Setup Output Variables in Azure Pipelines for downstream Jobs

Azure Pipelines is a cloud-based continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) tool that allows you to build, test, and deploy applications to any platform or cloud service. One of the key features of Azure Pipelines is the ability to set output variables, which are values that can be passed from one pipeline task to another.

Setting output variables in Azure Pipelines is a powerful technique that allows you to share data between pipeline tasks, making it easier to build complex pipelines. In this blog post, we will cover the basics of setting output variables in Azure Pipelines.

What are output variables?

Output variables are values that are set in a pipeline task and can be passed to other tasks. These values can be used to make decisions or perform actions in subsequent tasks. For example, you might set an output variable called "buildNumber" in a build task, which could be used by a deployment task to determine which version of the application to deploy.

How to set output variables in Azure Pipelines?

To set an output variable in Azure Pipelines, you need to use the "setvariable" task. This task allows you to set a variable with a specific name and value. Here's an example of how to use the setvariable task to set an output variable:

- task: PowerShell@2

  inputs:

    targetType: 'inline'

    script: |

      # Set the output variable

      Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=myOutputVar;isOutput=true]outputValue"

In this example, we are using the PowerShell task to set an output variable called "myOutputVar" with the value "outputValue". Note that we are using the special syntax "##vso[task.setvariable variable=myOutputVar;isOutput=true]" to set the output variable.

The "isOutput=true" parameter is important because it tells Azure Pipelines that this variable is an output variable that can be used by other tasks.

Once you have set an output variable, you can use it in subsequent tasks by referencing it with the syntax "$(variableName)". For example, if you set an output variable called "buildNumber", you could use it in a subsequent task like this:

- task: DeployApp@1

  inputs:

    version: '$(buildNumber)'

In this example, we are using the "DeployApp" task to deploy the application, and we are passing the "buildNumber" output variable as the version number.

Conclusion

Setting output variables in Azure Pipelines is a powerful technique that allows you to share data between pipeline tasks. By using the "setvariable" task and the "$(variableName)" syntax, you can easily pass data between tasks and build more complex pipelines. With a little practice, you can take full advantage of this feature and build efficient and powerful pipelines that meet the needs of your organization.

How to pass output variables to multiple stages in Azure Pipelines?