Transforming CI Failures into Focused Debugging with Visual Studio Playlists and AI
dotnet presents a session on streamlining CI debugging by generating Visual Studio playlists from failed test results, highlighting the role of AI tools like GitHub Copilot in enhancing developer workflows.
Transforming CI Failures into Focused Debugging with Visual Studio Playlists and AI
When a Continuous Integration (CI) pipeline fails, developers commonly spend significant time identifying which tests require attention within large test suites. In this session, dotnet introduces a tool that automates the conversion of .trx test results into Visual Studio .playlist files directly in the CI process. Developers are empowered to download these playlists from the pipeline and instantly focus on debugging only the failed tests locally.
Key Highlights
- Automated .trx to .playlist Conversion:
- The tool runs in the CI pipeline and creates Visual Studio .playlist files scoped to failed tests.
- Faster Debugging Cycles:
- Developers can skip unnecessary test runs by executing only the failing tests locally.
- AI-Assisted Development:
- The creator leveraged GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Copilot to speed up tool development.
- These AI tools helped in:
- Quickly understanding complex or decompiled code.
- Identifying differences and edge cases between different playlist versions.
- Accelerating iterations and reducing manual exploration time.
Benefits of AI-Powered Workflows
- Efficient Problem-Solving:
- AI tools enable developers to spend less time on routine details and more on core problems.
- Higher Productivity:
- By adopting these techniques, teams can tackle complex challenges more efficiently across project types.
.NET Ecosystem Updates Mentioned
- .NET 10: Intelligent, unified platform (Learn more)
- .NET Aspire 13: Cloud-native orchestration (Read announcement)
- ASP.NET Core 10: Secure, full-stack web (More info)
- .NET MAUI 10: Cross-platform apps (Details)
- C# 14: Expressive programming (See what’s new)
- F# 10: Functional programming enhancements (Announcement)
- Visual Studio 2026: Future-ready IDE (Announcement)
- .NET Conf 2025: Annual celebration (Event recap)
Connect with .NET
Takeaway
By integrating AI tooling into your own workflows—especially for development tasks like debugging complex CI failures—you can save time, focus on higher-value work, and accelerate project delivery.