Backend: Support inherited variables with rules and dotenv

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Problem to solve

There are limited options to conditionally run jobs in the same pipeline based on the output of previous jobs. With v13 environment variables can be inherited via artifacts:reports:dotenv report. These reports are currently not evaluated in rules syntax on subsequent jobs.

• https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/variables/#inherit-environment-variables
• https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/yaml/#rules

Proposal

Evaluated inherited variables from report artifacts in rules.

build:
  stage: build
  script:
    - echo "BUILD_VERSION=prod" >> build.env
  artifacts:
    reports:
      dotenv: build.env

deploy:
  stage: deploy
  rules:
    - if: '$BUILD_VERSION == "prod"'
        when: always
  script:
    - echo $BUILD_VERSION
  dependencies:
    - build

This would allow additional logic the script in build to output different env variables which can then be evaluated.

Note - whoever pick this issue up should look into the following dup to validate if the feature will support parent/child pipelines as well

Links / references

Internal ZD

Likely also related to 215100. Where the rules currently also don't apply to existing artifacts.