Build TestForm Workflow

Quick Reference

  • Workflow file: .github/workflows/build-testform.yml
  • Workflow name: Build TestForm
  • Triggers: pull_request, push, workflow_dispatch
  • Runner: windows-2025-vs2026
  • Permissions: contents: read

Overview

The build-testform.yml workflow validates that the WinForms sample application (TestForm) restores and builds across all configured TFMs, and that linked .resx file references are valid.

  • Workflow file: .github/workflows/build-testform.yml
  • Workflow name: Build TestForm
  • Runner: windows-2025-vs2026
  • Trigger types: pull request, push, manual (workflow_dispatch)

This workflow is CI-focused. It does not publish packages or create releases.

Purpose

  • Provide an additional quality gate for the sample app used for manual validation.
  • Catch broken linked-resource references early (missing files in .resx references).
  • Validate both stable and preview SDK paths (depending on repository variables).

Triggers

The workflow runs on:

  • pull_request (opened, synchronize, reopened) for all branches
  • push to master, alpha, canary, gold, V105-LTS (with paths-ignore for .git* and .vscode)
  • workflow_dispatch

Job Model

The workflow has two jobs:

  1. Stable
  2. Preview

Both jobs:

  • Check out repository code.
  • Set up .NET SDKs.
  • Restore NuGet cache.
  • Restore Source/Krypton Components/TestForm/TestForm.csproj.
  • Validate linked resources in two .resx files.
  • Build TestForm with -p:TFMs=all.

Stable job

Key behavior:

  • Uses .NET 9/10 setup.
  • Pins global.json to a stable SDK (10.x, fallback 9.x) with allowPrerelease: false.
  • Is skipped for canary/alpha push/PR contexts unless USE_DOTNET_PREVIEW == 'false'.

Preview job

Key behavior:

  • Runs when vars.USE_DOTNET_PREVIEW != 'false'.
  • Installs preview SDK using DOTNET_PREVIEW_SETUP_VERSION.
  • Pins global.json to DOTNET_PREVIEW_SDK_BAND with allowPrerelease: true.

Repository Variables

The workflow depends on the same preview SDK variables used by other CI workflows:

  • DOTNET_PREVIEW_SETUP_VERSION
  • DOTNET_PREVIEW_SDK_BAND
  • USE_DOTNET_PREVIEW

Behavior of USE_DOTNET_PREVIEW:

  • false: Preview job skipped; Stable may cover canary/alpha contexts.
  • other/unset: Preview job enabled.

Resource Validation Gate

Before build, each job validates linked-file references in:

  • Source\Krypton Components\TestForm\Properties\Resources.resx
  • Source\Krypton Components\TestForm\KryptonTaskDialogDemo\KryptonTaskDialogDemoResources.resx

For every ResXFileRef entry, the referenced file path must exist. Missing references fail the job with a clear error summary.

Caching

NuGet cache restore/save is used per job with distinct keys:

  • stable key prefix: nuget-testform-stable-
  • preview key prefix: nuget-testform-preview-

Cache save occurs only on success and non-PR events.

What This Workflow Does Not Do

  • Does not create NuGet packages.
  • Does not publish to nuget.org.
  • Does not create GitHub releases.
  • Does not post Discord notifications.

Troubleshooting

Preview job fails to resolve SDK band

Check:

  • DOTNET_PREVIEW_SETUP_VERSION is set to an installable preview line.
  • DOTNET_PREVIEW_SDK_BAND matches installed SDK major/minor (for example 11.0).

Resource validation fails

Check:

  • Referenced files in .resx exist in repository and are included in commits.
  • Relative paths in ResXFileRef entries are correct.

Stable/Preview job unexpectedly skipped

Check:

  • Branch context (especially alpha/canary conditions).
  • USE_DOTNET_PREVIEW value.