LetsDevOps: Azure DevOps YAML templates, How and when to create template with real scenario example.

Introduction

In this blog we will learn the Azure DevOps YAML templates.

Prerequisite

To better understand ADO template we must have basic understanding of YAML pipeline.

1. Stages

2. Jobs

3. Steps

If you are new to YAML you can follow below guide for easy learn --> https://www.letsdevops.net/post/letsdevops-complete-guide-to-learn-and-setup-yaml-pipeline-in-azure-devops

What is template in ADO YAML

Template in general helps to cerate some sharable content can be used by many team or in Many project.

With the help of Template we can define sharable content, logic and parameters in YAML pipeline.

Why ADO YAML template

• Speed up development

• secure pipeline

• cleaner yaml pipeline

• avoid same logic to add in multiple place

Types of templates

1. Include --> insert reusable control

2. Extends --> Insert what is allowed. define logic that other template file follow.

Templates category

• stage template

• job template

• step template

• variable template

step template syntax

Now lets understand how we can create step template and how it can be referred from another yaml pipeline file.

step template helps to group all the steps that can be sharable in many jobs or stages.

job template syntax

job template helps to group all the Jobs that can be sharable in many jobs and stages.

stage template syntax

stage template helps to group all the stages that can be sharable reference in many master pipeline.

variable template syntax

variable template helps to group all the variables that can be referenced in pipeline.

Create template with parameters

In some scenario you are required to pass some parameters to the template. We can create parameters with all types of template like step, stage, jobs, variables.

In this case we need to declare and define the parameters in two files.

1. In template file

2. the file from which template file is being called.

example:

Job Template with parameters example

Steps Template with parameters example

Variables Template with parameters example

Real Scenario example

Lets assume you want to setup of CI/CD pipeline for an Application and to better manager the pipeline you want to make use of template.

Items:

1. master pipeline

2. stage template

3. jobs template

4. steps template

GitHub Repo

https://github.com/sumitraj0103/Letsdevops/tree/main/ADOYAML/yaml-template

Demo