Azure Devops API Release definitions expand recursively (I need workflowTasksfrom deployPhases from environments) - api

Question

Does the Azure Devops REST API allow me to expand multiple levels? When using the release definitions I specifically need the workflowtasks, which are buried a couple of lists deep.
More context:
I'm optimizing an Azure Devops extension that scans pipelines for compliancy. Right now there's a rule that scans the workflowtasks. To get the information required on all relevant pipelines, we do the following call to the Azdo API for each release definition:
https://vsrm.dev.azure.com/{Organization}/{Project}/_apis/release/definitions/{definitionID}?api-version=6.0
This returns a completely decked-out release definition including environments like this:
"environments": [{
"id": 10,
"name": "Stage 1",
... etc
"deployPhases": [{
"deploymentInput": {
"parallelExecution": {
"parallelExecutionType": "none"
},
...etc
"rank": 1,
...etc
"workflowTasks": [{
"environment": {},
"taskId": "obfuscated",
"version": "2.*",
"name": "obfuscated",
"refName": "",
"enabled": true,
"alwaysRun": false,
"continueOnError": false,
"timeoutInMinutes": 0,
"retryCountOnTaskFailure": 0,
"definitionType": "task",
"overrideInputs": {},
"condition": "succeeded()",
"inputs": {
"template": "obfuscated",
"assets": "obfuscated",
"duration": "60",
"title": "",
"description": "",
"implementationPlan": "obfuscated"
}
}, {
"environment": {},
"taskId": "obfuscated",
"version": "2.*",
"name": "obfuscated",
"refName": "",
"enabled": true,
"alwaysRun": false,
"continueOnError": false,
"timeoutInMinutes": 0,
"retryCountOnTaskFailure": 0,
"definitionType": "task",
"overrideInputs": {},
"condition": "succeeded()",
"inputs": {
"changeClosureCode": "1",
"changeClosureComments": "Successful implementation",
"changeId": ""
}
}
]
}
],
...etc
}
],
But when I try and get the list as a whole, using the following URL:
https://vsrm.dev.azure.com/{organization}/{project}/_apis/release/definitions?$expand=environments&api-version=6.0
My Environments arrays (there is one for each definition obviously) looks nothing like the previous one. It doesn't include deployPhases (not even as an empty array).
Since we have 2300 release definitions, you can Imagine how inconvenient it is to call the release/definitions/{definitionID} endpoint instead of the release/definitions one that fetches all of them at the same time.
Is there a way to expand the release/definitions call to fetch all environments including workflowTasks and maybe other stuff? Is there a syntax that allows for this? Something like $expand=environments>deployPhases>workflowTasks?

Answer 1

Is there a way to expand the release/definitions call to fetch all environments including workflowTasks and maybe other stuff? Is there a syntax that allows for this? Something like $expand=environments>deployPhases>workflowTasks?
I am afraid there is no such syntax allow you to fetch all environments including workflowTasks.
You could use the REST API with some powershell scripts to fetch all environments including workflowTasks:
The sample powershell scripts:
$url = "https://vsrm.dev.azure.com/{Organization}/{Project}/_apis/release/definitions/{definitionID}?api-version=6.0"
Write-Host "URL: $url"
$pipeline = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Get -Headers #{
Authorization = "Bearer $env:SYSTEM_ACCESSTOKEN"
}
Write-Host "workflowTasks = $($pipeline.environments.deployPhases.workflowTasks | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 100)"
The output is: