How to fix null value build.Definition in TFS Queue Build REST API call

Question

I am trying to queue a build from my TFS servers using the TFS Rest API nuget package for c#. However, upon sending the request to the server with the JSON:

"definition":{ "id":63 }

I get a 400 response back with the error:

message=Value cannot be null. Parameter name: build.Definition

I think I am sending the JSON correctly, considering before I was getting errors saying it couldnt be deserialized, or that there wasnt a JSON in the first place.

Can someone help me figure out what is causing this error and how to fix it?

For reference and showing what I have already used as help:

Microsoft Documentation

Queue Build using Powershell

Again Queueing a build in powershell

And several other articles (google "queue build tfs rest api c#")

//post request for queuing the build
var client = new RestClient(websiteName);
var request = new RestRequest("_apis/build/builds?ignoreWarnings=true&sourceBuildId=63&api-version=4.0", Method.POST, DataFormat.Json);

Dictionary<string, string> values = new Dictionary<string, string>();
values.Add("{\"definition\"", "{\"id\":63}}");

request.AddHeader("Authorization", "Basic " + Convert.ToBase64String(
System.Text.ASCIIEncoding.ASCII.GetBytes(
string.Format("{0}:{1}", "", personalAccessToken))));

request.AddJsonBody(values);
IRestResponse response = client.Execute(request);

Thanks! And thanks to everyone else who has responded. I will try to tackle this problem again and then see if any of them have worked! Thanks so much for the help! — Benny Yamagata, Dec 28 '18 at 17:00
Invoking builds and releases are easier in Powershell if you use [AzurePipelinesPS](https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/AzurePipelinesPS/1.0.55). Try using the Invoke-APBuild or Invoke-APRelease commands. You can checkout the [project's GitHub](https://github.com/Dejulia489/AzurePipelinesPS) for more details on how to install and setup session data. — Dejulia489, Dec 27 '18 at 20:44

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Dec 24 '18 at 20:43

1

"definition":{ "id":63 } isn't valid JSON.

{ "definition":{ "id":63 } } is.

Don't construct JSON as a string, use ConvertTo-Json on an associative array to turn an appropriately-shaped object into JSON, such as

$body = @{
    definition = @{ 
        id = $definitionId
    }
} | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 100

answered Dec 24 '18 at 20:43

Daniel Mann

57,011
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See my problem is, Im doing this in C# and dont know how to convert what you just wrote into what I need. Also thanks for replying on Christmas! Hope you enjoyed your holiday!, Also see my code above to see if I am missing anything. – Benny Yamagata Dec 26 '18 at 16:12

Shayki Abramczyk · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-08T06:16:59.983

If you use the Rest API nuget packages, you can use build-in methods to queue a new build, this will much convenient than using HttpClient or other class:

var url = new Uri("http://tfsServer:8080/tfs/MyCollection/");
var connection = new VssConnection(url, new VssCredentials());
var buildServer = connection.GetClient<BuildHttpClient>();           
// Get the list of build definitions.
var  definition = buildServer.GetDefinitionAsync("teamprojectname", 33).Result;

//It requires project's GUID, so we're compelled to get GUID by API.
var res = buildServer.QueueBuildAsync(new Build
{
      Definition = new DefinitionReference
{
Id = definition.Id
},
      Project = definition.Project
});
Console.WriteLine($"Queued build with id: {res.Id}");

If you still want to use the URL to trigger, here is also an example:

HttpWebRequest request = (HttpWebRequest)WebRequest.Create("http://tfsServer:8080/tfs/DefaultCollection/TeamProject/_apis/build/builds?api-version=4.0");
request.Credentials = CredentialCache.DefaultNetworkCredentials;
request.Method = "Post";
request.ContentType = "application/json";
Stream stream = request.GetRequestStream();
string json = "{\"definition\":{\"id\":63}}";
byte[] buffer = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(json);
stream.Write(buffer, 0, buffer.Length);
HttpWebResponse response = (HttpWebResponse)request.GetResponse();
Console.Write(response.StatusCode);
using (var streamReader = new StreamReader(response.GetResponseStream()))
{
     var result = streamReader.ReadToEnd();
}
Console.Read();

Thank you so much this looks like exactly what I might have needed! I will try this and if it works I will mark it! — Benny Yamagata, Dec 28 '18 at 17:36
Is there anyway to get authorization using the VSSCredentials? I am getting a 401 Unauthorized error. — Benny Yamagata, Jan 02 '19 at 18:09
In the new `VssCredentials()` check the ctor, you can put username/password. — Shayki Abramczyk, Jan 02 '19 at 20:57
Yeah I got it, it was acting weird but leaving it empty again eventually worked. Thanks again! — Benny Yamagata, Jan 03 '19 at 17:45

How to fix null value build.Definition in TFS Queue Build REST API call

2 Answers2