Is it possible in Azure Devops YAML pipelines to dynamically create additional steps based on some variable data (without creating our own plugin)
The thing is I see that I want to iterate through several directories, but I don't want to just lump it all in a single step since it makes it harder to scan through to find an error.
Is it possible in Azure Devops YAML pipelines to dynamically create
additional steps based on some variable data (without creating our own
plugin)
No, Yaml pipelines(azure-pipeline.yml) are under Version Control. So what you want (for your original title) is to dynamically commit changes to the azure-pipeline.yml file when executing the pipeline. That's not a recommended workflow.
1.Instead you can consider using Azure Devops Conditions to dynamically enable/disable the additional steps.
Use a template parameter as part of a condition
Use the output variable from a job in a condition in a subsequent job
Or Use some predefined variables:
condition: and(succeeded(), eq(variables['Build.SourceBranch'], 'refs/heads/master'))
2.If you're not using Conditions, you can check conditional template as Simon suggests above.
Also, both #1 and #2 can work with new feature runtime parameters.
3.However, if the dynamic variable you mean comes from the result of components = result of ls -1 $(Pipeline.Workspace)/components command, above tips won't work for this situation. For this you can try something like this:
- task: PowerShell#2
inputs:
targetType: 'inline'
script: |
# Write your PowerShell commands here.
# some logic to run `components = result of ls -1 $(Pipeline.Workspace)/components` and determine whether to set the WhetherToRun=true.
'Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=WhetherToRun]True"'
- task: CmdLine#2
inputs:
script: |
echo Hello world
condition: eq(variables['WhetherToRun'], 'True')
It is possible to include steps conditionally with an if statement.
I think the example of extending a template on the same page will give you a good indication of how to iterate through a list parameter and create / run a step based on each value.
Related
So I have a variable in a variables.yaml file called keyVaultSecretToRetrieve. It can vary based on environment. Previously this pipeline was coded for single environment. So lets say the keyVaultSecretToRetrieve is "secret1". If in the task I put SecretsFilter: "secret1" and run the task and try to reference $(secret1) in the following task everything works great.
But my problem is that if I put it like the example below as SecretsFilter $(keyVaultSecretToRetrieve). How can I then retrieve the value? Its almost like I would want to do something like if it where possible $($(keyVaultSecretToRetrieve)).
I know my other option is to just run the command in a script using azure CLI which I tried but the build server says it does not have azure cli installed and I'd rather not mess with it and just wrap this up quickly. Not sure if there is some way to achieve what I want?
It's a windows build agent and the steps after this are mostly PowerShell. I wish the task just returns a data structure vs. dynamically named variables.... This is throwing me off it there is some trick I can do to make it work that I'm not aware of vs. just being forced to go the azure cli route or have the variable name coded in the variables name vs. as another variables.....
- task: AzureKeyVault#2
displayName: Retrieve from keyvault
inputs:
azureSubscription: $(serviceConnection)
KeyVaultName: $(keyVaultName)
SecretsFilter: $(keyVaultSecretToRetrieve)
RunAsPreJob: false
Based on your requirement, you need to use nested variable: $($(keyVaultSecretToRetrieve)). There is no built-in feature can support this requirement.
To achieve your requirement, you can use the Variable Set task from extension: Variable Toolbox.
For example:
steps
- task: VariableSetTask#2
inputs:
variableName: NewVariable
Value: '$($(keyVaultSecretToRetrieve))'
It will create a new variable based on the nested variable:$($(keyVaultSecretToRetrieve)). Then you can use the $(NewVariable) in the next tasks.
I have a pipeline in Azure DevOps somewhat like this:
parameters:
- name: Scenario
displayName: Scenario suite
type: string
default: 'Default'
variables:
Scenario: ${{ parameters.Scenario }}
...
steps:
- script: echo Scenario is $(Scenario)
And I'm executing the pipeline via the VSTS CLI like this:
vsts build queue ... --variables Scenario=Test
When I run my pipeline, it seems that the parameter default value overwrites my cmd line specified variable value and I get the step output Scenario is Default. I tried something like Scenario: $[coalesce(variables['Scenario'], ${{ parameters.Scenario }})] but I think I got the syntax wrong because that caused a parsing issue.
What would be the best way to only use the parameter value if the Scenario variable has not already been set?
What would be the best way to only use the parameter value if the
Scenario variable has not already been set?
Sorry but as I know your scenario is not supported by design. The Note here has stated that:
When you set a variable in the YAML file, don't define it in the web editor as settable at queue time. You can't currently change variables that are set in the YAML file at queue time. If you need a variable to be settable at queue time, don't set it in the YAML file.
The --variables switch in command can only be used to overwrite the variables which are marked as Settable at queue time. Since yaml pipeline doesn't support Settable variables by design, your --variables Scenario=Test won't actually be passed when queuing the yaml pipeline.
Here're my several tests to prove that:
1.Yaml pipeline which doesn't support Settable variable at Queue time:
pool:
vmImage: 'windows-latest'
variables:
Scenario: Test
steps:
- script: echo Scenario is $(Scenario)
I ran the command vsts build queue ... --variables Scenario=Test123, the pipeline run started but the output log would always be Scenario is Test instead of expected Scenario is Test123. It proves that it's not Pipeline parameter overwrites variable value, instead the --variables Scenario=xxx doesn't get passed cause yaml pipeline doesn't support Settable variables.
2.Create Classic UI build pipeline with pipeline variable Scenario:
Queuing it via command az pipelines build queue ... --variables Scenario=Test12345(It has the same function like vsts build queue ... --variables Scenario=Test) only gives this error:
Could not queue the build because there were validation errors or warnings.
3.Then enable the Settable at queue time option of this variable:
Run the same command again and now it works to queue the build. Also it succeeds to overwrite the original pipeline variable with the new value set in command-line.
You can do similar tests like what I did to figure out the cause of the behavior you met.
In addition:
VSTS CLI has been deprecated and replaced by Azure CLI with the Azure DevOps extension for a long time. So now it's more recommend to use az pipelines build queue
instead.
Lance had a great suggestion, but here is how I ended up solving it:
- name: Scenario
displayName: Scenario suite
type: string
default: 'Default'
variables:
ScenarioFinal: $[coalesce(variables['Scenario'], '${{ parameters.Scenario }}')]
...
steps:
- script: echo Scenario is $(ScenarioFinal)
In this case we use the coalesce expression to assign the value of a new variable, ScenarioFinal. This way we can still use --variables Scenario=Test via the CLI or use the parameter via the pipeline UI. coalesce will take the first non-null value and effectively "reorder" the precedence Lance linked to here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/pipelines/process/variables?view=azure-devops&tabs=yaml%2Cbatch#expansion-of-variables
(Note that there need to be single quotes around the parameter reference '${{}}' because the ${{}} is simply converted to to the value, but then the coalesce expression doesn't know how to interpret the raw value unless it has the single quotes around it to denote it as a string)
Note that the ability to set parameters via the CLI is a current feature suggestion here: https://github.com/Azure/azure-devops-cli-extension/issues/972
I am writing azure pipelines and using variables from variable groups. As part of adding flexibility, we are trying to make most of the parts of pipeline configurable ( more variables). So, i was looking for a way to add default value to variable if it is not present in variable group.
The way we use is like below:
variables:
dockerId: $(docker_id)
imageName: $(DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME)
Is there option to specify default for the variable, if it doesn't find it from variable group. Something like below:
variables:
dockerId: $(docker_id:"defaultDockerId")
imageName: $(DOCKER_IMAGE_NAME:"defaultDockerImageName")
You cannot achieve this directly in azure pipeline. Azure pipeline doesnot have this feature currently and this syntax $(docker_id:"defaultDockerId") is not supported.
As workaround, you may have to write scripts in script tasks to assign the default value if the variables are not exist.
Please check out below python script:
The first python script task checks if the variable exists and set a default value for it, and define the variable using print("##vso[task.setvariable variable=variableName]value").
(Please note the variable variableTest value can only be referenced in the following tasks.)
- task: PythonScript#0
displayName: 'setDefaultValue'
inputs:
scriptSource: inline
script: |
import os
b = os.getenv("variableTest","default value for variableTest")
print("##vso[task.setvariable variable=variableTest]{b}".format(b=b))
- task: PythonScript#0
displayName: 'Run a Python script'
inputs:
scriptSource: inline
script: |
print("$(variableTest)")
Hope above helps!
The comment is correct, you cannot have defaults (unless you are using templates and parameters, which you might want to look at, but they are not exactly the thing you are after). You can either use an if condition if you know when the variable exists or not (in the yaml file) or use a script task like the comment suggests and calculate the value in the script task and emit it back to the pipeline.
The code/PRs in question are coming from github. Currently I have our pipeline set up (via the "triggers" configuration on the pipeline) to run tests on forks of our repository, but to not make secrets available.
This means that for contributor PRs, our first two jobs in the pipeline run successfully, but then the following 3 (which require credentials) fail, giving endless errors about the variable not being set. I'd like to set a condition: for the job like and(succeeded(), not(???)) where ??? is some variable indicating that this "is a fork".
I know I could change my jobs to include the secrets in the environment and then check for the environment variable being set and bail out early if not, but that seems silly - I figure this information must be available somehow. As it is it creates a lot of confusion for contributors, who see a bunch of tests fail.
SYSTEM_PULLREQUEST_ISFORK is available. Can use it like:
and(succeeded(), ne(variables['SYSTEM.PULLREQUEST.ISFORK'], 'true'))
Here is a one liner to get all the environment variables for future reference:
- task: PowerShell#2
inputs:
targetType: 'inline'
script: 'gci env:* | sort-object name'
In Azure DevOps pipelines there's an option to conditionally run a task based on a pipeline variable. This is handled under the Run this task > Custom conditions field and it uses the syntax:
eq(variables['VarName'], 'Desired Value')
An agent job has a similar field for conditional execution under Run this job > Custom condition using variable expressions.
However, when I use the same syntax as a conditional task the result always evaluates to 'false'.
So how can I conditionally run an agent job?
Screenshots:
Something like this worked for me:
- job: Job1
steps:
- powershell: |
if (some condition)
{
Write-Host ("##vso[task.setvariable variable=RunJob2;isOutput=true]True")
}
name: ScriptStep
- job: Job2
dependsOn: Create_Build_Matrix
condition: and(succeeded(), eq(dependencies.Job1.outputs['ScriptStep.RunJob2'], 'True'))
I discovered the answer. Unfortunately, it is not possible to conditionally run an agent job with a variable that is modified during build execution.
From the Azure DevOps Pipeline documentation under Pipeline Variables:
To define or modify a variable from a script, use the task.setvariable
logging command. Note that the updated variable value is scoped to
the job being executed, and does not flow across jobs or stages.
Try this one: https://stefanstranger.github.io/2019/06/26/PassingVariablesfromStagetoStage/
This one gives you to pass variables from one stage/job to another stage/job in the same release pipeline. I tried and it's working fine.
Also to run this you need to give some permissions for release pipeline. To allow for updating the Release Definition during the Release you need to configure the Release Permission Manage releases for the Project Collection Build Service.