Use build numbers to give meaningful names to completed builds

You can define your build process to load useful data into the name of each completed build.

• Example

• Tokens

• Q&A

  • Where do I specify the build number?

  • What is the BuildID?

  • What is the Rev?

Example

For example:

• The team project is named FabrikamCore.

• The build definition is named CIBuild.

• The build ID is 4.

• The date is August 24, 2009.

• The time is 9:50:43 PM.

• The build has been run one time today.

You define a default build process and set BuildNumberFormat to:

$(BuildDefinitionName)_$(Date:yyyyMMdd)$(Rev:.r)

In this case, the second completed build on this day would be named:

CIBuild_20090824.2

Tokens

The following table shows how each token is resolved based on the previous example:

Q&A

Where do I specify the build number?

You can:

• Use the default template and then modify the Build Number Format parameter. See Use the Default Template for your build process

• Develop a custom build process template, and use the UpdateBuildNumber activity. See Team Foundation Build Activities: UpdateBuildNumber.

What is the BuildID?

$(BuildID) is an internal immutable ID.

What is the Rev?

Use $(Rev:.rr) to ensure that every completed build has a unique name. When a build is completed, if nothing else in the build number has changed, the Rev integer value is incremented by one.