TFS How to GetEnvironmentVariable value

Question

In my tfs build I've created an argument to which I pass in $(TF_BUILD_BUILDDIRECTORY)

Then in my xaml file I've added a variable called "test1" and added GetEnvirenmentVariable" step where I would like to store value of

TF_BUILD_BUILDDIRECTORY

I can NOT get the value to come through. Output from my build:

It prints $(TF_BUILD_BUILDDIRECTORY) instead of "C:\temp... etc"

Please help! thanks

Answer 1

Refer to the last paragraph in this MSDN document:

Use environment data from a custom build process

If you need to use an environment variable in your custom build process template, you can use the GetEnvironmentVariable activity to get the data. You can get data from any of the WellKnownEnvironmentVariables.

For example, to get the path to the binaries directory, set the Name property of the GetEnvironmentVariable activity to Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Build.Activities.Extensions.WellKnownEnvironmentVariables.BinariesDirectory

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Please follow the below steps:

1. Create a String variable named: BINARIESDIRECTORY.
2. Add GetEnvironmentVariable (String) activity, set Name = Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Build.Activities.Extensions.WellKnownEnvironmentVariables.BinariesDirectory and Result = BINARIESDIRECTORY
3. Add CopyDirectory activity, set Source = BINARIESDIRECTORY and Destination = “\servername\drop”