Node version discrepancy between task library docs, tutorial docs, build, and mock task runner

[tillig]

Environment

azure-pipelines-task-lib version: 4.4.0

Issue Description

In the Node documentation in this repo it indicates the task SDK is in the process of updating from Node 6 to Node 10 as the default:

Azure DevOps is currently working to establish Node 10 as the new preferred runtime for tasks, upgrading from Node 6.

The current build for the task library is using Node 16.

variables:
  - group: npm-tokens
  - name: nodeVersion
    value: '16.13.0'

The tutorial documentation on how to build a custom extension using this SDK says that you should use the latest version of Node.

The latest version of Node.js.

This raises some confusion as to which version of Node I should actually be using to build and test my extension.

For example, if I use the MockTestRunner it will currently default to Node 6, which means code I've written in the extension using Node 20 (the "latest version of Node.js" per the tutorial docs) will totally not run in the mock testing scenario.

I see I can tell the MockTestRunner to use Node 16, but if the SDK is only going to work on Node 10 (per the README) then I'm confused as to which version I should use during testing.

The official Azure Pipelines Tasks look like they build with Node 10.

I also can't tell what the version of Node is that will actually end up running my task on the build agent. Can I control that somehow? Is there a default that always gets used? Is it one of the 6 / 10 / 16 versions?

The conflicts between the documentation make it challenging to know what to do here.

Possibly related:

• Set engines in package.json #946
• Comment from #630

Expected behaviour

I expect consistency across the documentation: build, develop, and test in a specific recommended version or set of versions. I expect instructions explaining how to specify which version your given extension requires if that's an option; or an explanation that it's out of my control and I should look at [insert some link] for the version that is currently in use.

Actual behaviour

Unit tests in Mocha pass but running with the MockTestRunner causes odd Node compatibility errors at runtime like this because it's defaulting to Node 6:

"Error: Cannot find module 'fs/promises'
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (module.js:476:15)
    at Module._load (module.js:424:25)
    at Function.hookedLoader [as _load] (/Users/tillig/my-task/MyTask/node_modules/mockery/mockery.js:111:12)
    at Module.require (module.js:504:17)
    at require (internal/module.js:20:19)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/Users/tillig/tillig/my-task/MyTask/SomeFolder/FileReader.js:36:25)
    at Module._compile (module.js:577:32)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:586:10)
    at Module.load (module.js:494:32)
    at tryModuleLoad (module.js:453:12)"

Steps to reproduce

See:

• [Node 6 or 10] README for Node version of Task Library SDK
• [Node "latest"] Tutorial documentation for using the Task Library
• [Node 16] Current build script for the Task Library SDK
• [Node 6, 10, 16] MockTaskRunner
• [Node 10] Azure Pipelines Tasks build

Logs

N/A

[github-actions]

This issue has had no activity in 90 days. Please comment if it is not actually stale

[tillig]

Still an issue.

[github-actions]

This issue has had no activity in 90 days. Please comment if it is not actually stale