Azure Pipeline Parameters: A Comprehensive Guide

Azure Pipeline Parameters are a powerful tool that allows you to store and reuse values in your pipeline, making it easier to manage and maintain your builds and deployments.

You can define parameters in your pipeline YAML file using the `parameters` keyword, and then reference them throughout your pipeline using the `${parameter_name}` syntax.

Azure Pipeline Parameters can be used to store sensitive information, such as API keys or database credentials, securely and safely.

By using parameters, you can avoid hardcoding values in your pipeline, which makes it easier to manage and update your pipeline without having to modify the YAML file.

Configuring parameters in Azure Pipelines is a powerful tool that allows you to dynamically set configuration values for your pipelines. You can use parameters to set which job runs, and even define how a pipeline fills in missing data.

By default, pipeline parameters only support basic data types like int, float, and string. This means you can't use complex data types like arrays or objects.

You can create a pipeline parameter in the settings panel by selecting the gear icon next to your pipeline draft, and then clicking the + icon in the Pipeline parameters section. From there, you can enter a name for the parameter and a default value.

There are three ways to create a pipeline parameter in the designer: by creating one in the settings panel and binding it to a component, by promoting a component parameter to a pipeline parameter, or by promoting a dataset to a pipeline parameter.

Pipeline parameters can be used to set different architectures for your builds, depending on the value of a config parameter. For example, you could set up a pipeline to build an x86 architecture by default, but also allow for an x64 architecture to be built based on a user input.

Parameter Management is a crucial aspect of Azure Pipelines. You can call different templates from a pipeline YAML depending on a condition.

To update a pipeline parameter, select the gear icon at the top of the canvas, then view and update the name and default value in the Pipeline parameters section. This allows you to modify existing parameters as needed.

You can also delete pipeline parameters, which will detach them from attached components and keep their current value. To do this, select the gear icon, then the ellipses next to the parameter, and finally select Delete parameter.

Selective Exclusion is a powerful way to control the flow of your pipeline. You can use parameters to set whether a stage runs.

By setting the default value of a parameter to false, you can exclude a stage from running unless you explicitly update the parameter to true. This is what happens with the Performance Test stage in the example pipeline.

The Performance Test stage only runs if the parameter runPerfTests is updated to true, and it doesn't run by default because the default value of runPerfTests is false.

This approach allows you to customize the pipeline behavior without modifying the underlying code, making it easier to manage and maintain your pipeline.

Updating pipeline parameters is a straightforward process. You can view and update the name and default value for all of your pipeline parameters by selecting the gear icon at the top of the canvas and navigating to the Pipeline parameters section.

To update a component pipeline parameter, you'll need to follow these steps: select the gear icon, and then view and update the name and default value for the parameter.

It's essential to note that updating a pipeline parameter will not affect the value of attached component parameters. They will retain their current value.

Here's a step-by-step guide to updating a component pipeline parameter:

If you need to delete a pipeline parameter, you'll need to follow a different set of steps. This will ensure that all attached component parameters are detached and retain their current value.

To delete a component pipeline parameter, you'll need to follow these steps: select the gear icon, select the ellipses next to the pipeline parameter, and then select Delete parameter.

Parameter Types are a crucial aspect of Azure Pipelines, allowing you to pass values to your pipeline at runtime. You can specify the type of parameter you want to use, which is essential for ensuring the correct data type is used.

String parameters are the default data type, and they can be restricted to specific values if needed. For example, you can specify that a parameter can only be one of the following values: "dev", "stg", or "prod". Number parameters can be restricted to specific values as well, but they can also accept any number-like string.

Boolean parameters are straightforward, accepting only true or false values. Object parameters can be any YAML structure, making them incredibly flexible. You can also reference an object's keys and corresponding values directly.

Some other parameter types include step, stepList, job, jobList, deployment, deploymentList, stage, and stageList, which all use standard YAML schema format. These types are useful when working with complex pipeline structures.

Here's a summary of the parameter types mentioned:

Parameter Usage is a powerful feature in Azure Pipelines that allows you to set runtime parameters at the beginning of a YAML file.

You can set parameters in pipelines, such as an image parameter with three hosted agents as string options. The pool value in the jobs section specifies the agent from the parameter used to run the job.

Parameters can also be used to loop through string, number, and boolean parameters. You can print the name and value of each parameter, or use them to set environment variables in a PowerShell task.

Scalar parameters are always treated as strings, so be careful when comparing them to boolean values. For example, eq(parameters['myparam'], true) will return true even if the myparam parameter is the word false.

To pass parameters to templates, you can use the templateContext parameter data type. This allows you to bundle a job and its environment properties object together, making it easier to set up environments when processing each job.

Parameters must contain a name and data type, and must be set in the azure-pipelines.yml file. For example, when the parameter yesNo is set to a boolean value, the build succeeds, but when it's set to a string such as apples, the build fails.

Azure pipeline parameters offer a flexible way to manage sensitive data, such as API keys and database credentials, by allowing you to store them securely in Azure Key Vault.

You can use a parameter to pass a value from one task to another in a pipeline, which is useful when you have a complex workflow with multiple tasks that rely on the same input.

Azure Key Vault is a secure storage solution that can be used to store sensitive data, such as API keys and database credentials.

You can reference a parameter in your pipeline by using the syntax $(parameter_name).

Azure pipeline parameters can be used to manage different environments, such as dev, staging, and prod, by defining separate sets of parameters for each environment.

By using parameters, you can avoid hardcoding sensitive data directly in your pipeline, which reduces the risk of exposing that data to unauthorized users.