pipeline-variable-management

Pipeline Variable Management

Applicable Scenarios

• Understand the complete flow of variables from configuration to runtime
• Modify variable initialization, storage, inheritance, or update logic
• Extend variable fields, variable types, or model conversion
• Troubleshoot variable passing, scope, or compatibility issues

Inapplicable Scenarios

• Only modifying pipeline templates or YAML structure
• Only modifying plugin definitions, without involving the variable main chain
• Only handling ordinary frontend form display

Quick Guidance

1. This skill focuses on "how variables are defined, persisted, passed, and evolved," not general parameter usage instructions.
2. Variable issues are usually divided into two categories:
   • Lifecycle and runtime flow:reference/1-lifecycle.md
   • Field extension and model conversion:reference/2-extension.md
3. When troubleshooting variable issues, first determine whether it is a definition-time issue or a build runtime issue.
4. When changing fields, look at the internal model, YAML model, converters, and compatibility at the same time.
5. If variable changes affect the pipeline model or YAML input/output, then also look at pipeline-model-architecture and yaml-pipeline-transfer。

High-Signal Rules

• Variables are both configuration data and part of runtime state
• The lifecycle chain and the field extension chain are often mixed together; separate them first when troubleshooting
• A new field is not just adding a model class; conversion, frontend/backend, and historical data must also be considered

Key Pitfalls

• Misjudging a runtime variable issue as a model field issue
• Changing only one model without changing the converter or compatibility logic
• Verifying only new builds without verifying historical data and old pipelines

Further Reading

• Lifecycle and runtime flow:reference/1-lifecycle.md
• Field extension and model conversion:reference/2-extension.md
• If you are modifying the pipeline model: also look at pipeline-model-architecture
• If you are modifying YAML conversion: also look at yaml-pipeline-transfer