Azure DevOps PublishTestResults task -- how to publish results if tests fail - azure

Question

I am running a pytest-based suite of tests during my Azure DevOps build process. I have two jobs arranged to run these tests against two different environments.
In each job, I run the pytest tests using a script task and generate a junit-style xml output file, then have a PublishTestResults task publish that xml file. This is working great, and I'm able to peruse my test results in the azure build tests report UI -- but only if all the tests pass. If any tests fail, the publish task is skipped, and the tests aren't reported in the UI.
YML extract:
- job: 'RunTestsQA'
continueOnError: True
steps:
- task: UsePythonVersion#0
inputs:
versionSpec: '3.6'
architecture: 'x64'
- task: DownloadSecureFile#1
inputs:
secureFile: 'ConfigFile'
- script: pip install -r requirements.txt
displayName: 'Install Requirements'
- script: |
pytest -m smoke --ENV=qa --log-file $SYSTEM_ARTIFACTSDIRECTORY/smoke-qa.log --junitxml="TEST-qa-smoke.xml"
displayName: 'Test with pytest'
# PUBLISH JUNIT RESULTS
- task: PublishTestResults#2
inputs:
condition: succeededOrFailed()
testResultsFormat: 'JUnit' # Options: JUnit, NUnit, VSTest, xUnit
testResultsFiles: '**/TEST-*.xml'
#searchFolder: '$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)' # Optional
mergeTestResults: false # Optional
testRunTitle: 'API_CHECK QA'
#buildPlatform: # Optional
#buildConfiguration: # Optional
publishRunAttachments: true # Optional
Through some experimentation, I've been able to confirm the XML file is always created. What do I need to fix here? A test report isn't super helpful if it only shows up when the tests pass.

Answer 1

In your task description, the condition is effectively listed as a task input, and hence won't be taken into account at all.
You had:
# PUBLISH JUNIT RESULTS
- task: PublishTestResults#2
inputs:
condition: succeededOrFailed()
testResultsFormat: 'JUnit' # Options: JUnit, NUnit, VSTest, xUnit
testResultsFiles: '**/TEST-*.xml'
The correct setup is
# PUBLISH JUNIT RESULTS
- task: PublishTestResults#2
inputs:
testResultsFormat: 'JUnit' # Options: JUnit, NUnit, VSTest, xUnit
testResultsFiles: '**/TEST-*.xml'
condition: succeededOrFailed()
The full list of things you can do with conditions is here

Answer 2

I'm using Ruby and Minitest, but I have found that the following setting allows the PublishTestResults task to run:
- script: |
pytest -m smoke --ENV=qa --log-file $SYSTEM_ARTIFACTSDIRECTORY/smoke-qa.log --junitxml="TEST-qa-smoke.xml"
displayName: 'Test with pytest'
continueOnError: true
The only issue that I have found with this setting is that if the build fails, it reports as "Partially Succeeded" and not "Failed".
edit:
Of course, if your build process has any deploy tasks after the test task, you may not want to use this setting.