Pass variables to yaml template (like parameters) in azure pipelines

Question

To minimize duplicate build scripts, we make use of templates in our pipelines. These templates have parameters. However, I now run into an issue, because I need to pass data to a template that is not yet available when the pipeline starts. (the data is generated in some steps during the pipeline). Since parameters are expanded when the pipeline starts, I cannot pass the data to the template via parameters.

I know I can reference output variables of different tasks, jobs, and stages within my pipeline, but the template I am using has no knowledge of the surrounding pipeline it is executed in. So the template doesn't know how to reference the output variables from other jobs outside of the template, simply because the template doesn't know what jobs have been executed before.

Is there some way I can map variables in my template? Ideally I would like to do something like this:

stages:
- stage: Stage1
  jobs:
  - some job that creates output variables
- stage: Stage2
  jobs:
  - template: 'myTemplate.yaml'
    variables:
      data1: $[ stageDependencies.Stage1.some_job.outputs['taskname.data1']]

and have the data1 variable available within the template.

So I am trying to avoid having to use: $[ stageDependencies.Stage1.some_job.outputs['taskname.data1']] in the template, because Stage1 might not even exist in all pipelines that uses the template.

I can actually do this, if the template only contains steps, instead of multiple jobs:

- stage: Stage2
  jobs:
  - job: Job1
    variables:
      data1: $[ stageDependencies.Stage1.some_job.outputs['taskName.data1']]

    steps:
    - template: templates/Azure/CreateTenant.yaml

Unfortunately, my templates contain multiple jobs

Update: I've entered a feature request to better support this situation: https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/idea/1207453/yaml-template-variablesparameters-that-are-expande.html

Leo Liu-MSFT Leo Liu-MSFT · Accepted Answer · 2020-08-21T07:48:37

I can actually do this, if the template only contains steps, instead of multiple jobs. Unfortunately, my templates contain multiple jobs

To resolve this issue, you could define the variables at the stage level instead of the job level:

  - stage: Stage2
    variables:
      data1: $[ stageDependencies.Stage1.some_job.outputs['taskName.data1']]

    jobs:
      - template: templates/Azure/CreateTenant.yaml

Then we could avoid having to use: $[ stageDependencies.Stage1.some_job.outputs['taskname.data1']] in the template.

You could check the document Variable scopes for some more details.

Pass variables to yaml template (like parameters) in azure pipelines

1 Answers