GitLab pipeline - Container registry configuration

This one has taken me a few hours and is pretty stupid. If you try running your GitLab pipeline and you get this error:

$ docker pull --quiet $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG || true
invalid reference format
$ docker build --cache-from $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG -t $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG .
invalid argument ":appname" for "-t, --tag" flag: invalid reference format

Then I believe the problem is your container registry. This is a random setting your need to enable buried deep in the GitLab settings.

Goto:

Settings -> General -> Visibility, project features, permissions

The random setting you're looking for is 

Container registry - Every project can have its own space to store its Docker images

https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/packages/container_registry/index.html

https://stackoverflow.com/a/57729959

Android - There is a problem parsing the package

This was a head scratching problem I had. I copied an apk to my phone and tried to install it but immediately got an error

There is a problem parsing the package

So I opened up Android Studio, assembled it again and re-installed it. Same problem. I checked the manifest, checked gradle and a few million other things! Some hours later I tried:

adb install C:/folder/myapp.apk

Then I checked the ADB logcat and finally I had something to go on.

Installation error: INSTALL_PARSE_FAILED_MANIFEST_MALFORMED

How frustrating! Couldn't I have been told that during build? Well at least I had something. It turned out to be a missing provider authority for a specific flavour. Oh well, next time I'll know what to do first!

SQL Transaction

bit like in cfmx here's a useful bit of t-sql / sql for rolling back on error.

BEGIN TRAN
insert into ()--....sql goes here

IF @@ERROR <> 0
BEGIN
ROLLBACK TRAN
END
COMMIT TRAN

It's not perfect but it seems to work...sometimes....if the wind is blowing north, and it's a wednesday.