Azure-devops-docs: Since the cmd task supports multiple lines, is it supposed to only one run command?

[soccerjoshj07]

I have tried to use v2 of the cmd task for a few different scenarios, and my usage has led me to believe that only the first command in the script runs.

Example, here is my script/command in the task:

npm install -g tfx-cli
tfx login --service-url $(TfsUrl) --auth-type pat --token $(TfsPAT)
tfx build tasks upload --task-path $(taskFolderName) --overwrite

Based on the logs, it is only running the first command. I just get an output that the package was installed. Is that intended? The way the task and documentation is laid out, it seems like it should run the entire script / multiple commands. This is the default content in the task when you add it - note 'commands' :

echo Write your commands here

echo Hello world

Instead, I can just use 3 command line tasks which is no problem, but it would be helpful to document if this is a known issue / if this is the intent of the task.

Thanks!

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Document Details

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• ID: a79d17fd-6e65-d8f0-ea05-f62d68456474
• Version Independent ID: 3f7338a7-aae7-b6b6-3291-5c985c6fa6f3
• Content: Command Line task - Azure Pipelines
• Content Source: docs/pipelines/tasks/utility/command-line.md
• Product: devops
• Technology: devops-cicd
• GitHub Login: @vtbassmatt
• Microsoft Alias: macoope

[vtbassmatt]

On Windows, npm is a .cmd script. Windows CMD does something strange with .cmd files - I think it exits the current session and starts a new one (or similar - I'm honestly a bit fuzzy on the details). The upshot is: when you enter commands interactively, you can't see this difference, but when running headless on a CI machine, the difference matters. You need to use the call command for npm or npm globals.

call npm install -g tfx-cli
call tfx login --service-url $(TfsUrl) --auth-type pat --token $(TfsPAT)
call tfx build tasks upload --task-path $(taskFolderName) --overwrite

You're not the first to be confused by this; I'll add a note in the docs. Thank you!

[soccerjoshj07]

@vtbassmatt Thank you for the clarification!