Azure DevOps automatic versioning of .Net maui Application

Question

I'm currently building an Azure DevOps pipeline to automatically deploy my .NET Maui application to the Google Play Store.

The building, signing and publishing part already works. but now I'd like to automate the versioning of the app as well.

For the Version Code (ApplicationVersion in .csproj) I'm using a counter like this:

  - name: versionCode
    value: $[counter('versionCode', 1)]

For the Display Version however I'd like to use a Major.Minor.Patch numbering.

So far I've found that I can recover my Major.Minor numbering from my .csproj file using the following script:

- task: PowerShell@2
  name: setVariable
  inputs:
    targetType: 'inline'
    script: |
         $xml = [Xml] (Get-Content .\MyApp\MyApp.csproj)
         $version = $xml.Project.PropertyGroup.ApplicationDisplayVersion
         Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=versionNumber;isoutput=true]$version"

Which I can then use in another step like this: $(setVariable.versionNumber)

My question is: Is there a way to use a counter (or alternative) to automatically add the Patch number when my pipeline runs, which also resets when I adjust my Major or Minor numbering?

Most answers I found here on StackOverflow have the version number hard-coded in the pipeline (which I'd like to avoid, as to not having to change the pipeline every time my Major or Minor version number changes)

variables:
  - name: versionNumber
    value: 'will be filled in later'
  - name: buildNumber
    value: $[counter(variables['versionNumber'], 0)]
  - name: versionCode
    value: $[counter('versionCode', 1)]

steps:
- task: PowerShell@2
  name: setVariable
  inputs:
    targetType: 'inline'
    script: |
         $xml = [Xml] (Get-Content .\MyApp\MyApp.csproj)
         $version = $xml.Project.PropertyGroup.ApplicationDisplayVersion
         Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=versionNumber;isoutput=true]$version.$env:buildNumber"
         
- task: PowerShell@2
  inputs:
    targetType: 'inline'
    script: |
         Write-Host $(setVariable.versionNumber)

This is what I've tried so far, but this gives me 2 issues:

1. the buildNumber counter is not reset when I increase the version number in my .csproj file
2. This introduces a space " " between my versionNumber and the .

Answer 1

My question is: Is there a way to use a counter (or alternative) to automatically add the Patch number when my pipeline runs, which also resets when I adjust my Major or Minor numbering?

As per the doc, the counter function can only be used in an expression that defines a variable. It cannot be used as part of a condition for a step, job, or stage.

However, your Major.Minor number comes from ApplicationDisplayVersion in csproj in powershell task with logging command. Hence, you need to output the Major.Minor number in 1st job, and map it in 2nd job , then you can add patch with counter function.

Details below:

I have a sample csproj, which has 1.0 for ApplicationDisplayVersion which will be used as Major.Minor number.

Used sample yaml:

pool:
  vmImage: Windows-latest

jobs:
  - job: getversion
    steps:
    - task: PowerShell@2
      name: setVariable
      inputs:
        targetType: 'inline'
        script: |
            $xml = [Xml] (Get-Content .\MyApp\MyApp.csproj)
            $version = $xml.Project.PropertyGroup.ApplicationDisplayVersion
            Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=MajorMinor;isoutput=true]$version"

  - job: useversion
    dependsOn: getversion  
    variables:
      # map the output variable from previous into this job
      - name: MajorMinorNumber
        value: $[ dependencies.getversion.outputs['setVariable.MajorMinor'] ]
      # set the patch number counter on MajorMinorNumber
      - name: patch
        value: $[counter(variables['MajorMinorNumber'], 1)]

    steps:
      - task: PowerShell@2
        name: versionnumber
        inputs:
          targetType: 'inline'
          script: |
              Write-Host $(MajorMinorNumber).$(patch)

To run the pipeline, it will output versionumber as 1.0.1, 1.0.2, which is counter correctly.

I changed the ApplicationDisplayVersion value in csproj from 1.0 to 1.1.

Run the pipeline, the number is reset and counter for new: