Azure Pipeline Parameter List of Strings and Pipeline Configuration

Working with Azure Pipelines can be a bit tricky, especially when it comes to configuring parameters. One thing to keep in mind is that Azure Pipelines supports a list of strings as a parameter type.

In Azure Pipelines, a list of strings is a type of parameter that allows you to pass multiple values to a pipeline. This can be useful for scenarios where you need to iterate over a list of values.

To configure a list of strings in Azure Pipelines, you need to specify the type as "string" and use the "[] " notation to indicate that it's a list. For example, you can define a parameter like this: `parameters - name: colors - type: string - default: ['red', 'green', 'blue']`.

Azure Pipelines also allows you to configure the default value for a list of strings parameter, which can be useful for scenarios where you want to provide a default set of values.

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Defining a pipeline involves several key steps. You can set runtime parameters at the beginning of a YAML file.

To define a pipeline parameter, follow these steps: click on your pipeline to view its configuration tabs, select the "Parameters" tab, and click on the "+ New" button to define a new parameter. Enter a name and description for the parameter, and select its data type from the dropdown menu, which can be String, Int, Float, Bool, Array, Object, or SecureString.

Each parameter must specify a type, such as boolean, number, object, or string. You can provide a default value in the YAML by using the 'default' key, run the pipeline and provide a value manually at runtime, or if neither of the above options are used, then the first value listed in the 'values' key will be used.

You can also assign a default value to the parameter when defining it. The default value will be used if no other value is provided.

Here are the common types of parameters:

Note that pipeline parameters can be used to control the behavior of a pipeline and its activities.

Expressions can be used to create more complex scenarios in Azure Pipelines, especially when combined with parameters.

Expressions can be used to loop over steps or ignore steps, similar to setting the "condition" property to "false".

The "each" expression allows you to repeat steps with different parameters, while the "if" expression enables conditional execution of steps.

The boolean function "eq" can be used in conjunction with the "if" expression to compare values.

You can pass in different "TrainingSteps" for each scenario, as demonstrated in the template file example.

This allows you to have a single template with multiple scenarios, where only the training steps differ.

Expressions can also be used to inject steps, making it easier to manage complex workflows.

By using expressions, you can create reusable templates that adapt to different scenarios and parameters.

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In Azure Pipelines, you can dynamically include a list of steps in the build process using the stepList parameter.

The main pipeline (azure-pipelines.yml) defines two jobs: build and deploy. The build job uses a template (build.yml) and passes a list of build tasks using the stepList parameter.

The build.yml template sets the .NET Core SDK to 6.x. It iterates over each step in the build_tasks parameter and executes each step defined in the build_tasks list.

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Including a list of steps in your pipeline tasks can be a game-changer for complex build processes. This approach allows you to dynamically include tasks as needed, making your pipeline more flexible and efficient.

You can use the stepList parameter to achieve this. For example, in the main pipeline (azure-pipelines.yml), you can define two jobs: build and deploy.

The build job uses a template (build.yml) and passes a list of build tasks using the stepList parameter. This list can be used to dynamically include steps in the build process.

Here's an example of how the build.yml template can be set up:

You can use if statements to call tasks or templates with different configurations. This is useful when your pipeline needs to perform different actions based on certain conditions.

The sendMessage.yaml file can be designed to require a message parameter, which doesn't have a default value, and an optional displayName parameter that defaults to "Send message" if no other value is provided.

The condition parameter can be used to evaluate a condition in the if statement, and it can have an empty default value that evaluates to false. This condition definition is indented inside the if block.

Azure DevOps evaluates the template during pipeline initialization and receives the condition parameter as a string. This string is then placed in the generated end result.

You can create a simple pipeline to demonstrate this in practice by using a condition to skip a step if the previous step has failed.

The success message step can be explicitly defined with a condition, which improves readability. This condition is implicitly assumed when not defined, but defining it explicitly can make the pipeline easier to understand.

You can set runtime parameters at the beginning of a YAML file in Azure Pipelines. This allows you to define parameters that can be used in your pipeline.

To use parameters in pipelines, you can specify a pool value in the jobs section that references the parameter used to run the job. For example, you can use a parameter like "image" with three hosted agents as string options.

A unique perspective: Azure Pipelines Parameters Types

Pipeline parameters can be used to control the behavior of a pipeline and its activities. They can be defined at the pipeline level and cannot be modified during a pipeline run.

If you don't make a selection for a parameter like "image" when manually triggering your pipeline to run, the default option will be used. In this case, the default option is "ubuntu-latest".