Run Inline C# - Azure DevOps Extension

Run C# code directly in your Azure DevOps pipeline using .NET 10's file-based programs feature. Supports both inline scripts and .cs files with NuGet package directives.

Features

• Inline C# Scripts: Write C# code directly in your pipeline YAML
• File-based Scripts: Execute .cs files from your repository
• NuGet Package Support: Use #:package directives for dependencies
• Environment Variables: Pass custom environment variables to your scripts
• Flexible Arguments: Pass command-line arguments to your C# code
• Error Handling: Option to fail on stderr output

Requirements

• .NET 10 SDK or later installed on the build agent
• Azure DevOps Services or Azure DevOps Server 2020+

Installation

1. Install the extension from the Visual Studio Marketplace
2. The task will be available as "Run Inline C#" in your pipeline editor

Usage

Inline Script

- task: RunInlineCSharp@1
  displayName: 'Run C# Script'
  inputs:
    script: |
      Console.WriteLine("Hello from inline C#!");
      var numbers = Enumerable.Range(1, 10);
      Console.WriteLine($"Sum: {numbers.Sum()}");

File-based Script

- task: RunInlineCSharp@1
  displayName: 'Run C# File'
  inputs:
    scriptType: 'filePath'
    scriptPath: 'scripts/build-helper.cs'
    arguments: '$(Build.SourcesDirectory)'

With NuGet Packages

- task: RunInlineCSharp@1
  inputs:
    script: |
      #:package Newtonsoft.Json@13.0.3

      using Newtonsoft.Json;

      var obj = new { Name = "Test", Value = 42 };
      Console.WriteLine(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(obj));

With Environment Variables

- task: RunInlineCSharp@1
  inputs:
    script: |
      var apiKey = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("API_KEY");
      Console.WriteLine($"Using API key: {apiKey?.Substring(0, 4)}...");
    environmentVariables: |
      API_KEY=$(ApiKeySecret)
      DEBUG=true

With Arguments

- task: RunInlineCSharp@1
  inputs:
    script: |
      foreach (var arg in args)
      {
          Console.WriteLine($"Argument: {arg}");
      }
    arguments: '--input file.txt --output result.json'

Task Inputs

Examples

Build Version Bumper

- task: RunInlineCSharp@1
  displayName: 'Bump Version'
  inputs:
    script: |
      var versionFile = "version.txt";
      var currentVersion = File.ReadAllText(versionFile).Trim();
      var parts = currentVersion.Split('.');
      parts[2] = (int.Parse(parts[2]) + 1).ToString();
      var newVersion = string.Join(".", parts);
      File.WriteAllText(versionFile, newVersion);
      Console.WriteLine($"##vso[task.setvariable variable=NewVersion]{newVersion}");

API Health Check

- task: RunInlineCSharp@1
  displayName: 'Check API Health'
  inputs:
    script: |
      using var client = new HttpClient();
      var response = await client.GetAsync("https://api.example.com/health");
      if (!response.IsSuccessStatusCode)
      {
          Console.Error.WriteLine($"API unhealthy: {response.StatusCode}");
          Environment.Exit(1);
      }
      Console.WriteLine("API is healthy!");

File Processing with Packages

- task: RunInlineCSharp@1
  displayName: 'Process CSV Data'
  inputs:
    script: |
      #:package CsvHelper@30.0.1

      using CsvHelper;
      using System.Globalization;

      using var reader = new StreamReader("data.csv");
      using var csv = new CsvReader(reader, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
      var records = csv.GetRecords<dynamic>().ToList();
      Console.WriteLine($"Processed {records.Count} records");

Troubleshooting

Script not found

Ensure the scriptPath is relative to the repository root or use $(Build.SourcesDirectory) prefix.

NuGet packages not restoring

The .NET SDK handles package restoration automatically. Ensure the agent has internet access to nuget.org.

Compilation errors

Check the task output for detailed C# compiler errors. The full compiler output is displayed in the pipeline logs.

dotnet not found

Ensure .NET 10 SDK is installed on the build agent. You can use the UseDotNet@2 task to install it:

- task: UseDotNet@2
  inputs:
    version: '10.x'

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please submit issues and pull requests on GitHub.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.