FIX: Fixing Build-Release-Package-Pipeline failure (#732)

### Work Item / Issue Reference  
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>
[AB#47683](https://sqlclientdrivers.visualstudio.com/c6d89619-62de-46a0-8b46-70b92a84d85e/_workitems/edit/47683)

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### Summary   
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required. -->
**Symptom**
Build-Release-Package-Pipeline failed on all four Linux variants during
Step 8 (pytest) with a collection-time error, before any test ran:
tests/test_fork_coverage_security.py:10: in <module>
    SPEC.loader.exec_module(coverage_comment)
E   FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory:
'/test_isolated_cp310/.github/scripts/prepare_fork_coverage_comment.py'
!!! Interrupted: 1 error during collection !!!

Combined with --maxfail=1, this aborted cp310–cp314 on:

- Linux manylinux_2_28 x86_64
- Linux manylinux_2_28 aarch64
- Linux musllinux x86_64
- Linux musllinux aarch64

**Root cause**
Two independent design assumptions collided:

- Test-side assumption. [test_fork_coverage_security.py:7] resolves
helpers at module top level (collection time) via
[Path(__file__).parents[1] / ".github" / "scripts" /
"prepare_fork_coverage_comment.py"], and also reads
[forked-pr-coverage.yml] and [pr-code-coverage.yml]. It assumes
[parents[1]] is a full repo checkout.

Pipeline-side assumption. The Linux release lane in
[build-linux-single-stage.yml] intentionally runs pytest from an empty
isolated directory to prove the installed wheel is self-contained:

TEST_DIR="/test_isolated_${PYBIN}"
rm -rf $TEST_DIR; mkdir -p $TEST_DIR
$PY -m pip install -q "$WHEEL"
cp -r /workspace/tests $TEST_DIR/
cp /workspace/pytest.ini $TEST_DIR/
cp /workspace/requirements.txt $TEST_DIR/

Only [tests], [pytest.ini], [requirements.txt] are copied. [.github] is
not — until now no test needed anything outside [tests].
[test_fork_coverage_security.py] (added by the fork-coverage hardening
series culminating in PR #714) is the first test that reaches outside
[tests] at import time. In the isolated layout [parents[1]]=
/test_isolated_cp310/, so the .github/… lookup fell off the map. Only
the Linux lane runs the empty-isolated-dir model; Windows and macOS run
from $(Build.SourcesDirectory) (a real checkout), so they were
unaffected — and repo-root GitHub CI was unaffected too.

**Fix:**
Make the pipeline meet the test's assumption, and drop an earlier
stop-gap.

Change added to Linux release pipeline
Copy [.github] into $TEST_DIR alongside [tests], in both the manylinux
branch (covers x86_64 + aarch64) and the musllinux branch (covers x86_64
+ aarch64):

[build-linux-single-stage.yml:322] — manylinux bash -lc block:

[build-linux-single-stage.yml:392] — musllinux sh -lc block: same two
lines.

cp -r /workspace/tests $TEST_DIR/ || echo "WARNING: No tests directory";
Some tests read repo-side helper scripts/workflows (e.g.
.github/scripts/prepare_fork_coverage_comment.py).
cp -r /workspace/.github $TEST_DIR/ || echo "WARNING: No .github
directory";

These are the only two code sites reached by the four failing Linux
stages.
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RELEASE:1.13.0 (#707)

### Work Item / Issue Reference

>
[AB#47087](https://sqlclientdrivers.visualstudio.com/c6d89619-62de-46a0-8b46-70b92a84d85e/_workitems/edit/47087)

-------------------------------------------------------------------
### Summary

Release mssql-python v1.13.0.

Version bump to 1.13.0. Updates `mssql_python/__init__.py`, `setup.py`,
`PyPI_Description.md`, and the README "Important Note" section. Bundled
`mssql_py_core` bumped from 0.1.7 to 0.1.8 (no source/API changes —
dev-nightly to stable pin).

#### Enhancements

- **ODBC driver ships exclusively via `mssql-python-odbc` (Phase 2)** —
The `libs/` fallback introduced in v1.12.0 has been removed.
`mssql-python` now hard-depends on `mssql-python-odbc==18.6.2.1`; `pip
install mssql-python` still pulls the driver package transparently.
Smaller wheels; driver binaries managed independently (#693).
- **Apache Arrow bulk copy** — New `Cursor.bulkcopy_arrow(table_name,
source)` method for high-performance bulk loading from `pyarrow.Table` /
`RecordBatch` / Arrow C Data Interface sources; classic `bulkcopy()` now
raises `TypeError` for Arrow inputs and steers users to the new method
(#665).
- **`token_provider=` parameter for Azure Identity credentials** —
`connect()` accepts any credential with a `.get_token(scope)` method
(`DefaultAzureCredential`, `AzureCliCredential`,
`ManagedIdentityCredential`, …). Mutually exclusive with
`Authentication=` in the connection string (#603, issue #577).
- **Identity-aware connection pooling with token-expiry refresh** — Pool
now keys on security context, preventing cross-identity connection
leaks; token acquisition deferred to pool-misses; connections with
near-expiry tokens refreshed automatically (#660, issues #651, #659).

#### Bug Fixes

- **Silent zero-row `executemany` batches on late NULLs** — Fixed
numeric array parameter binding paths
(`TINYINT`/`SMALLINT`/`INT`/`FLOAT`) that left indicator slots
uninitialized when a NULL appeared partway through the batch (#702,
issue #670).
- **`SQL_WVARCHAR` output converter applied as catch-all to non-string
columns** — Fallback now gated on `str`/`bytes` mapped types (#692,
issue #691).
- **Integer-keyed output converters silently never fired** —
`add_output_converter(SQL_DECIMAL, ...)` and other integer SQL type code
keys now dispatch correctly (pyodbc parity) (#690, issue #684).
- **`RecordBatchReader.Close()` for Arrow result sets** —
`Cursor.arrow_reader()` now returns a wrapper whose `.close()` releases
server-side resources and leaves the parent cursor usable (#644, issue
#643).
- **`AttributeError` in `Cursor.__del__` on partially-initialized
cursor** — `__init__` sets `closed`/`hstmt` before any raise; `__del__`
uses correct `sys.is_finalizing()` guard (#646, issue #642).

#### Version Bump

- `mssql_python/__init__.py`: `__version__ = "1.13.0"`
- `setup.py`: `version="1.13.0"`
- `PyPI_Description.md`: `## What's new in v1.13.0` section refreshed
- `README.md`: "Important Note" updated for Phase 2 (no more `libs/`
fallback, `mssql-python-odbc==18.6.2.1`)

CHORE: Bump mssql-py-core to 0.1.7 (#688)

### Work Item / Issue Reference

> AB#<WORK_ITEM_ID>
#667 

-------------------------------------------------------------------
### Summary

Bump the bundled `mssql-py-core` version from `0.1.6` to `0.1.7`.

Updates `eng/versions/mssql-py-core.version`, which pins the Rust
`mssql_py_core`
wheel that PR validation and release pipelines download from NuGet.

CHORE: Bump mssql-py-core to 0.1.6 (#666)

### Work Item / Issue Reference

> GitHub Issue: #662

-------------------------------------------------------------------
### Summary

Bumps the bundled `mssql-py-core` pin from `0.1.5` to `0.1.6`, which
includes the Rust-side GIL-deadlock fix for Service Principal bulk copy
(mssql-rs #78). Fixes the freeze reported in #662 (related: #623).

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

RELEASE:1.10.0 (#648)

[AB#45983](https://sqlclientdrivers.visualstudio.com/c6d89619-62de-46a0-8b46-70b92a84d85e/_workitems/edit/45983)

Release mssql-python v1.10.0.

This PR bumps the driver version from 1.9.0 to 1.10.0 across
`mssql_python/__init__.py`, `setup.py`, and updates
`PyPI_Description.md` with this release's customer-facing changes.

### Summary

**Enhancements**

- **Active Directory Service Principal support for Bulk Copy**
([#576](#576)) -
`bulkcopy` now supports
`Authentication=ActiveDirectoryServicePrincipal`, registering a
token-provider callback that resolves the tenant from the STS URL
mid-handshake and returns a service-principal JWT.

**Bug Fixes**

- **Non-ASCII VARCHAR data in the Arrow fetch path**
([#575](#575)) - The Arrow
fetch path now requests `SQL_CHAR` data as `SQL_C_WCHAR` (UTF-16LE),
ensuring correct decoding regardless of encoding settings, locale, or
OS. Thanks @ffelixg for the contribution!
- **Bulk load connection timeouts**
([#641](#641)) - Fixed
connection timeouts during bulk load operations. Fix lands in the Rust
core via bumping `mssql_py_core` from 0.1.4 to 0.1.5. *(via
`mssql_py_core`)*

**Version bump**

- `mssql_python/__init__.py`: `__version__ = "1.10.0"`
- `setup.py`: `version="1.10.0"`
- `PyPI_Description.md`: updated `## What's new in v1.10.0` section

RELEASE:1.9.0 (#633)

[AB#45750](https://sqlclientdrivers.visualstudio.com/c6d89619-62de-46a0-8b46-70b92a84d85e/_workitems/edit/45750)

Release mssql-python v1.9.0. Bumps `__version__`, `setup.py` version,
and updates `PyPI_Description.md` with this release's customer-facing
changes.

### Summary

#### Enhancements
- **Row Objects in Bulk Copy** - `bulkcopy` now accepts `Row` objects
(and lists) directly, converting each row to a tuple automatically
(#615).
- **Cached Parameter Type Resolution for NULLs** - `SQLDescribeParam`
results are cached per statement when binding `NULL` parameters,
removing redundant server round-trips and fixing incorrect type
fallbacks for all-NULL columns and VARBINARY types (#614).

#### Bug Fixes
- **macOS / Linux Import Failure** - simdutf is now always statically
linked via FetchContent, fixing import/symbol failures on machines
without simdutf at the CI build path (#608). Resolves #607, #628.
- **executemany Large Decimal Handling** - Fixed a `SQL_C_NUMERIC` type
mismatch when inserting `Decimal` values outside the SQL Server `MONEY`
range via `executemany` (#611). Resolves #609.
- **Exception Pickling** - DB-API exception subclasses and
`ConnectionStringParseError` now implement `__reduce__` for correct
pickle/unpickle round-trips (#616). Resolves #587.
- **PRINT Messages in nextset()** - Diagnostic messages from subsequent
result sets are captured on `SQL_SUCCESS_WITH_INFO` during `nextset()`
(#618). Resolves #612.
- **Row Objects in executemany DAE Path** - `executemany` converts `Row`
objects to tuples in the DAE fallback path, fixing `varchar(max)` writes
(#630). Resolves #629.
- **Static Type-Checking of Fetch Methods** -
`fetchone`/`fetchmany`/`fetchall` are no longer reassigned as instance
attributes, fixing type-checking under `ty` (#631). Resolves #620.

#### Version bump
- `mssql_python/__init__.py`: `__version__` 1.8.0 → 1.9.0
- `setup.py`: version 1.8.0 → 1.9.0
- `PyPI_Description.md`: updated "What's new" section to v1.9.0

Bundled `mssql_py_core` version unchanged (0.1.4).

RELEASE: 1.8.0 (#605)

[AB#43993](https://sqlclientdrivers.visualstudio.com/c6d89619-62de-46a0-8b46-70b92a84d85e/_workitems/edit/43993)

### Summary

Release mssql-python v1.8.0.

### Enhancements
- **ActiveDirectoryMSI Support for Bulk Copy** (#573)
- **Row String-Key Indexing** (#589)
- **Bundled ODBC Driver Upgrade** from 18.5.1.1 to 18.6.2.1 (#569)

### Bug Fixes
- **Deferred Connect-Attribute Use-After-Free** (#596) - Fixes #594,
#597
- **Connection String Parsed Multiple Times in Auth Path** (#590) -
Fixes #580
- **executemany Type Annotation Regression** (#586) - Fixes #572

### Version Bump
- `__version__` → 1.8.0 in `__init__.py` and `setup.py`
- `PyPI_Description.md` updated with v1.8.0 release notes

RELEASE:1.7.1 (#593)

### Work Item / Issue Reference

>
[AB#45159](https://sqlclientdrivers.visualstudio.com/mssql-python/_sprints/taskboard/mssql-python%20Team/mssql-python/Rubidium/May%202026?workitem=45159)

-------------------------------------------------------------------
### Summary

**Enhancements**
- #548 — manylinux_2_28 build targets for RHEL 8 / glibc 2.28
- #542 — macOS universal2 wheel for Python 3.10
- #526 — UTF-16 string handling via simdutf
- #528 — Optimized execute() hot path
- #567 — Azure Linux installation docs

**Bug Fixes**
- #562 — Login failures now raise mssql_python exception instead of
RuntimeError
- #568 — GIL released during blocking SQLSetConnectAttr calls
- #541 — GIL released during blocking ODBC statement/fetch/transaction
calls
- #560 — executemany RuntimeError when decimals change signs
- #495 — Inconsistent CP1252 VARCHAR retrieval Windows vs Linux
- #559 — BulkCopy empty string in NVARCHAR(MAX)/VARCHAR(MAX) (via
mssql_py_core 0.1.4)

RELEASE:1.7.1 (#593)

### Work Item / Issue Reference

>
[AB#45159](https://sqlclientdrivers.visualstudio.com/mssql-python/_sprints/taskboard/mssql-python%20Team/mssql-python/Rubidium/May%202026?workitem=45159)

-------------------------------------------------------------------
### Summary

**Enhancements**
- #548 — manylinux_2_28 build targets for RHEL 8 / glibc 2.28
- #542 — macOS universal2 wheel for Python 3.10
- #526 — UTF-16 string handling via simdutf
- #528 — Optimized execute() hot path
- #567 — Azure Linux installation docs

**Bug Fixes**
- #562 — Login failures now raise mssql_python exception instead of
RuntimeError
- #568 — GIL released during blocking SQLSetConnectAttr calls
- #541 — GIL released during blocking ODBC statement/fetch/transaction
calls
- #560 — executemany RuntimeError when decimals change signs
- #495 — Inconsistent CP1252 VARCHAR retrieval Windows vs Linux
- #559 — BulkCopy empty string in NVARCHAR(MAX)/VARCHAR(MAX) (via
mssql_py_core 0.1.4)

RELEASE:1.6.0 (#537)

### Work Item / Issue Reference

>
[AB#44595](https://sqlclientdrivers.visualstudio.com/c6d89619-62de-46a0-8b46-70b92a84d85e/_workitems/edit/44595)

> GitHub Issue: #<ISSUE_NUMBER>

-------------------------------------------------------------------
### Summary

This pull request updates the library to version 1.6.0 and delivers a
focused set of reliability and concurrency improvements.

### Bug Fixes and Reliability Improvements

• GIL Release During ODBC Connect/Disconnect: The driver now releases
the GIL during blocking ODBC connect and disconnect calls, improving
concurrency for multi-threaded Python applications.
• setinputsizes() SQL_DECIMAL Crash Fix: Fixed a crash in
cursor.setinputsizes() when specifying SQL_DECIMAL type hints.
• ODBC Catalog fetchone() Fix: Fixed an issue where fetchone() on ODBC
catalog method results returned incorrect data.
• cursor.execute() Invalid Cursor State Fix: Fixed cursor.execute()
raising an Invalid cursor state error when called with
reset_cursor=False.
• executemany Type Annotation Fix: Corrected the type annotation for
executemany seq_of_parameters parameter to accept Mapping types.
• setup_logging Path Traversal Guard: Added path canonicalization and
traversal guard to setup_logging's log_file_path parameter.

### Version Updates

• Updated the version number to \1.6.0\ in \__init__.py\ and \setup.py\
to reflect the new release.
For a full list of changes and more details, refer to the updated
release notes in \PyPI_Description.md\.