Azure Pipeline Loops - azure

Question

I've spent quite a bit of time on this now and can't seem to get it right so need to ask for advise.
I've got a GitHub repo which contains a series of ZIP files. For each Zip file I want to execute a template in DevOps, there could be 1 there could be 10. For each file I want to perform the same checks.
I wrote a PowerShell task that scans a gathers the list of zip files. I spent considerable time attemping to use OutPut variables and variables but it seems that you can't leverage an array at all using those in Azure Pipelines.
steps:
- ${{ each var in variables }}:
- task: PowerShell#2
displayName: 'Checking variables ${{ var.key }}'
inputs:
targetType: Inline
script: |
Write-Host ${{ var.name }}
Write-Host ${{ var.key }}
Write-Host ${{ var.value }}
Write-Host "${{ convertToJson(var) }}"
I was able to loop through all existing Variables in the pipeline but it appears task variables are not added to this list?
Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=filePath;isOutput=true]$YamlVar.FullName"
Using the above task.setvariable I can set and access a variable but it's a single string, obviously to loop through a template a number of times and perform the same steps it's got to work with the ${{ each var in variables }}: structure.
Also managed to write a variables.yml and add it to an artifact but I can't seem to find a way to access my new artifact to potentially leverage.
- job: B
dependsOn: A1
pool:
vmImage: windows-latest
variables:
- template: ./variables.yml
steps:
- ${{ each var in variables }}:
- task: PowerShell#2
displayName: 'Checking variables ${{ var.key }}'
inputs:
targetType: Inline
script: |
Write-Host ${{ var.name }}
Write-Host ${{ var.key }}
Write-Host ${{ var.value }}
Write-Host "${{ convertToJson(var) }}"
UPDATE
This is the closets answer so far, but it seem like when using.
- ${{ each var in variables }}:
The variable or parameter is not processed.so it's interpreted as is Micro $(allfiles) directly instead of expanded and leveraged.
https://stackoverflow.com/a/59451690/16318957
If I could some how just have my .yml artifact added to the build and then reference that it would work, but it appears I can't reference a template directly in a step that hasn't executed a download stage.
This would allow me to create a template file with the parameters and variables hard coded then, publish the file and use that artifact to do the right amount of steps.
When attempting to download my artifacts I'm not getting any files.
UPDATE
I've solved this one, I essentially passed the object array into the template using the DevOps API to call a separate pipeline. I run a PowerShell script passing in the variables required.
- task: PowerShell#2
inputs:
filePath: './PowerShell/deployment.ps1'
arguments: '-variable "TEST" -step "TEST_DEPLOYMENT" -env "TEST" -pat "$(pat)"'
Then essentially adjust the JSON variable and call the pipeline from the API with your array list. Your JSON needs to leverage objects as a JSON text.
$JSON = #'
{
"variables":{
"file1":{
"isSecret":false,
"value":"test11"
},
"file2":{
"isSecret":false,
"value":"test21"
}
},
"templateParameters":{
<zipfilefilenameshere>,
}
}
'#
Then trigger the pipeline with the API passing your object array.
uripipeline = "https://dev.azure.com/$($org)/$($proj)/_apis/pipelines/$($id)/runs?api-version=6.0-preview.1"
When you object is sent it needs to be structured like JSON text.
Example:
"[\"file1.zip\",\"file2.zip\"]"

Answer 1

I managed to get this to work by creating a separate pipeline, then calling the pipeline from the original and passing in my object array.
I'm using this API call to make it work.
https://dev.azure.com/$($org)/$($proj)/_apis/pipelines/$($id)/runs?api-version=6.0-preview.1
Some examples in my update at the end of the original question.