##[error]Cannot bind argument to parameter 'Path' because it is an empty string.

[jasmineagarwal]

Hi
I am getting the below error when i run Generate Specflow report.

"##[error]Cannot bind argument to parameter 'Path' because it is an empty string."

Note:
Tasks configured as below --

1. Visual Studio Build
2. Visual Studio Test
3. Report Generator for Specflow
4. Publish Test Results

I have attached screenshot to the settings - I have used within Report Generator task.

[jasmineagarwal]

Not sure if I am missing something or it has to be placed after the Publish Test Results task.

[mmajcica]

Could you make your build/release with the system.debug variable set to true and share with me the log file?

Cheers

[jasmineagarwal]

Hi mmajcia

I am publishing results after the specflow report generator task.
Enclosing the log file.
11.txt

Cheers

[mmajcica]

I do now see what is happening here, out file is a filename only and I do expect a path.
Try setting Output file parameter to '$(build.stagingdirectory)\Resultsfile.html' and the it should work. I'll fix this to default to something if only the file name is specified.

I wrote a blog post about this which may also help you, http://blog.majcica.com/2018/05/07/living-documentation-and-test-reports-in-vsts-tfs-pipelines/

Let me know.

[jasmineagarwal]

Hi mmajcia

I have tried setting up the Output parameter to '$(build.stagingdirectory)\Resultsfile.html', which has fixed the issue for previous error.
It dint work after that as well.
I have tried setting up the path of trx file generated by my Visual Studio Test task (D:\agent_work\4\s\TestResults\SXWPRSCM01$_SXWPRSCM01 2018-09-21 09_55_41.trx)
to
$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)\TestResults
as well, which dint work and gives error in Specflow Generator task -
"No trx files was found using search pattern 'D:\agent_work\4\s'."

I am attaching screenshots with new setting and log file.

Thanks


Log2.txt

[jasmineagarwal]

Hi mmajcia

I guess i have fixed the issue of trx file location.
I can now see my report generated in my drop folder.

But we need to surely put some default value in Output file field as its empty.

Thanks alot for all the help and its the same report as I generated it via vstest through cmd line.

Cheers
Jasmine

[mmajcica]

Hi Jasmine,

it is good to hear that. In the link I shared with you, you could see a working example of it. It seemed to me that as the TRX file field you just set the path to the folder instead of a search string or a literal path to the TRX file.

I'll reopen this issues as I would like to keep the track for the improvements that need to be added.

Cheers

[jasmineagarwal]

And there is one more thing I would like to add as one of my finding while working on VSTS Build pipeline -
To present the scenario names within the Specflow Report Generator when MsTest is used as unit test adapter,
custom logger MsTestTrxLogger is working only with versions earlier than Visual Studio 2017.
Visual Studio 2017 on the Vsts Build is not finding the custom logger. (Though which works absolutely fine on local).

Not sure if its missing something or an issue with installation visual studio.

Cheers
Jasmine

[mmajcica]

AFAIK you need to install the custom logger on your build server. That will be possible only if you are running your build or release pipelines on non hosted build servers.
I read that there maybe some new techniques in case you are using VS2017.

Check comments in this post: https://blog.markvincze.com/how-to-fix-the-empty-specflow-html-report-problem-with-vstest-console-exe/

"Starting with Visual studio 2017 update3 preview1 we should be able to specify the folder in which the custom logger is located, like:
vstest.console.exe MyTestContainer.dll /Logger:"myLogger" /TestAdapterPath:"C:\path\to\my\custom"
This means that we could bring the necessary dll with a NuGet package and reference it TestAdapterPath paramater. I have yet not verified this, but seems plausible."

[jasmineagarwal]

Hi
I have done that already on build server and tried to debug it using the path as well. So, which doesn't work on VS2017 but works in older version.

Though I have not tried to reference it with the Test Adapter. I can try that.

Cheers

[mmajcica]

If there are issues with that logger, you can ask @markvincze
or open an issue here:
https://github.com/markvincze/MsTestTrxLogger/issues