Pass PowerShell Object from Variable Group

Question

I have an Azure PowerShell task in an Azure DevOps Pipeline that creates Web Apps by deploying an ARM Template.

I'm trying to deploy a Web App with the specific environment variables and while they work fine when I define the variables in the YAML, they are not being passed when I define the Environment Variables via Variable Groups.

This is the task that works fine:

- checkout: self  
- task: AzurePowerShell@5
  displayName: "Create Web Apps"
  inputs:
    azureSubscription: 'XXX'
    ScriptType: 'InlineScript'
    azurePowerShellVersion: 'LatestVersion'
    errorActionPreference: 'silentlyContinue'
    Inline: |
      # Define variables
      $ARMTemplateFile = "$(Build.Repository.LocalPath)\ARM-Templates\WebApps.json"
      $ResourceGroupName = "XXX"
      $WebAppEnvironmentVariables = @{
        "Name1" = "Value1"
        "Name2" = "Value2"
      }
      # Use Azure PowerShell to deploy the ARM template
      New-AzResourceGroupDeployment `
            -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName `
            -TemplateFile $ARMTemplateFile `
            -TemplateParameterObject @{ 
               "EnvironmentVariables" = $WebAppEnvironmentVariables
            }

I've tried every possible combination that I could think of and none of them work when referencing object from the Variable Groups. The template gets deployed, but the Environment Variables are empty:

- checkout: self  
- task: AzurePowerShell@5
  displayName: "Create Web Apps"
  inputs:
    azureSubscription: 'XXX'
    ScriptType: 'InlineScript'
    azurePowerShellVersion: 'LatestVersion'
    pwsh: true
    Inline: |
      # Define variables
      $ARMTemplateFile = "$(Build.Repository.LocalPath)\ARM-Templates\WebApps.json"
      $ResourceGroupName = "XXX"
      # Use Azure PowerShell to deploy the ARM template
      New-AzResourceGroupDeployment `
           -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName `
           -TemplateFile $ARMTemplateFile `
           -TemplateParameterObject @{ 
              "EnvironmentVariables" = $(VariablesObject1)
           }

Where are you referencing the variable group containing the VariablesObject1 variable? Is that variable suppose to contain a json string like in the first code block? — Rui Jarimba
– Rui Jarimba, Commented Jan 9 at 18:10
I'm referencing the Variable Group earlier in the code, before the task I pasted. Yes, it is suppose to contain JSON object, just like in the first example. — WinBoss
– WinBoss, Commented Jan 9 at 18:19
And you're completely sure the variable $(VariablesObject1) is set when running the AzurePowerShell@5 task? If you add a dummy task to print that variable value is displayed correctly? — Rui Jarimba
– Rui Jarimba, Commented Jan 9 at 19:33
Yes, I'm sure. I can see the task gets exactly what I'm setting in the variable group when running Write-Host '(VariablesObject1)' — WinBoss
– WinBoss, Commented Jan 9 at 19:40
Is the behavior different in the second code snippet if you move the variable group reference out of the New-AzResourceGroupDeployment invocation? e.g. use $WebAppEnvironmentVariables = $(VariablesObject1) followed by New-AzResourceGroupDeployment -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName ... -TemplateParameterObject @{ "EnvironmentVariables" = $WebAppEnvironmentVariables } — Jonathan Dodds
– Jonathan Dodds, Commented Jan 9 at 20:10

Rui Jarimba · Accepted Answer · 2025-01-09 20:17:37Z

1

According to New-AzResourceGroupDeployment's documentation, -TemplateParameterObject must be an Hashtable:

New-AzResourceGroupDeployment
   # ...
   -TemplateParameterObject <Hashtable>

So instead of:

- task: AzurePowerShell@5
  displayName: "Create Web Apps"
  inputs:
    azureSubscription: 'XXX'
    ScriptType: 'InlineScript'
    azurePowerShellVersion: 'LatestVersion'
    pwsh: true
    Inline: |
      # Define variables
      $ARMTemplateFile = "$(Build.Repository.LocalPath)\ARM-Templates\WebApps.json"
      $ResourceGroupName = "XXX"
      # Use Azure PowerShell to deploy the ARM template
      New-AzResourceGroupDeployment -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName `
                                    -TemplateFile $ARMTemplateFile `
                                    -TemplateParameterObject @{ 
                                      "EnvironmentVariables" = $(VariablesObject1)
                                    }

Try converting the JSON string to a hashtable:

- task: AzurePowerShell@5
  displayName: "Create Web Apps"
  inputs:
    azureSubscription: 'XXX'
    ScriptType: 'InlineScript'
    azurePowerShellVersion: 'LatestVersion'
    errorActionPreference: 'silentlyContinue'
    Inline: |
      # Define variables
      $ARMTemplateFile = "$(Build.Repository.LocalPath)\ARM-Templates\WebApps.json"
      $ResourceGroupName = "XXX"

      $WebAppEnvironmentVariables = $env:MyVariables | ConvertFrom-Json -AsHashtable

      # Use Azure PowerShell to deploy the ARM template
      New-AzResourceGroupDeployment -ResourceGroupName $ResourceGroupName `
                                    -TemplateFile $ARMTemplateFile `
                                    -TemplateParameterObject @{ 
                                      "EnvironmentVariables" = $WebAppEnvironmentVariables
                                    }
  env:
    MyVariables: $(VariablesObject1) # <-------------------- from variable group

Note: I'm setting a task-level environment variable to avoid escaping issues.

answered Jan 9 at 20:17

Rui Jarimba

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5 Comments

WinBoss Jan 15 at 14:24

This didn't work and provided empty value when verifying if variables are being passed by running Write-Host $(VariablesObject1)

Rui Jarimba Jan 15 at 15:01

@WinBoss sorry I'm confused - on Jan 9 you mentioned "Yes, I'm sure. I can see the task gets exactly what I'm setting in the variable group when running Write-Host '(VariablesObject1)'" - now you're saying the opposite? My suggested solution will obviously fail if for some reason $(VariablesObject1) is not available in the task.

Rui Jarimba Jan 15 at 15:03

@WinBoss check the scope of the variable group - are you referencing it at the pipeline or job scope?

Rui Jarimba Jan 20 at 13:58

@WinBoss any update?

WinBoss Jan 27 at 17:12

Decided to not spend any more time on figuring this out and just use predefined variables instead of an object via variables.

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