Set up CI with Azure Pipelines

MS Learn module: Explore Azure Pipelines · Learning objectives: understand what Azure Pipelines does, when to use it, and how to define a basic YAML pipeline that builds and tests code on every change.

Overview

The entry point to CI: what Azure Pipelines is, why YAML-first, and how to author a azure-pipelines.yml that runs on a Microsoft-hosted agent, is gated by triggers, and executes jobs/steps.

Units / lessons covered

  • What is continuous integration and why automate it
  • Azure Pipelines capabilities (CI + CD, cross-platform, hosted agents)
  • Authoring a YAML pipeline (azure-pipelines.yml)
  • Configuring triggers, variables, and running a build

Key terms / commands

  • azure-pipelines.yml · trigger: · pool: · steps: · Microsoft-hosted agent · run/queue

Hands-on / what to try

Create a minimal pipeline: trigger on a branch, pool: vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest', a script: echo hello step; add a real dotnet/npm build and watch it run on a commit.

Exam focus

  • YAML-first is recommended; classic editor is legacy.
  • Know the top-level YAML keys and the stages → jobs → steps model.

Path MOC · use-github-actions-for-ci · agents-and-pools · pipeline-artifacts-and-templates