title: Building Release Pipeline in Azure DevOps with Angular Application - cannot find working folder that contains package.json
body: <p>I'm setting up a release pipeline for my ASP.NET Core Angular Application from Visual Studio 2017 and I'm running into major problems with the npm task locating the package.json file. I know the file is there - it was initially in the ClientApp folder, and I've also added it to the main folder, and the dist folder for testing purposes while I was trying to figure out why it doesn't like my file!</p>
  
  <p>I have literally tried every possibility, including using the $(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory). This is my first time working in Azure DevOps and my first time trying to set up pipelines. I've googled endlessly and even tried re-queueing the build pipeline.</p>
  
  <p>It's completely possible I've set up the wrong type of release pipeline. I chose an empty job and I have 3 tasks - npm install, npm build, and publish artifact (I've been trying to follow some online tutorials). I also made my build pipeline from an ASP.Net Core template, ran the yaml file, etc.</p>
  
  <p>As a note, I did install node.js and angular, and ensured the proper files are in my dist folder. I've added a web.config file, added it to my assets in the angular json file. I have also added a small script to the package.json folder to actually build.</p>
  
  <pre><code>  "project": {
      "name": "Test"
    },
    "apps": [
      {
        "root": "src",
        "outDir": "dist",
        "assets": [
          "assets",
          "src/web.config"
        ],
        "index": "index.html",
        "main": "main.ts",
        "polyfills": "polyfills.ts",
        "test": "test.ts",
        "tsconfig": "tsconfig.app.json",
        "testTsconfig": "tsconfig.spec.json",
        "prefix": "app",
        "styles": [
          "styles.css",
          "../node_modules/bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css"
        ],
        "scripts": [],
        "environmentSource": "environments/environment.ts",
        "environments": {
          "dev": "environments/environment.ts",
          "prod": "environments/environment.prod.ts"
        }
      }
    ],
  </code></pre>
  
  <pre><code> "name": "Test",
    "version": "0.0.0",
    "license": "MIT",
    "scripts": {
      "ng": "ng",
      "start": "ng serve",
      "build": "ng build",
      "test": "ng test",
      "lint": "ng lint",
      "e2e": "ng e2e",
      "prod-build-dev": "ng build --prod --build-optimizer",
      "prod-build-staging": "ng build --prod --configuration=staging --build-optimizer"
    },
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I expect the npm task to find the package.json file but that's not what is happening. Please see these error messages, each of which shows up for a different input for the working folder that contains package.json. In one, it cannot find the directory. In the other, it cannot find the file.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Error #1: Error: Npm failed with return code: 4294963238</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>paired with: </p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>14 error enoent ENOENT: no such file or directory, open
    'D:\a\r1\a\package.json' 2019-08-10T15:08:12.2500818Z 15 error enoent
    This is related to npm not being able to find a file.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>and</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Error #2: Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, stat
    'D:\a\r1\a\Test\ClientApp\dist'</p>
  </blockquote>