Cannot update PCF control using Azure Pipelines Build tools

[Anonymous]

Update: this is not only an Azure Pipelines issue. It also happens when we import our unmanaged solution (with the PCF control) manually through make.powerapps.com

We are building Power apps and we are also authoring our own PCF components. We use the Azure Pipelines Power Platform Build Tools to deploy our model-driven Power Apps - and in general it works fine.

However - when we want to use it for our PCF components we are stuck.

What we experience is this:

1. We create our PCF component and we "wrap" it in a "solution" which we deploy. There is nothing else in the solution - it is just a wrapper. The version numbers of both the PCF component and the wrapper solution are updated by our tooling so at import time, both solution and component have fresh, new version numbers in solution file and manifest.
2. When we deploy our solution to a target environment using the Build Tools, we can see that the "embedded" PCF component is not updated after deployment. So we need to first delete the PCF component from the target environment manually before we can deploy using Azure Pipelines.
3. The Power Platform does not give us any indication that the embedded PCF component is not updated.

We would really like to see this fixed - or a work-around provided. It is not optimal to have a manual process in our - otherwise - fully automated ALM process around our Power Apps.

We see these as options:

1. A fix provided that will make sure that the embedded PCF component is also updated (preferred, ofc)
2. Guidance to how use e.g. the Powershell Cmdlets to help us (as far as we can see the feature is not available)

We are more than willing to provide any technical details to help with this.

Thank you 🙂

[microconsulting]

@Anonymous , 

Are you updating version number in manifest file?

Everytime you do a change to PCF component you need to update the version number in manifest file.

Hope this helps 🙂

[Anonymous]

Yes ... we update both the version of the "wrapper solution" (solution.xml) as well as the version number in ControlManifest.xml .

I believe that we are doing everything "by the book" - but it doesn't work.

[microconsulting]

@Anonymous ,

You probably are doing but I just want to double-check. You are running MSBuild before pushing PCF to the environment right?

[DianaBirkelbach]

Hi @Anonymous , 

I have a blog about PCF versioning: https://dianabirkelbach.wordpress.com/2020/12/23/all-about-pcf-versioning/

It seems that you do everything right, but maybe you find some hints in the solution layering.

Does the PCF get updated when you import the solution manually (not by using pipelines).

Did you made changes in the PCF parameters? Do you transport the form too?

Do you update  only the patch of the PCF version, or maybe you change the major/minor?

Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

Hi @DianaBirkelbach 

Thank you for your reply.

Thank you for your link - it was very interesting 🙂

An update:

When my pipeline builds the solution, an unmanaged solution (zip) file is created. When I investigate the result of the build, I can see my changes in the bundle.js file of the control. However when I export the solution (manually or via Azure Pipeline) afterwards from the target environment I can find no trace of the change I made.

To your questions:

Does the PCF get updated when you import the solution manually (not by using pipelines).

No. It does not get updated when I import the unmanaged solution manually. So this is likely not an Azure Pipeline Build Tool issue. Still - super annoying ...

Did you made changes in the PCF parameters? Do you transport the form too?

I have not made changes to any parameters. In my test I am just modifying a piece of text in the PCF component. When the component is built it transpiles (consolidates) the (TypeScript) source code of the control into a "bundle.js"-file. So that particular files is likely the only thing that is changed - apart from the control version number and solution version number.

Do you update  only the patch of the PCF version, or maybe you change the major/minor?

I update the PATCH number only - for both the solution and the control

[DianaBirkelbach]

Hi @Anonymous , 

When you talk about unmanaged solution  as a wrapper containing only the PCF: is it a solution generated using an msbuild (originally created with "pac solution init")? Or is it a solution created in your environment, where you add the component after having it uploaded with "pac pcf push"?

When you have a look in the target environment using the solution layers, do you see 2 versions of the PCF? 

What is the version of the PCF in the target env, and what is the version of the PCF you try to import? You can check them using the solution layers.

[Anonymous]

Hi @DianaBirkelbach 

We use the Azure pipeline to build/package the component. The pipeline step is simply this:

- task: MSBuild@1
  displayName: 'Build solution PumPowerGanttSolution'
  inputs:
    solution: PumPowerGanttSolution
    msbuildArguments: '/t:build /restore /p:configuration=Release'

 This creates a ZIP file with an unmanaged solution spec and our PCF component inside. We import this to our target environment.

About the solution layers:

I go to "Solutions" and click on the "PumPowerGanttSolution"

I click on the ellipsis of the custom control and select "See solution layers"

Here I only see one item

Prior to manual import the versions are these 

Solution: 2.3.83

PCF: 4.5.39

I am uploading a new solution with these versions: (picked from solution.xml and controlmanifest.xml in the ZIP file to import)

Solution: 2.3.84

PCF: 4.5.40

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ImportExportXml version="9.1.0.643" SolutionPackageVersion="9.1" generatedBy="CrmLive">
  <SolutionManifest>
    <UniqueName>PumPowerGanttSolution</UniqueName>
    <Descriptions />
    <Version>2.3.84</Version>
    <!-- Solution Package Type: Unmanaged(0)/Managed(1)/Both(2)-->
    <Managed>0</Managed>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<manifest>
  <control namespace="Projectum" constructor="PowerGantt" version="4.5.40" display-name-key="PowerGantt" description-key="PowerGantt description" control-type="standard" api-version="1.2.3">

The process (in UI) looks like this:

After import I see this:

But when I go to the PCF and look at the solution layers, I see this:

[DianaBirkelbach · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous , 

Thank you for the detailed informations. I've tried to reporduce your issue, and I think I've found the problem.

You import the solution unmanaged, so you need to publish in order to see the changes.

Using the old customizing you get reminded that you need to publish, the new one doesn't ask.

After a "publish" you see PCF version changed in the solution layer.

Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

Wow ... I cannot believe that we missed that one!

Thank you, @DianaBirkelbach  ... I cannot emphasize how much I appreciate your help!

/Jesper