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Extension updates and performance improvements

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With this update, we have included extension updates and performance improvements. With an existing ServiceNow integration, we've updated the app to support the Tokyo version of ServiceNow. We've also made improvements to extension settings to help you manage your installed extensions.

Check out the release notes for details.

General

Azure Boards

Azure Pipelines

General

Extensions should display their Scopes

When installing extensions to your Azure DevOps organization, you can review the permissions the extension needs as part of the installation. However, once they are installed, the extension permissions are not visible in the extension settings. This has posed a challenge for administrators needing to perform a periodic review of installed extensions. In this sprint, we have added the extension permissions to extension settings to help you review and take an informed decision on whether to keep them or not.

Create personal access tokens to deploy to Marketplace

Azure Boards

Card resize logic in Delivery Plans

Not everyone uses target date and/or start date when tracking Features and Epics. Some choose to use a combination of dates and iteration path. In this sprint, we improved the logic to appropriately set the iteration path and date field combinations depending on how they are being used.

For example, if target date is not being used and you resize the card, the new iteration path is set instead of updating the target date.

Gif to demo copy comments link.

Batch update improvements

We made several changes to the 7.1 version of the work item batch update API. These include minor performance improvements and the handling of partial failures. Meaning, if one patch fails but the others do not, the others will successfully be completed.

Click here to learn more about the batch update REST API.

Batch delete API (GA)

This new REST API endpoint to delete and/or destroy work items in batch is now publicly available. Click here to learn more.

Azure Pipelines

Support for Tokyo version of ServiceNow

Azure Pipelines has an existing integration with ServiceNow. The integration relies on an app in ServiceNow and an extension in Azure DevOps. We've now updated the app to work with the Tokyo version of ServiceNow. Both classic and YAML pipelines now work with Tokyo. To ensure that this integration works, upgrade to the new version of the app (4.215.2) from the Service Now store. For more information, see Integrate with ServiceNow Change Management.

New predefined system variable

We introduced a new predefined system variable, named Build.DefinitionFolderPath, whose value is the folder path of a build pipeline definition. The variable is available in both YAML and classic build pipelines.

For example, if your pipeline is housed under the FabrikamFiber\Chat folder in Azure Pipelines, then the value of Build.DefinitionFolderPath is FabrikamFiber\Chat.

General Availability template support in YAML editor

Templates are a commonly used feature in YAML pipelines. They are an easy way to share pipeline snippets. They are also a powerful mechanism in verifying or enforcing security and governance through your pipeline.

Azure Pipelines supports a YAML editor, which can be helpful when editing your pipeline. However the editor did not support templates until now. Authors of YAML pipelines could not get assistance through intellisense when using a template. Template authors could not make use of the YAML editor. In this release, we are adding support for templates in the YAML editor.

As you edit your main Azure Pipelines YAML file, you can either include or extend a template. When you type in the name of your template, you will be prompted to validate your template. Once validated, the YAML editor understands the schema of the template including the input parameters.

Pipelines REST API Updates

Post validation, you can choose to navigate into the template. You will be able to make changes to the template using all the features of the YAML editor.

There are known limitations: If the template has required parameters that are not provided as inputs in the main YAML file, then the validation fails and prompts you to provide those inputs. In an ideal experience, the validation should not be blocked, and you should be able to fill in the input parameters using intellisense. You cannot create a new template from the editor. You can only use or edit existing templates.

Next steps

Note

These features will roll out over the next two to three weeks.

Head over to Azure DevOps and take a look.

Go to Azure DevOps

How to provide feedback

We would love to hear what you think about these features. Use the help menu to report a problem or provide a suggestion.

Make a suggestion

You can also get advice and your questions answered by the community on Stack Overflow.

Thanks,

Dan Hellem