Setting Variables in Azure Pipeline Task Failing

Question

I have a simple powershell task in my pipeline definition to grab the date information and set some build variables

[string]$buildNum=$(Build.BuildNumber);

$year=$(Get-Date -Format yyyy);
$month=$(Get-Date -Format MM);
$day=$(Get-Date -Format dd);
$revnum= $buildNum.Substring($buildNum.LastIndexOf('.') + 1);

Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=major]$year$month"
Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=minor]$day"
Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=patch]$revnum"

The task keeps failing with:

##[error]Unable to process command '##vso[task.setvariable variable=major;]201910' successfully. Please reference documentation (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=817296)

[error]##vso[task.setvariable variable=major;] is not a recognized command for Task command extension. Please reference documentation (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=817296)

I have seen the syntax as both:

Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=major]$year$month"

and

Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=major;]$year$month"

both result in the same error.

Build definition

Variables

Answer 1

Thanks to YanSklyarenko!

It looks like a copy and paste was bringing in an unseen character.

I manually re-typed it out and got it to work.