Is there a way to handle a single parameter as a build number OR source branch in an azure pipeline? - azure

Question

I'm trying to allow for a single variable that can specify the build id or branch to deploy from. This means I need to type coerce, and it's failing if I try to call a ge (greater than or equal) or lt (less than) on a string. It looks like I might have to use bash commands to do the type conversion for me, so I was wondering if anyone had this handy.
Here's the steps I'm using:
- ${{ each deployment in parameters.deployments }}:
- deployment: Deploy_${{deployment.serviceName}}_${{ parameters.region }}
pool:
vmImage: ${{ parameters.vmImage }}
displayName: 'Deploy ${{ deployment.serviceName }} ${{ parameters.region }}'
${{ if not(eq(parameters.kubernetesServiceEndpoint, '')) }}:
environment: ${{ parameters.kubernetesServiceEndpoint }}
${{ elseif not(and(eq(parameters.azureResourceGroup, ''), eq(parameters.kubernetesCluster, ''))) }}:
environment: ${{ parameters.environment }}
strategy:
runOnce:
deploy:
steps:
# Disable the automatic downloading of artifacts, because we will specifying exactly what we need
- download: none
- task: DownloadPipelineArtifact#2
condition: ${{ ge(0, deployment.branchBuildId) }}
inputs:
source: 'specific'
project: ${{ deployment.project }}
pipeline: ${{ deployment.pipeline }}
runVersion: 'latestFromBranch'
runBranch: ${{ deployment.branchBuildId }}
patterns: 'DeploymentData/*'
displayName: 'Download Latest Artifacts'
- task: DownloadPipelineArtifact#2
condition: ${{ lt(0, deployment.branchBuildId) }}
inputs:
source: 'specific'
project: ${{ deployment.project }}
pipeline: ${{ deployment.pipeline }}
runVersion: 'specific'
runId: ${{ deployment.branchBuildId }}
#runBranch: ${{ deployment.branch }}
patterns: 'DeploymentData/*'
displayName: 'Download Specific Artifacts (${{ deployment.buildId }})'
I want these to be mutually exclusive (run the first if pulling the latest from a specific branch, and run the second if downloading from a specific build id). By using a single parameter I can avoid another control parameter to decide which version should be used.

Answer 1

Two things:
1, If you use script to handle, then 'compile time usage' is unable to use.
You need to use runtime usage:
variables['xxx']
2, Variables only support passing string, you can compare them and then use logging command to output the result:
trigger:
- none
pool:
vmImage: ubuntu-latest
parameters:
- name: str1
default: 110
- name: str2
default: 130
steps:
- task: PowerShell#2
name: outputresult
inputs:
targetType: 'inline'
script: |
$str1 = "${{parameters.str1}}"
$str2 = "${{parameters.str2}}"
Write-Host $str1
Write-Host $str2
# powershell compare the strings greater than or less than
if ($str1 -gt $str2) {
$result = "greater than"
Write-Host $result
Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=result;isoutput=true]$result"
} elseif ($str1 -lt $str2) {
$result = "less than"
Write-Host $result
Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=result;isoutput=true]$result"
} else {
$result = "equal"
Write-Host $result
Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=result;isoutput=true]$result"
}
#Below is the handling logic
- task: PowerShell#2
condition: eq('greater than',variables['outputresult.result'])
inputs:
targetType: 'inline'
script: |
# Write your PowerShell commands here.
Write-Host "greater than"
- task: PowerShell#2
condition: eq('less than',variables['outputresult.result'])
inputs:
targetType: 'inline'
script: |
# Write your PowerShell commands here.
Write-Host "less than"
Result: