Templates - Azure Pipelines (2024)

• Article
• 01/30/2024

Extend from a template

To increase security, you can enforce that a pipeline extends from a particular template. The file start.yml defines the parameter buildSteps, which is then used in the pipeline azure-pipelines.yml.In start.yml, if a buildStep gets passed with a script step, then it is rejected and the pipeline build fails.When extending from a template, you can increase security by adding a required template approval.

# File: start.ymlparameters:- name: buildSteps # the name of the parameter is buildSteps type: stepList # data type is StepList default: [] # default value of buildStepsstages:- stage: secure_buildstage pool: vmImage: windows-latest jobs: - job: secure_buildjob steps: - script: echo This happens before code displayName: 'Base: Pre-build' - script: echo Building displayName: 'Base: Build' - ${{ each step in parameters.buildSteps }}: - ${{ each pair in step }}: ${{ if ne(pair.value, 'CmdLine@2') }}: ${{ pair.key }}: ${{ pair.value }} ${{ if eq(pair.value, 'CmdLine@2') }}: # Step is rejected by raising a YAML syntax error: Unexpected value 'CmdLine@2' '${{ pair.value }}': error - script: echo This happens after code displayName: 'Base: Signing'

# File: azure-pipelines.ymltrigger:- mainextends: template: start.yml parameters: buildSteps: - bash: echo Test #Passes displayName: succeed - bash: echo "Test" displayName: succeed # Step is rejected by raising a YAML syntax error: Unexpected value 'CmdLine@2' - task: CmdLine@2 inputs: script: echo "Script Test" # Step is rejected by raising a YAML syntax error: Unexpected value 'CmdLine@2' - script: echo "Script Test"

Extend from a template with resources

You can also use extends to extend from a template in your Azure pipeline that contains resources.

# File: azure-pipelines.ymltrigger:- noneextends: template: resource-template.yml

# File: resource-template.ymlresources: pipelines: - pipeline: my-pipeline source: sourcePipelinesteps:- script: echo "Testing resource template"

You can copy content from one YAML and reuse it in a different YAML. Copying content from one YAML to another saves you from having to manually include the same logic in multiple places. The include-npm-steps.yml file template contains steps that are reused in azure-pipelines.yml.

# File: templates/include-npm-steps.ymlsteps:- script: npm install- script: yarn install- script: npm run compile

# File: azure-pipelines.ymljobs:- job: Linux pool: vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest' steps: - template: templates/include-npm-steps.yml # Template reference- job: Windows pool: vmImage: 'windows-latest' steps: - template: templates/include-npm-steps.yml # Template reference

Step reuse

You can insert a template to reuse one or more steps across several jobs.In addition to the steps from the template, each job can define more steps.

# File: templates/npm-steps.ymlsteps:- script: npm install- script: npm test

# File: azure-pipelines.ymljobs:- job: Linux pool: vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest' steps: - template: templates/npm-steps.yml # Template reference- job: macOS pool: vmImage: 'macOS-latest' steps: - template: templates/npm-steps.yml # Template reference- job: Windows pool: vmImage: 'windows-latest' steps: - script: echo This script runs before the template's steps, only on Windows. - template: templates/npm-steps.yml # Template reference - script: echo This step runs after the template's steps.

Job reuse

Much like steps, jobs can be reused with templates.

# File: templates/jobs.ymljobs:- job: Ubuntu pool: vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest' steps: - bash: echo "Hello Ubuntu"- job: Windows pool: vmImage: 'windows-latest' steps: - bash: echo "Hello Windows"

# File: azure-pipelines.ymljobs:- template: templates/jobs.yml # Template reference

When working with multiple jobs, remember to remove the name of the job in the template file, so as to avoid conflict

# File: templates/jobs.ymljobs:- job: pool: vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest' steps: - bash: echo "Hello Ubuntu"- job: pool: vmImage: 'windows-latest' steps: - bash: echo "Hello Windows"

# File: azure-pipelines.ymljobs:- template: templates/jobs.yml # Template reference- template: templates/jobs.yml # Template reference- template: templates/jobs.yml # Template reference

Stage reuse

Stages can also be reused with templates.

# File: templates/stages1.ymlstages:- stage: Angular jobs: - job: angularinstall steps: - script: npm install angular

# File: templates/stages2.ymlstages:- stage: Build jobs: - job: build steps: - script: npm run build

# File: azure-pipelines.ymltrigger:- mainpool: vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'stages:- stage: Install jobs: - job: npminstall steps: - task: Npm@1 inputs: command: 'install'- template: templates/stages1.yml # Template reference- template: templates/stages2.yml # Template reference

Job, stage, and step templates with parameters

# File: templates/npm-with-params.ymlparameters:- name: name # defaults for any parameters that aren't specified default: ''- name: vmImage default: ''jobs:- job: ${{ parameters.name }} pool: vmImage: ${{ parameters.vmImage }} steps: - script: npm install - script: npm test

When you consume the template in your pipeline, specify values forthe template parameters.

# File: azure-pipelines.ymljobs:- template: templates/npm-with-params.yml # Template reference parameters: name: Linux vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'- template: templates/npm-with-params.yml # Template reference parameters: name: macOS vmImage: 'macOS-latest'- template: templates/npm-with-params.yml # Template reference parameters: name: Windows vmImage: 'windows-latest'

You can also use parameters with step or stage templates.For example, steps with parameters:

# File: templates/steps-with-params.ymlparameters:- name: 'runExtendedTests' # defaults for any parameters that aren't specified type: boolean default: falsesteps:- script: npm test- ${{ if eq(parameters.runExtendedTests, true) }}: - script: npm test --extended

When you consume the template in your pipeline, specify values forthe template parameters.

# File: azure-pipelines.ymlsteps:- script: npm install- template: templates/steps-with-params.yml # Template reference parameters: runExtendedTests: 'true'

Parameters aren't limited to scalar strings.See the list of data types.For example, using the object type:

# azure-pipelines.ymljobs:- template: process.yml parameters: pool: # this parameter is called `pool` vmImage: ubuntu-latest # and it's a mapping rather than a string# process.ymlparameters:- name: 'pool' type: object default: {}jobs:- job: build pool: ${{ parameters.pool }}

Variable reuse

Variables can be defined in one YAML and included in another template. This could be useful if you want to store all of your variables in one file. If you're using a template to include variables in a pipeline, the included template can only be used to define variables. You can use steps and more complex logic when you're extending from a template.Use parameters instead of variables when you want to restrict type.

In this example, the variable favoriteVeggie is included in azure-pipelines.yml.

# File: vars.ymlvariables: favoriteVeggie: 'brussels sprouts'

# File: azure-pipelines.ymlvariables:- template: vars.yml # Template referencesteps:- script: echo My favorite vegetable is ${{ variables.favoriteVeggie }}.

Variable templates with parameter

You can pass parameters to variables with templates. In this example, you're passing the DIRECTORY parameter to a RELEASE_COMMAND variable.

# File: templates/package-release-with-params.ymlparameters:- name: DIRECTORY type: string default: "." # defaults for any parameters that specified with "." (current directory)variables:- name: RELEASE_COMMAND value: grep version ${{ parameters.DIRECTORY }}/package.json | awk -F \" '{print $4}' 

When you consume the template in your pipeline, specify values forthe template parameters.

# File: azure-pipelines.ymlvariables: # Global variables - template: package-release-with-params.yml # Template reference parameters: DIRECTORY: "azure/checker"pool: vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'stages:- stage: Release_Stage displayName: Release Version variables: # Stage variables - template: package-release-with-params.yml # Template reference parameters: DIRECTORY: "azure/todo-list" jobs: - job: A steps: - bash: $(RELEASE_COMMAND) #output release command