What are GitLab CI variables and how do I use them?

What are GitLab CI variables and how do I use them?

GitLab CI variables are key-value pairs that can be used to customize your CI/CD pipelines. They allow you to store configuration settings, secrets, and other data that can be reused across jobs.

Can you give me an example of how to define a variable in my .gitlab-ci.yml file?

Sure! You can define a variable in your .gitlab-ci.yml file like this:

variables:
  MY_VARIABLE: 'value'

This variable can then be accessed in your jobs using $MY_VARIABLE.

How do I set environment-specific variables?

You can set environment-specific variables by using the environment keyword in your .gitlab-ci.yml file. For example:

stages:
  - test

variables:
  MY_VARIABLE: 'default_value'

test_job:
  stage: test
  script:
    - echo $MY_VARIABLE
  environment:
    name: production
    url: https://prod.example.com
    variables:
      MY_VARIABLE: 'production_value'

Are there any security considerations I should be aware of?

Yes, be cautious with sensitive data. Use GitLab's protected variables feature to restrict access to certain variables, ensuring they are only available in protected branches or tags.