Build pipeline basics in Azure - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Build pipeline basics

Start: Code Commit

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Trigger Build Pipeline

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Checkout Source Code

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Run Build Tasks

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Run Tests

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Publish Artifacts

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Build Pipeline Complete

This flow shows how a build pipeline starts from code commit, runs build and test tasks, then publishes artifacts.

Execution Sample

Azure

trigger:
  - main

pool:
  vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'

steps:
  - script: echo Building project

A simple Azure build pipeline triggered on main branch that runs a build script on Ubuntu.

Process Table

Step	Action	Details	Result
1	Trigger pipeline	Code pushed to main branch	Pipeline starts
2	Checkout code	Get latest source from repo	Source code available
3	Run build script	Execute 'echo Building project'	Output: Building project
4	Run tests	No tests defined	Skipped
5	Publish artifacts	No artifacts defined	Skipped
6	Complete	Pipeline finished successfully	Success

💡 Pipeline ends after all steps complete successfully

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 6
pipeline_status	Not started	Running	Running	Succeeded
source_code	null	Checked out	Checked out	Checked out
build_output	null	null	Building project	Building project

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does the pipeline start automatically after code is pushed?

Because the trigger is set to the main branch, so any push to main starts the pipeline (see execution_table step 1).

What happens if no tests or artifacts are defined?

Those steps are skipped but the pipeline still completes successfully (see execution_table steps 4 and 5).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the pipeline status after step 3?

A Running

B Succeeded

C Failed

D Not started

💡 Hint

Check the 'pipeline_status' variable in variable_tracker after Step 3

At which step does the source code become available?

A Step 1

B Step 3

C Step 2

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look at the 'source_code' variable in variable_tracker after Step 2

If tests were added, which step would change in the execution table?

A Step 3

B Step 4

C Step 5

D Step 6

💡 Hint

Step 4 is where tests run according to the execution_table

Concept Snapshot

Build pipeline basics in Azure DevOps:
- Trigger on code push (e.g., main branch)
- Checkout source code
- Run build scripts
- Run tests (optional)
- Publish artifacts (optional)
- Pipeline ends with success or failure

Full Transcript

A build pipeline in Azure DevOps starts automatically when code is pushed to a specified branch, like main. The pipeline first checks out the latest source code, then runs build tasks such as scripts. If tests are defined, it runs them next. After that, it publishes build artifacts if configured. Finally, the pipeline completes successfully if all steps pass. If tests or artifacts are missing, those steps are skipped but the pipeline still finishes. Variables like pipeline status and build output change as the pipeline progresses through each step.