Body: <p>When working on the task we create git branch (AzureDevOps). In this branch we modify code in VS and can run web application on localhost. When it's done we commit changes and create PR. To test it other developers can download this branch and test it. After PR approving branch is merged to dev branch and it trigger AzureDevops pipeline which deploy application to Azure App Service. Then other people can test it by accesing URL.</p>
  <p>But we need other people who don't have VS installed test application before PR is completed and deployed (for example QA or BA people).</p>
  <p>Is it possible to get this application running from branch without publishing?</p>
  <p>Can AzureDevops provide such functionality? Maybe creating VM or container behing the scene?</p>
  <p>Btw, we can do something like this by modifying pipeline by changing source from dev branch to some particualr branch, but it is not very convinient to do this every time.</p>
  
Comments: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments: 2023-05-01T12:38:09.407Z
Comments: You're looking for ephemeral support which is sort of custom based on tooling. I.e., see how we do it for any helm projects here (and any project can be converted to helm) - https://worklifenotes.com/2023/04/19/how-to-spin-helm-ephemerals-with-reliza-hub-tutorial/
Comments: taleodor
Comments: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments: 2023-05-02T15:07:26.333Z
Comments: "But we need other people who don't have VS installed test application before PR is completed and deployed (for example QA or BA people)."  this is the challenge CI/CD attempts to solve.  Merge your working code behind a feature flag and then let QA and BA people turn on feature flag to test.  No amount of pre-merge ephemeral environments will prove what will happen in prod like prod will, but you sure can burn up time and money setting them up and tearing them down
Comments: erik258
Tags: <azure-devops><azure><git><branch>
Title: is it possible to get web application url from branch without publishing it?
UserDisplayName: Alexan
ThreadText: # is it possible to get web application url from branch without publishing it?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2023-04-30)
  
  When working on the task we create git branch (AzureDevOps). In this branch we modify code in VS and can run web application on localhost. When it's done we commit changes and create PR. To test it other developers can download this branch and test it. After PR approving branch is merged to dev branch and it trigger AzureDevops pipeline which deploy application to Azure App Service. Then other people can test it by accesing URL.
  
  But we need other people who don't have VS installed test application before PR is completed and deployed (for example QA or BA people).
  
  Is it possible to get this application running from branch without publishing?
  
  Can AzureDevops provide such functionality? Maybe creating VM or container behing the scene?
  
  Btw, we can do something like this by modifying pipeline by changing source from dev branch to some particualr branch, but it is not very convinient to do this every time.
  
  **Tags:** azure-devops, azure, git, branch
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: You're looking for ephemeral support which is sort of custom based on tooling. I.e., see how we do it for any helm projects here (and any project can be converted to helm) - https://worklifenotes.com/2023/04/19/how-to-spin-helm-ephemerals-with-reliza-hub-tutorial/  
  > **username_2**: "But we need other people who don't have VS installed test application before PR is completed and deployed (for example QA or BA people)."  this is the challenge CI/CD attempts to solve.  Merge your working code behind a feature flag and then let QA and BA people turn on feature flag to test.  No amount of pre-merge ephemeral environments will prove what will happen in prod like prod will, but you sure can burn up time and money setting them up and tearing them down  
  
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  ## 0 answers
  
  