Summary

Fixes the error reporting in .vsts-dotnet-ci.yml line 48 to use proper Azure DevOps logging command format instead of throw, making errors easier to find and diagnose in the Azure DevOps pipeline UI. The error message now includes file path and line number information for direct navigation.

Problem

When the version bump check failed on release branches (vs* branches), the error was thrown as a PowerShell exception, which made it harder to locate and understand in the Azure DevOps pipeline logs. The error message was embedded in a throw statement, which doesn't utilize Azure DevOps' formatting capabilities or provide navigation to the specific file location that needs to be changed.

Solution

Replace the throw statement with:

1. Write-Host to emit the proper Azure DevOps logging command: ##vso[task.logissue type=error]
2. Include sourcepath and linenumber properties to enable direct navigation to the file location
3. exit 1 to explicitly fail the step with a non-zero exit code

Before:

throw "Hello! I noticed that you're targeting one of our servicing branches..."

After:

Write-Host "##vso[task.logissue type=error;sourcepath=eng/Versions.props;linenumber=6;]Hello! I noticed that you're targeting one of our servicing branches..."
exit 1

Benefits

• Better visibility: The error now appears as a properly formatted error in the Azure DevOps UI
• Direct navigation: Developers can click on the error to navigate directly to line 6 of eng/Versions.props where the VersionPrefix needs to be updated
• Easier troubleshooting: Developers can quickly identify the issue without digging through exception stack traces
• Consistent with Azure DevOps best practices: Uses the official logging command format documented by Microsoft

Testing

Validated that:

• PowerShell syntax is correct
• The logging command format follows Azure DevOps documentation
• File path and line number properties are correctly specified
• The change is minimal and focused on the specific issue

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