[Bug]: PipelineInitialize.ps1 is not executed when workspaceCompilation is enabled

[florian-d]

AL-Go version

microsoft/AL-Go-Actions@v9.0

Describe the issue

We use a PipelineInitialize.ps1 script to install ALCops (custom analyzer) during the CI/CD pipeline. Previously, this script was executed on every pipeline run.

After switching to workspaceCompilation, the PipelineInitialize.ps1 script is no longer executed.

Expected behavior

The PipelineInitialize.ps1 script should be executed even when workspaceCompilation is enabled.

Steps to reproduce

Configure a PipelineInitialize.ps1 script (Write Hello World)
Enable workspaceCompilation in the pipeline settings
Observe that the script is skipped

Additional context (logs, screenshots, etc.)

No response

[aholstrup1]

Would it be possible for you to share logs from this test run?

Are you only running compilation in this workflow? Or are you also running tests?

[aholstrup1]

Ah I think I understand now. You're using these steps?
https://alcops.dev/docs/getting-started/cicd/github/#2-create-the-initialization-script

One thing you could do is to run this inside the PrecompileApp script instead. Something like what I have below. It's really the same script but since Precompileapp can be called multiple times (once for apps and once for test apps) I added a check to see if the folder is already present:

# .AL-Go/PreCompileApp.ps1
Param(
    [ValidateSet('app','testApp')]
    [string] $appType,
    [ref] $compilationParams
)

$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"

# Skip when not running in GitHub Actions (e.g. localDevEnv.ps1 / local builds)
$githubActions = $env:GITHUB_ACTIONS
if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($githubActions) -or $githubActions.Trim().ToLowerInvariant() -eq "false") {
    Write-Host "Not running in GitHub Actions. Skipping ALCops analyzer install."
    return
}

$outputPath = Join-Path $env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE ".alcops"

# PreCompileApp runs once per app group (apps + testApps). Skip if analyzers
# are already on disk so we don't re-download for the testApp pass.
if ((Test-Path $outputPath) -and
    @(Get-ChildItem -Path $outputPath -Filter '*.dll' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Count -gt 0) {
    Write-Host "ALCops analyzers already present in $outputPath. Skipping download (appType=$appType)."
    return
}

Write-Host "Installing ALCops analyzers (appType=$appType)..."
Write-Host "  Output path: $outputPath"
Write-Host "  Detect using: $env:artifact"

npx --yes '@alcops/core' download `
    --output $outputPath `
    --detect-using $env:artifact `
    --detect-from bc-artifact

if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
    throw "ALCops download failed with exit code $LASTEXITCODE"
}

Write-Host "ALCops analyzers installed successfully."

Background
With workspace compilation we decided to move the compilation functionality outside of Run-ALPipeline (from BCContainerHelper) and make it something that runs natively in AL-Go. That's part of an effort to try and remove our dependency on Run-ALPipeline. Since PipelineInitilize is an override inside Run-ALPipeline it doesn't fire when you use workspace compilation. Or... At least not until after compilation has already taken place.

The PreCompileApp override does fire though.

[florian-d]

I created a public repository https://github.com/fond-of/bc-workspace-compile-test for testing purposes.

The pipelines shows the behavior you described. I'll later test if PreCompile works.

[aholstrup1]

Thanks @florian-d! 👍

I managed to make it work with this script https://github.com/Aholstrup1-PersonalOrg/bc-workspace-compile-test/blob/main/.AL-Go/PreCompileApp.ps1

However, that script contains a workaround for a bug in AL-Go / AL Tool related to how we handle relative paths for custom analyzers. I'll see if I can fix that in AL-Go so that workaround shouldn't be needed. Until then, that script should work 👍

[florian-d]

Thanks for the Path Workaround, faced this as well. Looks promising.

[florian-d]

👍 I successfully added your workaround in our private repository. Thanks a lot