Complex YAML configurations

The YAML syntax supports several complex configurations that allow for the modularization and reuse of YAML files. Some examples of these are template reuse and the implementation of template expressions. We’ll explore how these features work in the following sections.

YAML template reuse

When working with large projects and several applications being developed by the same members of a team, it is helpful to define common templates to reuse instead of writing everything from scratch for the CI/CD needs of every application. For this purpose, Azure Pipelines supports making references to templates to reuse steps, jobs, and stages. This is particularly helpful in reducing the duplication of YAML because all applications or deployment processes are the same within the project. It is also possible to include parameters in the templates, to pass values that can be used in the referenced template to customize the behavior.

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