How do I publish a UWP package to the Windows Store via Azure Devops?

Question

I am using Desktop Bridge with a c# Winforms application to make a package to publish to the store.

If I make my package locally using Desktop Bridge then I can upload it to the windows store successfully.

I am also now able to build and create the package artifact using a pipeline and I can see it in the Artifacts explorer.

I am having trouble following the docs on how to get the package into the store.

It mentions

ps

$(Build.ArtifactStagingDirectory)\
AppxPackages\MyUWPApp__$(AppxVersion)_x86_x64_ARM_bundle.appxupload

Does ps mean powershell?

How do I get the YAML?

Or am I meant to build a release pipeline?

I tried looking at the release tasks but could not find anything that mentioned the Store.

Shae

Not an answer, but very related: have a look at Visual Studio App Center. They have quite some built-in stuff to deploy to different stores. – Wellbeing

@Wellbeing I updated to show this is a winforms app not a mobile app – Shae

You are talking about pushing to the store right? Then it can't be a Windows Forms app. – Wellbeing

Yes it can, via the Desktop bridge. I am already getting the app into the store from my own machine. – Shae

If I'm not mistaking, desktop bridge gives you "The ability to create a Windows app package for your desktop application". So although the input might be WinForms, the output is an app package... right? So you should be able to push that package to the store with AppCenter. Will try to create an example tomorrow. – Wellbeing

Thanks @rickvbdosch, surely there is a way to go directly to the store though... – Shae

See my answer. You can use this extension to publish to the store from an Azure DevOps build or release pipeline: marketplace.visualstudio.com/… – Purpurin

Answer 1

This is a great article on how to build your package and deploy it to Hockey App (now App Center) but can be used to deploy to the store as well. I'm not sure exactly how you would convert it to YAML, but it shouldn't be too difficult.
https://mobilefirstcloudfirst.net/2016/02/continuous-deployment-of-windows-10-uwp-apps-to-hockeyapp-using-vsts/

Once you have the package built following the instructions in the article (It sound's like you already have), skip the Hockey App steps and instead publish to the store with this Azure DevOps extension task step: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=MS-RDX-MRO.windows-store-publish

Instructions to use the extension are on the extensions web page. You'll have to have an Azure Active Directory account. If you don't have one, it's easy to set up and it's free!

To answer your questions

1. Does ps mean powershell? - I just browsed down through the article and I don't think so. Usually it's saying you need to give this value in a property in the build step.
2. YAML is pretty new, and there is not, as far as I know, an easy way to convert it to YAML.
3. You'll probably want to do this in two steps: 1) Build the package and upload the artifact. 2) Download and release the package. Step 1 should be done in a build, step 2 should be done in a release. I find splitting these steps into two very helpful when only the release fails. Then I don't have to rebuild the package to try again, I can just redeploy the release.

Purpurin

Thanks James I updated the question to explain this is a winforms program. I can't see mention of the Store in the first article. With the second article it seems to be about publishing from my machine. I want to publish from devops. – Shae

Correct, the first article is building the app package. I don't know how to create a desktop bridge package in azure devops, but I assume it can be done via powershell or something. The second "article" (it's the extension page, with instructions on how to use it) is an extension you install onto your Azure DevOps organization. I assume you can use this once you have built your winforms desktop bridge appxpackage or msix. – Purpurin

The desktop bridge is a project in the source I simply push it – Shae

Thanks, it will take me a while to follow that second link. – Shae

extension wont work for individual developers i think. you need to have an organization with the AD – Itself