##[error]Process 'msbuild.exe' exited with code '1'.
2020-10-19T04:42:21.3396283Z ##[section]Finishing: Build solution ts3mpeccn.API.sln

This log is taken from the last pipeline run on Azure DevOps.

What else can I provide to help figure this out?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

Note: Just found this link: Add reference to Common project Azure DevOps Build Pipeline. Am testing and have updated my question.

Jason
jas@red-expanse.com

asp.net-core azure-devops visual-studio .net c#
2 Answers

These problems are generally solved with a package management solution.

Try packaging your dll into a nuget package.

  1. Create the nuget file in your second office
  2. Setup a pipeline that creates said package
  3. Upload your package to a local nuget server (devops provides such solution
user_16436760

Solution / Not Really

While not ideal, I just experimented with using Azure's Git and this time I'm not seeing the build errors.

  • Created Project A in Azure DevOps.
  • Created Project B in Azure DevOps.
  • Pushed test code to each project's repo now on Azure's Git.
  • Visual Studio solution has Project A native and then Project B added as an existing project.
  • Pushed new change to Project A.
  • Pipeline build succeeded.

Was toying with idea of switching off GitHub anyways so I can use commit tags with Azure DevOps; this just pushed me to do that sooner than later.

I am also playing with creating a Nuget package of Project B but I'm fresh new to Nuget and what tutorials I find are not for a newbie like me. :/

While I don't have a good explanation or solution, I am able to move forward with my own project. I apologize to future readers for not having a better answer. :/

My only hunch is that Azure has magic to know how to see related projects in its own Git that it doesn't have to be able to see different repositories in GitHub.

Admin1
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